Knowledge is power. And to win the battle of the bulge, the more information you have about your body means you will have more power to make changes and reach your weight loss goals. Professional athletes know exactly how many calories they take in and expend, and they monitor body fat percentage to maximize performance. Average men and women have access to tools that will help them do the same. Calculating body fat percentage will give you a good idea of you current body composition.
Step 1
Before measuring, remove baggy clothing. Most fitness professionals recommend that men should wear tight shorts and no shirt, and women should wear a sports bra and tight pants or shorts. If you plan on taking measurements to track your progress, wear the same thing each time you take measurements.
Step 2
Measure your waist. While standing, measure the smallest point around your waist or at the midpoint between the top of your hips and the bottom of your rib cage. Make sure that the measuring tape is flat against the skin and that you are breathing normally. Take the measurement several times until you can consistently measure the same number. Record the measurement.
Step 3
Measure your hips. While standing with feet about hip-width apart, measure around the widest part of the hips where the rear protrudes the farthest. Take the measurement several times until you can consistently measure the same number. Record the measurement.
Step 4
Measure your neck. While standing, measure around the widest part of your neck. For men, the is usually just about the Adam's Apple. Take the measurement several times until you can consistently measure the same number. Record the measurement on your paper. You may need a second person to help you read the measurement.
Step 5
Visit the Body Fat Calculator at LiveStrong.com (see Resources). Enter your gender, waist, hips and neck measurements, and height. Click "Calculate." Your body fat percentage will appear.
Tips and Warnings
- It is important to remember that the accuracy of the calculator is based on the accuracy of your measurements. There are many other ways to directly measure body fat, such as: Skinfold calipers measure skin folds at certain places on the body. Those measurements are used to calculate body fat percentage. Bioelectrical impedence is on many modern scales. The scales send a harmless electrical current through the body to measure body composition. Hydrodensitometry uses underwater weighing measures to calculate your body composition based on the amount of water your body displaces. Your body density is determined and, from that, your body fat percentage. The general consensus is that hyrodensitometry is the most accurate measurement of body fat.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
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