Do you care about your BMI?

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  • NewGemini130
    NewGemini130 Posts: 219 Member
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    I do use it as my upper weight goal, which I'm still 20 pounds over. From there, I'm sure I can go down as it's the top of like a 25 or 30-pound range. I think it is a general rule, and since I'm probably "average" in many senses (I'm not super muscles or anything), seems like a good place to start.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I thought I didn't but I just edged into the top end of normal and I found it pleased me.
  • ElisaJtsu
    ElisaJtsu Posts: 97 Member
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    I think it's UTTER RUBBISH! Don't even waste a second thinking about it.
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Personally I don't care about BMI anymore but I used to. When I was massively overweight, a healthy BMI gave me an initial goal to aim for.

    I'm now a "healthy weight" according to the BMI scale but I still have a considerable amount of weight to lose as there's a lot of fat around my stomach/thighs/legs/bottom/back/arms and a bit on my face that needs to go.

    So I ignore BMI now and just go by how I look and feel but I'm nowhere near there yet :)
  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
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    Even the BMI charts admit that they are a one size fit all. And I have seen several of them actual include a disclosure that the chart may not be accurate for athletic individuals. Meaning muscle mass throws could throw you over the spectrum. For instance at 6'1, my BMI says I should be between 165 and 174. I weight 212 currently with a 23% BF. Could I stand to lose 15 to 20 lbs? Yes. 38 lbs? Heck no. I graduated High School weighting 170 and I was skin and bones, a walking skeleton.

    My doctor does not even mention BMI around me. He has much more important indicators he cares about. And honestly I could careless too. I have my ideal and I will work towards that.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
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    If I go by Asian BMI classifications, I'm overweight. :)
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    lemmie177 wrote: »
    If I go by Asian BMI classifications, I'm overweight. :)

    Ha, actually had to google that :D I'm good lol.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
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    Soccermavrick wrote: »
    Even the BMI charts admit that they are a one size fit all. And I have seen several of them actual include a disclosure that the chart may not be accurate for athletic individuals. Meaning muscle mass throws could throw you over the spectrum. For instance at 6'1, my BMI says I should be between 165 and 174. I weight 212 currently with a 23% BF. Could I stand to lose 15 to 20 lbs? Yes. 38 lbs? Heck no. I graduated High School weighting 170 and I was skin and bones, a walking skeleton.

    My doctor does not even mention BMI around me. He has much more important indicators he cares about. And honestly I could careless too. I have my ideal and I will work towards that.

    This is my husband. 6'1. Used to throw competitively (so think shot putter type build). He's currently at his lowest weight in decades: 225. That just barely dropped him from "obese" into "overweight". To hit "normal" BMI, he'd have to drop to athlete levels (or less) body fat.
  • ShammersPink
    ShammersPink Posts: 215 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Mouse_Potato wrote: »

    I hate the Waist:Hip ratio. It shows me as "at risk" no matter how small I get because my hips shrink along with the rest of me. :disappointed:

    Sadly, this ratio is largely genetically determined. It is a good descriptor for apple vs pear fat deposition, which does affect your risk, as it indicates visceral fat, but beyond a certain point, you may not be able to alter it. If you tend to have a high waist:hip ratio, it may be more important to make sure the other measures, such as BMI, are okay.

    I'm pretty sure that if I went up into the obese range, I'd start putting enough on my belly for the waist:hip ratio to go the wrong way, but I'm hour-glassy by genetic disposition, and I could be overweight by BMI, borderline by waist:height ratio, and almost certainly overfat by BF%, and my waist:hip ratio would remain healthy.

    So I think it's a ratio to use in conjunction with other measures, not by itself.
  • isabellapanzica9387
    isabellapanzica9387 Posts: 68 Member
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    Bmi is more of a guidline then anything else. It is most helpful for people for people losing or gaining weight to see what a healthy weight is. Also five pounds isnt the end of the world.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,510 Member
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    No because if I did, I'd be in the category of obese. According to BMI I should be between 118lbs and 159lbs. and obviously I look obese.
    Even with my clients, I focus more on body fat % than BMI.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    @gabbyo23 What’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp

    I have a large frame and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. I have wide shoulders, big hands, big feet, and a big head and had to get my boots and hat from the men's side of the uniform room.

    My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    edited January 2017
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    No I don't care about bmi. Its about comfort, agility and flexibility. I like being at a lowish weight but skinniness isn't my goal.
    If I don't eat right my body lets me know so I tend to go for good nutrition but I don't deprive myself of foods I enjoy and I cook and shop for getting enjoyable meals on the table.

    I admit I don't know my exact bmi atm but I'm definitly on the slimmer side of normal weight for my height and age.

    I sure do like feeling more in control of my size and it makes me happy to read how others enjoy getting themselves in shape.

    edited 4 spelling
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    I look at it this way. ..
    My hip to waist ratio is healthy 0.76
    Body fat percentage around 25%, healthy for female, low average
    BMI 25.8 overweight
    And Im in the upper end of the healthy weight range my doctor assigned me. (Literally in the 20lb range by 1lb)

    Alone any of of these data points is useless to me. The body fat % could allow me to justify not pursuing my additional goals, especially when combined with a good hip to waist ratio. On the other side if I looked only at BMI I could be motivated to pursue unrealistic goals and jeapordize my muscle gains to lose more than I really should. But when I look at all the data side by side I see a more complete picture. I'm almost where I want to be but not quite yet.
  • kermax39
    kermax39 Posts: 149 Member
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    My goal weight will take me to a BMI of 26. To even be of a bmi of 22 would make me the same weight I was at 15....and very skinny! Im 41 and 5'11, iv no desire to b the weight I was at aged 15.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    lemmie177 wrote: »
    If I go by Asian BMI classifications, I'm overweight. :)

    I had to Google it too. I'm healthy! I still want to lean out more, though.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @gabbyo23 What’s your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp

    I have a large frame and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. I have wide shoulders, big hands, big feet, and a big head and had to get my boots and hat from the men's side of the uniform room.

    My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.

    That calculator drives me batty, because I have differing elbow breadth and wrist findings. If you look at me, it's all a puzzle. My hips are narrow (34"), but my shoulders are broad. I have no earthly idea what my frame size is. I have small hands and feet, and a narrow rib cage (I wear a 30" bra band). I'm going to go with small-ish frame size. I think.

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