Body Fat Percentage

[Christina Robinson]

I was just wondering what the best way is to reduce my percentage of body fat.  This month I've been eating more sensibly and have lost around seven pounds, but my body fat % has not budged.  Do I need to do more weight training or low impact exercises?

[Jon Allen]

Christina- I wonder where you lost weight from if it wasn't at least some body fat.  7 pounds would be more than just normal variation due to hydration, etc.  I believe body fat is somewhat fickle and difficult to measure accurately other than hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing) (http://www.annecollins.com/body-fat-calculators.htm).  I am guessing you have lost some body fat, you just can't detect it yet.  For example, if a guy weighs 150 lbs and has 25% body fat, then he has 37.5 lbs of fat.  If he loses 5 pounds of fat, he would still have 22.4% fat.  The difference between 25% and 22.4% is likely within the variation for your measuring equipment.

Bottom line- keep exercising and you will see a difference.  Exercise plus appropriate calorie intake will result in weight loss.

As for weight training or low impact exercise- I do not know so cannot comment if they will specifically help.  I would guess that calories burnt are the same whether fast/slow, low impact/high impact.  You would just burn them faster with higher intensity workouts.  Also, muscle burns more than fat, so increasing muscle mass (i.e. weight lifting) may help you burn faster.

I can't really help you from experience, since I have like no body fat

Steve- That's not real helpful or empathatic.  A bit more tact would be polite.

[Christina Robinson]

I am not offended at all, I appreciate both your comments.  I do realize there are a lot of elite runners on this blog that don't have a need to decrease their body fat %.  Females also do naturally have more fat; it would be dangerous to get too low for many reasons. 

I have a scale at home that measures body fat %, so I'm not sure how accurate it is.  I will just keep on being diligent and eat well and keep running!!

[Steve Morrin]

I have a scale at home that measures bf %, so I'm not sure how accurate it is.  I will just keep on being diligent and eat well and keep running!!

I have heard a lot of comments on how those scales aren't too accurate. There's a product used by my school for P.E. that supposedly gets a more accurate reading of body fat. It's a handheld device that has to handles with metal contacts similar to that of the heart rate moniters on exercise equipment. What it does is it sends a very weak electrical current through your body, and it somehow gets a measurement of your body fat. It does this based on pre-entered age, weight, and height.

[Jon Allen]

No worries, Steve.  I know my sense of humor is skewed enough that some people might mis-interpret it, too.  But I try to be sensitive to how the reader might interpret it, especially when it is a newer or slower runner.  I know the real fast guys like Paul and Sasha try to be sensitive to no put-downs, too.

Christina- the home scales are probably the least accurate.  But enough loss should eventually register on it.

[Sasha Pachev]

Christina:

Are you racing faster? If yes, I would not care either about your weight or body fat percentage. You do not win a race by having the lowest weight, nor do you win by having the least amount of body fat.

Also, body fat measurements are rather fickle. It depends on how you measure it. In 2004 I had it measured around my arm, and at Good Earth showed 2.6%. A couple of months later I had it measured at BYU in a body capsule. It read 2%. Next year I had it measured holding the gadget with both hands at the SLC marathon expo. It measured 15%. I had a 2:11 marathoner with me who ran 2:19 the next day on that course, which means he was in about 2:15 shape on an ideal course. He measured 13.5%. This year I measured it the same way right before SLC marathon and it showed around 15% again. Adam Wende measured it the same way shortly thereafter and it showed 6%. Then I went to Adam's house, and his scale measured me at 10%. Do not remember what it measured him at. Earlier in March I had it measured at around 5% at James and Lybi's house.

So in summary, when it comes down to how much body fat you have, who really knows and who really cares after all?

And even with something that we can measure more reliably - weight. I gained 3-4 pounds since last year after increasing my mileage. But I am not concerned at all. I am running faster, therefore my body needs those 3-4 pounds.

[seesuerun]

Christina,

I am a new to this board (just discovered it Sasha I think its awesome!) but I am a personal trainer and I have four body fat machines in my own home and there is also the caliper method. I have measured my machines against the body pod at BYU (which is almost as accurate I believe as the underwater method now). There is a difference. I recommend average of a 3-8 tries on the home machines. Make sure your do it at the same time every day and before you eat or exercise. Weight/resistance training will eventually make a big difference on body fat but it does take a while. I tell my clients to stay off the scales for 2 weeks at a time in their training cause there is so much variation in between especially in the beginning as you are building muscle. Good luck it will come.

Susan

[Sasha Pachev]

Susan - let me know if you need lab rats to test your machines. I'll volunteer myself and will try to volunteer my training partners as well.

[Michelle Lowry]

Yeah, me too Susan.  I'm game.

[seesuerun]

I don't know if my body fat machines go that low guys Just kidding. You are both welcome to come over and give them a whirl. I have two scale machines and two hand helds. One of the scales also does muscle mass and water. If you want to come over lets correspond by email since this is a public forum. See if Sarah want to come Sasha, would love to see her again.

Susan