DEXA + Bodpod results 22 F/ 130 lb/ 5'5/ ~19% Bodyfat

[kevin247]

@rgvbaptist Common misconception! Essential fat for men is ~2-5%, while for women it is ~9-11%. So a woman with bodyfat in the upper teens is visually similar to a man in the lower teens.

 

[dawn16]

@kevin247 Except for Stephanie who defies the laws of physics and biology and got down to an incredibly low, incredibly STRONG 9.6%

 

[kevin247]

@dawn16 She's awesome! She's still in the essential fat range though so I wouldn't say she's an exception. She looked super lean and definitely comparable to a guy in the mid single digits. That, plus DEXA isn't 100% accurate .

 

[dawn16]

@kevin247 She's incredible! Maybe not an exception, but certainly exceptional.

 

[rgvbaptist]

@kevin247 Wow, that's crazy. So a woman would be living unhealthily to try to achieve the same low bodyfat percentages as a man can achieve (low single digits). Somehow this never occurred to me hahaha. Thank you so much for your insight!!

 

[jg0279]

@kevin247 I have a question that you might not know the answer too but you seem to know a thing or two about essential body fat levels.

I am a trans woman who has been on hormone therapy for several years now, should I be using the essential body fat levels of a woman now too? something in-between?

 

[kevin247]

@jg0279 My educated guess would be for you to align more closely with the bodyfat% of a women due to hormone therapy. Here are some studies you can look through, but unless there is a DEXA study looking specifically on bodyfat levels as well as the aesthetic correlation, there is no way for me to be 100% sure.

 

[atharfaridi]

@jg0279 I believe that fat distribution of a trans women on female hormones is that of a cis women, especially after a few years. I seem to recall fat redistribution for both trans men and trans women who are doing HRT being noticeable in the first few months (this is all from reading personal stories of people online).

 

[otirowena]

@atharfaridi That's fat distribution, but for as far as body composition and goal bf% that'd be a little tricky, wouldn't it? The reason cis women have such a higher essential BF% is because of our need to support reproductive health. Men don't have that need.

For a transwoman, I would think the essential body fat for organ function and life would still be that of a man's, although the fat distribution will be that of a woman's.

So, /@jg0279, maybe use something in between? Keep in mind that essential body fat is just that - essential. If you're looking to cut, maybe don't go much lower than ~12% if you want to keep along a woman's bf%.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor whatsoever.

EDIT: /@all4hisgl0ry mentioned it in another comment, but for a cis woman, ~20% is the equivalent of ~10% on a cis man, and that's for a lean, athletic physique.

 

[atharfaridi]

@otirowena Yeah, but I do know that trans women do develop breasts while on hormones, and go through other changes that probably affect body composition, Sonora probably not a far stretch to assume that fat gets redistributed to around the organs too. Hormones pretty much change the whole body, and it becomes harder to maintain the same muscle mass while taking female hormones. If you look at athletes who are trans men, it looks like they have male body composition, since most of them have had top surgery and are on testosterone. Obviously how long one takes hormones and other things will factor into it too, so it's hard to say.

 

[dawn16]

@rgvbaptist 10% is super athletic/lean for a male, but 20% is the equivalent for a woman. So 19% on her is actually not that surprising.

This reference chart makes 18-20% look about right

 

[derf]

@kevin247 Thank you for sharing!! Very cool to see! I love seeing BF % along with pics...you look amazing btw I would have never guess you were bulking!! My goal is to have abs like yours!!