weight gain due to muscle increase

[SunsetRunner]

I have been aggravated by the so-called "Wellness" department at work categorizing me as "borderline obese". I have been measured at 5'7" at 165Lbs, which is at the borderlne of "obese". This ignores the fact that I can run 5K in under 30 min, do 22 min @ L17 on a StairMaster and weight-train 4x per week. If I was 5'8" it would not matter. . ! Is this stupid or what? Bottom line here is that these stupid pigeonholes the bureaucrats want to put us in are wrong! If you have lost weight and then gain some back in the form of muscle, don't let these jerks tell you you are going in the wrong direction. Pete

[sharebear1963 · Accepted solution]

So true!!  Muscular people need to disregard standard weight charts.  That is a quick 5K!! Congrats.  I just started my fitbit again as I had lost it in Feb. and just got it replaced.  I am so happy to be counting my steps again.

I am almost 5,5" and went from 140 down to 112 (then up to 126 due to muscle increase-without increasing my pant size at 112).. Now, I am a few pounds over due to fat gain (poor food choices and reduced physical activity), but I am restarting today to get that fat off.  I would like to get back to 122 where I felt the best, but we will see.  I wan't to keep my muscle!!!

[Dominique]

The bureaucrats do include a disclaimer about BMI:

Although BMI can be used for most men and women, it does have some limits:

• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.

Have a look at this Fitbitter's profile photos: https://www.fitbit.com/user/24C63Q

He's also borderline obese as per BMI. Clearly, many people (me included) would like to be borderline obese with his physique

[SunsetRunner]

Yes, that profile is a good example. There are plenty of people who don't fit the profile and can run you into the ground! I am not impressed with this "wellness" thing at work. It is well-intended but pretty wide of the mark.

Pete

[SunsetRunner]

Keep at it and when you get there celebrate!

[whome]

Seems to me that a lot of those "wellness" programs provide incentives and things that you might be able to turn to your advantage. Or just be taller, last time I was measured in an office they didn't ask me to remove my shoes. If that is how it works with your group, just wear some shoes with thicker soles, or slightly higher heels. Or next time someone asks, tell them you are 5'8".

[WaltTN]

BMI has ALWAYS been a poor indicator of being overweight.  It only takes height and weight into consideration.  Wonder if you can demand that they do a fat % test.  When you come out with low numbers there, may they'll back off... or I wonder if you can find something in the ADA to cite them with lol

[Dominique]

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@WaltTN wrote:

BMI has ALWAYS been a poor indicator of being overweight.  It only takes height and weight into consideration.  Wonder if you can demand that they do a fat % test.  When you come out with low numbers there, may they'll back off...

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I'd be interested to know what share of people who have a BMI higher than 30 also have a low body fat. My guess is the vast majority has a high body fat % as well. I think BMI is still a good indicator for the vast majority of "ordinary" people who live a sedentary life.

[WaltTN]

I haven't seen a good study on this, so I don't know the answer.  In general, for people that are morbidly obese, you're probaby right.  For those that are pushed into the overweight column, I think a more accurate test should be done.  I can say that I've worked with a lot of IT people that were considered overweight according to BMI, but weren't as bad as the number hinted at.  Granted, this is especially true of athletes.  

I'm just saying that inaccurate numbers shouldn't be used when there are better numbers to use in the case of insurance actuaries/statistics.  Lean muscle vs fat % is much more accurate than BMI.  I'm more worried about this when it affects someone's financial and work livelihood.  

[NativeSFGirl]

My son is a perfect example of why the BMI chart is not always correct .  At his last yearly check up they said he was considered overweight due to his height and weight.  Well, he does gymnastics, and the kid has hardly any fat on him, but has quite a bit of muscle (probably more than me, ashamed to say).  I just looked at the doctor like ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Can you LOOK at him and say that?  He is lean muscle through and through, yes on the short side (thanks to our short genes) but GEEZ can we apply some common sense to this equation and not give the kid a weight complex when there is obviously no issue there.

[Taote]

I can relate for sure.  

I try not to get too wrapped up in the day to day weight because I've learned I gain muscle FAST (former Marine, was very fit for most of my adult life, now in a wheelchair but trying my best to get as fit as I'm able).

When I am able to put in a good weight session (I subscribe to the heaviest you can manage philosophy) the next day the scale will say I've gained weight - sometimes as much as 3 or 4 pounds.  I know some of it is fluid accumulating in the interstitial space due to a systemic inflammatory response from the workout, and some of it is muscle mass gain.  So after a really heavy workout I avoid the scale for a couple of days, because then I'll see the true response.  

I lose pounds more slowly this way, but my measurements and clothing sizes reduce much more rapidly than if I did low carb alone.  And I know for me this is the better path (but I do cuss out the scale sometimes).

[EricD]

My BMI says 27. I am muscular because I also lift weights. I'm about 202 right now. When I was in the military I would have to get a "fat waiver" every year because I was 6' and over 220 lbs. I could never make weight so I would have to get a body fat test to prove I wasn't obese, lol. I wouldn't get hung up on it. My suggestion, drag their butts (wellness dept.) out of the office for a 5K run! BTW, keep up the great work!

[Mary]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:
@I have been aggravated by the so-called "Wellness" department at work categorizing me as "borderline obese". I have been measured at 5'7" at 165Lbs, which is at the borderlne of "obese". This ignores the fact that I can run 5K in under 30 min, do 22 min @ L17 on a StairMaster and weight-train 4x per week. If I was 5'8" it would not matter. . ! Is this stupid or what? Bottom line here is that these stupid pigeonholes the bureaucrats want to put us in are wrong! If you have lost weight and then gain some back in the form of muscle, don't let these jerks tell you you are going in the wrong direction. Pete

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Well, you're borderline "overweight", not obese.  Obese at your height is about 25 lbs. higher.  

People can be overweight and very fit and athletic.  

Ignore it.  It's meant as a rough guideline.  

[sjcostanza]

BMI is such an antiquated way of measuring body composition. It's really hilariously inaccurate. I don't qualify for wellness credits in workplace because my BMI isn't "healthy". Meanwhile, they will give credits for a man having less than a 40 inch waist (yes, FORTY). I'm 5'11" 180 pounds with a 31 inch waist and 12% body fat, and my BMI categorizes me as overweight. If BMI was a person it would believe the world was flat. Pay it no heed.

[josephz2va]

It's a BS antiquated guideline. The true area for obese is your body composition. I'm at 178 pounds (overweight) my dietician says I'm in the normal weight range, but my body fat which is important to fix used to be 21% is considered obesity according to my trainer, though the chart below says you'd have to be 25% and above for obesity.

I'm now at the fitness range at 16%, though the scale fluctuates between 16% and 18% depending on how much I workout that particular day.

Description Women Men

Essential fat	10–13%	2–5%
Athletes	14–20%	6–13%
Fitness	21–24%	14–17%
Average	25–31%	18–24%
Obese	32%+	25%+

[Mary]

I think BMI has its uses.  A lot of women especially can't look in the mirror and see their weight objectively so it's a useful guideline.  There's a thread now with a girl saying she's 5'9" and needs to get back under 120 or something.  It's hard to argue that she's wrong without some objective measure of what is healthy for her height.  

The case where it doesn't work well is for well muscled people.  That's not most of us.  

[whome]

@sjcostanza - did you try taking off your shoes and emptying your pockets before weighing? Sounds like you are so close that those might make the difference - 

Good luck

Craig

[sjcostanza]

That's funny. Had I known at the time, I would have worn a unitard and fasted that day! But as it turned out it didn't matter. I later found out the BMI thing was only one of four ways to satisfy the requirement for those points, and I had already met the other three criteria. If anything I overachieved 😛

[EricD]

Fat analyzers can be incorrect too. I would use them only as a guide to check if you are losing or gaining. To get an accurate check of your actual percentage you would have to have one of the real accurate tests like a hydrostatic immersion test (I think)  and I believe there are others as well but I can't think of them.

[whome]

@sjcostanza - glad you appreciated the humor, it can be tricky in a forum like this - also good to hear you got that wellness reward -