Body Fat Percentage

Body fat seems to be the number one enemy in the battle against weight loss. Everyone’s body contains a different amount of excess body fat. While some fat is needed to live, most of the fat on a person’s body is a result of consuming more calories than their body can burn on a daily basis. You can calculate how much of your body is made up of fat by using a body fat calculator. Body fat calculators are very popular tools among dieters because they allow you to track your body fat percentage.

What is Body Fat Percentage?

The concept of a person’s body fat percentage is quite simple to comprehend, when compared to the concepts of weight gain and obesity. The body fat percentage number represents the amount of fat that a body contains in comparison to the rest of the bodies composition. For example, if a person weighs 145 pounds and they have a body fat percentage of 10%, then they are carrying 14.5 pounds of fat on their body. A person’s body fat percentage is a straight-forward indicator of a person’s body composition and is very helpful when analyzing weight loss from dieting and exercise.

What is the Ideal Body Fat Percentage?

Most people would opt to not have one speck of fat on their body, especially women. Although this would be ideal for the visual element of a body, people cannot live without a certain percentage of body fat. With this being said, women must have at least 10% body fat to live, while men can lead a healthy lifestyle with as little as 2%. The difference in essential body fat between men and women is caused by different biological features, like breasts, and different genes found in DNA.

Athletes are known to shoot par when it comes to physical fitness, especially professional athletes. A career exercising and training to better your athletic skills results in a body with a low percentage of body fat. The American Council on exercise claims that female athletes tend to have 14%-20% of body fat, while men can have a body fat percentage as low as 6%.

You are most likely wondering what amount of body fat the average person carries around on a regular basis. This number spans a large range because there are so many different body types. Individuals that exercise on a regular basis can plan to have 20-24% for women and 14-17% body fat for males. Again, these numbers depend on many physical features, like height and weight.

Measuring Body Fat Percentage

Now that we have discussed body fat percentage and the ideal amount of fat one should have on their body, it is time to look at how a person’s body fat percentage can be measured. There are a variety of ways that body fat can be measured, including body fat calculators, the use of fat calipers and BMI calculators. The most effective way to measure body fat tends to be by use of fat calipers but this requires a person to see a professional in the fitness of medical field. Body fat calculators, which can be commonly found online, are the most popular form of measuring body fat percentage.

Body Fat Calculator

As mentioned above, body fat calculators are devices that plug your personal information into a formula and the result is your body fat percentage. The most common body fat calculators require the following information in order to calculate your body fat: gender, waist size at the narrowest point and belly button, height, weight, hip size and the size of your neck. All of these measurements are used in the body fat percentage formula. Using a body fat calculator typically gives results that are very close to the actual percentage.

Fat Calipers

Fat calipers are used to measure a person’s body fat percentage, much in the same way that the measurements used in the body fat calculator are used. Fat calipers work by measuring a person’s subcutaneous fat, which is found on the skin. The skin is folded in a specific manner at various points on the body to collect this measurement. The measurements are then put into a specific formula and the result is the body fat percentage of the person. This method often produces the most accurate results, but often requires a large amount of time, effort and money.

BMI Calculators

A BMI calculator, which stands for body mass index, is a tool used to confirm whether a person is obese, underweight or normal in weight. This is different from the two methods of measuring body fat listed above because the results do not tell a person their actual percentage of body fat, but rather what category they fall in when it comes to weight. Using a BMI calculator is only useful when inquiring if you are considered overweight or obese for your weight and height.

Body Fat Percentage in the Abs Diet

Tracking your body fat percentage when on the Abs Diet is a very effective method of losing weight. Don’t let your mind get stuck on the amount of pounds you have lost, but rather watch the composition of your body transition from fat to lean. Many dieters often get hung up on the fact that they haven’t lost very many pounds after dieting and exercising after a week or so. This happens because your body is burning fat but also building muscle, which weighs more than fat. Monitor your body fat percentage while on the Abs Diet for the most effective results. You will notice that your clothes are fitting better, your energy level is through the roof and your body is more toned than ever as your body fat percentage decreases.

Keep in mind that the Abs Diet also requires you to keep up a low-calorie diet in conjunction with a vigorous exercise regimen. All of these elements combined will produce a body that you didn’t think you would ever have. Stay motivated and you will be pleased with the results.