All you need is a soft tape measure. Estimate your body-fat percentage, see your category, and find out how much of you is lean mass.
Measure your neck and waist (and hips for women), then tap Calculate.
Body-fat ranges from the American Council on Exercise.
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Good to know: These are estimates for general wellness, not medical advice. They’re made for healthy adults: if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, have a medical condition or follow a diet your doctor prescribed, talk to your doctor or a licensed dietitian first.
Stand tall and relaxed, breathe out normally, and don’t pull in your stomach. Keep the tape level and snug without pressing into the skin. Measure two or three times and use the average, at the same time of day each time.
Uses your height and a few circumferences. Done carefully, it usually lands within a few percentage points of lab tests, which makes it a great at-home tracker.
An adult formula (Deurenberg, 1991) that estimates body fat from your BMI, age and sex. It’s quick but rougher, because it can’t see muscle.
Neither is perfect. The real value is the trend: measure every two to four weeks and watch the direction.
Fat mass is the weight of the fat in your body. Lean mass is everything else: muscle, bone, organs and water.
When you lose weight, you want most of it to come from fat. If your lean mass holds steady while your weight drops, your training and protein are doing their job.
Women carry more essential fat, the fat the body needs for hormones and reproductive health, so healthy ranges run about 8 to 10 points higher than men’s. Going too low isn’t a goal for anyone: very low body fat can affect hormones, bones, mood and energy.
Numbers help, but they’re only part of the story. Josh coaches mindset first (he says it’s about 60 percent of the work), then consistency, with lots of variety so training stays fun.
He lost 62 pounds himself in his early 50s, so he knows the hard part isn’t the math. It’s showing up on busy days and getting back on track after a slip. He focuses on building strength and keeping your muscle, so the changes you see are the ones you want.
For a personal eating plan or a medical diet, Josh will point you to your doctor or a licensed dietitian.
Measured carefully, it usually comes within a few percentage points of lab methods. It’s best for tracking your own changes over time with the same tape and technique.
Using American Council on Exercise ranges, about 21 to 31 percent is typical for women and 14 to 24 percent for men, with lower numbers common in athletes.
The Navy formula for women uses the hips because women naturally store more fat there. Men don’t need it.
Every two to four weeks is plenty. Day-to-day changes are mostly water and noise.
Usually the tape method, because it reflects your actual shape. The BMI method can’t tell muscle from fat, so it often overestimates body fat in muscular people.
No. These formulas are for adults who aren’t pregnant. Ask your doctor for guidance that fits you.
Numbers are a great start. Josh turns them into a plan you can keep, with training and habits built around your life, in the Palm Beach area or online.
