What do you think of the BMI?

leannerae40

I was busy trying to set my healthy goal weight using a BMI chart. I set it at 159 lbs at 5 ft 9". Then, my trainer recommended a body composition analysis. I was so excited when I saw the tester write down 157lbs. I said, "Oh, that's very close to my goal weight." Her response to me was, "That's your lean muscle mass. You'll never weigh 159 if you keep your current lean muscle mass, which you should strive to do."
Now, with a healthy goal weight of 199 lbs, that would put my body fat percentage at 25%. I'll work on lessening the percentage of body fat once I've reached my first goal. I think that the BMI chart is good for the masses, but not an individual. We're all different, and our goals should be different as well and be solely based on OUR BODY, not a chart.

If you're lean muscle mass allows you to fall into the healthy range on a BMI chart - love it. If it doesn't, because you have more lean muscle than others, love that too!

jwdieter

Her response to me was, "That's your lean muscle mass. You'll never weigh 159 if you keep your current lean muscle mass, which you should strive to do."
Now, with a healthy goal weight of 199 lbs, that would put my body fat percentage at 25%.

Lean mass includes everything that isn't fat. Blood, water, skin, muscle, connective tissue, organs, etc. I'm a big fan of midrange goals and re-assessment, so aiming for 199 is great. But you're probably not going to keep 159 pounds of LBM as you lose weight. It's normal for highly overweight people to have quite a bit of LBM, and normal to lose a lot of that with the fat.

clp212

Thanks for the advice! There is no belly over the belt buckle for this tall, slim cowboy!

leannerae40

Her response to me was, "That's your lean muscle mass. You'll never weigh 159 if you keep your current lean muscle mass, which you should strive to do."
Now, with a healthy goal weight of 199 lbs, that would put my body fat percentage at 25%.

Lean mass includes everything that isn't fat. Blood, water, skin, muscle, connective tissue, organs, etc. I'm a big fan of midrange goals and re-assessment, so aiming for 199 is great. But you're probably not going to keep 159 pounds of LBM as you lose weight. It's normal for highly overweight people to have quite a bit of LBM, and normal to lose a lot of that with the fat.

After two months of lifting, my lean mass increased by .6 and I lost another 19.4 lbs of fat. She assumed my lean mass would drop to 150 lbs. I'm now lifting 5x per week instead of 3x per week. You're right though, there is likely water and fat built up in between those muscles, she was thinking about 7lbs of LM would be lost so that would put me at 150 lbs of lean mass. (at 200lbs goal weight that is 25% body fat).

I don't believe though that I'll ever weigh what a BMI chart thinks I should weigh, and I wanted to make sure that the importance isn't so much in a WEIGHT/SCALE number but in body fat percentage, IMO. Better yet, when you're happy with pictures of yourself, or how you look in a mirror. :flowerforyou:

Hildy_J

BMI serves its purpose as a guide... but it needs updating, doesn't it for the sake of accuracy in health measurements...

It could become the Body Mass to Volume Ratio With Height Taken Into Account. Or something a bit more catchy.

Height and weight don't tell the whole story as regards health, as many have said. Many times. People could be measured, weighed and then submerged into a full plunge pool. The volume of water spilling over the sides will then give the boffins that all-important third measurement.

Surely we have the technology to make this happen?

jadedhippo

My BMI says im 0.3 over the healthy range.
That's probably from boobage.
BMI doesn't account for boobage

ewrob

36" waist or length?

Waist.

bsalvato

BMI is designed to categorize large populations, not individuals. Body fat percentage is more accurate on the individual level.