body fat 33%!?!

Maybe I used the calculater wrong, or used the wrong calculator for this sort of thing but i used one i found on the internet and it said my body fat was 33%?!? I just don't see how this could be, i'm 5'7, 128 pounds, and quite fit (i mean not extremely, but I do excercise quite a bit).  Does anyone know of a calculator that would be more accuarte for me OR could anyone please suggest something I could buy that would be more reliable?

Did the calculator you used require your measurements? That is way, way, way off for you....I promise you that. I weigh 212 and I am only 5'5 and my BMI is in the 30% range.

Google a few different sites, just type in BMI indicator, and you will find a few different ways to do it. Some have you enter your measurements (this is more accurate, I think) and others don't.

I went to this site http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

and your BMI was 20....not 33. Just look around online and you will find one that is more accurate than the one you used.

 

OP was talking about body fat, not BMI. Some body fat calculators online go by your measurements in the context of your height and weight (especially your waist measurement).

But because body fat can be distributed in different places, taking measurements like that can't really give an accurate picture.

kelleigh, I think you misread her post. She said her body fat percentage was 33%, not that her BMI was at 33. BMI and body fat percentage are two totally and entirely different things.

Females, I think, have higher body fat percentages than male. However, for your weight and height, I seriously doubt this is the right number. Unfortunately, only a visit to the doctors can get you an accurate test to figure out your body fat percentage. There are scales out there that can give you a rough estimate, but I hear they aren't very accurate, either.

Hi!! I was wondering in wich site did you find out that calculator? I think is so wrong cause its impossible to measure your body fat in internet lol.

I have EXACTLY the same stats as you, female, 27 years old, 5'7'' and 128 lbs and I got my body fat measure in my Tanita scale and it says 27% and even that number I think is wrong!! I mean, I HOPE IS WRONG! lol

It is not impossible to measure your Body Fat on line, using a measurement based reading is a way of telling what your body fat is and is just as reliable as a bioelectrical Impedance device such as the Tanita scale.  Both have a +/- reading that accompany it, this site seems to be more reliable.  People that know what their BF% is have said it was about 2-3% difference than what they were which is what the error rate is.  If you want to know what it is for sure see your doctor about a bod pod or Dexa scan, but this is free and easy to track results rather than actual BF%.

Sorry, I suppose I did misunderstand the post.....disregard my nonsense!

Yeah i used an internet calc the other day it said i was 33% body fat but the gym measured me at 25% yesterday personally i think the gym guy with his calipers is more accurate.

It put me in the 30s too, and I couldn't really believe it. I'm 5'3, 55ish kg. But what really confused me were the hip and forearm measurements. I always thought hips were where your hip bones are, but the site said the widest part of you, which is over the middle of my capacious backside and gave me a reading that said I was huge. Also, what on earth is 'forearm measurement?' I couldn't find an obvious spot to measure.

The site Cookk referenced gave me a much more reasonable result than other sites I have used (22-24% (couldn't put a half on my hip measurement) vs. 35+%). Which makes me wonder if it's true o.O

64 inches, 121 pounds.

Original Post by malaika99:

It put me in the 30s too, and I couldn't really believe it. I'm 5'3, 55ish kg. But what really confused me were the hip and forearm measurements. I always thought hips were where your hip bones are, but the site said the widest part of you, which is over the middle of my capacious backside and gave me a reading that said I was huge. Also, what on earth is 'forearm measurement?' I couldn't find an obvious spot to measure.

 Make sure you choose the female as the gender, it shouldn't ask you for the forearm measurement if you choose that.  That will also have an impact on your reading.

i've got pretty much the same stats as you and last time i measured it (i was about 125lbs and doing a lot of exercise) it was just under 20% so i shouldn't worry. i've got body fat scales but they're broken at the moment.

edit: used someone else's scales - i'm 124.2lbs, 5' 5 1/2", and my body fat came out at 19.7%. well chuffed! lol. and the scales also did water, bone density and muscle percentage. how cool is that!

Original Post by cookk:

It is not impossible to measure your Body Fat on line, using a measurement based reading is a way of telling what your body fat is and is just as reliable as a bioelectrical Impedance device such as the Tanita scale.  Both have a +/- reading that accompany it, this site seems to be more reliable.  People that know what their BF% is have said it was about 2-3% difference than what they were which is what the error rate is.  If you want to know what it is for sure see your doctor about a bod pod or Dexa scan, but this is free and easy to track results rather than actual BF%.

 Hey thanks! I used the site you mentioned and I think you're right, about being more reliable. It gave 26% (when my Tanita Scale gave me 27%) so sadly, I think its right :(

I'd like to lower it to 22% though...

Hm. Interesting, it told me 30.3%, which is lower than other sites have said (they had me pegged in the "obese" range all this time). Since I'm not obese by BMI, this news made me feel good. I think other sites overuse waist measurements, and as an apple with thin legs, that might have skewed it.

Thanks for the link, cook!!

Whew! Cookk's site gave me a much better rating of 20% (and didn't ask for a forearm measurement). Which is on the lower side of 'healthy normal'. Does make me wonder why I still have a mini-paunch though:p

I used the site cookk pointed to and it gave me a 25% (5'4" and 155 pounds).  I have scales at home and they tell me 32%, and several other on-line cacluators give me higher numbers... most around 28-30%.  I know none of them are 100% reliable, and I don't belong to a gym (I work out at home) so I don't know where to go to get it done with calipers.   I just wish I knew which one to believe. 

When these sites say to measure hips, is it at your hip bone, or the widest part (which, depending on your ass, could be a lot lower than your hip bone)? I think that area can be really difficult to accurately measure, at least for women - the tape doesn't always stay level! Plus, there is a huge difference if you are an apple or a pear - you can have tiny hips, but carry all the weight higher up, or vice versa.

I've had one of those sites tell me I'm obese - at 5'6", 135, I don't think that's true.

The  calculators online are not accurate at all. I'd say not to listen to them. You can look through your phonebook and find personal trainers that may have the calipers, also, some doctor's offices will do them as well. Call around and find out. I doubt at 5'7" and 128 pounds that you have such a high body fat percentage

cookk's site gave me a body fat of 7%....which is highly unlikely since at 10% I should see ab definition, which I don't....I'm thinking I'm probably in the range of about 14-17%

Original Post by kristicro:

The  calculators online are not accurate at all. I'd say not to listen to them. You can look through your phonebook and find personal trainers that may have the calipers, also, some doctor's offices will do them as well. Call around and find out. I doubt at 5'7" and 128 pounds that you have such a high body fat percentage

 

That's what I think, I mean, really, I'm also 5'7'' and 128 lbs and as I said, the site gave me 26% of Body fat, I did measured my hips in the widest part, not were my hip bones, so I don't know :(

ing_spain May 14 2008 01:22 Hi!! I was wondering in wich site did you find out that calculator? I think is so wrong cause its impossible to measure your body fat in internet lol.

I have EXACTLY the same stats as you, female, 27 years old, 5'7'' and 128 lbs and I got my body fat measure in my Tanita scale and it says 27% and even that number I think is wrong!! I mean, I HOPE IS WRONG! lol

(don't know how to quote)

i have a tanita thing too, I'm 5"4, 133 lbs, and my body fat is 27.4.l So i'm pretty sure yours must be wrong.

women are meant to have at least 10% body fat. You need it for boobs and hips and thighs and stuff.

still, its depressing to think I am over a quarter fat...