What is the ideal female body fat percentage?

[Celestial]

I was curious what is the ideal female body fat percentage is for a "fit" female. Any ideas? Thanx!

[nejar462]

I think a woman could be fit at like 12% or a bit more, of course, a woman could be banging at like 7%. I'm not exactly sure though

[syntekz]

I'm not sure, but it is higher than men.

[heathj]

14-18% is pretty damn good.

[Celestial]

Yeah i heard it was higher in that 14-18% are too but I wasnt sure. IF you go to low doesnt it start causing problems in the female body?

[heathj]

Yes, if they go too low they stop having periods and all and it messes up their menstral cycle or something. I'd say the majority of women have 20-30% bodyfat.

[PowerManDL]

14% is about the bottom end for a non-competitive female to be healthy. 12 would be ok, and 10 is really waaay too low.

[Celestial]

I was just trying to get an idea where I should possibly be when I am totally "fit" Right now I am between 26-29% I can get an accurate reading from the machine unless I take my body jewlry out....so we did the pinch test through the computer..and there is a 3% grace area. I was thinking maye aiming for 18% or basically jsut see how I look and feel as time goes on....

[body]

the level of fat% you look good at is right.
but 18% sounds a good goal thats achievable.
send in your pics as you get there and you will get a long list of replies.

BTW most body fat test are not to acurate so use a mirror as well.

[Tryska]

18%-22% is considered "ideal". Below 18% and you start running the risk of not having cycles anymore, but a lot of women can go way lower then that, without a disruption in cycles.

The average female is somewhere between 27-30% I heard...but i find it hard to believe.....well i guess if you have those that are 10% and those that are like..40% i guess that would be kinda average..i don't know.

[body]

i think the average female is 20-30% with men being more 14-24%. females are higher as its due to thousands of year ago when less food available, this made a better fuel reserve for pregnancy, while men helped to be leaner for catching animals etc.

[Tryska]

don't forget T&A.

actually...estrogen stores in brown adipose tissue (triceps, thighs, that pooch thing, breasts and butt) until it reaches a threshold that kicks off FSH and the whole monthly thing. which is why it's a bit higher, plus the whole pregnancy issue. which came first, evolutionarily speaking i don't know.

[Fauxpas916]

I recall reading in an older issue of Women's Fitness International that the "ideal" bfp for a fit woman is right around 12%. Mine is lower than that, or at least it was a few months ago... when I got it tested for the first and only time. Do you think it is bad to be lower than the "ideal"? I suppose that height and weight is most considerable when calculating though (I don't know much about it.)... and Lord knows I don't have height! Does anyone know how that works?

[Tryska]

hey..as long as you feel you look good and your period shows up every month, you're cool.

oh and BF% is not height dependent.

[Fauxpas916]

Also, when you all mentioned that it messes with your menstrual cycle if you are below 14% or what-not.... how do you mean? Does it make it irregular for some reason and, if so, what is that reason? I am right around 7% body fat and don't feel like it complicates or restricts my body in any habitude.

[Tryska]

as i said above....estrogen stores in bodyfat, until it reaches a threshold level at which time, the pituitary sets off FSH, stimulating the ovaries and setting your menstrual cycle off. If your bf is too low for that, it will manifest as irregular periods to start and then a total absences of periods, where you start risking osteoporosis, among other things.

[Celestial]

Originally posted by body
the level of fat% you look good at is right.
but 18% sounds a good goal thats achievable.
send in your pics as you get there and you will get a long list of replies.

BTW most body fat test are not to acurate so use a mirror as well.

I will be getting some now pics within the next 3 weeks then I will post a begore picture (embarrassing) and an now picture...there is quite a difference but i still have a way to go. Hopefully next spring or so I will be close to where I want to be.


IS there an aboslute way to get an accurate body fat percent level reading?

[Fauxpas916]

Ahhh, I see. Sorry, I didn't see that above! You know so much..... Thanks!

[body]

I would not worry about a absolute bf% reading as long as it taken consitently. if its 5% out, but taken the meaustrement the same way it should still be 5% out therfore you can see if you have lost fat levels.
under water weighing is a good way but this exspenive and inconvient.

[Celestial]

Originally posted by body
I would not worry about a absolute bf% reading as long as it taken consitently. if its 5% out, but taken the meaustrement the same way it should still be 5% out therfore you can see if you have lost fat levels.
under water weighing is a good way but this exspenive and inconvient.

Wow I never even heard of underwater weighing..how does it work and whats involved?

[body]

under water body weighing

It works by dipping you in water. as you know your weight the amount of water displaced equals your volume.
Now you know these two answers (weight and volume) you can work out your body density. using some more calculations you will work out your body fat level.

It works on the fact lean body mass is more dense than fat. so higher your density the less body fat you have.

This is why i can not swim as fast as i used to as i spend half my energy keeping above water.

[Maki Riddington]

The majority of women that I've seen get there bodyfat tested has been inbetween the 18-27% margin.

These women are healthy and fit. They don't sport a "six pack" but they are taking care of themselves.

[Celestial]

And I was thinking this whole 26-29% I had was high. I mean I still have a way ot go of course but it's not as bad as I thought

[Jane]

Yeah, losing your period is really dangerous. Without estrogen, the calcium in your diet is doing jack for your bones, and osteoporosis is a pretty scary thing. Thats what I'm trying to recover right now, I have really bad bone density. Its more important to have a healthy body on the inside than to force your body to show your sixpack or whatever on the outside.

And dont you get really sensitive to cold with low bodyfat (below 18-26% "the norm" for women)?

[Celestial]

Originally posted by Jane


And dont you get really sensitive to cold with low bodyfat (below 18-26% "the norm" for women)?

You know what I am starting to get cold now all the time compaired to when I weighed a lot more. I live in florida and i wear jackets and sweatshirts...is it just ebcuase my body still isnt used to the change yet?