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How do I measure my body fat percentage??

I read online I have to use a calipher but even If I do buy it, I dont trust myself to measure it correctly since im not a professional. Is there any place I can go to get it accurately measured?
I really wanna get to 17% body fat and i dont know how much Body fat I need to lose to get there
Get a DEXA scan if you don't trust calipers.
calipers are pretty inaccurate, good at tracking change but rubbish at getting it close to the exact. Either a water imersion tank or a DEXA scanner, both cost a lot of money. Hence why exact body% is a myth when people say what they are as genetics influence where you have fat. For me I carry most of mine on my hips and backside. I can have abs, but I'll still have a degree of love handles. So it's all arbitary. Work towards your goal and be happy with whats in front of you rather than relying on arbitary measuring
Original post by AlexLawrence1453
Get a DEXA scan if you don't trust calipers.


Whats that? And where do i get it done
Original post by Secretnerd123
Whats that? And where do i get it done


It's an x-ray that measures bone mineral density yada yada it'll get you a pretty accurate reading for BF% but it's pricey. Just google places to get it done. In my opinion, however, you really shouldn't be so neurotic about your bodyfat %.
Original post by AlexLawrence1453
It's an x-ray that measures bone mineral density yada yada it'll get you a pretty accurate reading for BF% but it's pricey. Just google places to get it done. In my opinion, however, you really shouldn't be so neurotic about your bodyfat %.


well I wanna know exactly how much I need to drop to get to 17% (thats toned for women from what ive read). It would be my motivation
Original post by Secretnerd123
well I wanna know exactly how much I need to drop to get to 17% (thats toned for women from what ive read). It would be my motivation


17% will look different for different people. It just seems to be a waste of time and money IMO. Just exercise, eat well, look good and feel good.
Original post by AlexLawrence1453
17% will look different for different people. It just seems to be a waste of time and money IMO. Just exercise, eat well, look good and feel good.


Well without knowing my muscle-fat ratio, I dont have anything to work towards esp now , only just having found out that its not just about weight but fat/muscle mass.
Original post by Secretnerd123
Well without knowing my muscle-fat ratio, I dont have anything to work towards esp now , only just having found out that its not just about weight but fat/muscle mass.


I wouldn't aim for numbers anyway. As long as you're progressing, you're doing well. Have fun with it.

NB: If you eat properly and exercise regularly with a mixture of resistance and cardio, your body composition will favour more muscle mass and less fat. Just don't do anything stupid like crash dieting or trying to lose weight too quickly. 0-2 lb of fat a week is healthy weight loss.
Original post by AlexLawrence1453
I wouldn't aim for numbers anyway. As long as you're progressing, you're doing well. Have fun with it.

NB: If you eat properly and exercise regularly with a mixture of resistance and cardio, your body composition will favour more muscle mass and less fat. Just don't do anything stupid like crash dieting or trying to lose weight too quickly. 0-2 lb of fat a week is healthy weight loss.


how do i measure that as in when i drop the pounds i wknt know if thats muscle or fat
Original post by Secretnerd123
how do i measure that as in when i drop the pounds i wknt know if thats muscle or fat


Initially it will be mostly water. You'll know if it's muscle or fat because if you're losing <1lb per week, it's almost definitely fat. If you're losing too much weight too quickly after the first week (usually when you stop losing water weight), then you're not eating enough and are likely losing muscle. And easy test is to focus on your performance in your exercises. If you get better, you're fine. If you stay the same, you're fine. If you decline, eat a little bit more. Also, if you're feeling healthy, you're doing well. You are the person most in tune with what your body needs to feel good, so go by how you feel more than numbers. That is unless you have body dysmorphia. If that's the case, then work on that before dieting down.
Original post by Angry cucumber
Hence why exact body% is a myth when people say what they are as genetics influence where you have fat. For me I carry most of mine on my hips and backside. I can have abs, but I'll still have a degree of love handles.


This really. I'm very different to you and can be probably about 15% bodyfat and start getting a bit of a belly, and still be lean elsewhere, if I took a photo of just my stomach at that level and asked people to guess, they'd probably all be in the 20s :lol: Whereas other people can still have decent abs at 15%.
Get a ruler
Poke it through your belly button
Then get a spirit level and use the combination of values, square them, divide by pi and then times by 100 = your body-fat %

Spoiler

Original post by Secretnerd123
how do i measure that as in when i drop the pounds i wknt know if thats muscle or fat


If you're lifting and getting enough protein (1 gram per lb lean bodymass) and not losing too fast then you don't need to worry about muscle loss

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