Ideal Weight

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3wdl
3wdl Posts: 45
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I'm currently on a VLCD (I know the risks, thanks) and will be using MFP after I have finished to help maintain my weight loss.

At the moment I've set a target loss of 125lb (started at 300lb) but to be honest I just plucked that out of the air and according to the BMI calculator this still makes me overweight.

Is the BMI meaningful? Perhaps I'll just "know" when I have lost enough but I am keen to set my final target so I know how far away I am from succeeding.

How have others set their targets?

Thanks
James

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    My first goal was to get into the healthy weight range, which was the top weight that would put me into the healthy BMI range. BMI was developed based on groups rather than individuals so it's not the best "are you healthy" indicator but, for me, it was a place to start. I am not an extremely muscled athlete so I feel like I don't fall into one of the outlier populations as far as BMI goes.

    Anyway, that was my first goal. Now my goal is pretty much just to lose my belly fat. I am guessing that will be another 10-15 pounds. That's my best guess based on the fact that it is the last place where I lose fat and the rest of my body is getting fairly lean.

    I do think it comes down to you knowing it when you know it. It's good to have some intermediate goals in addition to any short term goals that you might have. For instance, my short term goals have always been "the next 5 pounds." Then the intermediate goal was top BMI. Then final goal is "I know it when I see it."
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    edited October 2014
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    How tall are you? And what are your goals outside of weight loss? And I assume the VLCD is only temporary to get out of the danger zone?

    Personally, I dont look at weight, I look at body fat % and composition as this will provide much greater results in terms of looks than BMI and weight.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    For most of the population, the BMI is a good guide. It has a wide range of weight for any given height to allow for having smaller/larger bone structure or more muscle.

    If one is very small-framed or very muscular or has very dense bones its range won't be realistic, but those special snowflakes are quite rare.

    LiKe jemhh, my initial goal is to get into the top end of a healthy weight range. When I get there, I'll see how I feel. I could see dropping another 10 lb, possibly 15, but I'm hoping that by then I'll have developed enough muscles so being a bit on the heavy end is reasonable & looks marvelous.

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  • 3wdl
    3wdl Posts: 45
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    Thanks for the replies. To answer the specific question from psulemon - I am 5ft 7lb and the aim is to be off the VLCD (Lighterlife) after 25 weeks.

    The main goal outside of the weight loss is mainly to get more exercise and especially on the bike. I have entered the ballot for the Ride 100 next year.
  • 3wdl
    3wdl Posts: 45
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    Also how do you calculate your body fat % ? Are these via special scales (appreciate I can google this and find the result!) and is it reliable?
  • yourpalsoap
    yourpalsoap Posts: 88
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    3wdl wrote: »
    Also how do you calculate your body fat % ? Are these via special scales (appreciate I can google this and find the result!) and is it reliable?

    there are lots of different methods (measurements, calipers, water displacement, etc) and they vary a lot re: reliability. measuring is cheap but inaccurate, although the more accurate methods are super expensive. if you're not bothered by being 1-2% out then it's not important...

    at 175lbs you'll just barely be in the overweight category but, with muscle mass, that could be exactly where you want to be :--)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    3wdl wrote: »
    Also how do you calculate your body fat % ? Are these via special scales (appreciate I can google this and find the result!) and is it reliable?

    The scales that use impedance to estimate BF% are pretty unreliable as they can be influenced significantly by your state of hydration.

    The most reliable (and costly) is hydrostatic testing (you're immersed in water and the amount of water you displace is measured), If someone knows what they're doing using body calipers can be quite accurate.

    Back to the original topic .....BMI is useful for measuring populations, less so for individuals as it doesn't really account for lean mass vs fat. A bodybuilder may have a BMI that suggest obesity with a very low % body fat. If your target is 175 at your height you're getting into the healthy range.

    Good luck!

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    3wdl wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies. To answer the specific question from psulemon - I am 5ft 7lb and the aim is to be off the VLCD (Lighterlife) after 25 weeks.

    The main goal outside of the weight loss is mainly to get more exercise and especially on the bike. I have entered the ballot for the Ride 100 next year.
    Well good luck to you. I would suspect 160-175 is a good range to aim for. Once you get near that you can reassess as required. Since you are VLCD, just aim to get a good amounts of protein and do resistance training. This can aid in maintenance of metabolic functions and offset unnecessary muscle loss.
  • 3wdl
    3wdl Posts: 45
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    Thanks all. Seems like I am aiming for around the right weight to start with but am also going to get looking into some way of checking the body fat % - potentially with some new scales to start with!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    How tall are you? And what are your goals outside of weight loss? And I assume the VLCD is only temporary to get out of the danger zone?

    Personally, I dont look at weight, I look at body fat % and composition as this will provide much greater results in terms of looks than BMI and weight.

    This^

    The scale is just one number.....and not the most important one (for health) either. People with a good percentage of lean muscle can weigh more than those with less muscle....yet still look really good.

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