What is My Body Fat Percentage, and How Can I Lower It?

Many people are curious about their body fat percentage. What is my body fat percentage? Can I change it? How is body fat percentage measured? If you’ve ever wondered about what exactly body fat percentage means and how to calculate yours, you’ve come to the right place. 

What is Body Fat Percentage?
To put it simply, body fat percentage is the amount of fat your body contains in comparison to everything else that composes your body (your skeletal system, organs, muscles, etc.). 

Therefore, your body fat percentage does not affect your muscle mass. This means that you could have the same body fat percentage as your friend while looking completely different from them. 

How is Body Fat Percentage Measured? There are numerous ways that you can weigh up the body fat percentage. However, none of them are exact. These different forms of calculations range from just an estimate to 1-3 percent off in accuracy. However, the more accurate the test, the more expensive and less accessible it will be in most cases. 

The most accessible (and least exact) forms of measuring your body fat percentage are through visual tracking and the use of body fat calipers. Visual tracking can include simply looking in the mirror at your body or, more concretely, taking progress pictures every two weeks. 

This will give you a visual idea of what your body fat percentage might be in comparison to other visual examples of what each body fat percentage looks like.

Body fat calipers are also quite easy to get your hands on. Order them online for about five dollars and follow the instructions of placing the caliper around a piece of fat pulled away from the muscle. Then, find your measurement on a corresponding body fat percentage chart. 

On the opposing end of the spectrum, a DEXA scan is the most accurate body fat percentage measurement. During the scan, your body’s composition is x-rayed, and your body fat percentage is produced. However, with 50-150 dollars costs, this is by far the most expensive method. 

Regardless of the version of body fat percentage measurement you choose, the most important factor is consistency. Be sure to take your measurements at a similar time of day, with a similar amount of food and water in your body. This will result in a more accurate overall picture. 

How Can I Lower My Body Fat Percentage?
Once you have calculated your body fat percentage, you can decide if you want to lower it. Depending on your goals, lowering your body fat percentage will look slightly different for everyone. 

The lower the body fat percentage that you desire to achieve, the stricter you will have to be with your diet and exercise. However, regardless of where you are starting, you will want to focus on these two aspects of your routine: nutrition and movement. 

Eating a diet in a calorie deficit and lifting heavy is not easy. However, they are simple. First, calculate your total energy expenditure in a day, and eat below that. Then, lift heavy and consume enough protein. And you will lose body fat.