bmi mistake???
Replies
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BMI is not the be-all, end-all.
I felt much the same way when I first joined here. That I looked just fine and wasn't fat. I was about 160 lbs and 5'5, and up to about 150 pounds at 5'5 is considered a healthy range. So technically... yeah, I was a little overweight. You know what? I did look ok. I was in pretty good shape. I looked fine fully clothed and not that bad in a bikini. I wore and 8 or 10. Sometimes a 12. My family still considered me the "skinny one."
BUT... I'm in much better shape and feel much better now.0 -
First of all, you ARE rude, whether you meant to sound that way or not.I'm 21 5'6 weight 164 and wear a size 8 (probably would wear a 6 but i have a big behind) I think i look pretty average with with maybe 5 extra lbs on me. so why does my bmi tell me im over weight? i dont even get "in danger of being over weight" just plain over weight. i dont have big boobs but i am very much so an hour glass figure and not very muscular.
Because you are carrying 20-30 lbs of extra fat on you. That is why. Not to sound rude. But if you're happy with what you weigh, be happy. Its just a number.
Second of all, if you knew how much such an offhand comment from a man hurts some women, you would not say such things. It is INCREDIBLY sh*tty of you to say.
Third and most importantly, you are probably WRONG about her being overweight. The BMI calculators are too generic and do not fit all. You don't know this woman or her body and have no freaking right to say such a thing to her because YOU DO NOT KNOW.
You need to watch what the hell you say to women here on this forum. Shame on you.
Let me quote this:
"In the end we are all very similar. With the exception of a few genetic freaks we all end up in a very narrow weight distribution with low body fats. (your not a freak or you wouldn't be here) Don't be discouraged by this, it just means it will take a bit longer and you can improve that much more."
I used to think that BMI was a farce too. Then I got ripped, and I realized it's actually pretty accurate for a very lean individual. I obviously understand that not everyone has the desire, need or how to become this lean, but I think the upper range of normal and lower end of overweight is pretty reasonable for even today's standards.
The truth was what I said. She said she wasn't muscular, and at 161 lbs, she is carrying 20-30 lbs of extra fat on her body. It's the truth. Sorry if the truth offended you.0 -
I am an in shorter than you, too many years older to discuss on this forum, and about 4 lbs heavier at my heaviest weight. . .I was overweight. I wore a 12 for comfort, but could've fit in a 10 snugly. Fact is, I was a LOT rounder and less fit than I am today. I didn't believe it until I saw it in photographs. Once I lost about 35lbs. . . a whole new person showed up in those photos. You may be more muscular like I tend to be which can skew the numbers a bit. However, work at dropping to say, 145 and look at the photos. . .you'll be amazed!0
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I see on your profile that you want to lose another 12 pounds. At your height, if you lose 12 pounds, you will be in the normal BMI range. I believe in taking the BMI with a grain of salt, because it really is not a 'one-size-fits-all' tool, but it is a fairly decent guideline for many people.
As others have said, how you feel about yourself is more important than any number. BMI is a very good guide for most people. I'm going to agree with one of the posters above that thought that BMI was total crap when I was 30 lbs overweight. I couldn't imagine getting down to 150 ever again and I thought I'd look like a twig. I'm down to 150 lbs and I certainly don't look like a stick figure. I've still got fat all over the place and could get down to 135 lbs if I wanted to be really lean.
I've switched my goal to gaining 15 lbs of muscle while losing 5 more lbs of fat. If I do that, I will be technically overweight by BMI standards....but only barely so. However, I will definitely be above normal standards for muscle mass as well, which is what the number will reflect. BMI is a good indicator of how much an "average" person should weigh. You have to ask yourself if you are looking for muscular, average or thin.0 -
According to this you ned to lose just 10lb http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
Do you think you need to lose weight? I guess you must do to have logged on here? I wouldn't stress too much about it to be honest. Are the clothes sizes you quote American?0 -
Oh, and for what its worth, almost EVERYONE who decides to get lean (for the first time) realizes the same thing.
You are far fatter than you ever expected.0 -
I hear ya!
When I was fitter my trainer did a skinfold caliper BMI and I was a 21 at 5'7" 160 pounds (size 8) which was in the middle of the average range. BMI calculators say this is a 27.8 or fat. So it seems they are less accurate than the caliper or water displacement variety measurements-usually due to higher than normal bone mass and muscle density.
Lets face it, the BMI cacultor is only useful if you have always been overweight and are trying to set a reasonable "normal" weight range for oneself. I know how much I need to weigh and that I'm currently fat and need to loose another 20 pounds.
If it worries you then go to a trainer and get measured and/or go to a University and there may be a student there with the equipment to do it for you.0 -
The BMI gives a pretty broad range of weights for HEALTH for ordinary people, not bodybuilders.
First of all, you ARE rude, whether you meant to sound that way or not.I'm 21 5'6 weight 164 and wear a size 8 (probably would wear a 6 but i have a big behind) I think i look pretty average with with maybe 5 extra lbs on me. so why does my bmi tell me im over weight? i dont even get "in danger of being over weight" just plain over weight. i dont have big boobs but i am very much so an hour glass figure and not very muscular.
Because you are carrying 20-30 lbs of extra fat on you. That is why. Not to sound rude. But if you're happy with what you weigh, be happy. Its just a number.
No, he was straightforward. The denial has to end. Every day here someone complains about the BMI wrongly showing them to be overweight or obese. Unless you are a serious athlete with a great deal of muscle or have an exceptionally heavy skeletal frame the BMI is probably accurate. And at least don't complain about it if you don't even know your body fat percentage.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a teenager who was hurt because her doctor told her that she was morbidly obese (she would have preferred to have been called "fat," go figure). Sorry, that's the term.
It's as if some people want to spend more time angrily reacting to every imagined slight than educating themselves.
Well Said. I am also tired of the excuses from everyone. One of my biggest peeves is people asking for advice and then getting angry when someone INSULTS them. Get over it children. If you ask a question, don't be suprised when you get an answer you didn't expect.
It's not about what looks good, it's a about the range of weight within which you can be considered healthy. This goes down to an extremely low body fat percentage that many people would find unattractive - but the point is, BMI is about HEALTH.
As the OP is of an hourglass figure, it's likely that her fats are being stored in hips and thighs, rather than in her abdominal cavity, which means that she can be healthy with a higher BMI (therefore body fat %) than a woman with an apple shaped figure.
Nevertheless, if her BMI is over the wide range of normal, it is likely that there will be disbenefits from a health point of view. Whether the OP feels those risks warrant losing weight over is entirely a personal choice.0 -
I'm 21 5'6 weight 164 and wear a size 8 (probably would wear a 6 but i have a big behind) I think i look pretty average with with maybe 5 extra lbs on me. so why does my bmi tell me im over weight? i dont even get "in danger of being over weight" just plain over weight. i dont have big boobs but i am very much so an hour glass figure and not very muscular.
Because you are carrying 20-30 lbs of extra fat on you. That is why. Not to sound rude. But if you're happy with what you weigh, be happy. Its just a number.
No, because the BMI calculator by itself is faulty. It doesn't take into account your actual body fat percentage. You need to use calipers to measure and other things as well to accurately calculate. Anyone who uses only the BMI calculator is buying into the same stuff that gave us the Food Pyramid and all that other faulty junk they push on us.
I have some extra weight, but according to BMI only for my height and weight I'm rather Obese to the point my last doctor said, "You don't really look overweight, but would you like the lapband?" I told her I'd do diet and exercise, thanks. I've only lost 14 lbs, but lost over 4 inches at my waist and 2-3 everywhere else as I do weights now and am active. Weight and height aren't the only calculators. If you take my waist to hip ratio, for example, that's low risk category. Body Fat calculator that takes into acct other measurements, I fall into "acceptable." Use multiple methods and work with a doctor to figure your actual body fat percentage.0 -
The biggest thing (and I didn't notice anyone mention this...though I coulda missed it) is that the Body Mass Index wasn't designed for INDIVIDUAL diagnosis. It's intended for classifying general populations of people. As some folks have pointed out, there is huge variation within body structures of individuals. But this is a tool for being able to classify and generalize about groups of people. Insurance companies, for example, use it.
For us individuals, BMI can give us a rough idea of where we are, but we shouldn't latch onto it as if it is a precise definition of our fitness. If you're overweight, it might give you a rough idea of a good initial goal weight. But as soon as you start getting within 20 pounds of that, you're much better off focusing on body fat percentage instead. That's a far better indicator of fitness -- much better than that number on your scale, even.0 -
BMI is reliable only if you are average or overweight with pretty much no muscle tone, and even then that reliability goes out the window a lot of the time. BMI is an estimation of health, but it falls short when you're very tall, or very fat, or muscular, or very short... basically, take it with a some salt. Go by your bodyfat percentage instead, when you're closer to what you feel is your idea weight.
THIS^^^^ take BMI with a grain of salt, and if it does tell that you are overweight or obese, then body fat percentage should be taken into account.
true story. I am 26 pounds heavier than I was 8 years ago...but my measurements are VERY close for waist and belly, and smaller for hips and thighs. I wear the same size clothes. The difference? I now have muscles. the number on the scale, and BMI are not everything to me anymore. Right now my goal is to be a size 8, have body fat under 25%, and be able to see *some* ab muscles. the number on the scale, and the BMI chart are secondary.0 -
I'm also 5'6" and weight about 159 lbs right now and I'm a size 10 pants (8 dress) because of where I store my weight. I definitely have about 20 pounds to lose, so overweight on the BMI for me is accurate, but I am close to the healthy range.I'm 21 5'6 weight 164 and wear a size 8 (probably would wear a 6 but i have a big behind) I think i look pretty average with with maybe 5 extra lbs on me. so why does my bmi tell me im over weight? i dont even get "in danger of being over weight" just plain over weight. i dont have big boobs but i am very much so an hour glass figure and not very muscular.
Even though I still have some weight to lose and I am technically overweight, I don't worry so much about it making me unhealthy because it is stored mostly in my hips and thighs. I like these calculators for the Waist to Hip and Waist to Height ratio better.
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
On these, I am in the Low Health Risk and Healthy and Attractive categories. BMI is just another calculator that has its limitations based on a person's body composition and shouldn't be taken as truth without question always, but for me, it is absolutely correct because I know I have that fat to lose.0 -
The BMI gives a pretty broad range of weights for HEALTH for ordinary people, not bodybuilders.
First of all, you ARE rude, whether you meant to sound that way or not.I'm 21 5'6 weight 164 and wear a size 8 (probably would wear a 6 but i have a big behind) I think i look pretty average with with maybe 5 extra lbs on me. so why does my bmi tell me im over weight? i dont even get "in danger of being over weight" just plain over weight. i dont have big boobs but i am very much so an hour glass figure and not very muscular.
Because you are carrying 20-30 lbs of extra fat on you. That is why. Not to sound rude. But if you're happy with what you weigh, be happy. Its just a number.
No, he was straightforward. The denial has to end. Every day here someone complains about the BMI wrongly showing them to be overweight or obese. Unless you are a serious athlete with a great deal of muscle or have an exceptionally heavy skeletal frame the BMI is probably accurate. And at least don't complain about it if you don't even know your body fat percentage.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a teenager who was hurt because her doctor told her that she was morbidly obese (she would have preferred to have been called "fat," go figure). Sorry, that's the term.
It's as if some people want to spend more time angrily reacting to every imagined slight than educating themselves.
Well Said. I am also tired of the excuses from everyone. One of my biggest peeves is people asking for advice and then getting angry when someone INSULTS them. Get over it children. If you ask a question, don't be suprised when you get an answer you didn't expect.
It's not about what looks good, it's a about the range of weight within which you can be considered healthy. This goes down to an extremely low body fat percentage that many people would find unattractive - but the point is, BMI is about HEALTH.
As the OP is of an hourglass figure, it's likely that her fats are being stored in hips and thighs, rather than in her abdominal cavity, which means that she can be healthy with a higher BMI (therefore body fat %) than a woman with an apple shaped figure.
Nevertheless, if her BMI is over the wide range of normal, it is likely that there will be disbenefits from a health point of view. Whether the OP feels those risks warrant losing weight over is entirely a personal choice.
This exactly. I get that BMI is not acurate for very tall and very shot people and for athletes. But I think if one is honest with themselves they will know wheather they are very tall or very short. If you are an athlete you also know that and running 3 times a week does not count. Deep down everyone knows if it is fat or muscles that weight that much in your case and so on.
BMI has a wide range exactly because people have different frames and some are more active than others. If it says you are overweight than you soimply are. Than it is your decision if you are comfortable with it or not. If not, than I guess this site is a right place for you
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Oh, and for what its worth, almost EVERYONE who decides to get lean (for the first time) realizes the same thing.
You are far fatter than you ever expected.
Totally agree with ya! In fact when I started I thought that I would never weigh in the range for my height, but the closer I get I think I just might! People are use to seeing everyone 20-30 lbs overweight so when someone starts losing they say "you don't need to lose anymore". At least that's what I've noticed.0 -
The OP may be out-of-shape, etc, etc. That issue not withstanding, relying on BMI for anything is ridiculous. It's absolute garbage "science."
You might as well base a cancer diagnosis on the fact the patient has brown hair. It makes sense. Many victims of cancer have brown hair. Thus, if you have brown hair, you have cancer.
Asinine.0 -
You might as well base a cancer diagnosis on the fact the patient has brown hair. It makes sense. Many victims of cancer have brown hair. Thus, if you have brown hair, you have cancer.
Poppycock, BMI is absolutely not "Garbage Science" and comparing its use to assuming a link between incidence of cancer and hair colour, is entirely ludicrous.
Fact. There IS a clear and proven link between high BMI and a massively increased likelihood of dying early and / or having a poor quality of life due to health issues.
OBVIOUSLY BMI is not suitable for use in people who are very short, very tall or who have a lot of muscle, but that is widely accepted. In your case, it would be ridiculous to use BMI because you clearly have a lot of muscle. But you know that.
For the majority of the population, it's a good starting point for knowing roughly whether a person has insufficient or too much fat.0 -
So, pursuant your own statement above, there are additional considerations, factors, calculations and conditions that are not reflected into the BMI model? And it only applies to people of average height, weight and muscle mass?OBVIOUSLY BMI is not suitable for use in people who are very short, very tall or who have a lot of muscle, but that is widely accepted. In your case, it would be ridiculous to use BMI because you clearly have a lot of muscle. But you know that.
By that logic, is it completely inapplicable to people who are not average height, weight and muscle mass?
Thus, what we need is a BMIBIOWTMAA (Body Mass Index Body Index of Whom This Model Actually Applies).
All joking aside, the National Institutes of Health have abandoned it as pure hokum.
That's good enough for me.
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You might as well base a cancer diagnosis on the fact the patient has brown hair. It makes sense. Many victims of cancer have brown hair. Thus, if you have brown hair, you have cancer.
Poppycock, BMI is absolutely not "Garbage Science" and comparing its use to assuming a link between incidence of cancer and hair colour, is entirely ludicrous.
Fact. There IS a clear and proven link between high BMI and a massively increased likelihood of dying early and / or having a poor quality of life due to health issues.
OBVIOUSLY BMI is not suitable for use in people who are very short, very tall or who have a lot of muscle, but that is widely accepted. In your case, it would be ridiculous to use BMI because you clearly have a lot of muscle. But you know that.
For the majority of the population, it's a good starting point for knowing roughly whether a person has insufficient or too much fat.
Precisely. Again, BMI isn't intended -- and shouldn't be used -- to define the fitness of individuals, it's most useful for researchers and investigators looking to classify and examine trends in larger populations of people...say...for example...in this 2012 NIH study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22333899
[GorillaEsq, I'm not sure where you got the idea that NIH has abandoned BMI "as pure hokum". Perhaps you read something that indicated they were suggesting that individuals shouldn't rely on it as the ultimate definer of one's fitness?]
Individuals can use it to get a rough idea of where they are and where they could aim to be, but body fat percentage is a far better indicator of an individual's level of fitness once you are really closing in on a target.0 -
To make the OP feel a bit better after all that rudeness
I am 5'5, weigh 162 and I'm a UK size 10, jeans size 28. I guess I'm hour glass shaped too. My doc told me I need to lose weight, because my BMI is in the overweight category. I'm very happy with the way I look and I tell friends my BMI issue as a party joke
Last year I made it into the 'healthy' range. I dropped to a UK size 8 and I was super fit, but it is very difficult for me to maintain. I try to get back to that, because I don't want to be one of those people who get comfortable with their weight. I talked to my brother who's into MMA, he actually lied on a work related health form, because his BMI is too high as well. So I assume it's a family thing. I have visible abs although I never train them intentionally and my thighs are rock hard. So yeah I'm muscular and the biggest problem with working out is not too end up looking like a bloke lol
If you're happy with the way you look don't let it get you down, overweight doesn't equal ugly.0
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