Bmi chart do you use it or no to choose a goal weight.
Replies
-
Don't look at ideal weight as your first goal. Goals must be short and achievable, not just in weight loss but anywhere. Google SMART objectives - used in business all the time.
Set yourself the goal of dropping 0.5 BMI points in two weeks.0 -
If the healthy BMI weight seems overwhelming, set some mini goals.
The last mini goal I celebrated was when I consistently weighed less than the amount listed on my drivers licence. I am less than a pound away from losing 20% of my starting body weight. The goal after that is getting to that number that takes me to just overweight and no longer obese.
While Mary Poppins was, practically perfect in every way, it can be emotionally unhealthy for me to think I am exceptional. At 5' 2.75", I looked awesome at 119, at age 19 and not bad at all at 125, at age 25. While I will never have that body again, I can make the most of what I can have now. I set my goal toward the upper BMI level with a plan to adjust as I get closer.
0 -
And rh4bIt's not nonsense. Being obese by BMI has been connected to certain health risks, that's the issue. And other than ninerbuff and other people who make an effort to gain a LOT of muscle mass, most people can fit somewhere in the normal BMI category.
Why do you think the goals for your height are unrealistic?
Ahh see but it is crap in certain cases. I'm 5'7" female. 160 pounds, and only 19-20% body fat and wear size 4 jeans. According to BMI chart, I'm overweight, even though no one would ever think that if they looked at me. If you have a lot of muscle, the BMI chart is wildly inaccurate.
You're the exception in that case, not the rule. That doesn't mean that the guidelines are inaccurate, it means that you don't fit the pattern. To draw an analogy, I might argue that speeding in your car is dangerous because it increases your risk of crashing. If a world champion race car driver pipes up and says "but I drive fast all the time and I'm fine" does that make my position wrong? Of course not.
Oh of course, for anyone who doesn't lift, there's a good chance that the BMI chart pertains to them. I was just pointing out that in the weightlifting world, the BMI chart doesn't hold any water so a lot of us don't take it seriously.
And the weightlifting world represents maybe 10% of the population so for most bmi is a good guideline.0 -
daniwilford wrote: »If the healthy BMI weight seems overwhelming, set some mini goals.
The last mini goal I celebrated was when I consistently weighed less than the amount listed on my drivers licence. I am less than a pound away from losing 20% of my starting body weight. The goal after that is getting to that number that takes me to just overweight and no longer obese.
While Mary Poppins was, practically perfect in every way, it can be emotionally unhealthy for me to think I am exceptional. At 5' 2.75", I looked awesome at 119, at age 19 and not bad at all at 125, at age 25. While I will never have that body again, I can make the most of what I can have now. I set my goal toward the upper BMI level with a plan to adjust as I get closer.
Brilliantly put.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »And rh4bIt's not nonsense. Being obese by BMI has been connected to certain health risks, that's the issue. And other than ninerbuff and other people who make an effort to gain a LOT of muscle mass, most people can fit somewhere in the normal BMI category.
Why do you think the goals for your height are unrealistic?
Ahh see but it is crap in certain cases. I'm 5'7" female. 160 pounds, and only 19-20% body fat and wear size 4 jeans. According to BMI chart, I'm overweight, even though no one would ever think that if they looked at me. If you have a lot of muscle, the BMI chart is wildly inaccurate.
You're the exception in that case, not the rule. That doesn't mean that the guidelines are inaccurate, it means that you don't fit the pattern. To draw an analogy, I might argue that speeding in your car is dangerous because it increases your risk of crashing. If a world champion race car driver pipes up and says "but I drive fast all the time and I'm fine" does that make my position wrong? Of course not.
Oh of course, for anyone who doesn't lift, there's a good chance that the BMI chart pertains to them. I was just pointing out that in the weightlifting world, the BMI chart doesn't hold any water so a lot of us don't take it seriously.
And the weightlifting world represents maybe 10% of the population so for most bmi is a good guideline.
Definitely, it's probably even less than that. I just dislike blanket statements so I had to throw in my 2¢
0 -
Agree 10% is VERY generous.0
-
jojorocksforeva wrote: »Why do so many go off of that or that they should get their goal weight off of that when its a scam i hate bmi charts so much because they set you for unrealistic goals what do you think.
The BMI is an accurate enough guide to choosing a goal weight for me. As an adult, I have been all the weights that the BMI chart says are a healthy weight range for my height so they are not unrealistic goals for me. The middle of that range is where I felt the best. If I had never been that weight I suppose I would just set a goal and judge how I felt and looked as I lost weight.
0 -
-
There is nothing unrealistic about what the BMI charts lists as a healthy weight range for me. When it showed me as 10 pounds away from being considered obese, I could look at myself in the mirror and see that, yes, I was overweight and on a short cruise towards obesity. I've gone from overweight to being in the healthy weight range and am getting closer to hitting smack in the middle of that range. So far the BMI chart has helped me choose beginning goals that were entirely obtainable and realistic. (Plus, I like using the calculator from the BBC that compares me to others on a global scale, and working my way down through the countries listed has been a fun motivator.) If I were a serious, very muscular athlete then BMI might be less accurate and I would have chosen a different tool to help me choose my goals when I started, but as it stands, BMI has done just fine by me.0
-
Say whaaaa ?0
-
Asher_Ethan wrote: »BMI chart said I was overweight at 169. This is me at 169...
and?0 -
This content has been removed.
-
Asher_Ethan wrote: »BMI chart said I was overweight at 169. This is me at 169...
Since you put this picture out there. Do you look obese? Heck no. Do you look like you could benefit from losing some weight? Probably.
Agreed. I feel I shouldn't have been considered overweight at that point though.0 -
jojorocksforeva wrote: »Why do so many go off of that or that they should get their goal weight off of that when its a scam i hate bmi charts so much because they set you for unrealistic goals what do you think.
Scam
1.
a dishonest scheme; a fraud.
Care to explain why you say it's a scam? Why is it unrealistic? Do you understabnd how it works?
If you really have 187lbs to lose, then its not worth worrying over the intricacies of BMI and just focus on weight loss instead. If you dont trust it then pick your own weight, but it does suit most people except those who are very athletic with muscle.0 -
I feel like the BMI chart wasn't wrong for calling me morbidly obese when I was 5'3" and 250 lbs, the excess quite obviously being fat rather than muscle, so why shouldn't I also trust it when it suggests a range between 105 and 140?0
-
*only believes the "bmi does not apply to me" spiel from people with visible abs*0
-
It is not the "be-all-and-end-all" of weight management but it is one metric to look at. My goal weight is right on the line between normal and overweight. I decided on my goal because it is 10 lb heavier than when I looked my best. Why the extra 10 lb? Because, when I looked my best at 150, I was 30 years old with nothing saggy and a "B" cup. I will never have that body again without surgery (and major surgery to reduce my bust which has grown a lot and won't go down much) so I need to allow for it.
ETA: this goal weight might change when I get closer. I may go to 155 and try to stay withing that 5 lb range. We'll seeIt is not the "be-all-and-end-all" of weight management but it is one metric to look at. My goal weight is right on the line between normal and overweight. I decided on my goal because it is 10 lb heavier than when I looked my best. Why the extra 10 lb? Because, when I looked my best at 150, I was 30 years old with nothing saggy and a "B" cup. I will never have that body again without surgery (and major surgery to reduce my bust which has grown a lot and won't go down much) so I need to allow for it.
ETA: this goal weight might change when I get closer. I may go to 155 and try to stay withing that 5 lb range. We'll see
We have the same goal weight ;D:D:D:D how tall are you.
0 -
-
I think you look freaking great see this is why idk know about the bmi thingy you look awesome;DAsher_Ethan wrote: »BMI chart said I was overweight at 169. This is me at 169...
0 -
jojorocksforeva wrote: »
I think you look freaking great see this is why idk about the bmi thingy you look awesome;DAsher_Ethan wrote: »BMI chart said I was overweight at 169. This is me at 169...
0 -
..0 -
jojorocksforeva wrote: »Why do so many go off of that or that they should get their goal weight off of that when its a scam i hate bmi charts so much because they set you for unrealistic goals what do you think.
Scam
1.
a dishonest scheme; a fraud.
Care to explain why you say it's a scam? Why is it unrealistic? Do you understabnd how it works?
If you really have 187lbs to lose, then its not worth worrying over the intricacies of BMI and just focus on weight loss instead. If you dont trust it then pick your own weight, but it does suit most people except those who are very athletic with muscle.
Nooooo i do not have that much to lose i have to lose over 100lbs tho to get to my goal.
0 -
jojorocksforeva wrote: »jojorocksforeva wrote: »Why do so many go off of that or that they should get their goal weight off of that when its a scam i hate bmi charts so much because they set you for unrealistic goals what do you think.
Scam
1.
a dishonest scheme; a fraud.
Care to explain why you say it's a scam? Why is it unrealistic? Do you understabnd how it works?
If you really have 187lbs to lose, then its not worth worrying over the intricacies of BMI and just focus on weight loss instead. If you dont trust it then pick your own weight, but it does suit most people except those who are very athletic with muscle.
Nooooo i do not have that much to lose i have to lose over 100lbs tho to get to my goal.
If you are now about 290 lbs per your profile, set one goal at a time. It makes no sense to worry about 120 or 130 or 140 being ideal. Get your weight closer to healthy one step at a time and adjust goals as you go.0 -
jojorocksforeva wrote: »jojorocksforeva wrote: »Why do so many go off of that or that they should get their goal weight off of that when its a scam i hate bmi charts so much because they set you for unrealistic goals what do you think.
Scam
1.
a dishonest scheme; a fraud.
Care to explain why you say it's a scam? Why is it unrealistic? Do you understabnd how it works?
If you really have 187lbs to lose, then its not worth worrying over the intricacies of BMI and just focus on weight loss instead. If you dont trust it then pick your own weight, but it does suit most people except those who are very athletic with muscle.
Nooooo i do not have that much to lose i have to lose over 100lbs tho to get to my goal.
I was going on your ticker. You have still not clarified why you think BMI is a scam or that you understand how it actually works. Why is BMI unrealistic for you?0 -
That's what I used to set my goal weight. I picked the exact middle number for my height, which is 135. I'm about 25 pounds away from that goal, and I still think I look really fat. I think most of it is the "skinny fat" issue though, so off to the gym.0
-
Finding out my Bmi was 31 and I was considered obsese was a huge part of my wakeup call and me starting to lose weight. It's so easy to just look at a figure on a scale and think to yourself 'well I feel fine' but my Bmi made me realise I reallt wasn't.
I'm currently 7lbs away from my first goal weight, which will put me just on the borderline of a healthy bmi. I thought at the start that I'd be happy once I got to that point but I've realised now thay I'm closer to my goal I want to keep losing and get to the middle of the healthy bmi range.
I personally use it as a way to track my weightloss and to create goals that I know are 'healthy'0 -
Yes, I do use BMI charts. Because it's based on research (even if somewhat flawed).
As soon as I get into the healthy range, I immediately start to feel better in my body and look more like myself. And the range is pretty large (almost 40 lbs.). I have not been at the bottom of the range since high school, but I'm aiming for the middle now.0 -
The BMI chart gives a healthy range of 115-145 pounds for someone my height, and I think that range is good for most people, the very muscular excluded. For me, I know from experience that being under 115 isn't good for me, and that isn't a weight I'd ever want to be again, even though I looked healthy once I hit 110 or so. I have an unusually small body frame for my height, and even I feel (and my doctors concur) that going below 115 just isn't good. My blood work and energy are so much better since gaining weight.
Of course, as the years went by my steady weight went from 115 to 118, then 122, then it quickly ballooned up to my heaviest, 130 when I became inactive due to an injury. Though still within the BMI's healthy range, I didn't feel good. Had any of my gain been muscle, I'm sure I would have felt differently, but I felt sluggish and weak, and my body fat % was simply depressing. As of today, I'm 121 and feeling pretty good, but not as good as I did the last time I was 121 since it's going to take a while to regain lost strength and muscle mass. My goal is 118, which gives me a little wiggle room so I don't re-enter the underweight category, but I'm not going to worry about the slow uptick of weight on the scale so long as the bulk of that is (very slow) muscle gain. I imagine in four or five years, if I work hard and consistently, I'll find that I'm actually happiest in the low 120s.
BMI simply helps alert me to when I should be concerned. Maybe someone my height with an even smaller frame could go down to 110 and be healthy, for example, but that person should be aware that she needs to be extra vigilant in making connections between ill health and weight. Likewise, someone my height weighing 150 may want to investigate if that is really the weight at which she feels best. For me, dead center in the BMI range felt overweight (and was!) because I had gained so much fat. Friends of mine that are my height but with larger frames, though, look and feel amazing at 135 and 140.
Becuse BMI is a range for populations of people, we have to find our own personal healthy ranges within it (or, in rare cases, outside of it). I think my healthy range is 115-125 -- a sub-range within the larger range of the BMI. I don't think that makes BMI useless; especially for people who have been obese their entire adult lives, aiming for the high end of the BMI chart gives them a reasonable goal to work towards, from which they can make further goals if they feel they should. Likewise, the underweight can aim to reach the low end before deciding on a possibly higher goal. Sure, it's not a perfect or precise guide for everyone, but it's a reasonable one for most, and is certainly not a scam.0 -
www.smartbmicalculator.com
This was interesting for me.
0 -
I think its a good tool i guess but i still won't ever use it for myself because 115 to 120 even 130 i just never want to go down that low in my life to skinny even tho i am at 5,2 the lowest i would go is 140 ...0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions