Very high BMI with a short stature

jmbcab7
jmbcab7 Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 4'3" little person and I weigh 250. This gives me a bmi of about 62 which is extremely high. First of all I could
Use your encouragement as well as does anyone know if bmi is measured on little people different than that
Of an average height person. I've been a member of MFP for awhile now and don't seem to going anywhere.
My orthopedic specialist told me to use 1600 calories and weight loss is 85% caloric intake and 15% exercise.
I have a very sedentary lifestyle due to my weight load. Looking forward to your comments and I wish you a great
Day. Jimmy.

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I'm not sure if BMI is accurate but it doesn't really matter. 250 would be morbidly obese if you were 5'3" and obese if you were 6'3". 1600 calories sounds like a fine way to get started on a weight loss journey. Most weight loss will come from your food intake (or lack thereof) while exercise is good for fitness. Log every bite that passes your lips, including all drinks, cream in coffee, tastes, and the candy you had.
  • craziecritter
    craziecritter Posts: 201 Member
    There are a lot of chair exercises that you can do. In fact zumba has one that you can find on youtube. I know a woman who was on weight watchers and she has lost 400 lbs from a wheelchair. If your Dr.s says 1600 I would stick to that or talk to them again about it. Maybe you also see a dietitian alot of insurance companies will pay for you to see one.

    You can do it!! Good Luck in your journey.
  • AngelaMarieMs
    AngelaMarieMs Posts: 21
    If you are able to swim there are tons of swimming workouts.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    BMI is a comparison between height and weight, so it already takes your short stature into account.

    I think that 1600 calories is a good starting place. Make sure that most of them come from nutritious food. Treats are okay on occasion but 1600 calories of junk is not going to satisfy you all day, and you won't be getting the nutrients you need.

    It's true that most of weight loss is based on what you eat. Do what you can to get moving as well, though, because it will help speed weight loss and it will help you feel better in the long run.

    You can do this!
  • joyousmartin
    joyousmartin Posts: 9 Member
    Just wanted to say good luck on beginning your weight loss journey! My grandma is 4'5", and she is a spitfire little lady. :) Have you checked the groups on MFP to see if there are any other little people who could offer some personal insights for you?
  • NinjaChickie
    NinjaChickie Posts: 118 Member
    I don't put much faith in the BMI scale.. by its measure Duane "The Rock" Johnson is morbidly obese.

    It is meant as a generic calculation for completely sedentary people. if you exercise even a little and start building muscle its essentially a useless number. Heres a link to an article i read last year that explains BMI pretty well.

    http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/truth-about-bmi

    From personal experience, I am the same height as my mom 5'2", however I weight 10-15 lbs more than her, so I have a higher BMI, however my measurements are actually smaller than hers because I have more muscle. I look smaller than her, and she's always baffled when I tell her how much i weigh.

    Like the last paragraph of the article says "...people know if they're overweight—so be your own judge. Look in the mirror, monitor your jean size, and talk to your doctor. But don't rely on a flawed formula to determine your health status."
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Just focus on your dietary changes at the moment. It's easier to commit to one small change at a time than to jump in and try to do all the things. 1600 sounds reasonable to me. Good luck!

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