Estimate Your Bodyfat % pictures

[Determinism]

Originally Posted by patriots2

You’re probably right on Dexa not being as precise as everyone says. Have you ever had one?

My initial Dexa in November said 8.2% (would have guessed I was closer to 11%) a follow up in December was 8.9% and I was leaner in December. Go figure. Tester was adamant the numbers were 100% correct both times.

The mirror and consistent use of calipers would probably work almost as well. It all comes down to how comfy each of us is with their look, something a number can’t always provide.

Exactly! I've never had a DEXA scan, and I never will (unless for medical reasons). As you've experienced yourself, that thing is off by a few %. Anecdotes tell the same story. As you say, an arbitrary number doesn't say much. It's about how you look in the mirror or how comfortable you are in your own skin. So IMO a DEXA scan is only for the ego. We don't need scanners to see if someone is fat or fit

[TravisGM]

Originally Posted by Determinism

Exactly! I've never had a DEXA scan, and I never will (unless for medical reasons). As you've experienced yourself, that thing is off by a few %. Anecdotes tell the same story. As you say, an arbitrary number doesn't say much. It's about how you look in the mirror or how comfortable you are in your own skin. So IMO a DEXA scan is only for the ego. We don't need scanners to see if someone is fat or fit

I agree with you 90%. My ego needs the catering

However, it’s nice to know as a baseline estimate (yes, estimate) where my LBM is, how it’s changed over the year and what I look like at specific body fat percentage ranges. I’ll use this range of body fat percentage to gauge when I should start bulking. In any case, I’ll post the results here

[felpadubove]

https://imgur.com/a/vJ5zT

[patriots2]

Originally Posted by Determinism

Exactly! I've never had a DEXA scan, and I never will (unless for medical reasons). As you've experienced yourself, that thing is off by a few %. Anecdotes tell the same story. As you say, an arbitrary number doesn't say much. It's about how you look in the mirror or how comfortable you are in your own skin. So IMO a DEXA scan is only for the ego. We don't need scanners to see if someone is fat or fit

You’re correct. It is all about ego.

Thought it would be a motivator to keep getting leaner (until contradictory results came out), but it was nothing more than another measure with minor flaws.

Win the battle of the ego war. It can be a terrible thing.

[patriots2]

Originally Posted by felpadubove

https://imgur.com/a/vJ5zT

Estimate 17-19%

[alcahuetej]

Originally Posted by Determinism

Sure, share it with us. There is a "thing" that DEXA is not as accurate as some believe. Having a visual alongside the numbers may make us more conscious about that. Please note that this does not mean the DEXA is wrong by default. Yours may be very accurate.

I could repost my pics from after my DEXA scan from three years ago.

It's all documented on old logs, but none of the images are up due to Photobucket.

I posted the pictures on here and Lyle's old forum before the scan. All estimates were about 7 - 9%. The scan said I was 9.2%, and my torso (which was what the photo on here was of) was 7%.

This was after a PSMF, but I made sure to refeed and have a week at maintenance before the scan. I also drank some water the morning of the scan.

Pictures were taken the morning of the scan.

[patriots2]

Originally Posted by alcahuetej

I could repost my pics from after my DEXA scan from three years ago.

It's all documented on old logs, but none of the images are up due to Photobucket.

I posted the pictures on here and Lyle's old forum before the scan. All estimates were about 7 - 9%. The scan said I was 9.2%, and my torso (which was what the photo on here was of) was 7%.

This was after a PSMF, but I made sure to refeed and have a week at maintenance before the scan. I also drank some water the morning of the scan.

Pictures were taken the morning of the scan.

It would be interesting to see what you looked liked during the Dexa. Just to see the visual differences on Dexa reporting.

Also, Was it reported 14%2% or 9.2%. Or the 9.2% was adjusted down 5% due to Nhanes method? Hope all is well.

Happy holidays to all.

[alcahuetej]

Originally Posted by patriots2

Also, Was it reported 14%2% or 9.2%. Or the 9.2% was adjusted down 5% due to Nhanes method? Hope all is well.

Happy holidays to all.

Reported was 14.2%. Which basically rocked everyone's faith in DEXA scans. I adjusted the 14.2 to 9.2% because the Nhanes method was used for my scan (which I learned about years later).

Happy holidays to you as well. I hope Santa leaves a 4 compartment model DEXA machine under (next to?) the tree for you.

[w1cked]

As Krieger has mentioned indivual dxas can have 3 to 5% off. Now over a large n number of readings for same subject and same machine it'll be much better...pretty simple gauge r&r principle reallu. There are youtube videos of contest ready guys coming in at 10% and people few weeks out clocking 6. Mirror>>>>dxa imo.

[alcahuetej]

Originally Posted by w1cked

As Krieger has mentioned indivual dxas can have 3 to 5% off. Now over a large n number of readings for same subject and same machine it'll be much better...pretty simple gauge r&r principle reallu. There are youtube videos of contest ready guys coming in at 10% and people few weeks out clocking 6. Mirror>>>>dxa imo.

DEXA definitely isn't the goal standard it's made out to be.

The bodybuilders being at 10% could be due to which method the machine used. With the Nhanes method 10% is about 5%.

I was fortunate enough to have two scans done about 2 - 3 years apart, on the same machine. Both had me at ~9%, indicating I had lost muscle mass during that time. Which lines right up with strength numbers dropping/the mirror.