Body Fat Percentage

[audreyh1]

Based on HFWR's chart, half the men in my neighborhood are >>35% body fat.

[Lsbcal]

I actually went up a bit in recent years. Probably due to a healthier breakfast.

I could bore you with the details. Instead I'll just say one should aim for a healthy diet, lots of exercise for the body and the mind.

Oh, and do the thing that works in the long run i.e. many years. Don't do the diet yo-yo. There is no hurry. If you maintain good habits (very hard to do) then you will look better and feel better.

[Lsbcal]

Where are all those selfies of midsections? You first.

[Georgialivin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG I've been using MyFitnessPal to count calories. We both went from obese to healthy BMI over the last 8 months. I did hit a spot at 5 pounds from my final goal that took a while. Since I had a pretty good idea of calories and macros I found increasing fat and lowering carbs allowed me to reduce my calories and stay feeling full. I'm targeting a 20% protein 40% fats and 40% carbs of my 1900 calories daily. Few weeks later the last 5 were gone. Best wishes.

I also use mfp. I am at about 50% carbs and 25% fat and protein. I'm losing at about 2100 right now but it's the best tool I've ever come across to lose fat. Tracking food and hitting the right macros. I love it. I don't always track, just when I want to lean out a couple lbs


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[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Based on HFWR's chart, half the men in my neighborhood are >>35% body fat.

Worse than that...

http://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/

Quote:

As for what is driving America’s chronic weight problem, there are no definite answers. Scientific studies often reach conflicting conclusions, meaning many theories are out there, but the preponderance of evidence points to the two causes most people already suspect: too much food and too little exercise.

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

http://stateofobesity.org/fastfacts/

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50 Never measured this before until recently. Started a unhealthy activity last year and gained some weight. Currently at 21% going to try to get to 10% by 6/20/2016. Anybody else have fitness goals?

For those whose fitness goal is to gain weight, maybe you could share your unhealthy, weight-gaining activity. Sounds yummy.

[Amethyst]

There are healthy ways to gain weight. Wouldn't you just know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redduck For those whose fitness goal is to gain weight, maybe you could share your unhealthy, weight-gaining activity. Sounds yummy.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50 Never measured this before until recently. Started a unhealthy activity last year and gained some weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst There are healthy ways to gain weight. Wouldn't you just know.

Sure, but RetireAge50 has come across an unhealthy activity that causes weight gain. This activity is probably easier and more fun than the healthy ways. Some forum members might want to at least consider this activity if they knew what it was.

However, some forum members may have already discovered RetireAge50's unhealthy activity years ago--not realizing what they were doing was actually unhealthy. It might be helpful for them to acquire this knowledge.

Plus, hearing of unhealthy activities piques my interest.

[Amethyst]

I think RetireBy50 made mention of alcohol as something that needed to be cut way back in order to lose weight. If you're looking for an easy, fun, yet not especially healthy way to gain weight, "drinking a lot of beer" has a long-standing reputation :-)

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst I think RetireBy50 made mention of alcohol as something that needed to be cut way back in order to lose weight. If you're looking for an easy, fun, yet not especially healthy way to gain weight, "drinking a lot of beer" has a long-standing reputation :-)

Darn, I was hoping that it might be more creative (and inspirational) than that.

[MRG]

All about numbers, one Bud Light is only 110 calories. Doesn't sound like much? Only 110 extra calories per day is good for 11.5 pounds in a year!

[braumeister]

Interestingly, I just got the current issue of Consumer Reports in the mail today, and they tested bathroom scales that measure body fat. None of them were accurate in that regard, although most were very accurate in measuring body weight.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG Bud Light is only 110 calories. Doesn't sound like much?

It certainly doesn't taste like much.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Interestingly, I just got the current issue of Consumer Reports in the mail today, and they tested bathroom scales that measure body fat. None of them were accurate in that regard, although most were very accurate in measuring body weight.

My scale says I'm at12% bodyfat if I describe myself as "athletic", but says I'm at19.5% if I'm "normal". I'd say the19.5% figure is closer to reality, but I wouldn't describe it as accurate...

[RetireAge50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst I think RetireBy50 made mention of alcohol as something that needed to be cut way back in order to lose weight. If you're looking for an easy, fun, yet not especially healthy way to gain weight, "drinking a lot of beer" has a long-standing reputation :-)

Yes about 20 pounds gained in 10 months primarily from alcohol. Went on cruise which served unlimited free drinks. Before that never drank at all but had a good time over the next 10 months!

Not quitting drinking altogether but definitely backing off, eating healthy foods, and doing consistent exercise and weight training.

[Sea Kayaker]

Skin calliper measurement (5mm) on my suprailiac said 11% as of this morning. Allowed myself some beer tonight as a reward.

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea Kayaker Skin calliper measurement (5mm) on my suprailiac said 11% as of this morning. Allowed myself some beer tonight as a reward.

Great, but some areas of the body may have more BF than others. How are you doing at other measurement locations?

[Amethyst]

There appear to be far more serious consequences of long-term heavy drinking than a little extra around the middle:

"Long-term alcoholism can also shrink the brain and lead to dementia. For example, some of the heaviest drinkers develop a form of brain damage called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. People with this syndrome suffer a severe loss of short-term memory. They can remember events that happened before the syndrome kicked in, but they often forget new information within a few seconds.
In addition to brain shrinkage and memory loss, both Alzheimer's and alcoholism can interfere with neurotransmitters--the chemical messengers that travel between brain cells. And both conditions can lead to profound personality changes over time."

Researchers study alcohol's link to Alzheimer's -- Hazelden

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50 Yes about 20 pounds gained in 10 months primarily from alcohol. Went on cruise which served unlimited free drinks. Before that never drank at all but had a good time over the next 10 months! Not quitting drinking altogether but definitely backing off, eating healthy foods, and doing consistent exercise and weight training.

[Options]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal I actually went up a bit in recent years. Probably due to a healthier breakfast. I could bore you with the details. Instead I'll just say one should aim for a healthy diet, lots of exercise for the body and the mind. Oh, and do the thing that works in the long run i.e. many years. Don't do the diet yo-yo. There is no hurry. If you maintain good habits (very hard to do) then you will look better and feel better.

+1
The alternative is (much) higher health care costs in retirement, particularly if you're single (to include those widowed and divorced):

Health Care Costs Higher for Older, Single Households

Quote:

“The most important observation from these two figures was that per-person out-of-pocket recurring health care expenses were not any different between single and couple households,” EBRI says. The research organization also says recurring health care expenses generally do not increase with age. Non-recurring health care expenses, however, cost single households an average of $7,122 but couple households only $3,161 during that two-year period. And those expenses increase with age; for households ages 85 and older, singles spent an average of $13,355 on non-recurring health care expenses, and couples, $8,530. EBRI Research Associate Sudipto Banerjee says the reason these kinds of medical expenses are lower for couples could be because one of the spouses acts as a caregiver.

Emphasis added

Even if you're currently married, the chance of becoming single is increasing as divorce is on the rise among older adults:

Quote:

While data shows the divorce rate overall is falling, some studies have shown that for older Americans, it’s actually increasing. Between 1990 and 2012, the number of divorces among people between 55 and 64 more than doubled, according to a study by Susan Brown, I-Fen Lin and Krista Payne of Bowling Green State University. For those 65 and older, the risk of divorce tripled in that time period.

Emphasis added

For Divorcing Women, Becoming Financially Knowledgeable Is Crucial

Morale: pay attention to your health and be good to your spouse!

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Great, but some areas of the body may have more BF than others. How are you doing at other measurement locations?

I just look at myself naked in the mirror. Of course, you've got to be objective about that animal staring back at you.

I think we all know where the fat is. We just want some reassurance that it's not true.