Body Fat Measurement

How do you measure your body fat. I bought a caliper for $20 at GNC and it told me my body fat was at 43%, (which I had to figure out on my own because it was off the chart, seriously), then I went to some websites that calculate your body fat% and one told me it was twenty-something % and the other one also told me that it was 43%, so I fugured, two out of three must be right. Anyhow, the website I found that calculated the accurate body fat is this one: http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Also, I've been tracking my body fat on that site (because it's easier than the caliper, what a waste of money) and I found out that these past 6 weeks I've lost 10 lbs of fat and gained 2 lbs of lean body mass!! Sooooo, I guess that's the reason for my plateau! I gained muscle!!! Wooo Hooo!

That's awesome!

So you decided not to use the calipers and use the tape measure instead? That's a pretty cool site...I may have to enter some stuff in there.

looks like a good site.  Once I get a measuring tape I will definitely use this site :)  its one to be tagged.  Thanks!

I like that site...I've bookmarked it. Thanks!

Yea, I don't use the calipers anymore, what a wast of $20! I could've bought shoes! Wish I would've found the site before!

Liborykuamami, thanks for the web site info. The information it supplied was very close to what my calipers say. But the site is much easier.

PS. It is very important to keep a record of your bodyfat %s. It is very motivational.

It's weird -- according to the caliper test I had done at the gym, my body fat % is around 16%. I entered the measurements (the fitness person wrote them out for me) on the website and got the same #. But when I do the measuring tape calculation, I get 26%. That's *way* different. Which do I believe? Should I average them?

i would believe the calipers. honestly, i've found teh websites to be WAY inaccurate. nothing that isn't actually touching your fat can measure it. the most accurate is a sort of electrical resistance test in which you are submerged in a water tank, but those are kind of expensive and not everywhere is set up to administer them. the measurement calculations.. um... i dunno, they don't really seem accurate for people that are very muscular. i used to thave some examples, and maybe someone bookmarked the original thread posted Waaaaaay Back When by i think slappy?

Sweet! I get to trust the low one! *g* Thanks!

I had heard that really muscular ppl can't trust the BMI; I guess the measuring tape based calculations are similar? Not that I'm some bodybuilder or something, but I do have some serious muscle going on. I've not gained a whole lot of muscle since losing weight, but I've got crazy-good muscle tone everywhere except the ever-stubborn belly and lower back. Turns out there was a lot of muscle under all that fat!

Thanks for the input -- I'll do a search for the post you mention. =)

that website told me i had a body fat % of 39!!! :-O my scales are the type that measure body fat, and they say my BFP is 30% - i'd much rather believe those scales tbh! ;-)

I had a new scale that measured body fat, it drove me absolutely crazy, I took it back to the store today.

becb, I'm not sure I understand, what measurements are you talking about? The caliper measurements or the tape measurement? Which one did the trainer use and which one did you use?

The trainer used calipers. She wrote down the measurements she took, and also told me the percentage (16%). I used the written-down measurements on the website, and it confirmed the 16%. I then took measuring tape and took my measurements for neck/waist/hips, and when I put those into the site, it told me my body fat % was 26%! I was just curious as to which I should believe -- like, did my trainer just pinch me incorrectly?

There is something I dont understand on the web site for body fat mesurements, for the abdominal, what do they mean by one hinch to the right of navel? How do you take that mesurement?

Ok nevermind I avent read enough of it :)

becb, ok now I understand, I guess in your case the trainer and caliper is right, I used both the calipers and the tape measure and they both came out about the same so I just use the tape measure and it's a lot easier for me.

I tried the measurement method, and it says I have 6% body fat :/ is that good? I don't think I'm really 100 pounds of muscle

You guys have to check out this body fat measurement gizmo I got at Target. It's handheld, very small, easy to use, and only around $15!!!!

Seems very accurate and takes just a few seconds.

Much better than all that measuring if you ask me. - Oh, and it's in the fitness section. (By the way, I don't work for Target)

"it says I have 6% body fat :/ is that good?"

For a woman it's scary low.

For a guy it's fairly skinny.