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Complete Guide to Fat Loss

What is Body Fat and How to Measure It

Body fat is nothing but stored food. Your body converts food to energy and if you don't use the amount of energy consumed, it is stored as body fat. The process is similar to what animals in the wild will do when gorging on food fattening themselves up for the winter months when there is no food available.

The problem comes when the food is constantly available and people over eat and don't expend the food calories by doing some form of exercise. The calories then turn into fat and your waist line gets larger and larger.

In men, the fat first goes to the waist or stomach area and this area is usually the last to lose the fat. In women, it goes to the thighs and butt first and those areas are also the last to lose when they start a fat loss program.

Each person is different, but on average men should aim for a body fat level of 8-14% and women should shoot for 11-19%. Again that is an average and each person may vary in how they look at certain body fat levels. If your trying to get your abs to show, you typically need to be under 11% body fat for that to happen.

There are numerous methods for measuring your body fat. The most accurate is to have it done in a water tank. The tank give you a very accurate body fat reading. The more convenient method is to use calipers and measure certain areas of your body and do some calculations with your weight and height.

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For our purposes, we are going to show you how to measure your body fat with a set of inexpensive body fat calipers.

1. You will need to purchase or borrow a good body fat caliper. We used the FatTrack II for this article.

2. The good thing about today's calipers, is the device will do all the math for you after you have entered in your information and taken the skin pinch measurements.

3. Enter your vitals into the calipers device. (Typically, age, height and weight)

4. Pinch the skin in the 3 set areas described in the devices instructions.

5. Get your result

It's that simple with today's measuring devices.

The old BMI index is worthless. It does not take muscle into account. According to the BMI index, many of the most in shape people are considered obese because their body weight consists of muscle and not fat.

Ozeri Gen II Digital MultiFunction Bathroom Scale with Instant Weight (440lb / 200kg), Body Fat & Water Measurements, now with Built-in Memory for 10 Users

The Ozeri Gen II Digital MultiFunction Bathroom Scale features the latest generation of InstaOn sensor technology to display and monitor your body weight, fat and water ratios, all within seconds of stepping onto the scale...


Omron HBF-306 Body Fat Analyzer
Omron HBF-306 Body Fat Analyzer
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $28.00
Average Rating:

Measurement of body fat composition is the key to long-term exercise success. The Omron hand held body fat analyzer is an affordable and easy way to measure body fat in the privacy of your own home. After inputting the data, a measurement can be started by simply holding the grip electrodes and pressing the START button.


Sequoia Fitness Products Defender Body Fat Caliper 1 Unit
Sequoia Fitness Products Defender Body Fat Caliper 1 Unit
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Measure Body Fat By Yourself Visual Pressure Indicator Guarantees Accurate Results Military Standard For Physical Readiness Combat Fat with the Defender Body Fat Caliper the only body


Ozeri Touch Digital Bathroom Scale with Instant Weight, Body Fat, Hydration, Muscle and Bone Mass Measurements -- includes Built-in Memory for 8 Personal Profiles

With the ability to provide instant weight measurements and calculate body fat, hydration, muscle mass and bone measurements, the Ozeri Touch Digital Bathroom Scale is one of the most advanced bathroom scales...


Warrior Digital Body Fat Caliper with FREE OrbiTape Body Tape Measure

The Warrior Digital Body Mass Caliper is the first caliper to calculate and display Lean Body Mass and Body Fat %. It displays last and current results for up to 4 users including: Weight; Body Fat %; Lean Body Mass; Upper, Middle, and Lower Measurements...


Digital Body Fat Caliper by SilverTrac
Digital Body Fat Caliper by SilverTrac
List Price: $49.99
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The SilverTrac "do it yourself" caliper determines your body fat with digital accuracy. Manufactured by Digite ® / Guilin Digital Electronic Co. One of the largest digital measuring tools company in the world...


Defender Body Fat Caliper plus FREE OrbiTape Body Tape Measure

Defender Body Fat Caliper uses new technology with a Visual Pressure Indicator (VPI) for accurate results. The VPI changes from red to green when users have the correct skinfold reading. Also, the readings stay fixed after squeezing for easy recording and tracking...


Body Fat Monitor and Analyzer Measurement of body fat composition is the key to long-term exercise success. This hand held body fat analyzer is an affordable and easy way to measure body fat in the privacy of your own home

Measurement of body fat composition is the key to long-term exercise success. This hand held body fat analyzer is an affordable and easy way to measure body fat in the privacy of your own home. After inputting the data, a measurement can be started by simply holding the grip electrodes and pressing the START button.


Lange Skinfold Caliper Includes Deluxe Hard Case

The Lange Skinfold Caliper provides accurate measurement of subcutaneous tissue. The pivoted tips adjust for parallel measurement of skinfolds. The easy -to-read scale on the Lange Skinfold Caliper, and spring-loaded levers provide a substantially constant standard pressure of 10 gm...


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