FitSugar

Do You Keep Track of Your Body Fat Percentage?

Susi May — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:00:11 PST

There are many ways to keep track of your health and weight loss efforts. Hopefully by now, we all know it's fat not lean muscle that we want to shed. And this makes the scale, which simply measures pounds, not the most effective way to keep track of your efforts. I do weigh myself, but my scale is not the only tool I use to keep on track. There is the low-cost jeans-method of monitoring your weight. As in: "It's hard to zip my jeans. Better lay off the Nutella."

I also have had my body fat measured the last couple of years by a trainer at Equinox. Using calipers, trainers measure skin folds in four places: the back of the arm (triceps area), two spots on abdomen, and in the middle of the thigh. I am pleased to say year over year, I am holding steady.

There are other ways to measure body fat percentage with hydrostatic underwater weighing being the most accurate. Although it's much more complicated, the procedure only costs about $50. Some people use fancy scales that measure not only pounds but the percentage of body fat with an electrical current.

If you're trying to lose weight this year, pay attention to this bit of data too.

Slim Doesn't Necessarily Mean Not Fat

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:00:35 PST

Obesity has been a huge (no pun intended) problem in the US, and now it seems to be spreading across the world. For the most part, it's apparent when people need to lose weight, but there are others you may not suspect who are also overweight. About 30 million Americans who seem to be normal weight actually have a high percentage of body fat. It's known as "normal weight obesity," and it puts people at risk for the same health problems as those who are noticeably obese - we're talking diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The point here is that being thin doesn't mean you're healthy. Even if your body looks slim on the outside, internal fat known as visceral fat can surround your organs. If you think you're at risk for being overweight even though you don't tip the scales, you should have your body fat percentage checked. Women should maintain a body fat percentage that's below 33.3 percent.

The best way to combat body fat is to eat a healthy diet and make sure you exercise regularly. Weight and resistance training should definitely be included in your workouts to help build lean muscle. Not only will it keep your body fat percentage at a healthy level, but you'll feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic too.

Are You in the Know About BMI?

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:07 PST

There are some buzz words floating around when it comes to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, and BMI is way up there on the list. I'm sure you've heard the term, but do you know what it means in terms of your body? Take this quiz to find out.

Take the Quiz

The Skinny On: Measuring Body Fat Percentage

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:50:09 PDT

If you're in the business of trying to lose weight, the best way to monitor your progress isn't by stepping on a scale. Since a basic bathroom scale measures your entire body weight, it doesn't take into consideration how much of you is made up of fat, and how much is made of healthy stuff like bones, muscle, blood, and organs. For a more accurate picture of your body composition, it's best to measure your body fat percentage, and here are the many ways it's calculated.

Home scales that measure body fat. They use the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis method to measure body fat percentage. It sends a low level and harmless electrical current through your feet and uses the data to determine how much of you is fat. They are fairly accurate and easy to use, as long as you follow the directions. A scale like this will cost between $50 and $100.
DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan. This test is normally used to measure bone density to check for osteoporosis, but it can also measure fat percentage. It uses two different low-dose X-rays to figure out bone mass and soft tissue mass. Even though it's super accurate and considered the "gold standard" for measuring body fat, it's also super pricey, about $100 or more.

To see the other methods,

Measure Up: BMI vs. Body Fat Percentage

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:50:59 PDT

BMI and body fat percentage are weight-loss terms thrown around with little explanation, so if you're confused about what they mean or which you should pay more attention to, you're not alone. Here's a brief primer to help.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It's a simple measure of the weight of a person scaled according to their height. You can use Fit's Calculator to determine your BMI, or follow these steps:

Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
Divide that answer by your height in inches.
Divide that answer by your height in inches again.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Body fat percentage is the weight of a person's fat divided by the person's weight. It lets you see how much of your body is made up of fat, and how much is bone, muscle, blood, and organs. There are several ways to calculate your percentage. Your skin folds can be gently pinched with calipers, some high-tech scales can measure body fat, and there's also underwater weighing. Many people get their body fat percentage measured if they are into sports or trying to measure their progress while losing weight. Fit women should have 21 to 24 percent body fat. Female athletes have between 14 and 20 percent.

To find out which one you should be concerned with

read more. Body fat percentage is a much more accurate measurement in determining if you are healthy. BMI doesn't take into consideration how much of your weight is muscle and bone and how much of it is fat. So that means a person can have a healthy BMI, but still carry weight in their belly, which can increase their risk for heart disease. So if you're trying to lose weight, or just wondering if your current weight is healthy, it's worth seeing someone to have your body fat percentage measured.

Body Fat Percentage Scales

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:00:00 PST

Yesterday I wrote about how your Body Fat Percentage (BFP) is a more accurate way to measure excess body fat when compared to your BMI. The New York Times reported recently that some studies suggest that BFP is a better indicator of health than your weight.

Underwater weighing is considered the most accurate method for determining your BFP, the more body fat you have the less you weigh in water. This method costs about $200 a pop. So it is not surprising that sales of scales with built-in body-fat monitors using bioelectrical impedance are up. They work by measuring how fast an electrical signal travels through your body. The more muscle you have the faster the signal travels. Fat contains almost no water, while muscles are about 70% water and water conducts electricity that is why the signal moves more quickly through muscle. If you are dehydrated you will read as having a higher percentage of fat (another reason to stay hydrated).

These types of scales were first introduced in the early 90s but the technology has improved and the scales are less expensive now. There are many out there on the market ranging in price, starting with the Health O Meter BFM-687 (I just love the name of this scale - it sounds so very 1950s sci-fi) for $34.98 found at Sam’s Club stores. Going more upscale if you will, there is the Tanita Innerscan BC551 for $139.99 available online at the competitive edge.

NY Times gave both scales good reviews, when tested for accuracy they both measured within a variable range of 4 percentage points of accuracy.

Which is Better: BMI or Body Fat Percentage?

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:30:00 PST

Many people are confused when it comes to looking at their Body Mass Index (BMI) versus their body fat percentage, since they do not always agree. So which should you go by?

First of all, body fat percentage is an estimate of the fraction of the total body mass that is fat mass, as opposed to lean body mass (muscle, bone, organ tissue, blood, and everything else that makes you work). This index is often used as a means to monitor progress during a diet or as a measure of physical fitness for certain sports. BMI is just a simple measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height.

That being said, body fat percentage is a much more accurate way to measure excess body weight than BMI since it differentiates between the weight of muscle and fat, while BMI just lumps it all into one figure.

So why are there so many BMI calculators on the internet? This is simply because measuring body fat percentage requires a few things: Special equipment, the physical presence of the person wishing to have their fat evaluated and the physical presence of someone who knows how to work the equipment. BMI is just a loose guideline for anyone curious about where they sit, but it is not a one size fits all answer. Curious about your body fat percentage? Then talk to a fitness professional at your gym or even your doctor. Curious about your BMI? Then check out [sorry, shameless plug] the Fit Calculator.

To read what the body fat percentages mean,

Description	Women	Men
Essential fat	10-13%	2-5%
Athletes	14–20%	6–13%
Fitness	21–24%	14–17%
Acceptable	25–31%	18–25%
Obese	32%+	25%+

Step Off the Scale! There Are Better Ways to Gauge Your Weight

Leta Shy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:49:47 PST

Using the scale has its place, especially if you are carefully tracking your weight-loss progress. But spending too much time focusing on a number can discourage you when you think you've dropped weight after a rigorous diet and exercise plan only to find that you haven't lost as much as you thought you have (which can happen for several reasons, usually because you are gaining muscle instead). If you dread stepping on the scale, here are three ways to gauge your weight instead.

Your clothes: One of the best ways to figure out if your diet and exercise plan is working? Nix the scale for your favorite pair of jeans. The fit of your favorite clothes can be more accurate than knowing how many pounds you are.

Your energy level: Chances are, if you're eating healthy, drinking water, and exercising, you'll be feeling the effects - you'll have more energy, sleep better, and be less lethargic overall. Feeling healthy is the first step in looking your best, so don't discount the inside-out effects of your new lifestyle, even if weight loss is your main goal.

Your body fat percentage: Your body's muscle-fat ratio can make the scale tip up even when you are feeling svelte. So be sure to keep your fat percentage in mind when it's time to step on the scale. That means investing in a model that includes an accurate fat percentage measurement so you can track your progress accurately. Or get your body fat percentage measured professionally with one of these tests. And don't always rely on your body mass index (BMI) to gauge whether or not you're in a healthy weight range; it's not always the most accurate measurement. Read more about the difference between BMI and body fat percentage here.

How do you measure your weight-loss progress when you're not on the scale?

Experts Say This Is the Most Effective At-Home Workout

Self — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:17:01 PST

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Between infomercial-style ads for Pajama Pants and Ab Rollers, perhaps you've seen advertisements for P90X DVDs. Or maybe you have a friend who suddenly looked a bit more taut and toned, who casually referenced the muscle confusion-based fitness craze.

The point is P90X is undeniably a major exercise movement. But does it work? A recent study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) says yes. And here's why.

First, it's obvious why ACE bothered to do this study. The organization loves to investigate the latest greatest fitness trends and, according to them, over three million copies of P90X were sold as of November 2010. And that was a year ago. Who even knows where that number is at now?

Everyone from famously buff Sheryl Crow to Bruce Springsteen has trained with creator Tony Horton, which lends him credibility upfront (especially if you're a Bruce fan from Jersey!). The concept behind this type of "muscle confusion" is that the body burns more fat and builds more muscle if you mix up your exercises so regularly that it never gets comfortable with any single one. For one thing, you're dodging that dreaded plateau.

"The basis of muscle confusion is to keep the body from becoming too efficient at performing individual and sets of exercises," explains Alice Burron, MS (Exercise Physiology), American Council on Exercise National Spokesperson and ACE Personal Trainer. "This type of inefficiency burns more calories because the muscles haven't yet adapted to the new workload. Overall more calories are burned, and as a percentage, then, more calories are burned from fat. That is, if a proper caloric intake is maintained in tandem with the workout."

Find out just why P90X is so effective after the break.

Top 3 Myths That Mess With Your Workout Results

Prevention — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:39:34 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You put in the time - and the sweat! So don't let these common misconceptions get you off track.
By The Editors of Prevention

Can you really blast more fat by working out on an empty stomach? Do you burn the same number of calories walking a mile rather than running? We asked fitness pros to weigh in on 5 of the most common exercise myths and tell us the real deal — so you can get the best results out of each and every workout.

Myth: You burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach

Reality: Don't expect any fat-melting miracles. When you exercise, your body burns both fat and carbohydrate calories. Recent studies show that working out on an empty stomach might burn a few more fat calories than when you work out an hour or two after eating — but total calorie burn is about the same.

And, based on research so far, that's what really counts when it comes to fitting into a smaller size. What scientists don't yet know is whether an increase in fat burn alone could help you lose weight faster or shed more pounds over time. So the choice about when to eat is yours.

More Misconceptions About Your Workout

There are two more myths, so keep on reading.