People are obsessed with image. Fat has morphed from an unhealthy condition to an undesirable physical state.
Images of a bulging waistline are taboo on social media. We either feel fat or we are fat. But really, how fat is fat?
Looking in the mirror is not enough to tell if you’re fat or not.
Numbers matter and there are definitive ways to answer that question.
The bathroom scale you’ve been using is only going to tell you so much. That number is weight. Weight includes everything, your muscles, bones, organs, your fat and water.
If you’re trying to lose fat, you cannot accurately tell progress by hopping on a scale.
Do the gains on the scale represent an increase in muscle mass or an increase in water weight?
Body Fat Percentage
Since we’re already into numbers, let’s talk percentages. What is your body fat percentage and more importantly, what are the numbers you should aim for?
The American Council of Exercise has a nice chart that breaks down body fat percentages according to gender and type.
Clearly, we can see that if you’re a male, then anything higher than 25% qualifies you as officially fat, according to the ACE. For women, 32% is the limit you should watch out for.
American Council of Exercise Percent Body Fat Calculator
So what is an ideal body fat percentage?
That will depend on your lifestyle and physical needs.
I consider myself a fairly active person that exercises regularly. Since I’ve crept into my forties, my goal has been to maintain an appreciable muscle to mass ratio as it becomes harder to gain muscle with age.
During an average period, my body fat percentage hovers between 8-10%. It usually stays within 7-8% mostly because I’m very strict on my nutrition.
Single-digit body fat percentages require a lot of time and commitment. I would caution against extreme weight cuts to achieve such numbers because it can come with drastic side effects like irritability and a decline in your performance at the gym.
How to measure your body fat
- Tape Measure
Using a tape measure is the cheapest but not necessarily the easiest way to measure your body fat. You should aim to be as accurate as possible with your measurements to ensure a margin of error is low.
For a more definitive measurement of body fat percentage, I use the US Navy’s body fat formula.
First, measure your neck circumference (just above your Adam’s apple if you’re a male).
Then, measure your waist. Start at the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone.
Plug both measurements into this online US Navy Body Fat Calculator.
- Calipers
Unlike the tape measure, you can’t just grab any calipers from a toolbox. It must be a body fat caliper, which you can easily find online for a few dollars.
To use a body fat caliper, you need to grab as big of a skinfold as you can and pull it away from your body. Then, proceed to clamp the calipers gently between the skinfold and measure its thickness.
The idea is to take measurements at different points of your body to average a body fat percentage.
It might feel odd to ask someone for help, but it’s even weirder if you do it all by yourself. There are certain parts of your body that you can’t reach to get a full and accurate measure. Either way, a body fat caliper usually comes with instructions on which sites of the body to measure.
But if you’re looking for just a rough gauge, I would recommend three areas to measure – your chest, abs and thighs. Once you get your measurements, refer to the body chart included in the instructions to determine your body fat percentage.
- Body fat scale
A body fat scale may be a slightly more costly appliance but is also more accurate in measuring your body fat percentage.
When put up against far more expensive 3D scanners, body fat scales are a surprisingly economical option at $20 to $100.
It is also incredible easy to use. Just step on the scale and it will send an electrical pulse through your body that measures your body fat percentage.
Because body fat is resistant to electricity, the scale measures your body percentage of fat by noting where the electrical current has resistance. The whole process is virtually painless and takes just seconds.
The scale can measure your water weight and this can help determine if the weight you’ve gained is actually a measure of your water intake that day.
What was your result? If you’re dissatisfied, it might be time to set some fitness and nutrition goals.