[kimpy26]

i was watching that show on vh1 where those celebs lose weight and there is this part where one of the actresses didnt know she was only supposed to lose a certain amount of weight because of her body, like some kind of test was run on her and instead of having to lose like 100 lbs, she only had 2 lose like 50. sumthing like that, do u know what this test is? like amt of body fat or sumthing? i am not sure. i wanna know so i can make a goal. but the test looks complicated. and i have never had a real doc's visit cause my mom just gives me medicine when m sick.

[Suzanne 3FC]

Did they show the test being done, and if so, what did it look like? Did they dunk her in water? Or did they hook her up to a bioimpedance machine, or stand on a special scale? It sounds like they were testing her body fat percentage. There are several ways of going about this if you can't get to a doctor who will do it. Call local gyms and ask if they can do it. Gyms typically do a body caliper test, which pinches the skin and measures the fat. I've heard that these are only as accurate as the person using them. Plus, the gym may try to get you to join, or sell you supplements that you really shouldn't take. Do you have a university in your town? Our local university will do the water dunk method, which I'm told is the most accurate way to measure body fat percentage. It is expensive, though. You can also buy inexpensive scales that not only weigh you, but also measure your body fat percentage. Look for Tanita scales. They are not extremely accurate, but are fun to use to track your fat loss. You have to be careful to use them at the same time each time, with the same level of hydration. You can get them as low as $29.99 on Amazon.

[Alisha]

They did a body fat analysis on her. Her lean body mass was actually pretty high, so to get to a healthy body fat she only needed to lose 50lbs. This is why in my opinion the number on the scale doesn't matter nearly as much the body fat percent. Calipers are decent method to get a good idea of your body fat when used by the right person. Unfortunately just because someone is a trainer does not mean they are the right person. Submersion testing is great if you can find a facility near you to do it. I use calipers and a omron body fat analyzer (more accurate then the scales).