Body fat calculator is the perfect tool to find out the composition of your body and the percentage of your body fat to its total weight. So, if you have been looking out for information regarding body fat, then you have come to the right place, as you will find all the important information regarding body fat and how to measure it through the length of this articles. So, let’s get started.

Human Body Composition

The human body is mainly composed of the following six elements:

• Calcium
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Nitrogen
• Oxygen
• Phosphorus

These elements make almost 98% of the human body. Other elements like chloride, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and sodium compose another 1% of the body. The water molecule is the most abundant and essential molecule of the human body, which makes up to 65% of its mass. Water molecule is followed by the proteins and lipids, which also make up for a considerable percentage of the human body mass. Then come the carbohydrates, hydroxyapatite, and nucleic acids.

Body Fat

So, what is body fat? Body fat is adipose tissue whose function is to store energy. However, it also provides cushioning and insulating effect on the body. The human body stores fat in two major forms: essential fats and storage body fat.

The essential fats are significant when it comes to supporting life as well as reproduction. These fats are found in women in substantially higher ratios as they have to bear children and require them for proper hormonal functioning.

Storage body fat, on the other hand, is the fat that is additionally accumulated. However, it can’t be regarded as useless and unimportant as this fat insulates the internal organs and the abdomen.

Benefits of Balanced Body Fat Percentage

For the body to function properly, having the right body composition with an appropriate fat percentage is very important. A healthy body fat percentage has the following benefits:

• Regulated temperature
• Vitamin storage levels maintained
• Balanced levels of blood sugar
• Hormonal balance
• Balanced reproductive health
• Better mental and physical performance
• Healthy metabolism

Health Risks of High Body Fat Percentage

A high percentage of body fat comes with its risks and harmful effects. Too much visceral fat in your body can put you at risk of the following health issues:

• Heart disease and stroke
• Complications in pregnancy
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Hormonal imbalance
• Coronary artery disease

Body Fat Calculation

First things first, no body fat calculator can guide you better than visiting your doctor. Our body fat calculator provides you an estimate of your body fat, but you must take it as an estimate only. You will require the following body measurement for the body fat calculation.

Your weight measurement: Weigh yourself in the morning before breakfast for the best results.

Your forearm measurement: measure the fullest part of your wrist with a measuring tape. This measurement is usually required for the bod fat calculation in women.

Your wrist measurement: measure the circumference of your forearm. Measure the thickest part of your forearm with a measuring tape. This measurement is usually required for the bod fat calculation in women.

Your waist measurement: measure your waist with a measuring tape. Don’t pull your stomach in and don’t make the tape dig into your skin. The tape should sit tightly on your waist for the right measurement.

Your hip measurement: measure your hip with a measuring tape by placing the tape on the widest part. Remove your clothes and keep your feet together for the most accurate measurements.

Once you have taken all the measurements, you can use our calculator to find out your body fat percentage. Make sure to use the right units.

Alternative Body Fat Measurement Methods

We have listed below alternative methods for the body fat measurement: 

Underwater weighing

The fat cells in our body have lesser density compared to the lean body mass. Fat cells have a density of 0.9 kg/l, while lean body mass has a density of 1.1 kg/l. This difference can help in the body fat percentage measurement by submerging the body in water.

Skinfold Method

In the skinfold method, your skin is pinched with calipers at different places to measure the fat layer thickness. You are needed to take around seven calculations. However, this method can only be used to calculate the fat layer beneath the skin and doesn’t account for the internal body fat.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound can also be used to measure the tissue structure directly beneath the skin.

BMI Method

You can also calculate the body fat percentage directly using the Body Mass Index by making use of the available formulas. Although these formulas may not be as accurate but still give a good idea of the body fat percentage.

Ideal Body Fat Percentage

When it comes to the ideal body fat percentage, it is variable depending upon each individual. For instance, a common person would have higher levels of body fat when compared to an athlete. However, the borderline for obesity in men is beyond 26% of body fat while for women, it is 32%. For a man to be fit and healthy, the percentage of body fat must fall in 14 to 17 percent range while for a woman it must fall in the range of 21 to 24 percent.

Ways to Drop the Body Fat

Body fat is among the most unwanted things as it doesn’t only sabotage your beauty but also undermines your self-confidence. We millennials are faced with a lot of challenges when it comes to body fat as a result of our bad eating habits and unavoidable bad lifestyle. It is therefore imperative to get enough education on body composition, particularly body fat in order to stay healthy and promote fitness. The following ways can help you in dropping those extra body fats and make your lifestyle better.

1.    Include more Protein in your Diet

Adding more protein to your diet will help you feel satiated for longer, which also helps you in avoiding cravings. Add protein-rich foods or maybe a protein supplement to your diet. Foods that are rich in protein include eggs, meat, poultry, fish, low-fat cheese, etc. By taking a protein-rich diet, you will be able to avoid high-calorie and junk food while eating lesser that would help you lose body fat but preserve the muscles.

2.    Strength Training

Another great and effective way of losing body fat is none other than strength training. Lifting weight can help you in dropping the body fat while you gain muscle, and it comes with a plus of getting all the strength. Strength training will also help you with an increase in the Resting Metabolic rate so that you burn more calories to maintain all your muscles.

3.    Batch Cook

Go ahead, indulge in batch cooking simple one-pot dishes over the weekend, and store them in containers to use over the busy week. This will help you in avoiding junk food over the week while you eat healthily and get lean.

4.    Add Spice to your Life

Who doesn’t love a bit of spice in their life? We sure do! You can add the thermogenic spices to your foods to convert your body into a fat-burning machine. All you have to do is enjoy some spicy food which will enhance the thermogenesis in your body. As a result, your body will burn the calories from your food alongside all the excess body fat. So, add any of your favorite spices from the list below to your food and enjoy it:

• Cayenne Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Turmeric
• Black Pepper
• Cumin
• Cardamom

Just add a couple of these spice to your regular diet, and you can lose all the fat while having a healthy metabolic rate.

5.    Water, Water, Water

Water is the best drink when it comes to fat loss. So drink up plenty of water regularly to get rid of all the toxins in your body while keeping it hydrated.

6.    Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is the ultimate tonic, which also serves as a probiotic that also helps in fat loss. It helps in making you feel satiated and reduces your appetite. You can dilute it with water and take it during the meals. You can also add it to your salad dressings and marinades if you don’t like drinking it directly.

Bottom Line

Dropping body fat with a healthy lifestyle should not be a nerve-wracking task now. With the right ways as brought to you above, you can do it. Just be unswerving and see the wonders that divulge as you achieve your ideal body composition with more body muscle and lesser body fat. Using our body fat calculator will help you keep track of your results to keep you focused on your fat loss goals.

Our Body Fat Calculator offers both Calipers and Tape Measure to figure out your body fat percentage. Even if you don’t have both, don’t worry. We have an option for that too. Just choose none in the measuring device field and voila! 🙂

Measuring Sites

For a detailed guide on how to measure at various sites, please click here.

The best time to take your measurements for this calculation, is in the morning. Your body measurements are the most accurate just after you wake up from 7-8 hours of sleep.