BMI

rbilberry
rbilberry Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
ok, I am a white male 33 years old 6'1" and weigh 256 according to all major websites Wii fit and other programs i am considered obese. OUCH! what a ugly term!
Honestly I dont look "Obese" my legs are tone, very little fat, my neck and arms are tone, face isnt chubby just my mid section

My point is my ideal weight says I should weigh 166. in high school I weighed 200-210 and I was a STICK! I fear I I get to my "Scientifically ideal weight" I would be so skinny and maybe a little sick.

Is there certain conditions to the rules or something about BMI and ideal weight because there is just no way I could weigh 166

Replies

  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    BMI is just an average and will not apply to everyone. A far better indicator would be you BF%. Find out what that is and give yourself a better goal.

    Funny enough, it wasn't until I looked up my BMI and saw that I was clinically obese that I really got serious about my own weight loss. It might be an ugly word but it's an effective one.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    body fat is an alternative measure - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

    under 10% is fairly low for a man

    It does depend how muscular you are, 190 might be a more reasonable target.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Who the hell says your ideal weight is 166?

    You could be up to 189 and have your BMI in the 'okay' range (190 would give you 25.1). If you lose the weight off your belly and you're still over normal BMI, get your bodyfat % tested.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Wow, 6'1" and 166lbs is supposed to be "ideal"? :huh:

    I don't pay any attention to BMI charts, but rather go by how I look in the mirror, how my clothes fit, and my body fat percentage. The number on the scale was important when I first set out to lose weight, but as I've hit my short term goals along the way and reached various goal weights, I've turned now to focusing on lowering my body fat percentage while hanging onto the lean muscle.

    I've managed this so far with the info and tools in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Great info there - eat at a small deficit from my TDEE, net above my BMR, lift weights, moderate cardio, eat well, drink water, get good rest. It's been working great for me.
  • rbilberry
    rbilberry Posts: 14 Member
    WOW! thanks everyone for the quick responses! ok it looks like my body fat % is what I should be looking at and thank yo for the tools, I'm going to get started on that right away
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
    BMI is nothing but government propaganda..........its their way of putting yet another label on us

    I have talked to numerous medical drs, and none of them give it any credence............again, if you look great and you know you are in shape, stay there

    I am considered overweight, and yet if I lost anymore, I woluld look anemic...............again, its not taken serious by the medical community, according to my brother in law as well, who is a General Practicioner..............
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
    I am aiming for 183!!! I am 6'0 and that puts me at a healthy BMI, not "ideal" but healthy, than going to shoot for a body fat% and not care about the weight anymore.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I am 6'1 and my current weight is around 168 - I'm female.

    Many of the men that I know that are near my height, have an easy 15 pounds on me and are healthy. The ones close to my weight or below, are quite thin with little muscle mass.

    I'd focus on body fat and muscle definition before putting much stock in BMI.

    :)
  • caly_man
    caly_man Posts: 281 Member
    forget BMI, I know its a tool, but IMO it doesnt apply to many.

    use the mirror and body fat percent as your main tools what weight you want to be, good luck
  • rbilberry
    rbilberry Posts: 14 Member
    I just ran my body fat calculations for the first time and this is what I got.
    Here's the information that you entered:
    Sex: male
    Weight: 156 pounds
    Wrist: 7 inches
    Waist: 47 inches
    Hip: 43 inches
    Forearm: 13 inches
    Based on this information, you have a lean body mass of 68.2 pounds. Your lean body mass includes everything in your body that's not fat. Now that we know your lean body mass, let's find out how much fat you're carrying around. We'll subtract your lean body mass from your weight and find you currently have 87.8 pounds of fat on your body.
    Your body fat percentage is 56.3%.
    NOW HERE IS MY QUESTION, in my original post I said my deal weight was 166 and the previous posts said that was crazy which I agree, was told to do a body fat test which I did but if i do the math from now to my "87.8" lbs of fat, I come out almost the same number.
    As mentioned in HS I weighed 210 and i felt great, I could run for miles.
    I am giving 210 as my goal weight and NOT 166, does anyone see anything wrong with this? (BTW I started at 270ish)
  • rbilberry
    rbilberry Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you :-)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Based on this information, you have a lean body mass of 68.2 pounds. Your lean body mass includes everything in your body that's not fat. Now that we know your lean body mass, let's find out how much fat you're carrying around. We'll subtract your lean body mass from your weight and find you currently have 87.8 pounds of fat on your body.
    Your body fat percentage is 56.3%.

    Is there a typo ? 68.2 + 87.8 = 156
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Based on this information, you have a lean body mass of 176.4 pounds. Your lean body mass includes everything in your body that's not fat. Now that we know your lean body mass, let's find out how much fat you're carrying around. We'll subtract your lean body mass from your weight and find you currently have 79.6 pounds of fat on your body.

    Your body fat percentage is 31.1%.


    You currently weigh 256 pounds with a body fat percentage of 31.1%. You would like to have a body fat percentage of 10%.

    Based on this information, your goal body weight should be:

    196 pounds
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    You put in your current weight with your current measurements, not your goal weight.

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