bmi mistake???

2

Replies

  • It's not a mistake, that's just your BMI. If you're happy with your weight and your appearance than that's great! Just technically speaking you would be "overweight". Honestly though who cares! If you're happy with yourself that's all that matters
  • wk9t
    wk9t Posts: 237 Member
    BMI doesn't take into account bone structure or muscle, according to BMI a well-muscled athlete is overweight.

    I would change to looking at your body fat percentage, not your BMI.

    /\ /\ /\ /\

    This!

    BMI is not an indicator of fitness. Mr. Olympia would be considered overweight by BMI numbers.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    OP DOES have at least 20 extra pounds of fat. It's not "rude", it's a statement of fact.
    If you don't want honest answers, don't post on a public forum asking for advice.

    If you are HAPPY with your body, then ignore what the BMI chart says and go on with your life. Problem Solved.

    If you want to do something about it and become lean and fit, then do it. Problem also solved.

    The End.
  • fabafter5
    fabafter5 Posts: 200 Member
    I'm sorry that you were hurt but I don't really see why you take offence to this. I am 5'9 with an athletic build and my goal weight is 160. Right now I am considered overweight and was even obese at one point. I wear a size 8 also.

    When we are dealing with the overall size of Americans average doesn't equate to a healthy weight. They are just medical terms no need to take them personally.

    I had my last baby at age 37 and my chart was stamped with the label "advanced maternal age". Do I feel old? No. Do some other women choose to have babies in their 40's or 50's? Sure! But medically I was AMA. It is what it is.
  • iso5314
    iso5314 Posts: 1 Member
    THe BMI is really wrong way to measure yourself. It only takes your heught & weaght in to consideration.
    EXAMPLE: the BMI will say someone of 1.70m and 80kg Fat is exactly the same as 80kg pure Muscle.
    Don't look at the BMI look at your Fatpercentage!
    (between 10% and 16% for a Men) (Between 20% and 30% for a Women)

    Hope this helps ;-)
    (the best way to measure is always the mirror, if you look good with 40% stay like that ^^)
  • jppd47
    jppd47 Posts: 737 Member
    THe BMI is really wrong way to measure yourself. It only takes your heught & weaght in to consideration.
    EXAMPLE: the BMI will say someone of 1.70m and 80kg Fat is exactly the same as 80kg pure Muscle.

    True, but each of those people know what it making their BMI over. My BMI puts me over
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
    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.
  • joannathechef
    joannathechef Posts: 484 Member
    BMI is a joke, it only takes your height and weight into account, it doesn't messure fat weight or muscle weight or anything, you can have too guys that both weight say 200lbs and are the same height, but one guy is fat and the other guy is a bodybuilder, their bmi's will be the same but they look completly different, I don't use bmi, I don't pay much attention to the scale either, I like to use a mirror, as long as I like the way I look, I could care less about how much I weight

    You are right, but for really obese people like me it is a wake up call and should ring some kind of alarm bell if your BMI is over 30
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    Clothing sizes are irrelevant. It's well known that manufacturers have been increasing sizes to reflect the growing girth of the general population. They don't want to offend their customers, so the stated size is the same or even smaller, which is how we end up with ridiculous sizes like 00.

    I love vintage clothes.

    1960 Butterwick pattern for the Jackie O dress.

    32" bust 25" Waist 36' Hips = SIZE 12! I have 35" hips and wear a modern size 2. I remember at 18 with tiny 32" hips, weighing 102lbs and still wearing a size 4. Vanity sizing is a complete joke.

    So whatever size you currently wear...add 4-6 sizes to get your TRUE size.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    BMI is a bad indicator, but you are a bit overweight. BMI is only a bad indicator for people who have a lot of muscle and/or dense bone. You say you're not muscly and hour glass shaped. Me too. But I'm 4" taller than you, 20 years older, and about the same weight.

    Being in the overweight category was a slap in the face for me and one of the things that got me started on this journey. Take it as a challenge. It only took a little while for me to get into the 'average' category. And I hope by Christmas to be back to the weight - and in better shape - than I was at your age.

    Don't wait. It only gets harder as you get older.
  • the internet BMI calculators cant tell you much, google the old way to figure out BMI we did it in gym class in middle school and it involve these caliper type things to pinch the fat on you hips, calfs and upper arms....then the teacher did the caluclation based on that....height and weight wont give you anything that will just tell you basically per foot what you weigh....find the old school way to calculate it then find your true numbers.
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member

    I love vintage clothes.

    1960 Butterwick pattern for the Jackie O dress.

    32" bust 25" Waist 36' Hips = SIZE 12! I have 35" hips and wear a modern size 2. I remember at 18 with tiny 32" hips, weighing 102lbs and still wearing a size 4. Vanity sizing is a complete joke.

    So whatever size you currently wear...add 4-6 sizes to get your TRUE size.

    I think there is an army of women out there taking comfort in the fact that Marilyn Monroe was a size 12! Um yeah, definitely not a today's size 12. And it is especially bad in America- I moved to England in the late '90s and went from size 6 to size 12 overnight.
  • EmilyTwist1
    EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
    OP DOES have at least 20 extra pounds of fat. It's not "rude", it's a statement of fact.
    If you don't want honest answers, don't post on a public forum asking for advice.

    If you are HAPPY with your body, then ignore what the BMI chart says and go on with your life. Problem Solved.

    If you want to do something about it and become lean and fit, then do it. Problem also solved.

    The End.

    Actually, we don't know that she had 20 extra pounds of fat. BMI is a rough estimate of what is a healthy weight for a person based on their height. It does not take into account things like body composition. A person can be overweight according to BMI and still be very healthy if they have a low body fat percentage and lots of lean muscle. Likewise, someone can be healthy (or even underweight) according to BMI and still have a high percentage of body fat and very little lean muscle.

    To OP: if you can, find out your body fat percentage. That will be a much better indicator of if you need to burn any fat or not.
  • Laurelje
    Laurelje Posts: 167 Member
    I had a registered dietician tell me BMI is BS! They are just numbers and I don't place any importance on them anymore. What's important is how you feel about your body...how your health is...and if you are happy. If you eat right (and in moderation), and move your body, the rest will come.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member

    I love vintage clothes.

    1960 Butterwick pattern for the Jackie O dress.

    32" bust 25" Waist 36' Hips = SIZE 12! I have 35" hips and wear a modern size 2. I remember at 18 with tiny 32" hips, weighing 102lbs and still wearing a size 4. Vanity sizing is a complete joke.

    So whatever size you currently wear...add 4-6 sizes to get your TRUE size.

    I think there is an army of women out there taking comfort in the fact that Marilyn Monroe was a size 12! Um yeah, definitely not a today's size 12. And it is especially bad in America- I moved to England in the late '90s and went from size 6 to size 12 overnight.

    Someone recently inventoried all of Marilyn Monroe's dresses and she was tiny, tiny, tiny. Even the model dress dummies didn't fit them - they had to make new ones.


    I haven't changed 'size' since I was 14 - almost 40 years ago. But I went from 128 to 188 pounds. I am hoping as I go down that my dress size will too.
  • Pre-baby I was 148 lbs, size 4, did Pilates 6 days a week. I am 5'4. My bmi said I was overweight too. Don't stress. Go by how u feel. NOT some stupid calculated!
  • I see an endocrinologist for a thyroid issue. Anyway, ive been going since 2008. we pull my thyroid numbers along with other indicators of health (cholesterol and blood sugars and a few others i cannot remember) as long as she sees progress on the scale and the numbers going in the correct direction she is happy.
    we had a discussion on what my goal weight should be, and she didnt want to put a number on it. she just wants to see my numbers improve.
    so maybe you can get some blood drawn and see where you fall? health is not always about weight.
  • danifo0811
    danifo0811 Posts: 545 Member
    The OP says she doesn't have much muscle so I doubt that is messing with the results.

    I'm right on the border of a normal BMI and I'm a size 8 at 5'4 so I'd guess yours is right. BMI isn't a good indicator of individual health but it is an indicator of probabilities in the absense of other information.
  • angeljamin
    angeljamin Posts: 234 Member
    Try a scale that calculates it. I have a WW scale and it calculates height, weight, water, bone mass and BMI. You might get a different number.
  • natalie412
    natalie412 Posts: 1,039 Member
    I am 5'5.5" and am 131 - BMI around 21. (Medium frame) When I was your weight, I was definitely overweight. Especially looking back at pictures now that I have lost the weight, I realize it even more! I think you get used to your weight, and if you carry it well, and are well proportioned, it is easy to fool yourself.

    That being said, everyone carries weight differently.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    People who understand health and fitness know that the BMI is only a rough measure, although the people who complain about being overweight or obese according to it usually are.
    I agree that people who complain most about BMI are overweight(I am one of them), but BMI is a third world measurement of healthy weight. In this society, unless you wish to look like a 12 year old boy, the high end of healthy and low/middle overweight category is what I WOULD associate with a healthy weight if you exercise and maintain a healthy diet.

    6ft tall and 140lb is just not a healthy weight unless you are built like a blade of grass I am sorry.
  • MsMuniz
    MsMuniz Posts: 399 Member
    I'm 5' and 118lbs and wear a size 6, my BMI is 23.2. I don't pay that any attention.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    because BMI is not reliable. it doesn't take into account your body build. you might have a big frame but it just assumes you're "average" build and thus, you're overweight.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    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.
    First of all, you ARE rude, whether you meant to sound that way or not.

    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.

    Really? Maybe some people are just WAY too sensitive. I'd rather be told that I was overweight and do something about it than have you lot sugar coat thing so much that I end up diabetic. I just saw an honest reply and then women retaliating with rudeness and venom
  • GorillaEsq
    GorillaEsq Posts: 2,198 Member
    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?
    BMI is absolutely worthless. According to my BMI, I'm Obese Class 2 or "morbidly obese." Asinine.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    BMI doesnt take into account your muscle versus fat. My brother was into body building and had no fat on him, yet based on his height and weight his BMI was obese!!
    Yes but OP states she is not muscular
  • BMI doesn't take into account your body structure such as lean body mass and fat mass. I am a personal trainer and tell all of my clients that I never will use BMI. A more accurate measurement is measuring your biceps, chest, waist, hips, and thighs. Seeing the inches lost is more motivating. Also, when taking body fat skin calipers are much more accurate than a Bio Impedence Feedback monitor which can vary depending on your hydration level. I hope this helps you out and gives your motivation to work on seeing your results along the way.
  • Cocochickdeleted
    Cocochickdeleted Posts: 342 Member
    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.
  • bodiva88
    bodiva88 Posts: 308 Member
    And she says she's not particularly fit, so it isn't muscle. And it says she's overweight, which she is, not obese, which she isn't. Why get all psyched up to lose weight if you don't think you're overweight? The mind boggles.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    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.

    Really? You didn't mean to sound rude?

    The truth can sound rude, doesn't mean I'm trying to be rude. It simply means I'm trying to be honest. Brutally. But thanks for your concern.