The FastDay Forum

Hi, I am 5ft 8 and 12, 1lb in weight so clothes wise 12-14 on bottom and 10-12 on top. I did measured my bodyfat in Boots earlier and my body fat percentage came back as 40%?!! I am shocked as that is really really bad for my weight and height, I almost don't believe it? Just wondering how accurate these machines really are and what can alter the results, i.e if you have just eaten etc. The machine got my height wrong as it said I am 5ft 6 and I am not! Arghh.

It's worth trying it again when you're properly hydrated - and you get the right height in there - but it's possibly not that far off the mark for your weight.

I'm more than 2 stone lighter than you - and admittedly shorter - with a 'healthy' BMI, work out regularly (cycle 70 miles a week and go to the gym) and my Salter scales still put me at 30-31% most of the time.

Ah ok, thank you for that. Just researching on websites and 40% is regarded as 'obese' yeah I do have fat to lose of course I do but I didn't think it would be that high

[wildmissus]

I'm 5'8", 12st 9lb and my new Omron scales give me a body fat %age of 41.3%!!! Trying not to bother about the number but focusing on using it to see the number go down, if that makes sense.

Your age is a factor in the calculation too. The older you are the more fat you have. Îm 5'8" and 9 stone, my body fat measures in at around 23-24%.

I am 6ft 1 and 17 1/2 stone is 40% fat on my Salter scales.

I would say you are more like 30% with your height and weight? My Wife is a bit taller than you and a bit heavier and that what she comes out on our scales at.

I just wanted add that most of these scales can be notoriously inaccurate as there are many factors to consider... So don't get too worried about it please? I think I'll stick to my basic weight-only digital scales for now

A lean woman is 18-20% fat, an overweight one is likely to be 40% and an obese one 50% or more.

The OP at 25.7 BMI fits this.

If she lost 2 stone without losing muscle the 40% would drop to 28%.

Thanks everyone, if I lost 2 stone I would be way too skinny :s trying not to worry about it too much as maybe I was not hydrated enough. Also the scales said I should weigh between 8st 5 and 11st 5 - believe me if I weighed 8st 5 I would be pretty much skin and bone so I don't believe that for a second. I am only 24 so 40% is pretty shocking to me as I don't feel that overweight, I have lost 21 lbs in the past 6 months and feel much better. I know I am going to have to exercise a lot more to get my bodyfat percentage down but I have no motivation :s

You've done brilliantly in losing 21lbs already and I can understand why you are concerned about the fat percentage being 40%. I'm curious as to why you think you would be way too skinny at 10 stone? 8and a half stone is skinny at 5 foot 8 but 10 stone isn't.

You've done brilliantly in losing 21lbs already and I can understand why you are concerned about the fat percentage being 40%. I'm curious as to why you think you would be way too skinny at 10 stone? 8and a half stone is skinny at 5 foot 8 but 10 stone isn't.

It's Skinny for Cornwall!!!!!

We like our women with somein to hang onto! Not like all them girls up the line!

Hi, if I haven't misunderstood you weighted yourself in Boots and therefore, I supopse you did it with clothes on. If so just bear in mind how these machines work. The way they do it is by sending a small electric signal through our body and if you have clothes on, have drunk lots of liquid all this can impact the final result. 40% is a high figure and unless you are obese that cannot be right in my view. I would look more into your diet and the eventual weight loss. If the diet is done properly the body fat is going to reduce anyway (hopefully the fat in excess and not the fat in the muscle and this can happen if we fast too much). Keep watching what you eat and don't give up.
Ciao,
Julius

I think 40% is not impossible, but given your BMI and age a bit unlikely.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/3/694.long, check table 3

I would repeat the measurement a couple of times (if it is a good quality calibrated scale). If the percentage consistently is that high, I would consider finding some way to increase muscle mass. Disproportionally high body fat in normal BMI is associated with helth risks. Mosley mentioned he was a TOFI (Thin(nish) on the Outsidea, Fat on the Inside), which is associated with health risks.

"Exercise" can be so many things - I used to hate it, but I found some things that I can stick with that don't take a lot of time and mental effort.

Apparently the scales can be very inaccurate. There are some sites that take multiple measurements, so maybe you could try one of those to see if it matches up? Without paying for tests I believe calipers are supposed to be the most accurate when used correctly.

If you wanted to reduce body fat %age you can do with more than just diet. Adding resistance and strength training will mean that you are more likely to retain your lean body mass while the weight you lose will be mostly fat. Although this can cause you to lose weight a little slower it means you will retain more muscle as you lose weight and your body fat % will drop. Just dieting and losing weight usually results in a loss of fat and LBM which can mean that even though someone might be considered as a healthy weight for their height, their body fat % could still be classed as too high.