I mentioned on day one that I had estimated my bodyfat percentage at 45%. I also mentioned I would write a post later on how I calculated that number. I do not promise utmost accuracy but here is the method I used in case anyone else wants to play with it.
First I decided that for now, my goal weight is 140. But I don’t just want to weigh 140. I want to be at about a 15% bodyfat as well. Then I realized that’d be a useful way to guesstimate what my bodyfat percentage is now. Dr. Michael Eades has said in at least one of his books that we tend to lose a bit of lean mass if we’ve started out very fat because some of that lean mass came from lugging lots of weight around. But if you follow a dietary pattern that allows for plentiful fat and protein, it’s difficult to say how much lean mass you will actually lose. And to me what’s important is that end result, where I’d have a decent amount of lean mass anyway.
So to me the salient question was, What would my lean-tissue weight be if I subtracted 15 percent? What is fifteen percent of 140? That would be 21. What’s 140 minus 21? 119.
That would make my lean weight 119 if I were 140 pounds at 15% bodyfat.
Now let’s look at this logically. Assuming NO loss of lean weight because I have no idea how much I would actually be losing. Let’s say my lean weight is 119 right now. Not too difficult to envision. Under the lard layer, I still have spaghetti arms, almost 20 years after I was failing in the Army.
My weight currently is 210. Subtract 119 from 210 and you get 91.
What percentage of 210 is 91? That’s roughly 43%.
Hey, look at that! My percentage dropped. OK, not really. Some of that “bodyfat” is actually water weight. But as you can see, it’s still a working number–and if you can’t find anyone to use calipers on you, can’t afford a bodyfat-measuring scale and laugh at the notion that you could ever pay for a BodPod or DEXA scan? It’s better than nothing. Still has the potential to give you a sense of progress.
So there you go. Just in case this might help someone out there.
