It occurred to me that a good addition to this post would be to explain how you could use BF% to figure out your goal weight. The examples below are based on no (or little) increase in LBM (lean body mass) and no (or little) decrease in LBM with goals of 20% BF, 22% BF, and 25% BF.

Assuming a body weight of 215 lbs. and a starting BF% of 40; LBM would be 129 lbs. with 86 lbs. of fat.

At 184 lbs. with a BF% of 30; LBM would be 129 lbs. with 55 lbs. of fat.
At 170 lbs. with a BF% of 25; LBM would be 128 lbs. with 42 lbs. of fat.
At 164 lbs. with a BF% of 22; LBM would be 128 lbs. with 36 lbs. of fat.
At 160 lbs. with a BF% of 20; LBM would be 128 lbs. with 32 lbs. of fat.

By multiplying scale weight by BF% you get your body fat number in lbs. Subtracting that number from your current weight gives you your LBM (LBM being everything other than body fat).

In the above example having a goal weight of 150 lbs. would mean not only a loss of BF but also a loss in LBM. Why is this a bad idea? It's your lean muscle that keeps your metabolism active and high. Sacrificing lean mass at the cost of a number that no one is going to know comes with a high price tag.

At 150 lbs. with a BF% of 22, LBM would be 117 lbs. with 33 lbs. of fat.

Nat