The technique of using body composition measurements, rather than weight, to track your weight loss results is an effective way to see results right from the beginning. Body composition measurements themselves encompass several strategies to track your progress, including body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio and circumference measurements which are the easiest, most inexpensive way to measure your weight loss success.
That being said, no measurement is more critical to weight loss than body fat percentage. At any given time, your body is a combination of lean body mass (muscle, bones, skin, tendons and organs) and fat. Body fat is actually necessary for the proper functioning of cell membranes and hormones, transportation of fat-soluble vitamins and the provision of essential fatty acids. Because of this, you always want some fat on your body. The key to having enough, but not too much, is body fat analysis.
BMI v. Body Fat: What’s Important?
You might remember your doctor or school nurse talking to you about BMI, or body mass index. Long touted as the standard for assessing health risk, BMI uses your height and weight to tell you whether you’re overweight or not. Here’s the formula:
BMI = Weight (kg) / Height² (m)
That’s it – just height and weight! No measurement of muscle mass, body fat, where you carry your weight or any other standard that would assess actual risk of disease and account for genetic differences between body types.
On the BMI chart, most of my fellow trainers would be considered overweight or even obese, based on their weight – because weight alone doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat. My colleagues have a low body fat percentage with a great deal of muscle, and they weigh heavier on the scale as a result. Similarly, you can be “skinny” in terms of your actual weight while still having a high body fat percentage. You simply cannot determine health from weight alone. This is another reason to ignore the bathroom scale – your weight doesn’t matter as long as your body fat is healthy! So forget about your weight and BMI. Body fat analysis and circumference measurements are the absolute best ways to determine your actual health risk, and I’ll show you how to do both for yourself.
There are a few techniques for measuring body fat, some more expensive than others. To avoid sounding like a textbook, I’m going to skip right to the inexpensive, do-it-yourself methods because, let’s face it, this article is about doing these measurements on your own!
Body Fat Percentage…From Your Scale?
There are two ways to calculate your own body fat percentage. First, you could buy a bioelectrical impedance scale, which works by sending a minor electrical current through your body. This principle is based on the fact that electricity moves more quickly through lean tissue than through fatty tissue. These scales usually have metal plates for you to stand on barefoot (don’t worry, you won’t feel anything!). You can also buy a handheld device instead.
Using Circumference Measurements to Calculate Body Fat
Alternately, you can use circumference measurements to estimate your body fat percentage. The only equipment you will need is a tape measure and a regular scale (your weight is necessary for the calculation).
For Women:
Begin by measuring the following body parts: waist, hips, forearm, and wrist. Next, plug these values into the following equation to determine your lean body mass:
8.987-(0.157*waist)-(0.249*hips)+(0.434*forearm)+(0.318*wrist)+(0.732*weight)
(Tip: You can copy and paste the entire formula into the Google search box to get a quick answer without a calculator – just replace the words with your measurements.)
Subtract this answer (we’ll call it X) from your total weight to get your fat mass.
Body Fat Mass = Weight – X
Now divide your body fat mass by your weight to get body fat percentage.
Body Fat % = (Body Fat Mass/Weight)*100
Example: Sarah is 20 years old and weighs 130 lbs. Her waist is 28 inches, hips are 36 inches, forearm is 8 inches, and wrist is 5.5 inches. Her formula looks like this:
8.987-(0.157*28)-(0.249*36)+(0.434*8)+(0.318*5.5)+(0.732*130)
Sarah’s lean body mass is 96 lbs.
130 lbs – 96 lbs = 34 lbs
Sarah’s body fat mass is 34 lbs.
(34 lbs/130 lbs)*100 = 26% body fat
For Men:
This formula is slightly less complicated, since all you need is your weight and waist measurement. Next, plug these values into the following equation to determine your lean body mass:
(1.082*weight)-(4.15*waist)+94.42
(Again, you can copy and paste the entire formula into the Google search box to get a quick answer without a calculator – just replace the words with your measurements.)
Subtract this answer (we’ll call it X) from your total weight to get your fat mass.
Body Fat Mass = Weight – X
Now divide your body fat mass by your weight to get body fat percentage.
Body Fat % = (Body Fat Mass/Weight)*100
The results for either of these methods are, of course, not as accurate as more expensive techniques. However, for weight loss purposes all you really need is an idea of your progress over time (for example, you lost 5% body fat in the last 5 months). It doesn’t matter whether that percentage is slightly off or not – you still have evidence of your progress.
What Do Your Numbers Mean?
Now that you have your body fat percentage, let’s put it into context. Body fat ideals vary by age and gender, so I’ve included the following chart to help you analyze your results. What category do you fall into? Remember, these are starting numbers – it’s going to get better from here!
Recommended Body Fat Percentages for Women:
Recommended Body Fat Percentages for Men:
Tables adapted from ACSM’s Health-Related Physical Fitness Assessment Manual, 2nd Ed. 2008
Staying Positive
As you know, weight loss takes time and effort to achieve. That is why these baseline measurements are so important – they paint a surprisingly accurate picture of your progress through every step of this journey. I know some of these numbers can be scary to look at, but that’s why I’m giving you ways to measure them for yourself, in the privacy of your own home. There’s no need to have someone else take these readings for you, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to see the results. You can start today, on your own, and make the commitment to yourself that you’re going to change your body.
Tracking Your Progress
My advice is to re-take these measurements every 6-8 weeks (about the same time you would update your workout program). This gives your body enough time to produce measurable changes. You can, of course, measure whenever you want, just don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a change after only one week. Be realistic with yourself!
Looking Beyond the Scale
And lastly, please remember that your weight is secondary to all the positive changes you’re making to your body. Reducing your waist-to-hip ratio and body fat percentage will lower your risk of disease…and your weight will follow in time. In fact, my advice is to weigh yourself once – only once! – when you first start a new program. Then walk away from the scale. Hide it if you need too! I know too many clients who become obsessed with weighing themselves every day (sometimes more than once a day). These are also the same people who get discouraged just a few weeks into their new routine because they don’t realize that the secret to seeing results is to look beyond the scale. You will see more dramatic results in less time by tracking your circumference measurements and body fat percentage, rather than your weight.
So hide the scale and keep up the great work!
last year i have so much Body fat because of a very bad diet and lack of exercise. now i am doing lots of Cardio to reduce the fat specially on my tummy.
Body Fat can reduced by exercise and proper diet. Eat foods that are free from saturated fat and avoid sugary foods too.
Detoxdiets – A poor diet and lack of exercise can absolutely lead to excess weight and body fat, especially if continued over a long period of time. Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to improve your health and burn calories, but it’s only one aspect of the equation. In order to successfully lose weight (and keep it off!), you’ll need to incorporate strength training into your program. I’ve written more about the importance of strength training in a previous article: http://trainerconfidential.com/2009/03/05/4-reasons-why-you-should-be-strength-training/, and I’ll be talking more about it this month in my New Definitions series. Your diet also contributes to weight gain and loss. In order to lose body fat and keep your muscle mass (which is where your metabolism is!), eat protein at every meal and snack, balanced by fruits and vegetables. If you have any questions, feel free to email me from the contact page!
The most effective way to lose body fat is through exercise. You just do some cardio workout everyday like jogging and running for miles. That would effectively burn the fats in your body.
Body fat reduction IS best done through exercise, but cardio alone won’t cut it if you want to keep the weight off (and really, isn’t that the point?). Please see my above response to Detoxdiet for more on the importance of strength training and diet.
When you are trying to lose body fat, the best way to do it is still by proper dieting and exercise. Avoid taking slimming pills at all cost, they do more harm than good.