Women’s Body Fat Percentage: In Pictures

Muscle gain and fat loss occur at very different rates so it would be very difficult to change your body composition significantly without the number on the scale also decreasing. In nearly all cases, lowering your body fat percentage requires weight loss.

The great news is that the science behind weight loss is very simple; you need to create a calorie deficit or a negative energy balance. That is, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn through your daily activity. The most effective way to do this is through a combination of reduced food intake and increased physical activity.

However, without putting some other conditions in place, you may lose muscle tissue before your body starts tapping into fat. This is because muscle is more costly to the body in energy terms.

There are two ways we can encourage the body to tap into fat stores, not muscle, during a period of sustained calorie deficit. The first is resistance training, which signals to the body to retain and sometimes build lean tissue. The second is eating a high protein diet, which is scaled based on your lean body mass.

Women naturally carry more body fat than women due to differences in their hormonal make-up and their natural biological sex differences.

Simply put, women need a certain level of body fat to fulfil reproductive functions such as pregnancy and childrearing.

Oestrogen, the primary female sex hormone, is predominantly responsible for the typical female storage fat pattern around the back of the upper arm and shoulders, breasts, pubic area, hips and thighs.

The great news is that this fat storage pattern also means that women tend to be healthier and at reduced risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes compared to their male counterparts. This is because they are less likely to store visceral fat around vital internal organs, which significantly increases the risk of death from all causes.

In a word, yes, but there may be several caveats to this. For women sitting anywhere between 12-15% body fat, which may be deemed low for many, this likely shouldn’t cause disruptions to the menstrual cycle. However, consistently dieting on or eating very low calories or performing high amounts of high-intensity cardio could cause stress to the body, which may make hormonal disruptions more likely.

If you are a woman aiming for as low as 10% body fat, it is important to be aware that, because you are starting to tap into essential fat for life, your menstrual cycle is very likely to become disrupted, known as amenorrhea. In order to reverse this change, you may need to gain some body fat, but this does not mean that you need to gain unhealthy amounts.

This will depend entirely on the woman, how many calories she is eating, her natural hormonal profile, the type of training she performs and so on.

However, for the vast majority of women it is generally not recommended to go lower than 10-12% body fat for any extended period.

Fat loss comes down to energy balance. You need to be in a calorie deficit in order to begin losing fat. That can come from reducing your calorie intake through your diet, increasing your energy expenditure through exercise, or preferably a combination of the two. 

The bad news is that you cannot ‘spot reduce’ fat – that is targeting specific areas to lose fat. 

The good news is that visceral fat (which is the most pernicious form of fat) is more readily metabolised into fatty acids to burn, and responds to diet and exercise better than subcutaneous fat on your thighs or arms.  

So all the normal fat loss rules apply.  Focus on improving your diet. Eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet. Prioritise whole foods like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats which provide essential nutrients without the excess calories and unhealthy fats found in processed foods. 

Fat loss comes down to calories in vs calories out…so try to reduce your intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates – junk foods are designed to be delicious, are full of calories, and are easy to over eat (ruining your fat loss efforts).  

Replace sugary drinks and snacks with healthier alternatives such as water, herbal tea, and whole fruits. Eat more fibre-rich foods like beans, lentils, and whole grains which can help your efforts to reduce visceral fat by promoting a healthy digestive system and keeping you fuller for longer. 

Regular physical activity is another key component. Incorporate both cardiovascular exercise and strength training into your routine is highly effective. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is particularly beneficial for reducing visceral fat as it combines short bursts of intense activity with periods of rest, boosting your metabolism and burning calories more efficiently. Strength training, performed at least twice a week, helps build muscle, which in turn increases your resting metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn more calories even at rest. 

Managing stress is also vital. Chronic stress leads to the production of cortisol, a hormone that can increase the accumulation of visceral fat. Incorporate stress-reducing practices into your daily routine, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga.  

Get more good quality sleep. It is often overlooked but is essential in the fight against visceral fat. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Poor sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, leading to increased appetite, overeating, and fat storage. Establish a regular sleep schedule and create a restful sleep environment to improve your sleep quality. 

Lastly, consistency is key. Sustainable changes in diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep habits will yield the best results over time. Avoid extreme diets or exercise regimens that are difficult to maintain. Instead, focus on making gradual, consistent improvements to your lifestyle. By doing so, you’ll not only reduce visceral fat but also enhance your overall health and well-being. 

At Ultimate Performance, we guide you through every step of this journey, providing personalised advice and support to help you achieve and maintain a healthy body composition. 

Stress is an often-overlooked factor that significantly impacts body fat percentage, particularly in women. When you’re stressed, your body undergoes a series of physiological changes designed to help you cope with immediate threats. However, chronic stress can lead to an accumulation of body fat, especially around the abdomen, and can make it more challenging to lose weight for a number of reasons 

When you experience stress, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that prepares you for a “fight or flight” response. While this response is essential for short-term survival, prolonged elevated cortisol levels can wreak havoc on your body. High cortisol levels stimulate your appetite, leading to increased cravings for high-calorie, sugary, and fatty foods. This can result in overeating and subsequent weight gain. Additionally, cortisol promotes fat storage, particularly visceral fat, which surrounds your internal organs and poses greater health risks than subcutaneous fat. 

Chronic stress also affects your metabolic rate. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to metabolic slowdown, making it more difficult for your body to burn calories efficiently. This can further contribute to weight gain and an increase in body fat percentage. Furthermore, stress disrupts your sleep patterns, and poor sleep is closely linked to weight gain. Lack of quality sleep affects the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin and leptin, leading to increased appetite and reduced motivation to exercise. 

Moreover, stress often leads to emotional eating or stress eating, where individuals turn to food for comfort. This behaviour typically involves consuming unhealthy, calorie-dense foods, contributing to an increase in body fat. Stress can also reduce your motivation to engage in physical activity. When you’re stressed, you might feel too tired or overwhelmed to exercise, further contributing to weight gain and a higher body fat percentage. 

Addressing stress is crucial for managing body fat effectively. Incorporating stress management techniques such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can help mitigate the effects of stress on your body. Ensuring you get adequate, quality sleep and maintaining a balanced diet rich in whole foods also play vital roles in managing stress and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage. 

At Ultimate Performance, we understand the profound impact stress has on your fitness journey. Our personalised training programmes not only focus on physical exercise and nutrition but also incorporate stress management strategies to help you achieve and maintain your fitness goals. By managing stress effectively, you can reduce its impact on your body fat percentage, leading to better overall health and well-being. 

When it comes to reducing body fat, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all ‘best’ diet.The best diet for you is one that fits your lifestyle and can be sustained over the long term.

The approach we take at Ultimate Performance is getting our fat loss clients to focus on principles rather than learning the black-and-white rules of a specific diet.

But once you understand the principles of fat loss dieting and the key components that make up a good diet, you can apply them to any style of eating that suits you.

First and foremost, understand that there’s no magic diet that will melt away fat. The fundamental principle behind any successful fat loss plan is creating a calorie deficit—burning more calories than you consume – and maintaining consistently until you hit your goal. Whether you follow Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Pescatarian, Mediterranean, or Intermittent Fasting, they all work because they help you consume fewer calories than you expend.

In our vast experience of helping 25,000+ accomplish impressive fat loss or body composition change, a good diet shares these same characteristics…

Focuses on eating mostly whole, nutrient-dense, minimally-processed foods that come from nature rather than from a laboratory or factory.  Because whole foods are not only richer in essential nutrients and often lower in calories, but are also more satiating, helping you control hunger and avoid overeating. 

Every meal should be built around a quality source of protein. Protein is crucial for repairing and maintaining muscle tissue, which boosts your metabolic rate and improves body composition. It also keeps you fuller for longer, reducing the likelihood of snacking on unhealthy foods. Women should aim to consume between 20-30 grams of protein per meal. 

Incorporating a variety of vegetables in your diet is another cornerstone of fat loss. Vegetables are low in calories but high in volume and nutrients, which means you can eat a lot of them without consuming too many calories. They also support healthy digestion, reduce inflammation, and provide essential vitamins and minerals. 

Healthy fats should also be part of your diet. Fats are a great energy source and help keep you satisfied between meals. However, because fats are calorie-dense (9 calories per gram), it’s important to monitor your intake to avoid consuming too many calories. 

Carbohydrates should not be feared but managed wisely. Opt for healthy, unrefined carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These carbs can boost performance, aid recovery, and improve sleep. Eating carbs post-workout and in the evening can help your body use them more effectively and promote relaxation and better sleep. 

Lastly, portion control is critical. With the abundance of tasty, convenient foods available, it’s easy to overeat. Being mindful of portion sizes can help manage calorie intake without the need for meticulous calorie counting. 

Overall, any diet that shares these characteristics will help you lose fat so long as you’re creating a calorie deficit. But the best diet for you will always be the one you can enjoy and stick to consistently.  

Sleep is one of the most powerful and accessible tools you have to improve body composition and overall health. It’s simple and costless way to significantly enhance your ability to lose fat and maintain a healthy body weight.
We spend a lot of time educating all our clients at Ultimate Performance about sleep so they can understand how it affects body fat and why they should be prioritising quality sleep to improve their results (and overall health too). 

Sleep loss has been directly linked to increased body fat percentage, particularly around the midsection. This central (visceral) body fat is not just an aesthetic concern; it’s also associated with serious health risks like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Studies have shown that individuals who consistently get less sleep tend to gain more weight over time, and that weight is more likely to come from fat rather than muscle. This is due to several physiological changes that occur when you’re sleep-deprived. 

One of the critical ways sleep affects body fat is through hormonal regulation. Two primary hormones, leptin and ghrelin, play significant roles in hunger and satiety. Leptin, produced by fat cells, signals to your brain when you’re full, while ghrelin, produced in the stomach, stimulates appetite. Sleep deprivation decreases leptin levels and increases ghrelin levels, leading to increased hunger and reduced feelings of fullness. This hormonal imbalance makes it much harder to manage hunger and maintain a calorie deficit, which is essential for fat loss. 

Furthermore, lack of sleep affects where your weight loss comes from. Research indicates that people who get sufficient sleep lose a higher proportion of their weight from fat, while those who are sleep-deprived tend to lose more muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it burns more calories at rest compared to fat. Losing muscle can slow your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight and maintain weight loss. 

Sleep also influences your energy levels and decision-making. When you’re tired, your body craves quick energy, often leading to poor food choices. You’re more likely to reach for high-calorie, sugary foods that provide a rapid energy boost but contribute to fat gain. Additionally, sleep-deprived individuals are less likely to engage in physical activity, further reducing their daily energy expenditure. 

The timing of food intake is another factor influenced by sleep. People who don’t get enough sleep tend to eat more at night. And studies indicate that people who consume a greater percentage of their daily calorie intake within four hours before the onset of sleep had a higher body fat percentage than those who ate earlier. 

This is why we encourage clients at Ultimate Performance to aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to optimise their body composition efforts. By prioritising sleep, you can better regulate your hunger hormones, maintain muscle mass, and make healthier food choices, all of which contribute to more effective and sustainable fat loss. 

The idea that you can target fat loss in specific areas of your body – known as ‘spot reduction’ – is a widespread myth. 

This is the belief is that you can burn fat from a single area of your body by doing hundreds of reps of a specific exercise.  

Doing sit-ups to burn belly fat or doing arm exercises to get rid of ‘bingo wings’ are just two examples many people will know.  

Unfortunately, it’s physically impossible to burn fat from just one specific part of your body. The body doesn’t work that way. Fat loss occurs systemically, meaning that you lose fat from your entire body…and cannot choose where this is lost from.  

Where you store body fat is often determined by your genetic make-up and your hormal profile and is unique to each individual. 

Some people will naturally store more weight around their waist and stomach, for others it’s their thighs and arms, and others it’s their back.  Some people will quickly lose fat from one area, but find other areas are more stubborn.  

To effectively lose body fat from any area, whether on your arms, thighs, or belly, you need to focus on lowering your overall body fat percentage by creating a calorie deficit. 

The way you create a calorie deficit is by reducing your calorie intake and increasing your energy expenditure through exercise. 

The principles we use with our clients (and that we recommend to everyone) to help create a calorie deficit, lose fat, and improve body composition can be summed up simply in five points

• Reduce your calorie intake.  

• Eat more protein.  

• Start lifting weights. 

• Prioritise big ‘compound’ exercises.  

• Increase your daily activity levels.  

By following these strategies, you will achieve a leaner, more defined physique and improve your overall health. Remember, the key to successful fat loss is consistency and patience. With the right approach, you will see the results you desire.