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  • 8 months later...

In a message dated 2/8/01 3:38:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, " Axel" <

BfLForce@...> writes:

If you are suspicious that your results were inaccurate, getting your body fat % measured another way - and I mention some in that post - might be a good idea.

Nah, I'm not suspicious about it. I know the instrument was fully calibrated, and I know the pitfalls. This wasn't a Tanita scale. I had similar results a while back when I first had it checked. I just wonder at my own body (something that made all my surgeons marvel), how it functions, how people make such incredible generalizations about weight. Consider that most weight tables would put just my lean body mass as ideal, when with even the most modest amount of fat added, but almost have me overweight (by their determination.) 147 lbs for a 5'6" woman is interesting. I know many women at that weight that want to lose weight, just because of the number itself.

It makes me think about all those patients that get to the doctor's office, and have such anxiety attacks about being weighed, and what I can do to change things. Yanno?

a

"When there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it smaller."

-- Unknown

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Hi a!

In post 16464, " Re: Getting Started, " I include some comments

about bio-electrical impedance as a method for measuring body

fat. You might want to read that post, because it may offer some

insight regarding the accuracy of your test. I definitely know of

people who've had odd results from that method, and I offer

some quotes from an article I read recently on that subject that

might help explain why.

If you are suspicious that your results were inaccurate, getting

your body fat % measured another way - and I mention some in

that post - might be a good idea.

I hope that helps!

Energetically,

---

FMBC: Fitness and the Mind-Body Connection

an unofficial Transformation Support site

and " on ramp " for Body-for-LIFE

by Cherita and Axel

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Hi a!

I understand exactly what you mean. You are absolutely right that

people practically have anxiety attacks about weight - when in

fact, weight alone says so little!

You're also right that individuals differ in ways that are utterly

relevant to health - and it's a shame that so often, people will

make the mistake of assuming that their " numbers " need to

match someone else's.

I misunderstood what you were saying in your first post. Sorry

about that. I believe I understand you quite well now, though!

Energetically,

---

FMBC: Fitness and the Mind-Body Connection

an unofficial Transformation Support site

and " on ramp " for Body-for-LIFE

by Cherita and Axel

http://fitmind.home.mindspring.com

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  • 1 year later...
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I didn't have any either and got some free ones offered along with a

Netrition order just in case you ever order from them. They have this

place on their website where you can enter your data obtained from

the calipers and it will approximate your bodyfat. Don't accept any

of it as gospel since it is only an estimation. You will just know

kind of what bodyfat ballpark you're in.

Stasia

> Where can I get my body fat done? My gym does not have personal

> trainers (!!) and my doctor doesn't do it. Or should I just get my

> own calipers?

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I'm told the calipers are the best if you can handle them. I couldn't. :-(

So I went and bought a Tanita scale which I dont think is the best. Others have

suggested an Omron which I am sorry I didn't buy. There. Understand? lol

Rita

body fat

Where can I get my body fat done? My gym does not have personal

trainers (!!) and my doctor doesn't do it. Or should I just get my

own calipers?

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  • 1 month later...
Guest guest

It is hard to give someone a number to shoot for. You just have to

make sure to get to the point where you and your mirror agree as to

how you want to look. You might be completely happy at 15% and can

maintain from there. Or you might want to drop on down to 13%. It

depends on what your mirror(and your swimsuit) says. Once you reach

your desired bodyfat(or lack of) it is going to require the same

effort to maintain as it did to lose in the first place. If you have

to have a goal number, go for 15% and see how you look. If you can

stand not weighing every day, don't. It's like watching grass grow.

Stasia

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It is hard to give someone a number to shoot for. You just have to

make sure to get to the point where you and your mirror agree as to

how you want to look. You might be completely happy at 15% and can

maintain from there. Or you might want to drop on down to 13%. It

depends on what your mirror(and your swimsuit) says. Once you reach

your desired bodyfat(or lack of) it is going to require the same

effort to maintain as it did to lose in the first place. If you have

to have a goal number, go for 15% and see how you look. If you can

stand not weighing every day, don't. It's like watching grass grow.

Stasia

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Hi Noelle - I went on biofitness but couldn't find how to do the bf calculation

- do you have to buy the program in order to do that?

Thanx.

Rita

Body Fat

Yesterday I asked about the Tanita body fat scales.

This morning I measured and did the body fat calculator on

biofitness.com. SUPRISINGLY my body fat calcuated at 20.1%. Which

to some of you is still high, I am sure. I thought it would be much

higher than that given the belly fat etc. Anyway, now my question is

what is the right percentage I should shoot for?

I mean, I know how I want my body to look. I want to be tight and

toned. BUT, should I aim for 13 %, 15 % what?

For the first time in my life, after 15 years of yo-yo dieting, crash

diets, diet pills, you name it, I was not disapointed this morning

when I steped on the scale and saw that I had not lost any weight. I

have to say it was most liberating. I know I am still going to

weigh, pretty much every day but I know that I am not going to feel

the disapointment and guilt associated with not seeing the pounds

decrease. This has to the best!

Noelle

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Thank you so much Shonda! :)

Body Fat

>

>

> Yesterday I asked about the Tanita body fat scales.

> This morning I measured and did the body fat calculator on

> biofitness.com. SUPRISINGLY my body fat calcuated at 20.1%.

Which

> to some of you is still high, I am sure. I thought it would be

much

> higher than that given the belly fat etc. Anyway, now my

question is

> what is the right percentage I should shoot for?

> I mean, I know how I want my body to look. I want to be tight and

> toned. BUT, should I aim for 13 %, 15 % what?

> For the first time in my life, after 15 years of yo-yo dieting,

crash

> diets, diet pills, you name it, I was not disapointed this

morning

> when I steped on the scale and saw that I had not lost any

weight. I

> have to say it was most liberating. I know I am still going to

> weigh, pretty much every day but I know that I am not going to

feel

> the disapointment and guilt associated with not seeing the pounds

> decrease. This has to the best!

> Noelle

>

>

>

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No problem:)

> > Hi Noelle - I went on biofitness but couldn't find how to do

the bf

> calculation - do you have to buy the program in order to do that?

> > Thanx.

> > Rita

> > Body Fat

> >

> >

> > Yesterday I asked about the Tanita body fat scales.

> > This morning I measured and did the body fat calculator on

> > biofitness.com. SUPRISINGLY my body fat calcuated at 20.1%.

> Which

> > to some of you is still high, I am sure. I thought it would

be

> much

> > higher than that given the belly fat etc. Anyway, now my

> question is

> > what is the right percentage I should shoot for?

> > I mean, I know how I want my body to look. I want to be tight

and

> > toned. BUT, should I aim for 13 %, 15 % what?

> > For the first time in my life, after 15 years of yo-yo

dieting,

> crash

> > diets, diet pills, you name it, I was not disapointed this

> morning

> > when I steped on the scale and saw that I had not lost any

> weight. I

> > have to say it was most liberating. I know I am still going

to

> > weigh, pretty much every day but I know that I am not going

to

> feel

> > the disapointment and guilt associated with not seeing the

pounds

> > decrease. This has to the best!

> > Noelle

> >

> >

> >

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lol ... I am waiting with baited breath. :)

Rita

Re: Body Fat

OK - being the skeptic that I am, I was ready to go w/ all guns

loaded and pointed when I saw this " online bodyt fat calculator. " I

entered my measurements (or, at least, what I think are my

measurements), and was very surprised to see how close it was to the

Omron!

HOWEVER, I still do nto trust it. This was one set of measurements,

one time. Since I have been on BFL for over 2 years, I have lots of

measurements stored on my PC at home. I conduct the grand

experiemetn this weekend - entering my info for the past 2 years to

see how this site comepares with my omron readings over the past 2

years........ stay tuned...

Jill

> > Hi Noelle - I went on biofitness but couldn't find how to do the

bf

> calculation - do you have to buy the program in order to do that?

> > Thanx.

> > Rita

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hersheione wrote:

> Yesterday I asked about the Tanita body fat scales.

> This morning I measured and did the body fat calculator on

> biofitness.com. SUPRISINGLY my body fat calcuated at 20.1%. Which

> to some of you is still high, I am sure. I thought it would be much

> higher than that given the belly fat etc. Anyway, now my question is

> what is the right percentage I should shoot for?

> I mean, I know how I want my body to look. I want to be tight and

> toned. BUT, should I aim for 13 %, 15 % what?

> For the first time in my life, after 15 years of yo-yo dieting, crash

> diets, diet pills, you name it, I was not disapointed this morning

> when I steped on the scale and saw that I had not lost any weight. I

> have to say it was most liberating. I know I am still going to

> weigh, pretty much every day but I know that I am not going to feel

> the disapointment and guilt associated with not seeing the pounds

> decrease. This has to the best!

> Noelle

20% is my goal. :)

Serenity

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lol

Re: Body Fat

The bio site puts me at 26-27% bodyfat. My handheld omron has me at

35-36%.

Dont knwo which one is more correct, but for the sake of my sanity, I

like the bio one:)

:)

Shonda

> > > Hi Noelle - I went on biofitness but couldn't find how to do

the

> bf

> > calculation - do you have to buy the program in order to do that?

> > > Thanx.

> > > Rita

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I can't wait for the results of your experiment! Sounds like the kind of nutty

thing I'd do!

Re: Body Fat

OK - being the skeptic that I am, I was ready to go w/ all guns

loaded and pointed when I saw this " online bodyt fat calculator. " I

entered my measurements (or, at least, what I think are my

measurements), and was very surprised to see how close it was to the

Omron!

HOWEVER, I still do nto trust it. This was one set of measurements,

one time. Since I have been on BFL for over 2 years, I have lots of

measurements stored on my PC at home. I conduct the grand

experiemetn this weekend - entering my info for the past 2 years to

see how this site comepares with my omron readings over the past 2

years........ stay tuned...

Jill

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You do something nutty? Nope, cant imagine that. LOL

;)

> I can't wait for the results of your experiment! Sounds like the

kind of nutty

> thing I'd do!

>

>

>

> Re: Body Fat

>

>

> OK - being the skeptic that I am, I was ready to go w/ all guns

> loaded and pointed when I saw this " online bodyt fat calculator. " I

> entered my measurements (or, at least, what I think are my

> measurements), and was very surprised to see how close it was to the

> Omron!

>

> HOWEVER, I still do nto trust it. This was one set of measurements,

> one time. Since I have been on BFL for over 2 years, I have lots of

> measurements stored on my PC at home. I conduct the grand

> experiemetn this weekend - entering my info for the past 2 years to

> see how this site comepares with my omron readings over the past 2

> years........ stay tuned...

>

> Jill

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Only, you would take a picture of the omron with yout results and

post it on your website! :-)~

Actually - this makes all the sense in the world - before I risk

putting my foot in my mouth, I want to get the facts straight.

Nothing like using yourself as a human guinea pig. ;-)

Jill

*** My first scientific experiment was when I was 3. I was feeding

bananas to my younger sister to see if she would turn into a monkey!

> I can't wait for the results of your experiment! Sounds like the

kind of nutty

> thing I'd do!

>

>

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> I don't have any kind of home tool to measure with. I plan on

> getting callipers next month. But for now, I just had to see what

> kind of starting point to be at. BOTTOM line is I know I want this

> gut gone and my butt tight and toned.

> What is the handheld version like and what is the cost on it?

> Thanks,

> Noellecheck their website:

www.omron.com

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I can see why Jill and I may come to blows at times...we're

orthoexic!!! Or have some other disorder that hasn't been named

yet. I would totally do the same thang...now, if I can only learn to

measure accurately!!!

Astra

> I can't wait for the results of your experiment! Sounds like the

kind of nutty

> thing I'd do!

>

>

>

> Re: Body Fat

>

>

> OK - being the skeptic that I am, I was ready to go w/ all guns

> loaded and pointed when I saw this " online bodyt fat calculator. " I

> entered my measurements (or, at least, what I think are my

> measurements), and was very surprised to see how close it was to the

> Omron!

>

> HOWEVER, I still do nto trust it. This was one set of measurements,

> one time. Since I have been on BFL for over 2 years, I have lots of

> measurements stored on my PC at home. I conduct the grand

> experiemetn this weekend - entering my info for the past 2 years to

> see how this site comepares with my omron readings over the past 2

> years........ stay tuned...

>

> Jill

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  • 6 months later...

I personally have no desire to get down that low. 20% is my goal.

That is not only healthy, but compartively easy to maintain (from

what I hear - I don't think I was ever that low.) With my current

lean mass (136) I know I would look pretty darn good at 20% BF. (I am

guessing that would put me at about size 8 give or take a size or

2). If I get there and decide that I need to be lower, then I will

cross that bridge when I get to it.

Those who are down to 12% or less only stay that way for a short time

(as in before a competition), and go higher during the rest of the

time. I cannot imagine the great deal of work with having to go that

low each time you " compete " - not to mention that the up and down's

are probably not good for you either.....

Jill

> I have a question for you all about body fat. I was looking through

the new

> BFL journal and quite a few of the women are claiming body fat

at12% or

> lower. Some of them I believe, some of them, I don't. But that

isn't the

> point. What is the point? Does everyone realize that we (women) are

supposed

> to have our bodyfat between 20 and 25% to be healthy? And if you go

under 17%

> it will start really wreaking havoc with your body? If you get down

under 13%

> you can seriously compromise your body.

>

> Now I do understand that some of these " body fat goals " were

reached for the

> comptiton, but could they be promoting something that could be very

> unhealthy?

>

> Ana

>

>

>

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17% is actually very healthy for an active woman. As long as you get there in a

healthy way (strength training and healthy eating, not a starvation diet and

hours of cardio) most women won't have a problem with estrogen levels and

menstrual irregularities unless they're well below 12%. That's why bodybuilders

and fitness competitors tend to only drop into the single digits for a few weeks

of competition and then they come back up into the low or mid-teens to maintain.

The average American woman is 33% body fat. The most often cited healthy range

for women is 20-25%. Professional (women) skiers and swimmers and softball

players tend to be around 18-22%. Distance runners are usually around 17-19%.

Professional aerobics instructors and fitness competitors in the off season tend

to be around 14-17%. Fitness and figure competitors go onstage in the 9-13%

range. Olympic gymnasts and ballerinas tend to be around 10%. Female

bodybuilders are always in the single digits for competition. If you've ever

seen pictures of Pam Brown with her trophy, she was 6% in that photo. Wait...

here it is: http://www.bodychangers.com/pbrown_inter.shtml

I like to be around 14-16%. That's where I am in most of my photos. It's lean

but it's maintainable without doing anything stupid. I've been below 20% for

years and I'm in excellent health. If you've ever checked out my What I Eat

page, I'm hardly starving myself or doing anything unhealthy to keep a low

percentage. In fact, most of time I'm carrying around a giant cooler of food

that would make Jethro Bodine envious. :-)

Where you set your final goal is a very personal thing. If you're looking for

general good health, a small pant size, and easy maintenance, 20-25% might be an

excellent goal. If you want a lean, athletic look with good muscle definition

and nothing jiggling in a bikini, you have to go lower. Most people don't know

what their final percentage will be until they get there and live at that weight

for a while. If you have to eat too little and train too hard to maintain it,

you'll be unhappy and won't stay there very long. It's kind of self-regulating

in that regard. Nobody's going to drop their body fat dangerously low and not

realize it.

If you go to the Files section of the club, I put a Fat Loss / Muscle Gain

calculator in there (Microsoft Excel). It helps you figure out how many pounds

of fat you would need to lose and how much muscle you would need to gain to hit

a particular percentage and weight. It can help you decide if your goals are

realistic.

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Yikes!! That's scary! According to that I've lost 40 pounds of fat

while losing 11 pounds of muscle!

I feel so much stronger now- I know I'm stronger actually. I could

have sworn that I'd have gained muscle! I must be doing something

wrong. :(

> 17% is actually very healthy for an active woman. As long as you

get there in a

> healthy way (strength training and healthy eating, not a starvation

diet and

> hours of cardio) most women won't have a problem with estrogen

levels and

> menstrual irregularities unless they're well below 12%. That's why

bodybuilders

> and fitness competitors tend to only drop into the single digits

for a few weeks

> of competition and then they come back up into the low or mid-teens

to maintain.

>

> The average American woman is 33% body fat. The most often cited

healthy range

> for women is 20-25%. Professional (women) skiers and swimmers and

softball

> players tend to be around 18-22%. Distance runners are usually

around 17-19%.

> Professional aerobics instructors and fitness competitors in the

off season tend

> to be around 14-17%. Fitness and figure competitors go onstage in

the 9-13%

> range. Olympic gymnasts and ballerinas tend to be around 10%. Female

> bodybuilders are always in the single digits for competition. If

you've ever

> seen pictures of Pam Brown with her trophy, she was 6% in that

photo. Wait...

> here it is: http://www.bodychangers.com/pbrown_inter.shtml

>

> I like to be around 14-16%. That's where I am in most of my photos.

It's lean

> but it's maintainable without doing anything stupid. I've been

below 20% for

> years and I'm in excellent health. If you've ever checked out my

What I Eat

> page, I'm hardly starving myself or doing anything unhealthy to

keep a low

> percentage. In fact, most of time I'm carrying around a giant

cooler of food

> that would make Jethro Bodine envious. :-)

>

> Where you set your final goal is a very personal thing. If you're

looking for

> general good health, a small pant size, and easy maintenance, 20-

25% might be an

> excellent goal. If you want a lean, athletic look with good muscle

definition

> and nothing jiggling in a bikini, you have to go lower. Most people

don't know

> what their final percentage will be until they get there and live

at that weight

> for a while. If you have to eat too little and train too hard to

maintain it,

> you'll be unhappy and won't stay there very long. It's kind of self-

regulating

> in that regard. Nobody's going to drop their body fat dangerously

low and not

> realize it.

>

> If you go to the Files section of the club, I put a Fat Loss /

Muscle Gain

> calculator in there (Microsoft Excel). It helps you figure out how

many pounds

> of fat you would need to lose and how much muscle you would need to

gain to hit

> a particular percentage and weight. It can help you decide if your

goals are

> realistic.

>

>

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>

> The average American woman is 33% body fat. The most often cited

healthy range

> for women is 20-25%. Professional (women) skiers and swimmers and

softball

> players tend to be around 18-22%. Distance runners are usually

around 17-19%.

> Professional aerobics instructors and fitness competitors in

the ...>

Hey -

Funny you should mention that...... I kinda set my goals to be on

par with the USA Women's National Ice Hockey team. I looked at the

media guide to see what the average weight was for the players who

are 5'4 " - 5'5 " .

The avg weight is 143, with the range from 130-158 (and 2 players at

155.) I assume that these players are in pretty good shape.

If the player who is 155 has a BF of 20%, her lean mass is 124. (I

am currently 136). If get to 20% and keep my lean mass, I would

weigh 170. (and have 12 pounds more lean mass than this elite

athlete.) Not bad.

If she is 15%, her lean mass is 132, and I am only a " bit " chunkier

than this elite athlete. Still not bad. Going on the assumption that

the women skiers and hockey players are similar in body structure,

the 20% rule is more likely. I'm not sure if this is a fair

assumption - but I ski and play hockey - and both use similar muscles

(this is where I get my assumption.)

Actually - I Just went to the ski team website - of the skiers 5'4

and 5'5 - they weight 140, 140, and 137, respectively. If they are

20% BF, this puts their LEAN mass at 111. I would have 25 pounds

MORE LEAN MASS than these elite athletes. Imagine how I could kick

their butts on the slopes!! =D

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Lean mass is anything that's not fat - including water, bones, skin, internal

organs. There's no way you lost 11 pounds of muscle. It was probably just water

weight.

Re: Body Fat

Yikes!! That's scary! According to that I've lost 40 pounds of fat

while losing 11 pounds of muscle!

I feel so much stronger now- I know I'm stronger actually. I could

have sworn that I'd have gained muscle! I must be doing something

wrong. :(

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