Body fat %

Can anyone tell me what a healthy body fat % should be?

I have searched the net but have found the results really varied as to what is considered healthy/optimal.

Mine is 11.9% - far too low for a 26 year old female but what should I be aiming for? I want to gain weight in a balanced way, not too much muscle and not too much fat.

I am not sure and like you said people vary. I think if you are underweight that you need to focus on getting to a healthy bmi first. I am assuming you have no period correct me if I am wrong and being underweight in terms of numbers I think needs to be the focus. If you eat a balanced plan I think the rest should fall into place

From Webmd:

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The CDC provides the following ranges for BMI values for adults:

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Congrats on your journey to a healthier you.

Thanks, I am well versed on BMI though. It is body fat % which I was struggling difficult to find a consistent recommended range for.

I turned to the ever-knowing Wikipedia for the answer to this:

Description | Women | Men

Essential fat | 10–12% | 2–4%

Athletes | 14–20% | 6–13%

Fitness | 21–24% | 14–17%

Acceptable | 25–31% | 18–25%

Overweight | 32-41% | 26-37%

Obese | 42%+ | 38%+

Seems pretty accurate...have you tried measuring using different formulas? Ive found quite a bit of fluctuation in my resulting number, not just the charts indicating healthy/unhealthy...

If you have no period we're talking the acceptable range, which is about 25–31%. You're more likely to get it back around there. However there is a standing point in "focus on your BMI" - they often come hand in hand.

Everyone keeps talking about BMI. BMI is not overly accurate. It does not take various things into consideration such as the fact that muscle weighs more than fat.

I am a physed student and work in a fitness centre alongside many personal trainers so I am confident I know what I am talking about. Your body fat % is extremely low for a woman but still in the essential fat percentage range. For an adult woman you need between 12-16% essential body fat, anything lower than 12% can begin to cause some serious physiological problems such as a cease in your menstral cycle and infertility.

If you want to keep your body fat low, I would aim for the high range of 16% body fat because this is essential fat.

Can I ask how you got this percentage? Because the only way to accurately determine your body fat % is through a body composition test; there are no formulas that will give you an accurate answer.

Thanks!

I used one of those big machines where you place your hands on two handles and it gives a reading. 

I haven't had a period in many years. I had my hormones tested recently and they were very low, due to the low body fat I guess.

Ah. Yeah, those aren't as accurate as a body composition test. And if you only did the one where you hold it in your hands, it only read your body fat percentage in your upper body, it doesn't take into account your lower body at all. What it is is a current that runs through your body. The one you used would have ran through your right arm, across your chest, and finished in your left arm. Based on how long the current takes to get there gives the machine it's reading of body fat percentage; it's based on the idea that lean tissue has less resistance to electricity than body fat.

If you're looking to increase your body fat percentage, try to choose nutritionally dense foods. The reason being, for instance, is that some vitamins are only fat soluble so if you aren't consuming enough fat, you also wont be absorbing those vitamins that are only fat soluble. Also go for variety. This will help insure that you get all your vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc. It is recomended that dietary fat should make up 20-30% of your daily total calorie intake so I would recommend aiming for the high end of that percentage to start.

Your hormones could also be low if you have an underlying thyroid condition; something like Hypothyroidism which is an insufficient production of thyroid hormones. Could also just be that your body is low in iodine. Low hormones is probably what has caused your body to stop it's menstral cycle. I'm surprised that the person who tested your hormones didn't look into the cause in the reduced production.

Thanks again!

My thyroid is fine. My Dr. expected my hormone levels to be low as I'm underweight (bmi 15.9).

Ah.

Just a note, a body fat percentage of 18-32% is still considered desirable and healthy. =)

I'm glad I could help you out, good luck!