How can i lower my body fat?

Question

I had a health check thing at uni today (voluntary!) and they measured body fat, bmi etc. I'm 18, my BMI is 21.5 but my body fat is 35.1% (the healthy range is 20-35%). They used the hand held electronic device. I work out a lot (5 times per week on average, about 1 hour each time) and I'm generally active; I'm probably walking 2-3 hours each day aside from 'working out' as such. I'm not 'fat' looking; I have a 26" waist so why is my body fat so high and how can I get it lower? I eat healthily; the majority of my diet is fruit and veg and I don't eat particularly badly, perhaps the odd chocolate bar here and there, but who doesn't?! I'm panicking a bit now; I thought I'd be well within the healthy range!...why did I have such a bad result?

Answer 1

I'm wondering if it wasn't very accurate. Using a hand held device is not the most accurate of ways to measure body fat. If you have a 26 inch waist, unless you have overly large breasts and hips, I doubt you have 35% body fat....that seems pretty high. And if you truly have 35% body fat which is doubtful, then if it is all in your breasts and hips, then you probably don't have to be concerned. They actually say hip fat is very beneficial to your health, it is abdominal fat that is unhealthy. I would have your body fat checked professionally. I have noticed that people with higher muscle mass usually find that with the body fat scales/hand held devices, the body fat comes out too high for some reason. I just don't think it was very accurate. Definitely get a second opinion, there is no point you losing weight only to find your body fat was well under 30%. I think the odds are that your body fat is more like 25% than 35%. HTH.

Answer 2

i would expect this is because of one of two posibilitys, it could be that the test you had done was to an inacurate result or its your malabalism The first thing we can do is to jump start our metabolism every morning by getting at least five minutes of some type of physical activity. I prefer running in the morning, but if I'm short on time, I'll do a few yoga poses or sit ups and push ups. Follow your activity with a low-fat breakfast. The old cliché is true. Eating breakfast really is the best way to start your day...and your metabolism. Avoid a high-fat meal, however. A bowl of low-fat cereal with skim milk, a piece of fruit, and a cup of coffee is perfect to start the fat burning. Another way to increase your metabolism and, thus, your body's ability to burn fat and calories is to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than three big meals. Make sure to incorporate low-fat, high fiber foods into these meals such as fruits, vegetables with nonfat dressing, half a bagel with nonfat cream cheese, or nonfat cottage cheese with peaches. When reading package labels, aim for a food that contains less than three fat grams per serving. Remember, a serving doesn't mean eat the entire package. The label will indicate what a serving consists of.

Answer 3

Come on people, you can't give an intelligent answer if you don't read the question first! She said that she exercises and eats a lot of fruits and veggies already. First of all, I would have the test redone because the machine might just be out of calibration. If the results are consistent, I would look at two things. First, are the fruits and vegetables you eat processed or fresh/frozen? Many companies slip sugar and other garbage into products that appear healthy to make them taste better (to sell more product). If this is the case, you may not be eating as healthy as you thought you were. Second, take a look at your portion sizes. Even if you are eating healthy, eating too much is not good, and portion sizes today are way bigger than they should be. Don't worry about treating yourself once in a while, it's actually psychologically beneficial to do so. Other things you can do to help are to talk to a physical trainer and make sure you are getting as much out of your exercises as you think you are, and change your routine. try some new exercises or workout machines, because your body can get used to routine and not benefit as much anymore from it. One thing I do know, people who are active are not as harshly effected by a few extra pounds as those who don't do much, so don't stress out about it. Lastly, as another answer stated, get tested for type 2 diabetes. It is unlikely that you are at risk, but better safe than sorry. I hope this helps!

Answer 4

Keep in mind that there is no accurate way to measure body fat. The methods I know of are a) calipers b)small dose of electricity and see how long it takes to return back to the device & c) ultrasound.

So don't freak out just yet because its just an estimate. You should do weight training, in order to convert fat into muscle you need to do cardio and weight training...for women, trainers that I have typically worked with give me lower weights with higher repetions. That lowered my body fat but my intially my weight increased because muscle is heavier than fat but in a month or so it will all even out on the scale.

Answer 5

Hi,

It looked like you have taken care of yourself very well: eating healthy and exercising regularly. Very Good!! If you are really serious about lowing your body fat, I recommended you using some nutrition based healthy supplement from Herbelife: Thermobond, Herbal Concentrate, and/or activated fiber. These products, extracted from plant sources, proved to be no side effect at all, can help breaking down big body fat into small fat, burn fat into Cal and remove fat from your body. You can check website www.herbalife.com

Answer 6

You don’t need to exercise for long periods of time. Short, sharp sets of exercise will produce better results if you work hard. Get a missing rope, skip for two min's, do push ups for 60 seconds or so, skip for two minutes, rest for starters minute. Then change the push around something else like sit ups in addition to do the set again. Repeat it five times and it’s a quick, effective workout that will progress results than a long manage or swim.

Answer 7

You don’t need to exercise for long periods of time. Short, sharp sets of exercise will produce better results should you work hard. Get a missing rope, skip for two min's, do push ups for 1 minute, skip for two minutes, rest for just one minute. Then change the push up to something else like sit ups as well as do the set again. Repeat it five times and it’s a rapid, effective workout that will improve results than a long function or swim.

Answer 8

You should have your body fat % checked again in a week. If you're near 'that time' of the month, the excess fluid you're carrying can skew the body fat %.

Mine changes by 4% (higher) before and during, then drops back after.

But if it doesn't change, you may want to have your sugar checked, as well as your thyroid.

Answer 9

Muscle weighs more than fat are you sure they have got it right I read many sports people have a high BMI but it is because they are muscular not because they are fat. I suspect a glance in the mirror will tell you the answer, fit or fat.

Geee you certainly seem to go enough walking and working out. You deserve to be stick thin.

Answer 10

You might think about trying this book called "The Movie Star Diet" by Steve Simmons. It helped me lose thirty pounds in 2 1/2 months when I didn't think anything would work. My goal to begin with was only 20 lbs! It has a really easy plan to follow. Although, I agree, it seems odd that your body fat % would be that high.