BMI range too low?

Dozrzz

Hey! So I know the BMI is supposed to give us a "healthy" range for our weight but have any of you thought that the range was too low? For me the range is between 125 to 170 pounds according to BMI. I have been down to 174 before and I almost felt like I didn't like how it looked/felt compared to when I was more like 180-185. I know that doesn't sound like much difference but according to the BMI it would be overweight.

I don't know if I just like the way I look with a little more curve or a "a little meat on my bones." lol I know my boyfriend who loves me know matter what, liked it better when I was closer to 180. And then I can't even imagine how I would like it if I was even more into the "healthy" range! Now I have gained weight since then so I am having to work my way back down to 180 but I feel weird when my goal weight is 180 and other people (even my height) have goal weight of 130.

Does anyone else have a goal weight that is higher than what the BMI says? Is it still an OK weight if I aim for 180?

Regardless, it is much better than when I was over 300lbs!

tehzephyrsong

BMI doesn't account for muscle mass as opposed to fat, so unless you are clearly obese it's not really a worthwhile measure of anything in particular. How tall are you, just for reference?

susannamarie

a) Yes, 180's healthier than 300, regardless of anything else.

b) BMI doesn't take some things into account. Why not set your goal at 180, then get your body fat checked when you get there to see if you're in a healthy range or could stand to lose a few more. I have my goal at 180 -- I used the body fat checkers at fat2fitradio.com to pick a goal. When I get to 190 I plan to get my fat professionally checked just to see how I'm doing.

Dozrzz

Oops I thought I mentioned my height! haha I am a littl eover 5'9" Maybe 5'10"...I haven't measured in years but suddenly am taller than my mother who swears she is 5'10"! hahaha so I really need to go check

tigersword

BMI is not intended for individuals. It's a global metric, intended for categorizing large population groups. It's meaningless to individual people. Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia contest 6 years in a row, and the Mr Universe contest 4 years in a row before that, and according to BMI charts he was Obese for each victory.

Not really what I would consider Obese, how about you?

Dozrzz

Whoa! That picture is crazy! Definitely not obese!

I knew the BMI didn't really fit for guys like that. My brother is a college football player and has all these muscles (not quite like Arnold! haha) and I knew BMI wouldn't really work for him.

I guess I thought BMI would be a good chart just for the "average" person. But if not then thats cool cause I can use something else to measure, ie body fat %

shel1103

I am 5'4" and I want to weigh around 150-155. Again, according to the BMI chart, I would be overweight. Even at my thinnest, I weighed 155. I have a big chest and my frame is larger as well. When I got married I was 158 and people were all telling me I was too thin. Not sure if they were just being nice, but I think that was a good weight for me.

It is going to be healthier for you if you lose weight, but the BMI is not an accurate gauge of what an ideal weight should be. Just my opinion.

susannamarie

I guess I thought BMI would be a good chart just for the "average" person. But if not then thats cool cause I can use something else to measure, ie body fat %

Body fat is a better measurement than BMI if you have the capabilities.

One of the big reasons BMI is used is because it's EASY. You stand on a scale, plug the number and your height into a calculator, and presto out comes a number.

Linda_Darlene

It's about being healthy and feeling your best! If I went by the charts, my goal weight would be a lot lower than it is too! I remember what I looked like at 'what weight's" and I would not like to get down to the weight the charts reference!

Emancipated_Tai

I'm 5ft. Mine said I should be between 94-125 pounds.. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.. EVER!!! I do NOT want to look like a 11 year old girl. I love my curves and I feel that I would be perfect around 150. 140 at the lowest.

Linda_Darlene

I'm 5ft. Mine said I should be between 94-125 pounds.. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.. EVER!!! I do NOT want to look like a 11 year old girl. I love my curves and I feel that I would be perfect around 150. 140 at the lowest.

Mine said between 97-103. ROFLMHO!

NOT!

krommann

I'm 5'3", and at 165 ish I am considered overweight... but i wear a size 6 jean, and if you see my profile picture, I'm not fat! BMI to me means "Body Made Invisible" because for large frame people, we would dissappear lol.

I found a website that calculates BMI for large frame people it's http://www.livestrong.com/article/36520-calculate-accurate-bmi-large-frame/ I found it VERY helpful, according to it, I am only 2 above my goal. Ideal for a large frame is up to 27 (You add 10% for a large frame).

If I get to the "Ideal" weight for my height of 115-141, I will be underweight. The bottom line is, when in doubt consult a doctor


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