Body Fat Percentage

[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]

Bud Light is only 110 calories. Doesn't sound like much?

It certainly doesn't taste like much.

 

[HFWR]

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]

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]

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

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]

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

“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:

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]

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.

 

[Dreamer]

I wish this thread would go away. It makes me feel bad about myself, every time I see it. I had the bod pod experience towards the beginning of January, and the results were less than pleasing. I am exercising more and eating more fruits and vegetables, but do not see any improvements yet. I am leaving on Friday for an 8 day cruise. Not good.

 

[eytonxav]

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.

That is my method as well, although I did use calipers a few years back which showed about 14%. I don't think I'm quite at that level presently based on what the mirror is telling me. I suspect calipers can give you a reasonably accurate assessment provided you get someone to help who knows how to use them.

 

[donheff]

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.

+1 I just ran BMI and BF online calculators out of curiosity. HFWR's chart seems better. Much easier to compare with that old guy in the mirror and make an accurate assessment.

 

[athena53]

I wish this thread would go away. It makes me feel bad about myself, every time I see it. I had the bod pod experience towards the beginning of January, and the results were less than pleasing. I am exercising more and eating more fruits and vegetables, but do not see any improvements yet. I am leaving on Friday for an 8 day cruise. Not good.

It takes time if you do it right. I lost about 15 lbs. over a period of maybe 6 months a few years ago and have kept it off (other than the 5 lbs. that crept on over the holidays, which I think are gone now). You can actually throw your body into "starvation mode" where it burns calories more slowly, if you amp up your exercise and severely cut back your caloric intake at the same time. I found the boards at myfitnesspal.com to be very helpful- a good mix of fitness freaks and healthy-living zealots (but with good advice) and normal people fighting the daily battle to lose weight.

I have to watch sugar. I LOVE sugar and had always figured that if I watched calories and took care of my teeth it wasn't a problem. Now they tell me that's one factor driving my high triglyceride levels. Spoilsports. I'm going to be more careful about my sugar consumption; you're supposed to stay under 8 teaspoons a day and I see that 2 calcium gummies is almost a teaspoon of that! Darn. When those run out I'll get something more sensible.

To answer the OP: my BMI is within normal and so is my body fat % (just measured by a calculator I found) but there's always room for improvement.

 

[Options]

Here's some helpful information to figure out your level of fitness:

9 Easy Fitness Tests to Tell If You're in Good Shape - Grandparents.com

A great definition of being in shape from the article:

Health professionals across the board — from cardiologists to physiologists and trainers — have loosely the same definition of "being in good shape": the ability to do the things you enjoy doing without feeling limited.

"The more fit you are, the less likely you are to have heart disease, cancer, all kinds of health-related issues. We have good data showing that even elderly people who start a fitness regimen do better health-wise," says Dr. Gulati, referring to a 2014 study published in JAMA which found that sedentary adults aged 70-89 who had trouble walking a quarter mile lowered their risk of physical disability by adding moderate exercise to their daily regimen.

See this if you don't have time to go to a gym and don't have gym equipment:

8 Best Equipment-Free Strength Exercises for Older Adults - US News

 

[Chuckanut]

It certainly doesn't taste like much.

I would prefer one pint of the good local craft beers to a case of the mass produced beers, lite or regular.

To get back on subject, Sugar is the #1 way I can put on weight fast. After that it is the highly processed carbs like white flour and rice, chips, pretzels, etc.

My mantra - Just Eat Real Food, preferably the food I or a loved one prepares from basic ingredients.

It's amazing how well adapted my body is to real food in a more natural state.

 

[MRG]

I would prefer one pint of the good local craft beers to a case of the mass produced beers, lite or regular.

To get back on subject, Sugar is the #1 way I can put on weight fast. After that it is the highly processed carbs like white flour and rice, chips, pretzels, etc.

My mantra - Just Eat Real Food, preferably the food I or a loved one prepares from basic ingredients.

It's amazing how well adapted my body is to real food in a more natural state.

Anyone notice the new guidelines from the USDA? Added sugar less than 10% of our daily calories. One 12 oz. Coke and a little ketchup and that's about all the sugar we're supposed to eat daily.

I'm with you on Real Food, I only eat food that someone in 1900 would recognize. All that processed crap led me and DW into obesity. While I used MFP for 200 days now, I lost more weight by just eating fruit, veggies, meat, and dairy.

 

[Chuckanut]

I'm with you on Real Food, I only eat food that someone in 1900 would recognize. All that processed crap led me and DW into obesity. While I used MFP for 200 days now, I lost more weight by just eating fruit, veggies, meat, and dairy.

Yes, it is amazing how the body returns to a more normal state when one eats real food.

Of course, this assumes one's body is behaving normally. Certain conditions fight even the best diets.

 

[Lsbcal]

Anyone notice the new guidelines from the USDA? Added sugar less than 10% of our daily calories. One 12 oz. Coke and a little ketchup and that's about all the sugar we're supposed to eat daily.
...

I always do diet Coke. Lately I've been alternating some water days with diet Coke at lunch. It probably won't hurt in moderation (fingers crossed).

 

[brett]

We do not keep track of fat, only weight. Since retiring I have dropped 50 LBS down to my ideal weight. DW dropped about 15 to her ideal weight. We have never felt better and it has made our frequent travel much more comfortable. When I go 4 or 5 LBS over my target weight, as I did over Dec/Jan, I simply go on a diet to get back to my comfortable weight.

Doing it was simple. We just cut out the crap. No processed /fast foods, less fat/no butter etc, nothing fried. Less red meat. More fresh fruits and salads, no junk food. Less red wine and virtually no sugary drinks or diet drinks for that matter (the chemicals cannot be good) Only one downside...we had to buy new clothes.

My sister keeps getting bigger and bigger. And she seems to get more health issues every day. My sense is she is eating herself into poor health and an early grave. I hope that I am wrong.

 

[donheff]

I read a very interesting blog post this morning that posits a new possibility that differs from both the standard all calories are equal and the carbs are the whole culprit hypotheses concerning the obesity epidemic. The post by Dr. Michael R Eades points the finger at high PUFA vegetable oils and is quite an interesting read. His hypothesis fits with my 4+ year N=1 dietary experiment. Worth a read for both people who like Taubes and people who think he is way off base. "The take home message from all this is to work hard to avoid vegetable oils in any part of your low-carb diet".

 

[UtahSkier]

This study correlates well with my experience and the diet/fitness advice I gave earlier.

A Diet and Exercise Plan to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle

For most of us, losing weight and keeping it off is difficult. If you consume fewer calories than your body requires for daily operations, it turns to internal sources of fuel. Those sources consist of body fat and lean tissue, meaning muscle. When someone on a diet drops a pound of body mass (a measure that does not include water), much of that pound consists of fat. But about a third or more can be made up of muscle.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/...ise-plan-to-lose-weight-and-gain-muscle/?_r=0

 

[brett]

I do not eat much bread, cake, pasta, or starchy vegetables.


The only oil we use is olive oil.

When I diet I essentially cut out ALL fats and oils, all carbs, and most vegetables. I eat fresh fruit, salad (with balsamic vinegar only), lean meat, fish. No breads, no dairy. The LBS melt away. We never use any of those fatty, chemical laden commercial salad dressings..yuk.


After switching over to a much healthier diet we can now really taste if chemicals have been added to food....one of the many reasons why we do not bother with processed food.


When we travel in the US we are often amazed at how large the portions are. Any many times the plate is filled to overflowing with fries. Often we simply split a meal. It seems the focus in many US restaurants is on quantity rather than quality.

 

[Options]

From Gallup:

Half of Overweight in U.S. Not Seriously Trying to Lose Weight

and

Fewer Americans Say They Want to Lose Weight

 

[Sea Kayaker]

I've been holding steady at 185 lbs (down from 240 pre-FIRE) for months now...and BF% has been dropping steadily...14, 13, 12, and now sitting at 11%. Which means I'm LOSING fat and GAINING muscle. Now, I do try and eat around 150 grams of protein daily combined with a dedicated weight training program. DW is truly flabbergasted at what I've accomplished...she as always managed to maintain a good baseline fitness level God bless her.

I have before and after pictures which show the transformation...it does boggle the mind.