Expert needed for body fat % and large breasts?

Does anyone know for sure that women with large breasts (think DD) have a naturally higher body fat %? It seems like they would b/c aren't breasts mostly fat.  The reason I ask is b/c no matter how much cardio, weight lifting, dieting or whatever I do, my body fat % stays high and I have large breasts.  And, no matter how much weight I lose, I still have big breasts.  I may lose circumference in my upper back but my cup size stays the same.

Anyone?

It depends on how you measure body fat % -- if you estimate using waist circumference, hip circumference, thigh circumference and calf circumference it shouldn't make too much of a difference.  If you do water submersion it will contribute significantly.  Most of the electric measuring devices are about in the middle.  (I have a 32DDD chest, so I feel your pain!)

A trainer friend of mine told me she's never seen females with less than 23% body fat having bigger than B cups...so yeah...I mean, every woman's different...some fat in the boobs or in the butt are not bad. Just because they say 20-22% is the ideal, it doesn't mean it's true for every woman...Breast fat surely isn't as bad as stomach fat!

We're all built differently and carry our fat differently, a woman at 24-25% body fat can actually look hotter and fitter than a woman who's at 20% body fat...depending on her weight, frame size, body shape, fitness level, where she carries her fat, etc.

Better to just trust your measuring tape to track your progress. The good news is that women who naturally carry some fat on their boobs do not have to go too low with their body fat % number to see good results....I mean, hey, better in the boobs than on the stomach or thighs.

my body fat % never seems to go down, even though im a lot thinner than i used to be... your theory seems to make sense (32F - you will not belive how hard it is to find bras) its like having 2 watermelons worth of fat that you cant shift really so its no wonder body fat % doesnt go down!

Ah the F, I remember when they gave me mine, I didnt even know the bras CAME in that size!!!

I'm just hoping I don't have to go past my DDD! Planning to have children in the next couple years so I'm not sure I'll get my wish lol.

It depends on the type of body fat reading your taking weather or not your breasts will come into the equasion. They'll count for immersion, and electrical impulse where the sensor is hand held, and a 7 point caliper test. However they won't be read my the scales you stand on or a 3 point caliper test.

Personally i find tht if i do a test that DOESN't take my boobsa into account i read at about 17-18% body fat, while if i do one that DOES take them into account i read at about 22-23%.

Everyone lose's fat in different ways to is just genetic's and while your body may have a tendancy to store fat in the breasts which is why they don't seem to go down as you lose weight.

However eventually if you lose enough weight they will decrease in size (unless thier fake haha) how much you have to lose before that happen's though is dependent on your body and you might not want to get go that low.

I know alot of girls with sub 20% body fat and not one of them has any bigger than a b-c cup and of those i know with sub 12% not one of those has anything much resembling boobs at all, well unless they'er fake. Youll never see an ultra skinny girl with big boobs that are natural, however it is possible for your bodys the hang on to that fat till the very last possible minute.

Original Post by leiela:

It depends on the type of body fat reading your taking weather or not your breasts will come into the equasion. They'll count for immersion, and electrical impulse where the sensor is hand held, and a 7 point caliper test. However they won't be read my the scales you stand on or a 3 point caliper test.

Personally i find tht if i do a test that DOESN't take my boobsa into account i read at about 17-18% body fat, while if i do one that DOES take them into account i read at about 22-23%.

Everyone lose's fat in different ways to is just genetic's and while your body may have a tendancy to store fat in the breasts which is why they don't seem to go down as you lose weight.

However eventually if you lose enough weight they will decrease in size (unless thier fake haha) how much you have to lose before that happen's though is dependent on your body and you might not want to get go that low.

I know alot of girls with sub 20% body fat and not one of them has any bigger than a b-c cup and of those i know with sub 12% not one of those has anything much resembling boobs at all, well unless they'er fake. Youll never see an ultra skinny girl with big boobs that are natural, however it is possible for your bodys the hang on to that fat till the very last possible minute.

Not necesarily true, I went to school with a girl who was between a size 2 and 4 and has like DD and she is really short too, but then again, I dont know what her body fat percentage is, she does not seem skinny fat...

mysteriously enough to me, i'm an FF/G cup and 147 pounds.

honestly, i didn't believe the lady at the store at first, but its true.

i don't particularly want to lose weight, but rather tone up (because i dont want to lose these boobs that have suddenly appeared lol)

but people say that if you "tone up" aka replace muscle with fat, you lose boobage (because they're mostly fat ... not muscle)

is this true? even if i don't lose weight, but exercise more and maintain my size, will i still lose cup sizes?

I'm a double DD, 110 pounds....and i'm a marathon runner so my body fat is really low around 18%....it's not your cup size that measures your body fat it's your measurement around....i'm a 32 DD so i have a lower body fat than a 34 C even though my cup size is bigger. 

go to your doctor to get your body fat checked...if not you can calculate your body fat online.  there are some sites where you can take all your measurements into account...waist, thighs, arms, neck etc. 

heres a few

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/body-fat-p ercentage-calculator.php 
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

I'm not sure there is a correlation. I totally feel your pain. I'm a 34DD, 5'4 140lbs and i have trouble dropping, but my lucky sister is 5'2 115 lbs on a heavy day and is also a natural 34DD!

So unfair.

OK so this is a very tricky answer because more than any other body part a woman's breast size is related to hormones and is affected by birth control, cycle, etc.

I am not an expert in endocrinology but i can tell you that if we assume that you keep roughly the same chemical levels for the duration of your workout. Then we can treat it pretty much like any other body part which means that it is determined by genetics.

Just make sure you stay in negative caloric balance and you'll eventually get to them. Even if they are going to be the last thing to go they will eventually. I have never heard of a body starving itself to preserve large breasts.

Though alot of husbands/boyfriends out there might, lol

Good luck and just ask if you need any more specific advice

Original Post by desert_lily:

A trainer friend of mine told me she's never seen females with less than 23% body fat having bigger than B cups...so yeah...I mean, every woman's different...some fat in the boobs or in the butt are not bad. Just because they say 20-22% is the ideal, it doesn't mean it's true for every woman...Breast fat surely isn't as bad as stomach fat!

We're all built differently and carry our fat differently, a woman at 24-25% body fat can actually look hotter and fitter than a woman who's at 20% body fat...depending on her weight, frame size, body shape, fitness level, where she carries her fat, etc.

Better to just trust your measuring tape to track your progress. The good news is that women who naturally carry some fat on their boobs do not have to go too low with their body fat % number to see good results....I mean, hey, better in the boobs than on the stomach or thighs.

 

 I just did the hydrostatic testing (immersion), which is supposed to be one of the more accurate methods, and I am 19.2% body fat and a C cup in most bras , D cup in Victoria's Secret, which I believe runs way small.

I'm 5'7 121-124 lbs, with body fat levels of around 18%. I'm quite muscular now but it isn't too apparent underneath the small layer of fat- and I have 32 D cup size.

When I was bigger I was a 34 DD 138 lbs 25-26% body fat(very little muscle tissue),

When I was quite small at 115 lbs I was a 32 C 16% body fat little muscle tissue (but this was too far below recommended weight for my height)

Having large breasts doesn't mean that your body fat will remain high, but you can't generalize these things either. It might be more uncommon for a small woman to have large breasts or low body fat %, but certainly not impossible.

I think that when you lose significant amounts of body fat, the way I did, at lower than recommened your body fat % will take a plunge -but so will your breasts.

Best thing you can do is build more muscle tissue. Lift heavy, and I mean Heavy and work really hard (like squatting with 130lbs on your back- just not right away of course). Once you have the foundation of muscle tissue and you drop some fat you'll see a better ratio of adipose tissue vs lean tissue. This is where I 've seen the best physical results from personal experience. At 125 lbs when I wasn't lifting and just doing cardio my body fat was 21%, with lifting it's 18% at the same weight. I've been doing it for 7 months now, and I can't argue with the results.

I've noticed that people correlate big boob size (when you get to the much larger sizes) with higher body fat percentages. You hear of girls with large breasts having a harder time running (they have to wear several tight layers to hold them down, or it hurts their chest and back after a while so they aren't able to do something like HIIT). Maybe that is where some people get the idea. Also, the fact that the average breast size is a 34B in America, and overweight or obese women tend to develop fat tissue in that general region to form "wraparounds" I think gives people the impression that large breasts = higher fat percentage.

I have seen girls that actually appear to be "thick" with their very large breasts and when you see their belly they are toned and as flat as a pancake.

Let me just state, from a guy's point of view, assume you do lose some cuppage. Assume you get nice and thin but your breast size went down a noticeable amount. Your cute new body definitely makes up for it. I'm saying this not only as a butt man, but a boob man as well.

not true....i'm 5'5, 110 pounds....and 32DD and I'm a marathon runner...i went into see my doctor to make sure my BMI/body fat is still within a healthy range...and i'm verging on too low....much less than 20%.  I used to weigh more and when i did i was a 36 around....

again i stresssssss cup size doesn't really relate to body fat....it's more so your measurement around if you are B-40...it is much much much more likely you have more fat that a DD-32

I know this is a very old thread, but I have been searing trying to see other people's takes on this very situation.  And I have to say, I have the very opposite experience of most of you.  I had lost over 40 pounds with diet and exercise, I know there has to be some increase of muscle/decease of fat, and I maybe lost one percent body fat, if that.  

I also only lost one cup size (going from a 34-36G to a 34FF, and from 175 to 133 pounds).  After the weight loss, I had a breast reduction and magically lost 5% body fat, which has been consistent since then.  It is hard to imagine there could be any reason, other than the removal of the tissue, that there could have been such a large jump in days time- when that number wouldn't budge for literally years.

Congrats on the weight loss.  I knew I was onto something.  My body fat stays the same no matter how much I exercise or weight I lose.  Well in all honesty, it may go down a percentage or two but it is never substantial. 

Thanks for your response.

I've never noticed a decrease in boob size with weight loss.  Unfortunately I have noticed an INCREASE in boob size with weight gain (help! 10#). 

So, ya'll out there DDD-F.  Where do you shop for bras that don't pooch out on the sides, don't bouncey bounce with every step, or go quadraboob on the top?  And, what about contour, rather than two melons in plastic bags?  And what about pretty?  It's so much easier to find a good athletic bra, but what about those everyday bras?

Where do you live?  You need to go to a custom bra shop where they know how to measure and have a variety of sizes in stock.  You will pay about 50-75 dollars a bra but it is well worth it for a good fit.  Better quality tends to last longer too as long as you hand wash the bras or put them in a lingerie bag when you run them through the washer and dryer.

Thanks for the reply.  I guess I'm really looking for a (good) website.  I tried biggerbras.com (NJ), but I'm not so happy with the service.  Frederick's doesn't have such a great choice of DDD-F.

I'm on the Oregon Coast.  The nearest city is 2 hrs away.  I guess I need a trek inland, or maybe up to Portland.