BMI Chart as Gospel or do Your own thing?

[wannabelf]

I've closed in on the last 10 pounds for the BMI chart to say I'm high "normal". My original goal before I studied it was 5 lbs over....I thought I'd be overjoyed and happy to "maintain" from there. I'm doing very well still losing and I know I can get to "normal"....but What do/did You do?

Some people carry a Few extra pounds just fine and carried them in their youthful most active years. I'm 62 and just wondering if crossing off that Last square on a BMI chart Really will make me "healthier"? I feel so much better I honestly don't know if I Need to be at that weight....especially since I'm 5'5" and it's the Same BMI for 5' 4". I kinda wondered Why it's the same....

Any comments appreciated!   I'm not "stressing" I expect I'll keep right on going to the BMI goal but I'm Curious as to how others feel about it.  Thank You! 

It's just beyond astonishing to me how much fitbit has helped my education and finess. I'm already Very happy!

[SebringDon]

@wannabelf

I think the important thing is how you feel and what you think, not some arbitrary number on a chart. The top of my "normal" range is 173. My initial weight loss goal is 185, just because I thought that sounded like a good place to start. I'm now 199, down from 228, and feel a million times better. I'm still headed for 185, and I'll re-evaluate and set a final goal then, but it's going to be based on how I look and feel and how my clothes fit, not some chart.

[JohnRi]

The BMI is just a generic value assigned to be people's height and sex.  It doesn't not take into consideration fat %, or even your build.  So at best the BMI is a rough range for "most" people.  I would look at how your feel, how your clothes fit, what is your fat %, and consulting with your doctor to discuss a good weight range for you would be would I suggest.

I'm now 237, down from 281.  When I get to 200, I plan to visit with my doctor to discuss a good weight range for my 6'0" tall frame.

[mlaccs]

As the others have said BMI is a tool.  Like a Scale or your time to walk a mile or clothes size.  Most professional athletes are close ot "obese".  A lot of people in "healthy" ranges can't walk to the fridge.  Use the tool to help you do what works best for you and your goals.

[emili · Accepted solution]

There are so many studies on how relevant BMI really is to health. Some say its important particularly for children, others say it doesn't matter because it doesn't take muscle mass into account, which some say is the real indicator of health- on and on. I however understand the need to "finish" what one started. just like I can't get off a cardio machine until I see a round number - I mean who can get off with 4.36 miles done. It boils down to what feels right. If you are losing without stress then your body is still comfy and willing to go lower. If it should stop, then you have "finished"...

[Dominique]

One thing to consider (in addition to all the good answers you have already received) is whether you have big bones or small bones. Put your thumb and your middle finger around your wrist bones: if they overlap, you have small bones, if they do not touch, you have big bones, if they just touch, you are somewhere in the middle. If you have big bones, your BMI will tend to be higher.

Another good indicator of healthy measurements is your waist circumference: should be no more than 80 cm (31.5 inches) for women, 90 cm (35.5 inches) for men. You can use that in addition to BMI, in order to determine whether you are at a healthy level.

[Keith-Bangkok]

Absolutely right.  I am on the higher side of the BMI normal scale and carry little to no fat, but a good amount of muscle.  Whenever I have a physical, I am told I should lose a little weight based on the BMI number.  Build has to be considered.

[KisaraKaiba]

BMI can be a handy rule of thumb, but I would not call it "gospel" by any means.  As others have mentioned, body composition (% body fat) is a much more useful indicator!

[awood08]

I'm in the same boat as you! I've lost 70 pounds, went down 12 clothing sizes and my body fat is 25% and for my height at 5' 3" my weight is still considered "overweight". I do not rely on the BMI chart but how I look and what my clothing size and body fat percentage is. My hips and thighs have always been bigger, but they are lean and my legs are pure muscle. I physically can't loose any more of them without sacrificing muscle.

[SebringDon]

BMI can be totally meaningless. My stepson and his fiance are both in bad shape by BMI standards. They are both avid cross-fit enthusiasts and either one could toss anybody making comments about their BMI over the nearest six-foot fence without breaking a sweat. BMI is meaningless when somebody's pure muscle.

[SunsetRunner]

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@JohnRi wrote:

The BMI is just a generic value assigned to be people's height and sex.  It doesn't not take into consideration fat %, or even your build.  So at best the BMI is a rough range for "most" people.  I would look at how your feel, how your clothes fit, what is your fat %, and consulting with your doctor to discuss a good weight range for you would be would I suggest.

I'm now 237, down from 281.  When I get to 200, I plan to visit with my doctor to discuss a good weight range for my 6'0" tall frame.

I'm 6'1 and weigh 174.  The lowest I will drop to for the Summer is 165.  So someone your height should weigh between 165-170 to look their best.   

[SunsetRunner]

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@Dominique wrote:

One thing to consider (in addition to all the good answers you have already received) is whether you have big bones or small bones. Put your thumb and your middle finger around your wrist bones: if they overlap, you have small bones, if they do not touch, you have big bones, if they just touch, you are somewhere in the middle. If you have big bones, your BMI will tend to be higher.

Another good indicator of healthy measurements is your waist circumference: should be no more than 80 cm (31.5 inches) for women, 90 cm (35.5 inches) for men. You can use that in addition to BMI, in order to determine whether you are at a healthy level.

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Very good way to determine the size of one's bones.  I just tried it and my middle finger and thumb overlapped.  

[wannabelf]

Thank You so much Everyone so far!

I've decided that what's best for me is to just keep going and see where it gets me. I do have large,but almost medium bones,although I always considered myself medium when I was young.

Since mid to high BMI was where I was at when I was much younger and quite fit, I might as well see how it goes. From what I've read age carries a little more fat in women but the weight  ideals overall do not change. After 2 1/2 months and 21 lbs down I can still easily do a 500 calorie deficit. I did 1000 on and off my first two months and mostly 750 with spaghetti days and such the 500 days...but only one of those a week.For me I just had to learn to Walk and to eat "portion" sizes. Heck I was overdoing all the time for years to "feel full". I soon learned that if I ate portion sizes I'd "want" more but realize I Was full 15 minutes or so after I stopped. There was So much I learned.

I have Finally started to get hungy once in awhile but it's always when I have plenty of calories-to-eat leeway left on my fitbit chart. I Always err on the side of caution though. I can eat late and still lose if my snack is the 3rd of my healthy dinner I've saved! ...or even a serving of almonds and a hershey kiss or 2 (I don't eat a dessert with dinner)   

So I'll keep my losing as happy as it's been and not Worry about BMI...I'll just see if I'm comfortable getting all the way there.  I Already Love my face in the mirror again and wearing cloths I'd saved! Ha.

[bcalvanese]

I was 225 lbs. (obese). I'm a 58 year old male, 5'9" tall. I found a weight height chart and set my goal smack dab in the middle of the healthy weight range (150 lbs.) for my age and height.

It's been a year and i have lost 55 lbs. so far. I still have 20 lbs. to go and am confident I will reach (and maintain) my goal with no problem.

Here is a before/after...

[USAF-Larry]

That is great, @bcalvanese, that is GREAT!

How do you use the FitBit in achieving your goals?

[wannabelf]

ooops.  When I said I was  mid to high BMI ,when young,last post of mine, I meant mid to high Normal ! (not overwieght)

Agreed bcalvanese, I'm confident too. I just wondered how Neccessary the BMI goal Really was....

[bcalvanese]

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@USAF-Larry wrote:

That is great, @bcalvanese, that is GREAT!

How do you use the FitBit in achieving your goals?

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Thank you.

I set my goal weight at 150 lbs. (which is right about in the middle of my healthy weight range(128 to 168)). I then set it to lose 1 lb. per week. I log all my food and leave at least 500 calories per day for grazing (things i nibble on but dont log). It has been working great so far. I lost 55 lbs. in 52 weeks.

In addition (and this is probably even more important), I power walk every single day at a very fast pace (4 to 4.5 mph) for 30 to 120 minutes and make sure I stay in the cardio zone the whole time. This allows me to burn more than enough calories to not be hungry, and at the same time increase my fitness level from poor to good overt the past year.

A year seems like a long time, but it took me 20 years to become obese, and it gave me a whole year to slowly replace my bad habits with good habits.

It is my belief that you need a combination of exercise and a well balanced diet to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. You cant just do one or the other. I still have treats here and there, I just dont over do it.

[bcalvanese]

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@wannabelf wrote:

ooops.  When I said I was  mid to high BMI ,when young,last post of mine, I meant mid to high Normal ! (not overwieght)

Agreed bcalvanese, I'm confident too. I just wondered how Neccessary the BMI goal Really was....

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I just aimed for the middle so it gives me almost 20 lbs. of wiggle room...:)

[USAF-Larry]

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@bcalvanese wrote:

A year seems like a long time, but it took me 20 years to become obese, and it gave me a whole year to slowly replace my bad habits with good habits.

It is my belief that you need a combination of exercise and a well balanced diet to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. You cant just do one or the other. I still have treats here and there, I just dont over do it.

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I love your philosophy, and your stick-to-it attitude!  A pound a week is a good number, and it was what I set as a goal when I had put on a little too much weight. And, if we don't treat ourselves once in a while, we will fail. 

[tamado]

I am so asking myself the same question right now.  I think I will aim for a mix of heart health, body fat % and bmi as a reference.  I am down a couple ounces shy of 75lbs lost (from 265 to 190.4) and from 39% body fat to 19.75 as of that weight.  I am a heck of a lot healthier than I was, but at 5'9.5", I'm still 20lbs and a lot of therapy away from being "normal" ;-).  My current goal is 180lbs, 10 lbs over normal on the bmi and I guess I will do the same as you, look and see how I feel when I get there.  I never thought I would make it down this far and the lbs are still falling off at over 1 lb per week (slowed from 3-4) so I guess I am not done yet.  
I think as we are on this journey we become more and more aware of what our bodies are doing.  If we listen, and want to hear, we will know what they are asking for.  It has been such a journey of introspection and self discovery.  Things I did not know mattered to me matter now.  I have watched my resting heart rate drop into a very healthy range, something I would have been dismissive and in denial about before.  Be well, body mind and soul and enjoy your new health.