Body fat

[Prin]

After having some weight watchers scales for 3 and a bit years I have worked out how to use the body fat % and actual body fat - 4.5 stone and 34% what do I do with these figures now? And what is realistic for me to achieve?

[Hidden]

Hi Prin,

I'm not sure they're particularly helpful actually. The best use I know for body fat %age is as a wake-up call to prompt people to start a weight reduction process.

I vividly remember watching the Hairy Dieters being told (give or take a percent or two) that their bodies were 40% fat. I think I'd have died on the spot if a doctor had told me that!

As you lose weight and your Body Mass Index goes down, your percentage of body fat will go down with it as, in the main, the weight loss will be as a result of using up stored body fat through causing a calorie deficit to encourage body fat burning.

What constitutes a 'good' or 'bad' body fat level really depends on factors such as gender and age.

Good luck with your weight loss journey.

[Prin in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I dont think I am going to get too hung up about it then

[bunblebeaz]

Hi Prin,

This article on wikipedia is surprisingly good:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_...

You'd be looking to get between 25% and 30%.

If you look up Embarrasing Bodies they did have a series on overweight and obese people and I think one of the episodes dealt with body fat %.

[Prin in reply to bunblebeaz]

Cheers I am obese according to the chart - well what do you know! I adore embarassing bodies so I am off to check out 4 on demand! (always makes me feel a bit better about myself)

[katieoxo60 Visitor]

Hi prin don't worry too much about weight figures, unless they are constantly altering. There are lots of people who don't fit the norm for the charts. Not least myself. Try keeping as fit as possible,active and if you lose a bit of body fat see it as a bonus.If you watch some of the programmes on weight they can be frightening, and some of the morbidly obese make some of us who are overweight feel like twiggys. Good luck if you do lose weight

[Hidden]

Hi Prin,

I would say focus on your body weight - though that's not a marvellously precise measurement really as your body goes up and down during your day - and on how that weight fits with your age, gender and height, i.e. BMI.

Again BMI isn't totally mathematically perfect, but it's a pretty good indication. (Yes, I know all about "New" BMI and the rationale behind that).

One advantage of doing that is that it needs no clever or complex equipment beyond a set of scales (at home or elsewhere), a height measure (as a once-off) and the BMI table which you can find on the NHS web page.

That makes it pretty accessible to most people.

In the final analysis, you can make this weight loss thing hugely complicated if you want to, but I believe there isn't really any need to.

[kimla10]

i did this weightloss challenge at work but now that I'm not at that job anymore i got some BMI scales. anyone used Sentik BMI scales? they are great but the figures flash by so basically i can't write them down. i am keying my data into a spreadsheet. 1st one is wt then fat then water and the rest will have to wait until my next weigh in. ::))