Do you set your goals based on BMI?

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YorriaRaine
YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was curious if this is how many people set their goals. I know my first goal is 159 pounds, which would put me at the very tippy top of what is considered a healthy weight according to this website's bmi app.

I also heard a few people saying they are aiming for the "middle" of the healthy bmi range as their ideal weight.

I was planning on getting to my goal weight then switching my deficit to -.5 pounds a week and focus on strength training more. Right now I'm mainly focusing on my diet and I'm gonna start focusing fairly soon on cardio to hopefully improve my resting heart rate, which is fairly high in the 85-90 range. Cardio has been hard for me cuz my right knee is extremely weak but I found an exercise I can do that doesn't stress it out too much.

Was curious if people used BMI as a indicator for what their weight goals should be?

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I don't, but BMI provides a decent basic framework for looking at weight and height in normal people. There are several caveats, and these are mentioned along with every BMI calculator I've seen.

    The top of the normal range (25) as a woman is probably a good point for further evaluation.
  • chelseafisher5648
    chelseafisher5648 Posts: 60 Member
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    I don't. I set many goals. I have the goal to just get through the day. I have a weight goal to meet at end of week an end of month. I have a long term goal that I know I look an feel good at and if I get there and want to lose another five than I will have a new goal. I also shoot for mile stone goals like getting from 150 to 149. Each time I drop ten lbs an enter another bracket 170 to 169, 160 to 159, 150 to 149 next it makes me happy I know its one lb that day an long term I hav been dropping to get there but love seeing that second number change.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
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    Yes. My current goal is to get to the first weight that is considered "healthy" by the BMI standards. I started with the goal of getting out of the obese, down to the overweight category (achieved! Yay!)

    I am now about 15 pounds away from a normal BMI. Once I get there, I will decide what my next goal will be, and whether I would want to lose any more weight.
  • chase128
    chase128 Posts: 8 Member
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    For me its more about lowering body fat % (and inches) than anything else. BMI is an index of mass to height without taking into account composition. I use a couple different types of bioelectrical impedance sensors to track my body fat, and while i know they are not accurate, the trend they show is more important than the numbers.

    I would much rather be at a healthy body fat % and high on the BMI scale, then have a low BMI with a higher fat% and less muscle. (don't want to be skinny-fat)

    The only time that I would personally consider shooting for a specific BMI is when something like a long term insurance rate would depend on it. I know they occasionally do this when renegotiating things like life insurance.
  • jhellwig828
    jhellwig828 Posts: 109 Member
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    My very first goal was to get in to the healthy BMI category. It took me losing 19 pounds to get there. Then I was like, well if I can lose 19, I can lose 25. Then if I can lose 25, I can lose 30, then 40 and now I am shooting for a target weight. Once I hit 130 I want to maintain between 130 and 135 and work on toning my still very flabby parts!
  • Kaylaef
    Kaylaef Posts: 194 Member
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    No, i do not. BMI doesn't make sense for me, or my body. At the moment, I am considered obese with a BMI of 31. 192 lbs, 5/5. However, I wear a size 30 pants, and medium/large shirt. My goal is to get between 170-175 and then focus on training. Which still puts me with a BMI of 28, the highend of overweight...At the moment, I would and my doctor consider me to be overweight, not obese. Just doesn't make sense for me. Not for my body at least :). I kinda base it on--the last timeo f was 170, it was easy to maintain at the weight, i looked and felt fabulous! Travelling and love made me fat again. haha.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    No...According to BMI I'm overweight. I'm at a healthy BF% though...and it's not like I'm some kind of huge body builder or anything.

    At the highest end of the BMI range for my stats I would be really lean @ 10-12% BF or so. To get any lower I would actually have to burn muscle which would be just about stupid.

    I go by BF% and body composition.
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
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    I used a combination of BMI a Body Fat Percentage calculator to set my goal weight. I have a large bone structure / frame & much of the "normal" weight range for my height would not leave my body with a healthy BF%. For that reason, I am aiming to stay within the normal range by only about 10lbs & at that point focus exclusively on strength training & toning.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    nope BF% and clothing size...
  • vicabra
    vicabra Posts: 56 Member
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    I have not calculated based on BMI. Although "when" I meet my goal, I will be 5lbs under my "ideal weight". I tried to be reasonable in my goal, my intention was not to be back at my weight when I got married, but to a weight know I can be comfortable with myself in all aspects. Who knows, after I meet my goal...I may want to keep going!

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