Healthy goal weight based on body fat %

I just read an interesting article at http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm

It made me re-evaluate my goals:
currently I am 5'3 with 30% body fat at 147lbs. Which means my lean mass is 103 lbs.
Accordingly If I were to weigh 130 (without losing muscle) I would be at 18% body fat which is considered to be "Athletic" level.

I had previously had my goal weight at 115 based soley on BMI...
I would then only have 10% body fat which would be scarily low...

Fri. Jan 4, 11:57am

Interesting article, thanks for sharing with those of us that are re-thinking our weight loss goals. How are you able to determine your body fat percentage or do you need a devise or scale that tells you that? I am 5 ft 2 inches, weigh 126 and I'm thinking I'd like to be around 115 pounds but not positive. I'm kind of playing it by ear and I know that knowing my body fat percentage would help.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 12:42 PM

OP HERE:
At my gym they have a Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method which is a more affordable but less accurate way to estimate body fat percentage. they also sell scales that do the same things.
Here they discuss several ways to measure your fat %:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage

Friday, January 4, 2008, 1:05 PM

The imprecision of all the easily available methods (including impedance and infrared) is so large that it has always made me uneasy with using it for planning. I wish that the more accurate methods were more available (or findable). I don't know where one would go in my area to get a test with something like hydrostatic, DEXA or Bod Pod. Oh, my area happens to be the NoVA suburbs of DC in case anyone reading this knows of somewhere hereabouts that will do it with one of those methods. I heard that Redskins Park bought a Bod Pod but somehow I doubt the general public is invited.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 2:56 PM

You must also realize then when you lose weight, you also lose muscle mass. So you must do strength training in order to keep/add muscle mass. If you're not, then you won't decrease your body fat as much as you hoped for. I remember reading that for every pound you lose, 75% is fat and 25% is muscle.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 3:16 PM

The precision of calorie counters on machines, online, everywhere, and the calorie count in foods are all imprecises, so using bf% is just as "risky" as going the calorie counting method for weightloss.

But kudos to the OP for realising that body comp is infinitely more healthy than simply using the BMI. Have you noticed that BMI is for men and women? It doesn't even diffrentiate!

And you don't lose muscle if you're building it. I don't believe that 75/25 comment, unless it's done SOLELY by restricting intake, in which case it would make sense. But eating healthy calorie dense foods, and having some strength training in a fitness regime should help one lost fat, not muscle.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 3:34 PM

OP here

I agree with PP. I was thinking about that as the day went on. I will just have to continue to measure and build muscle mass. but it did help to think in terms of fat % verses lbs on the scale.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 3:37 PM

3:16 here

Yeah I meant if you just lose weight by cutting calories, you'll also lose muscle as well. But if you include cardio/weight training, you won't lose it.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 3:59 PM

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