Body fat percentages?

[fortyfour]

Does anyone understand how to use the body fat percentages as a weight loss tool.

I understand what it is but i don't really grasp how it works. I was almost going to add a tip to my weight loss tips thread about how it could help us deal with our plateaus or understanding how our muscles are growing whilst fat is reducing with regular weights training but i just can't figure it out.

My first though was, so we pack on the fat around hips bums thighs and waist and then we have measurements of places like wrist and neck where we don't have so much fat or muscle. But actually there is fat there and in our necks, also muscle. Not sure about the wrist.

So i thought our measurements must decline proportionally more on our necks and wrists if we are losing fat and gaining muscle thereby registering a lower bf%.

Or is there essentially no difference between taking our measurement and wiht forumla turning it into a single number.

I mean how does it actually distinguish between fat and muscle? Was my first thought correct or not. If so or in either case, can someone please elaborate more so that i can understand how it works.

Note i am not asking for a formula.

 

[Jeanette401]

Depends on which method you mean.

The caliper testing involves the 'can you pinch an inch' type test. I.e. they measure how much fat is on top of the muscle, rather than just measuring how big your arm is etc. Then there's some complicated formula you use by measuring the fat on several areas.

There are other measures such as bio-electrical impedance and the water displacement test (basically comparing your weight to your volume) that are also used. DEXA as well, but I don't really know how that one works.

 

[fortyfour]

No i don't mean can you pinch and inch. How does that work? I mean how does that give you a body fat percentage.

I hear the water displacement one is the most accurate.

No i mean the ones where you take measurements from different parts of your body and put it into a website calculator and it does it for you. I believe the US navy uses one like this. I've tried three different ones on the web. If you google body fat percentage calculation you will find one and be able to try it yourself.