Silly Question, But Need Input. The weight I feel 'ideal'/best at is not what BMI says is 'ideal'

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  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    This is not silly at all. My goal weight falls at 26 BMI because I'm curvy, I like being curvy, and I love food. My mother looks stunning at that weight, and I take after her in shape. Achieving something close to the way she looks is my holy grail. She has been at this weight for as long as I can remember, looks amazing, and at almost 60 years old her blood panel is perfect.

    If being slightly overweight makes you happy and does not affect your health, you really shouldn't fixate on numbers.
  • Lebatsirk
    Lebatsirk Posts: 27 Member
    I previously lost a lot of weight (5 stone) and got down to a BMI of 23 and was a small size 12 so I thought it must be just right cos that's what I was "told" I should be for my height. But when seeing pictures of myself at that size I looked gaunt, I wasn't eating well, I wasn't exercising, I didn't have a lot of energy, and I looked thin rather than attractive.

    So my goal weight this time (halfway there at the moment) is going to be on the very upper limit of BMI (24->25) because at that weight I'm a curvy/healthy/fit size 12/14 and feel good about myself. I want to lose weight, but I want to be fit and healthy rather than thin. I want to have the energy to enjoy active pursuits and look good in clothes rather than just knowing I can get into a smaller size.

    I say go for a weight that's healthy and sensible for you to maintain and where you like what you see and how you feel because you're more likely to be able to maintain that.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Not a silly question actually. Remember, it's just a guideline.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 850 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    BMI was never intended to tell you what your ideal weight is. BMI is a screening tool that is intended to identify people who are at an increased risk of health problems.
    Oh. That makes sense. Thank you.
    Somewhere, I lost the URL, is a photo collection of athletes with very different body types. Their BMI values are all over the map. All of them are considered extremely healthy.
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