Can't seem to stay in the "ideal" weight category

sharonkgardner
sharonkgardner Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a very active person who is a fitness instructor, has done sprint triathlons, as well as longer distance races (15 miles). Yet even at the peak of my fitness routine, which happens during race season during mid-summer, I am still in the "overweight" category on BMI charts which say I should be 145 lbs or less. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 155 lbs. I tend to hover around 150 lbs during the summer. The majority of the time I eat at or under my calorie goal. I'm embarrassed to be considered overweight even with all the exercising I do and my healthy eating (my husband is an organic gardener too!). My physique does tend to be curvier but at times I long to "look" like a tri-athlete. I don't usually see others with D-cups doing this much activity but I am thankful for the amazing technology of good sports bras. Should I just let the numbers go and not worry about that? Or should I make the numbers important?

Replies

  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    It sounds like you're very fit and possibly quite muscular, which means the BMI scale won't work properly for you. Measure your % body fat instead--for those with a decent amount of muscle mass, it is a far more accurate picture of fitness!

    BMI was never intended to be used as a tool for individuals, but rather as a way of assessing the overall fitness of large populations. That's why it tends to break down when it comes to certain individuals.
  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    Let it go, you sound very healthy.
  • ThisGirl2013
    ThisGirl2013 Posts: 220 Member
    The way you look and feel is more important than random calculators for one size fits all :/
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
    Is all of your exercise cardio? You may have gotten super efficient at it. I wonder if you over-estimate your burn at this point. Plenty of marathon runners carry extra weight, even though they are extremely fit, because they are not actually creating a calorie deficit. Hard to tell without actually seeing a diary.

    I don't know if you strength train, so you actually might not be very muscular despite the awesome level of cardio and racing fitness.You are probably super-healthy with a heart of steel, but if you want to be leaner you could try more resistance training.

    On the upside, seeing a woman who isn't super thin kick butt at triathlons is awesome and inspiring. There's no health reason to be lighter, but nothing wrong with wanting to lean out some, either. I feel more confident to try new activities when I feel like I look more athletic.

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