What's you body fat percentage?

20-21%. My BMI is 19 and I train every day, a mixture of weights (not very heavy, up to 20kg) , cardio, hiit and plyometrics.

13% for a female? Super lean!

My body fat is 30%, my BMi is 28 so technically I’m overweight. I would like to be a bit slimmer but I know I have above average muscle. One of the PTs in the gym said I was looking “ripped” today so i’ll Take that!

I would like a flatter tummy though.

I was skinny-fat at a BMI of 22 - confirmed by body composition using DXA-scanning data. BMI of 22, I was >40% body fat and on the wrong side of having clinically low levels of muscle mass.

Depending on menopausal status, it's common for post-menopausal women to be 'normal weight' obese (i.e., in normal range for weight and BMI but to have an obesity level of body fat).

"While there was agreement for 60% of the sample, 39% were misclassified as non-obese based on BMI, while meeting obesity criteria based on percent body fat. Only 1% was classified as obese based on BMI, but non-obese by percent body fat. A total of 48% of women were misclassified as non-obese by BMI, but were found to be obese by percent body fat."

Measuring Adiposity in Patients: The Utility of Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Body Fat, and Leptin

In my case, it took a lot of careful work to shed the body fat without compromising the scant level of muscle mass but I did manage it (tracked it with DXA). I'd like to be able to increase the muscle mass but as it is, I suppose I'm fortunate to be maintaining the muscles mass and not having lost any.

For younger women, strength training is good both for overall toning and for improving muscle quality and quantity.

200% keeps me toasty warm and buoyant :)

By DXA scanning, 20% which is 2 centile for my sex and age group.

However, I'm still sarcopenic (following accident, clinically low levels of lean body mass by the Baumgartner equation) but I'm probably doing well to maintain my LBM and not lose any more.

My mum's body fat scales have an athlete mode. Switch it to that and the percentage comes right down. Now if these things really measured body fat why would you need different modes? Why would body fat change because of age as someone up thread has said. It's because they're all just calculated guesstimates based on height, age, weight and resistance.

They're probably useful to track a reduction, but the actual figure is unlikely to be accurate

According to my scales, around 27%. Quite plausible for my age (late 30s) and build (BMI 22-23, pear shape with muscular build, small bust, bit of a mum tum which won't go by any pleasant, natural methods)

I know it's not particularly accurate in itself, but the statistical trends do consistently match how I feel about my body rather than setting too much value in the number alone.

If your a size 10 your body fat is more than likely around 25% ignore those stupid useless hand held devices.

I take readings of my clients with callipers from 12 different sites of thier body. A good coach that does ongoing courses to widen thier knowledge would be more than happy to advise you further.

BMI 20.2 body fat was apparently 12% the one time I had it checked on a machine at the gym. This is obviously ridiculous. I think the margin of error must be very high on these machines. I'm slim and muscular but by no means skinny. I had it checked first thing in the morning after a workout, I reckon it was artificially low. So i dont know if its a really helpful measure unless you're a competitive bodybuilder. I think things like hip/waist ratio are better indicators of fitness and health

hmmm... I don't do strength training but I literally do lug things around (wood, water, bikes). Before that I did a lot of lugging little children around.

No idea on the body fat, sorry!

The machines aren't that reliable. And those electric scales people have are awful and never really give an accurate result.

Had you drunk quite a lot of water before being tested as I've been told this can affect the results? I think the most accurate way of measuring BF is still actually skin fold testing.

I was about 20-22% before getting pregnant but with a BMI of 24. I'm short and carry a lot of muscle though from doing a power based sport.
In general BF % only really changes slightly with an increase in exercise if you want to get leaner then diet is more key. You're percentage will also drop if you start gaining more muscle to change your body composition. Your overall weight might not change much but you will look slimmer as fat takes up less room.

Just got measured on Tuesday as part of a health assessment - body fat is 29%. I'm nearly 40, 5'9" and BMI was also calculated as part of the assessment, at 22.9. When I got home and looked up what the percentage meant, I was greeted with pictures of people clutching spare tyres etc, but I really don't look like that! I exercise 3-4 times a week and am actually pretty slim all over, I carry the fat on my thighs and bum. I've got a flat tummy! I think it really just depends on your build and how it's distributed.

Actually if you are a normal weight and don’t do dedicated strength training then 30% plus is pretty normal. We are generally weaker than previous generations because we do t have to lug things about so much and v few people do manual jobs now.

I've got 33% fat and I'm 5ft 6 and about 60kg. But I do have massive tits, so I'm blaming them.

If you've got large boobs I think they get measured as fat on those things.

Ah- sorry. I thought you must either be a man or a super hardcore bodybuilder on a shred.

Female
Very skinny
Trying to put in weight after food poisoning
Always been skinny and fit though

Sorrry, to add, I don’t live in the uk so got it at the local university which has a sports science dept. They let joe public get zapped to offset the cost of the machine 😆

caribbean are you a man?

Johnny where did you get your dexa?

It was so expensive, looking for alternative places as was in central London (Marylebone)

I had a dexa scan

13%

25.6% per dexa scan which is the only accurate way to really measure it. BMI of 23. Next best is calipers but they are only really good for comparing over time as it doesn’t neatly translate to a %. Home and gym scales are really easily distorted by hydration levels etc.

There is jiggery pokery going on with those machines! Try telling it you're a man and watch your percentage instantly go down! My husband's instantly went up on his birthday when he told our scales his new age.

Btw mine is 40% as a woman. It does go down with dieting etc. I just pay attention to the chAnges as it's not that accurate.

47.2% now you all feel better! Bmi 30. I’d be happy under 35%