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I started the diet 4 weeks ago and had no idea what my BF % has ever been. I am 29, 5'5″ and weighed 140. I now weigh 136 and have been stuck there since the 10 day orientation phase was complete. Each CN I gain 2 pounds and then lose it, but not until the morning of my very next CN. I finally bought some calipers and am very leery about the results. According to the caliper measurements I am at 10% BF. Does anyone think that is actually the case? Don't very fit women typically average 15%? I think I must be doing something wrong. I took measurements above my right hip, my right tricep, and my right thigh. I couldn't really even get a skinfold from the tricep and thigh. 1. Do you think this could be accurate?2. If so, should I be doing a second CN a week?My goal weight is 130, and I weighed that last September.
Calliper's are notoriously unreliable. The scales and hand-held body fat percent readers are even worse! The most reliable (from what I know) is a DEXA scan, but depending on where you are they can be expensive.The best and cheapest way to figure out your approximate body fat percent is comparing a picture of you, to something like this: http://www.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/body-fat-percentage-women.jpgIt's not very accurate, but if you're honest, it's good for a round-about estimate of where you are!
Calipers certainly CAN be accurate, but there is SUCH a large margin for error depending on who is taking the measurements (I would never recommend taking your own), how much water you are carrying on a particular day, how hard you pinch, exact testing areas, etc. I was testing using hydrostatic weighing and calipers and they actually gave me the same measurement, but I have had two different people test me a week apart and there was a 3% difference! So...unless you want to spend money on alternative methods, I would pay attention to how your clothes feel, take pictures, measurements, etc. Hope this helps! 🙂
10-12% is like the essential body fat for women. Even 15% would be pretty low. Skinfold can be accurate if you have the precise tools AND have someone who has a good deal of experience doing it. In the clinical setting, you usually have to have done HOURS of skinfolds before they consider your measurements precise and accurate.
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