BMI

brijay2371
brijay2371 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 41 years old. I am 5'5" tall and weigh 187. I have very little fat (belly only), I am very muscly and wear a size 10 pants size M shirt.
I went to the doc on Monday for my annual physical to find that I have an over 31 BMI. I'm so frustrated and disgusted.

"Normal" weight for me is 136, which means I'm over 50 pounds overweight...I don't know why and wish I didn't care so much about this....I look and feel good.

Help :(

Replies

  • PosterGuy1
    PosterGuy1 Posts: 163 Member
    From what I've read here, the BMI chart is as useless as a wh*re without t*ts.
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    BMI IS SO FRUSTRATING.

    The worst part is that they use this enormously erroneous scale to measure "obesity" - then people like you, even more fit and healthy people, are suddenly contributing to the "obesity epidemic."

    It's ridiculous. And I'm sorry it's getting under your skin.
  • Thatslimgal84
    Thatslimgal84 Posts: 152
    this whole BMI thing is actually a whole load of crap.

    It's important to note that although BMI is accurate most of the time, it may overestimate or underestimate body fat. For example, BMI doesn't distinguish between body fat and muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. Many NFL players have been labeled "obese" because of their high BMI, when they actually have a low percentage of body fat.

    The BMI is not always accurate in elderly adults, who have often lost muscle and bone mass. Although their BMI might be within a normal range, they could still be overweight. BMI may also relate differently to various ethnic groups. For example, Asians may be at risk for health problems at a lower BMI than Caucasians.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    This is where BMI is stupid... I'm 45 pounds less than you, same height, and also a size 10 pants and S/M shirt. You have more muscle mass, that's a good thing! Body fat percentage should be more of an indicator.
  • ckejmommy
    ckejmommy Posts: 9 Member
    calculate your height to waist ratio. It is more accurate in muscular people. I found the calculator on WebMD
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    BMI is stupid. Don't worry about it. Just about every decent bodybuilder would be considered "overweight" when they're only 3-5% body fat. On the other end it's still stupid. I'm at around 16% body fat which is well above the essential range but I'm a few pounds underweight according to BMI.
  • brijay2371
    brijay2371 Posts: 4
    Thank you all so much! I agree that BMI is stupid...I'm going to check out the height to waist ratio on Web MD right now...
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Thank you all so much! I agree that BMI is stupid...I'm going to check out the height to waist ratio on Web MD right now...

    I think the height to waist ratio is just about as useless as BMI. Even when I was obese at my very largest weight (about 60 pounds more than I am right now) and immediately post partum, according to that, I was "healthy." I pretty much only put stock in actual body fat measurements now.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I am 41 years old. I am 5'5" tall and weigh 187. I have very little fat (belly only), I am very muscly and wear a size 10 pants size M shirt.
    I went to the doc on Monday for my annual physical to find that I have an over 31 BMI. I'm so frustrated and disgusted.

    "Normal" weight for me is 136, which means I'm over 50 pounds overweight...I don't know why and wish I didn't care so much about this....I look and feel good.

    Help :(

    I don't want to be the mean guy here, but if you're a 5'5 woman who is 187 lbs with "very little fat" then you are enormously muscled up. Like... powerlifter "I can squat 450 and bench 275" muscled up. Maybe you are, I dunno, but I don't get that impression from your post and picture.
  • Ultragirl2374
    Ultragirl2374 Posts: 390 Member
    It goes to show you what good that chart is, doesn't it. I'm pretty sure that every muscle-bound bodybuilder with low body fat % would classify as "obese" using BMI

    LOL...I just realized someone else posted pretty much the exact same thing. Great minds! :wink:
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I also am 5.5. I started at 185 pounds and was bulging out of size 16 pants and wearing large and extra large shirts. I've lost 24 pounds and now weigh 161 pounds and some of my size 12 pants fit nicely, while others are still a bit tight.
    You must have a lot of muscle mass for there to be such a drastic difference. I haven't been able to wear size 10s since I weighed 150. And I'm pretty strong and active too.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    BMI is a good indication of where you are if you're not athletic. It's also a good descriptor of populations in general, because it's rare for someone to be in the overweight ranges with low body fat.
  • brijay2371
    brijay2371 Posts: 4
    I am 41 years old. I am 5'5" tall and weigh 187. I have very little fat (belly only), I am very muscly and wear a size 10 pants size M shirt.
    I went to the doc on Monday for my annual physical to find that I have an over 31 BMI. I'm so frustrated and disgusted.

    "Normal" weight for me is 136, which means I'm over 50 pounds overweight...I don't know why and wish I didn't care so much about this....I look and feel good.

    Help :(

    I don't want to be the mean guy here, but if you're a 5'5 woman who is 187 lbs with "very little fat" then you are enormously muscled up. Like... powerlifter "I can squat 450 and bench 275" muscled up. Maybe you are, I dunno, but I don't get that impression from your post and picture.

    Not mean at all. I'm not bursting at the seams like "The Hulk" muscly, but I have a fair amount of muscle. I don't have skin that waves back at you when I move my arms. I don't have back fat, it's defined if I'm lifting (and yes I do lift some). My legs and bum do not jiggle when I walk.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I am 41 years old. I am 5'5" tall and weigh 187. I have very little fat (belly only), I am very muscly and wear a size 10 pants size M shirt.
    I went to the doc on Monday for my annual physical to find that I have an over 31 BMI. I'm so frustrated and disgusted.

    "Normal" weight for me is 136, which means I'm over 50 pounds overweight...I don't know why and wish I didn't care so much about this....I look and feel good.

    Help :(

    I don't want to be the mean guy here, but if you're a 5'5 woman who is 187 lbs with "very little fat" then you are enormously muscled up. Like... powerlifter "I can squat 450 and bench 275" muscled up. Maybe you are, I dunno, but I don't get that impression from your post and picture.

    Not mean at all. I'm not bursting at the seams like "The Hulk" muscly, but I have a fair amount of muscle. I don't have skin that waves back at you when I move my arms. I don't have back fat, it's defined if I'm lifting (and yes I do lift some). My legs and bum do not jiggle when I walk.

    What's your body fat %?
  • brijay2371
    brijay2371 Posts: 4
    32% is what the Body Fat Percentage Calculator says...but I don't know. My waist is the only place that has pudge on it. LOL
    Oh well, I'm here and I'm looking for support on my weight loss journey.
  • rosha267
    rosha267 Posts: 16 Member
    I feel like everyone here gives really bad advice when it comes to utilizing bmi calculators so reading this really made me happy.
  • mistesh
    mistesh Posts: 243 Member
    Yes, annoyingly and as someone said, measuring your waist circumference is generally the preferred way in BMI to factor in being large-framed or muscular, sort of like the age in BMR and activity in TDEE. I suppose you could also simply ballpark it if that would work reasonably.

    Boosting my own metabolism is limited to daily one hour walks and staying mostly snack-free. Some suggest to eat often to keep your blood sugar constant, but that means constantly elevated. Maintaining low levels of insulin allows your body to more easily tap into your stored fat for fuel.

    I have been in the normal BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 throughout my entire adult life. My personal range is 20.5 to 22.9, so two units of cushion from either end. My normal BMI is 21.0, and I'm currently at 20.7. I'm lean, but not particularly muscular, so the BMI chart works for me.

    An online body fat calculator tells me my percentage is slightly over the midway point within the healthy range of body fat for my age. I should be ok by that, but maybe the best would be to have my doctor's office run a test, as I don't really know. Is that how you make sure and what would help OP?

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