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Once you know your body fat percentage ... |
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Handheld scanners are normally DEXA scanners - these are reasonably accurate.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
| current weight: 178.0 |
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How does the apparatus work? I imagine it works by measuring the resistance to electrical current, i.e. bioelectrical impedance (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioelectrical_impeda
nce_analysis). That method is sensitive to water content of the body. Any fluctuation in water content will alter the measurements, so not reliable at all. It may be useful to get a broad idea of what your body fat % is though.
``Don't break the chain." -Jerry Seinfeld
``Moments of silence are part of the music." -Anonymous
| Body Fat %: 25.0 |
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Bathroom body fat scales are indeed easy to use and at no cost beyond the initial purchase. But they are also rather inaccurate, and the reported BFP numbers can vary by several percentage points from day to day due to changes in your hydration levels, rather than any actual change in your body fat. M@L
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
| current weight: 178.0 |
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If you are about 43% body fat at 232 pounds, that means you have a lean body mass of 132 pounds and a total body fat mass of 100 pounds. To reduce your body fat percentage to 31% without losing any lean body mass whatsoever, you would need to lose 42 pounds of body fat, bringing your final weight to 190 pounds. However, most people lose at least a small amount of lean tissue when losing a significant amount of weight, so your final weight may be lower than 190 pounds if you lose muscle mass alongside fat. To prevent muscle loss, incorporate a challenging full-body strength training program utilizing compound movements that work large muscle groups two to three times per week into your exercise routine. Good luck!
Kaitlyn
Personal Records:
5K -- 24:41
10K -- 54:01
Half-Marathon -- 1:57:20
Marathon -- 4:10:09
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At 232 lbs, 42% BFP represents 97 lbs body fat, and a lean mass of 135 lbs. And 135 / 69% = 195 lbs. So you would need to lose 37 lbs. Of course, this is just the math. In real life, lean mass doesn't stay the same when you lose weight, so the reality will probably not match the formula, and you will probably have to remeasure your body fat and reassess your goals along the way. But hopefully this will give you some kind of initial guide.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
| current weight: 178.0 |
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If your current weight is 232 then I believe you need to aim to reach 168-169 lbs to get to 31% body fat. I used basic math/algebra and got this, but I'm a little rusty so I could be off here. :)
-- Ellen --
Stamina, speed, strength, skill & spirit -
But the greatest of these is SPIRIT.
| current weight: 148.4 |
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SOCAL_LEE
SparkPoints: (19,061)
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11/26/12 5:07 P
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Oh, I see where you're coming from. Maybe an expert will weigh in (sorry! :)) but I think, sadly, the answer is no, there's no set formula. Because everyone is going to lose in different ways, and depending on what physical activity/ies you're doing and what you're eating, you're going to lose a distinct proportion of fat/muscle/water. The only thing I can think of would be to get a very detailed, specific consultation -- did you get measured in a water tank? -- and get some pointers from that, but I still don't think they can tell you "once you've lost xx pounds, your body fat will be at 31%".
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I concur, the best thing you can do is get on a regular exercise plan. You can strength train without using weights. If you do go the weight route, it is important to use compound exercises. I make sure that I strength train and then hit the cardio in the same session. By doing both you will maximize your calorie burn. I have tried cardio first and then strength training also. Both ways have more benefit then just doing cardio one day and then strength the next. This coupled with a healthy eating plan will get you the best fat reduction possible.
Weight is the result of what you have been doing for the past week.
| Pounds lost: 13.0 |
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SOCAL_LEE
SparkPoints: (19,061)
Fitness Minutes: (41,470)
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184
11/26/12 3:52 P
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By "what's the formula", are you asking "how do I decrease my body fat percentage?" If so, I think the answer is to continue to bring down your overall weight, since a lot of that is fat. When we lose weight we lose muscle as well as fat, so my best recommendation is for you to continue to exercise and to incorporate some serious strength training into your workouts if you haven't already done so. That will help you retain and build muscle while shedding fat. The book _New Rules of Lifting for Women_ is a very good place to start, and should be available at your local library. I have friends who recommend _The Female Body Breakthrough_, too. Even if you're already lifting weights, I find that the programs in these books help me be more systematic and organized about my strength training, ensuring that I do it 3x/week and that I train every major muscle group. There are a lot of good options out there for strength training programs. Good luck!
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