NAT,
My wrist measurement is 5 1/2 inches I'm just curious of my BF% but I am only 60 inches/ 5 ft even. I'm not sure how acurate these online cal are but I think my BF% is 17% but my BMI is almost 23 does this make any sense. I'm confused about BF%. I'm not planing on losing any more weight I'm just toning.

Josie

Josie, if you're more muscular than 'average' then BMI isn't going to give you an accurate picture; scroll up a few posts for the example I used of Trainerdan, that should clarify the difference between BMI and BF%

The accuracy of online calculators, or any method other than underwater weighing, is not 100%; it's closer to 95-97% (giving you an outside possible margin of error of 5%) To give you some example of whether your reading is correct, at 17% BF you should be able to see some / part of your ab muscles. Full definition (a 6 pack) happens around 14-15% for most women.

HTH
Nat

I don't have a 6 pack I can also see my ribs & hip bones, too.

Thanks,
Josie

Well thank you for your explanation... I have been going crazy and on other web sights people have been telling me I can't go to my goal of 128 at my present BF... Now on all the calculations off the net they are high for me.. when I went on a cruise they hooked the machine up to your feet and body and measured your body fat and it even told me I was somewhat dehydrated.. and I was.. SO I think it was pretty right on.. But at the beginning of the cruise I was 18. 7 and I worked out every day and ate low carb and at the end of the 11 days took it again and was at 17. 8 body fat.. Well I weighed 144 then.. But people in the gym was guessing me around 130 YEA>. well I now weigh 139 and trying to get to 128.. not sure what my body fat is now. and still working out. I am wearing mostly size 6's and a just a few size 8's. I am 5'3' and will be 50 this month. and med framed.. so a bit confused still on my ideal weight and body fat. but feel I still have some fat to draw from LOL... Thanks for your information..

Lot, judging by your BF% you're there, if not beyond. Losing that 'stubborn' fat can take a while, but it's likely that you're at your ideal weight. What you might find is your shape changes but the weight stays the same.

Cheers,
Nat

so am I unrealestic on the 130 or 128 goal with 17.8 body fat. now at 139.. If I have some fat I am working on to get rid of won't this come off with continued loosing.. although I have been stalled for going on 10 weeks now GESH. I do think I am sensitive to nuts and fats.. I think I read in one of your journals that as we get clost to goal we can't handle as much fat as before.. Not sure I ever could.. I do suffer from the hyperinsulimia blood sugar problem and would like to go to the LFL program and like the fruits and vegs idea.. I have never went below 45 carbs a day. and I guess glad I never did after reading some posts.. but lost much slower than some.. to be honest only way I have lost this 21 lbs is on scaresdale which is low calorie, low fat and low carb. GESH to be 50 is the pits LOL... So I am really struggling as to where I fit in all this and looking for my WOL to fianally land on to keep weight off and stay LFL. Your posts and others have really been helping me.. and I am still reading many of them.. Thanks.

OH also am I to believe the body fat that was measured on the cruise or the ones on the net.. they seem to be all over the place also.. I tend to believe the cruise as it showed me dehydrated int he test run off also ... and did go down after working out and pretty much eating protien, fruit, cheese and vegs for 11 days ... just curious of what you thought thanks.

No, I wouldn't say unrealistic - unless you expect to lose it in say 2 or 3 months What I meant to say was that at 139 lbs you may not see the scale move much more but you will notice your body shape change - as in it will get tighter and you'll wear a smaller size. It does get harder as you get older - which doesn't mean you should give up, it just means you need to be more patient I guess.

LFL is quite the stretch from LC, I'm not sure I could handle it, BFL is hard enough (all that planning!). But perhaps what your system needs is a change ?

If you're really keen on finding out if your BF % is correct why not visit a local gym and have it tested there? A proficient personal trainer would be able to give you a pretty accurate measurement.

Cheers,
Nat

Nat, you always seem to have a way with your words. Back on the Atkins, our new son is 2 1/2 months old and keeping us busy and unfortunately out of the gym. Gained back most of the weight and LOTS MORE INCHES>>>>> oh well. I do agree with the BF% as a goal. This past summer when I started I lost 16 lbs in the first two weeks and then stopped. Though I continued to tighten the belt and my "Love Handles" were getting smaller.. BF% is the way to go...

I find it easier to take both hands and grab some fat from your body, if there is less to grab this week than last week, then hey, you are doing something right.

I hope i didn't offend anyone with the pic, a great eye opener to what my wife looks at everyday...... WOW, I'm a machine.......

Thanks for the advice.

Believe me I have tryed to find a relible BF test around here. the only one is in a sports dept at a college where they key in your informationa nd then you hold this thing and it read me almost 28 well I wouldn't be wearing 6's if that were true.. I look pretty lean except for a bit of fat around the middle.. and yes gonig to be 50 this month could be the problem but I am gonna beat it.. also to the guy with the picture.. My husband got our cruise pictures back only he had on a snorkle gear also and happened to get a side shot.. He went on low carb and has lost 20 lbs and still working on another 10.. I really think the test for me is to go on scaresdale for a week and see.. the interesting thing is I loose on low fat, low cal and low carb.. and then when I just eat low carb I don't gain back what I loose. I can mainatain around 60 carbs a day if I watch the fats in moderation and eat just fruits and vegs and occasional sugar free treat. well I think I will scaresdale tommorrow with the work outs and see for one week If I loose then I will do it one more week.. then back to just counting the 60 carbs a day again.. Guess if this is the only way my body has lost during this time is what I have to do... but I do keep it off when I loose it.. interesting huh... Well good luck everyone and thanks for your help and posts.. I try to put a picture on but keeps telling me it is to big.. any advice to this.. LOL thanks

This should help, lo

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=11884

Cheers all
Nat

well trying to figure out now how to make my pictures to 100 to 100 pix. GESh computers can be fun but drive you crazy to.. Wish me luck.. and thanks. Also with much stress and thought I am reading a book on portion control.. I like this to cause I am not a calorie counter... well I will low carb around 45 to 65 and do my portion controls and learn these and try to eat higher protien and drink more water. and getinto this exercise program more reg again.. So wish me luck and we will see.. I will keep reading posts as this is all a new way of learning how to eat and exercise for me and has worked for 6 months now.. So YEA>. But still think I can hit that 130-135 mark. we will see.. Thanks.

I have to ask are you using the two together the body for life and low carb and if so how's it going?

cbrim38, many of us are using / have used LC with BFL on this forum. You can see a lot of the results by cruising down the BFL forum - look for threads that start "4 week results" "8 week results" etc. We've had some great transformations!

Nat

This is, of course, a great thread. Isn't Nat a gem?

Anyway, quick consultation for me, please, anyone who happens to stop in. I've figured my calculations, based on my Tanita scale, which we can assume is a tad fussy, but I believe it more than most of the online calculators. Calipers are on their way but I refuse to pay the $25 my gym charges for an expert to do it, so we'll have to see how my amatuer measurements pan out.

Anyway... I've calculated a few body weights and percentage levels. The ones I'm shooting for are...

Current- 140lbs, BF% 29, LBM 99lbs, 40 lbs of fat.

Goal 1- 135 lbs, BF% 25, LBM 101 lbs, 34 lbs of fat.
Goal 2- 130 lbs, BF% 22, LBM 101 lbs, 29 lbs of fat.

My question is: How much LBM would one expect to put on weight training in the BFL pyramid style 2-3 times a week alternating upper/lower body workouts? I'm also doing HIIT cardio 2-3 times a week.

Is 2 pounds of muscle gain with 6-10 pounds of fat loss reasonable? It seems like I've put on almost a pound of muscle in the past few weeks since my scale is now consistently reading 29% whereas it used to read 30% but no weight change.

I love input. I'm also lovin my workouts! No weight change in the past month but lost almost three inches on my hips! Holy moly.

Thanks in advance.



Angela