Body fat percentage vs. BMI. vs weight
I won a free Tanita scale from OH that says it measures your body fat percentage.
It says I have 27.5 percent body fat. According to the manual. I am at the high end of the "overfat" category, but not obese. The manual says a healthy body fat percentage for a man my age ranges from 12 to 22%. But according to BMI calculators, I need to get down to 230 lbs (another 25 lbs) to go from the "obese" to "overweight" category. BMI charts also say I need to be no more than 189 lbs to be at a "healthy weight"
Well, a healthy weight is my goal, and the body fat percentage seems like a more logical measure of that.
But... can I trust the body fat percentage on this scale? I don't want to shell out big bucks for immersion or the DEXA scan to get some comparative numbers.
Does anyone have any experience with body fat measurements?
And can I use body fat percentage to calculate how many pounds of fat I need to lose to reach a healthy weight. (I should know this... I was a math major in college.. I SAID WAS!)
It says I have 27.5 percent body fat. According to the manual. I am at the high end of the "overfat" category, but not obese. The manual says a healthy body fat percentage for a man my age ranges from 12 to 22%. But according to BMI calculators, I need to get down to 230 lbs (another 25 lbs) to go from the "obese" to "overweight" category. BMI charts also say I need to be no more than 189 lbs to be at a "healthy weight"
Well, a healthy weight is my goal, and the body fat percentage seems like a more logical measure of that.
But... can I trust the body fat percentage on this scale? I don't want to shell out big bucks for immersion or the DEXA scan to get some comparative numbers.
Does anyone have any experience with body fat measurements?
And can I use body fat percentage to calculate how many pounds of fat I need to lose to reach a healthy weight. (I should know this... I was a math major in college.. I SAID WAS!)
Max wt. 500+ WLS workshop 4/6/09 440 Surgery 9/21/09 324 9/21/10 218
Save $4 on Obesity Help magazine subscription using promo code: HERCULES
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Don't forget that the calculations don't take into account how big you started and how much extra skin you have hanging around. Don't worry about any of the numbers, you will know when your body hits the weight that is comfortable to you. I hit my comfort weight and lost another 10 pounds. I knew I felt best at the higher weight and I struggle to stay up there, but I know what weight I feel best at and you will too.
Robert
Wow. Very informative. But on the skin issue... I asked a surgeon last month how much the "extra skin" weighs. He said "you'd be surprised how little it weighs". I ran a poll on the Plastic Surgery forum. I asked people how much they lost after plastics. The answers ranged anywhere from 2 pounds to around 15 pounds. The average was just under ten pounds of skin & fat.
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Pre and post WLS total loss was about 130 pounds. I only had a TT and the grand total of skin removed (Dr said there was no fat) 1 pound......
Not much for me, but it feels amazing having it gone!
--
I had an extended tummy tuck and small hernia repair. I had lost 120 lbs and PS took off 16 lbs of skin
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Feel free to look at my pics and you can see that the skin alone dosn't really weigh that much, My skin removed only weighed 4.7 lbs but it looks like it should have weighed ALOT more to me...have a look but be warned...it's kinda yucky.
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I've lost around 100 lbs. since WLS. My PS told me he only removed about 2-3 lbs.
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had lost 170 pounds before my PS. The TT removed 5.5 pounds and 3/4 of a pound from each arm. So she removed 7 pounds of skin.
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I'm not sure exactly how much he took off.... but I know I weighed 167 the day of surgery and a week later when I got on the scalefor the first time I was 156... and that was with swelling. So I'm guessing about 10bs.
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I asked after my thigh lift and the doctor said he removed about one and a half pounds of skin. He said there was no fat just skin.
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120 pounds from WLS and 4 pounds of skin & fat with LBL.
Skin really doesn't weight very much - think of chicken skin.
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I lost 90 pounds via WLS, then he took 6 pounds of skin (I had a HUGE panni) and then 2 liters of fat via lipo.
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I had a tummy tuck 3 months ago. The Dr. couldn't tell me how much they took off, but when I weighed myself after my tummy tuck I had lost 11lbs. Where I hadn't been working out I think a lot of that probably was from the skin removed.
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I lost 180 lbs. and so far have had 17 lbs of skin removed. I am not done with my plastics procedures. I completed round one which was mostly lower body.
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I lost about 190 lbs (started out with a BMI of over 68) and just had my TT w/ vertical on 12/14 and they removed just a few ounces shy of 25 lbs of skin. That is a LOT compared to what most have removed, but I was quite large to begin my journey. Lots of loose skin to get rid of, and I carried most of my weight in my mid-section and breasts. (Those are next... )
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They cut off 15lbs..
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it depends if you only have skin not to much cause skin is not havy,if you have a lot of fat removed like I did I lost 8lbs on my belly
--
I lost 140lbs from WLS
Dr. removed 8lbs of skin
--
A lot of each individuals results are based on their genetic body type and how they carry their weight. I lost 113 pounds after my DS, but I had a huge panni. I had LBL with anchor cut TT August 7th. I had 20 lbs of excess skin removed. However, poundage removed does not equal pounds lost as your body adjusts. I weighed 163 the morning of surgery and now weigh 151-152. I briefly dipped to 149, but have firmly settled at my current weight.
--
-
Pre and post WLS total loss was about 130 pounds. I only had a TT and the grand total of skin removed (Dr said there was no fat) 1 pound......
Not much for me, but it feels amazing having it gone!
--
I had an extended tummy tuck and small hernia repair. I had lost 120 lbs and PS took off 16 lbs of skin
--
Feel free to look at my pics and you can see that the skin alone dosn't really weigh that much, My skin removed only weighed 4.7 lbs but it looks like it should have weighed ALOT more to me...have a look but be warned...it's kinda yucky.
--
I've lost around 100 lbs. since WLS. My PS told me he only removed about 2-3 lbs.
--
had lost 170 pounds before my PS. The TT removed 5.5 pounds and 3/4 of a pound from each arm. So she removed 7 pounds of skin.
--
I'm not sure exactly how much he took off.... but I know I weighed 167 the day of surgery and a week later when I got on the scalefor the first time I was 156... and that was with swelling. So I'm guessing about 10bs.
--
I asked after my thigh lift and the doctor said he removed about one and a half pounds of skin. He said there was no fat just skin.
--
120 pounds from WLS and 4 pounds of skin & fat with LBL.
Skin really doesn't weight very much - think of chicken skin.
--
I lost 90 pounds via WLS, then he took 6 pounds of skin (I had a HUGE panni) and then 2 liters of fat via lipo.
--
I had a tummy tuck 3 months ago. The Dr. couldn't tell me how much they took off, but when I weighed myself after my tummy tuck I had lost 11lbs. Where I hadn't been working out I think a lot of that probably was from the skin removed.
--
I lost 180 lbs. and so far have had 17 lbs of skin removed. I am not done with my plastics procedures. I completed round one which was mostly lower body.
--
I lost about 190 lbs (started out with a BMI of over 68) and just had my TT w/ vertical on 12/14 and they removed just a few ounces shy of 25 lbs of skin. That is a LOT compared to what most have removed, but I was quite large to begin my journey. Lots of loose skin to get rid of, and I carried most of my weight in my mid-section and breasts. (Those are next... )
--
They cut off 15lbs..
--
it depends if you only have skin not to much cause skin is not havy,if you have a lot of fat removed like I did I lost 8lbs on my belly
--
I lost 140lbs from WLS
Dr. removed 8lbs of skin
--
A lot of each individuals results are based on their genetic body type and how they carry their weight. I lost 113 pounds after my DS, but I had a huge panni. I had LBL with anchor cut TT August 7th. I had 20 lbs of excess skin removed. However, poundage removed does not equal pounds lost as your body adjusts. I weighed 163 the morning of surgery and now weigh 151-152. I briefly dipped to 149, but have firmly settled at my current weight.
--
Max wt. 500+ WLS workshop 4/6/09 440 Surgery 9/21/09 324 9/21/10 218
Save $4 on Obesity Help magazine subscription using promo code: HERCULES
www.obesityhelp.com/store/action,addtocart/itemId,1/pcode, hercules /
Save $4 on Obesity Help magazine subscription using promo code: HERCULES
www.obesityhelp.com/store/action,addtocart/itemId,1/pcode, hercules /
I think that there is no way to know which measurement is great for you. All of them mean very little to us, I got to goal, when I got there. I set a goal based on my BMI, but when I got down below 190, I looked sick, even though my BMI was 25 (i'm 6'1"). When I had my LBL and chest reduction, my PS said that I had barely any fat under the skin, and even though I lost 300 lbs, only 8 lbs of skin came off my stomach outter thigh, chest, and side boob area.
I found a weight that works for me and try to stay close to it. I suggest you do the same.
Scott
I found a weight that works for me and try to stay close to it. I suggest you do the same.
Scott
Hi Herc,
I've had a Tanita since right after my surgery and I've been tracking my body fat percentage all the way during the loss.
Even though she was a woman posting in the men's forum, I'll have to agree with the previous poster that you need to take it with a little bit of a grain of salt. It *does* vary day-to-day but the overall general trend has been correct. The most I've seen it vary between two days has been 1-1.5 percentage points. I know I don't put on or lose that much much muscle mass in one day. So, I sort of look at that as being the error bounds. Usual variation is more like 0.5 percentage points day-to-day (assuming my habit of weighing first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom).
Just FYI -- I started at 34% Body Fat and I'm now down to 17.5% (plus or minus 0.75 percentage points)
By the way, you are doing fantastic with your weight loss and working your program. Keep up the great work.
I've had a Tanita since right after my surgery and I've been tracking my body fat percentage all the way during the loss.
Even though she was a woman posting in the men's forum, I'll have to agree with the previous poster that you need to take it with a little bit of a grain of salt. It *does* vary day-to-day but the overall general trend has been correct. The most I've seen it vary between two days has been 1-1.5 percentage points. I know I don't put on or lose that much much muscle mass in one day. So, I sort of look at that as being the error bounds. Usual variation is more like 0.5 percentage points day-to-day (assuming my habit of weighing first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom).
Just FYI -- I started at 34% Body Fat and I'm now down to 17.5% (plus or minus 0.75 percentage points)
By the way, you are doing fantastic with your weight loss and working your program. Keep up the great work.
Start 303/Surgery 273/Current 188/Goal 185
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