Body fat percentage question

[Heather I 500]

Hi! I was just curious, my scale says pre-surgery I'm at 50.1% body fat. After the sleeve, is there a range people go down to?

[Christinamo7 4,042]

do you mean on average, or what is possible?

[Heather I 500]

I guess both? LOL. I'm reading on exercise sites (heavy weightlifting/shred-type promos) these super athletes get down to 8% for men and 10-15% for women, but healthy for women is like, 20-22%. Does that happen just by virtue of losing lbs and going high Protein, or do you have to do weights/major cardio to hit 20-25%?

[Read2016 658]

I think the range would vary based on starting weight... Some one 400lb is going to have more body fat than someone 200lbs so the percent they would go down would be different... You probably can find a body fat calculator online to determine what percent would be ideal for you based on your height and weight.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"

Einstein

Edited June 5, 2016 by nyteacher125

[Christinamo7 4,042]

anything is possible - there are some here who are runners, or into weight lifting that I think have gotten their body fat pretty low. but I don't know what the average is.

I think it's a better indicator than BMI, though, and I encourage you to think about where you want to end up at based on your own health profile and concerns.

[Heather I 500]

I found this after noodling around: Thinking 23% might be a worthy goal? I'm 43 currently. I actually enjoy a variety of activities; walking, hiking, spinning, swimming, jogging, badminton, tennis, Jillian Michaels DVDs. Maybe need to ramp up the weights after healing.

"It is important to note the differences between men and women when it comes to determining healthy body fat percentages. Mainly, women are healthier with higher body fat percentages than men. This is because women require higher fat levels for safe pregnancy. As a result, different body fat percentages will be provided with the same health assessment for both genders.

For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women age 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent.

For men between age 20 and 40, 10% to 20% body fat is generally good to excellent. For men age 40+ to 60+, 19% to 23% is considered good to excellent."

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I think that would be good as a stretch goal.

mine will be slightly higher as I have have a health concern where they want me to be a little on the more side, but still healthy. that's why its so important to tailor your goals to your own needs.