Silly Question, But Need Input. The weight I feel 'ideal'/best at is not what BMI says is 'ideal'

amandakev88
amandakev88 Posts: 328 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
But I feel sexiest, healthiest, fittest at that number, which is still a 25 on the BMI scale. I think it may have to do with the shape of my body, its naturally curvy, but if i drop 40 pounds and feel like that's where i should stay, is that "okay"? even though its not a trainer/bmi/whatever's ideal? its still one point away from the 'healthy' range. but combined with other things [eating well, exercising, quitting smoking etc] i feel like its a huge healthy change. does this make sense? has anybody else felt this way, like they look better at 150 than 130, a more 'accepted' number? maybe i got some sort of dysmorphia here or something but i just wanted to know if anybody has any input. =] thank you
«1

Replies

  • ravenrainchild
    ravenrainchild Posts: 22 Member
    This is not a silly question. You do what feels best for you. But you have to ask yourself "why" do you feel better at a certain weight? If the answer is truly because you think you look bomb in whatever you wear and you wake up feeling good, then you do you girl.
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
    Yes, I felt the best, had boundless energy and looked great in my clothes when my BMI was at 25 which for me is 218 lbs.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    BMI is not an exact science, it's just a guideline. 25 is right on the edge of normal/overweight BMI. If you are healthy and fit and happy and your BMI is 25, there is no reason to lose more. Unless perhaps your insurance company requires it or something stupid like that. :\
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    BMI was never intended to tell you what your ideal weight is. BMI is a screening tool that is intended to identify people who are at an increased risk of health problems.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
    I'm five-two. My fightin' weight is 145, which is about 25. But that's where I have my optimum athletic performance.

    I probably LOOK like a more acceptable consumable at a lighter weight, but hey, I prefer to be able to kick *kitten*.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Yes, that is fine. BMI is an indicator based on groups, not individuals. Some people like it as a starting point to figure out an approximate goal weight or range but it's not the be all and end all of weight figures. I used it to figure out my first goal, which was getting into a healthy range. Now that I'm within that range, I'm using the "I'll know it when I see it" method of figuring out when to stop losing.

    How you feel and look at a weight is very highly dependent on your body type (curvy, straight, etc.) and fitness level and a variety of factors. What is ideal for you may not be ideal for your next door neighbor who is the exact same age and height as you.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    BMI is not an exact science, it's just a guideline. 25 is right on the edge of normal/overweight BMI. If you are healthy and fit and happy and your BMI is 25, there is no reason to lose more. Unless perhaps your insurance company requires it or something stupid like that. :\

    This. BMI is not a perfect tool. It's already been shown to be outright ridiculous for body builders. It's also a bit off if you have a large bone structure. I look horrible at less than the midpoint of my weight range. I'm large boned with wide shoulders and a large rib cage at 5'3". I'm also rather muscular, I always have been even without lifting weights. My mother and sisters, on the other hand, are very fine boned and look more petite. The same weight on them looks entirely different than it does on me.

    As long as you're healthy at the weight you feel best at there's no reason for you to struggle to maintain anything less.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It depends how muscular you are too. A lot of athletes are actually overweight or obese if you go by BMI alone.

    Personally though... I know it's probably not a popular opinion but a lot of people use the 'curves' excuse to justify carrying extra fat. Unless they are underweight, women have curves, that's how we're made... I still have plenty of curves with my BMI of 22 and I'm sure I would have curves at a BMI of 20 or 21 too (but I'll be happy at 21.5).
  • tanowicki
    tanowicki Posts: 60 Member
    I'm a little confused by your post where you say you're happiest at BMI 25 but then say you have to drop 40 lbs to get there.

    Since 24.9 is normal, I really don't see why 25 is bad. I like to be in the 24.5 - 25 range which is about a 5 lb range although my doctor wouldn't object if I was in the 26 - 26.5 range.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I have the opposite issue, at least from what I remember when I was thin. I NEVER look good until I'm quite low in my "acceptable" range.
  • sweetdixie92
    sweetdixie92 Posts: 655 Member
    BMI is a good rough guide, but it's not 100% accurate. Your physique and muscle mass plays a large role, and BMI doesn't take that into consideration.

    If you feel good at a certain weight, then stick with it! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
  • RebelDiamond
    RebelDiamond Posts: 188 Member
    As someone who went from a BMI of 29 to 22, I can say that at both ends of this spectrum I have days where I feel absolutely fab and some days where I feel absolutely meh about my body.
    The only difference is that now when I feel meh, I think about how much fitter I am, how much stronger I am (mentally and physically) and how far I've come. Which makes me feel better. Those meh days are far less frequent.
    If you feel good about yourself and your health isn't at risk, you're in a much better place than most people!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    I have the opposite issue, at least from what I remember when I was thin. I NEVER look good until I'm quite low in my "acceptable" range.

    Yeah, I look better at a 20-21 than 25, but I feel good and would be perfectly healthy at 25, I'm sure.
  • 1bellringer1
    1bellringer1 Posts: 55 Member
    If I use my BMI, I look weird, I have big boobs and curves and it's a blessing and a curse. I look completely off balance when I am below 150 so that keeps me in the over weight category but I don't mind at all. I feel healthy and good about myself at around 155 even though my BMI says I should be 10 lbs lighter and my Dr. is good with that. I stayed 152 -157 for 16 years but blew up after multiple rounds of Prednisone last year. I ate everything that wasn't nailed to the floor and paid a 35lb price for it. Bottom line, get to where you feel the best within reason, and are happy, healthy, and eating the right foods and you will be fine.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    Personally my starting point was a BMI of 24.8 and when I started (5.5. Lbs ago) I wanted to lose 30lbs which would put me at the lower part of the BMI scale with a BMI of 21. I have been close to that before and looked a lot better. I know I'm not that big now but I am not comfortable with my body, mainly due to my body fat % which is around 33%. I'd like to lose the weight and get down to around 23%.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    it's fine to be above the acceptable BMI range. You will be healthier than when you started. And remember you can always change your mind and go lower if in a year or two that's what you want.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    I wonder this, too. I brought my BMI from 39 to 27. My plan has always been to get below 25 (so 17ish more pounds), but my doctor said he didn't think I need to lose any more weight. It really threw me for a loop. I don't feel like I'm ready to stop.
  • katherine_startrek_fan
    katherine_startrek_fan Posts: 425 Member
    My doctor recommended the ideal weight for me is near the top of the overweight bracket. I started at a little over 40 on the BMI scale and am now down to 33/34.

    I struggle a bit with it as well, because I'd love to be well within the healthy BMI bracket, but am not sure if I could healthfully get there, especially when my doc thinks it would be too low for my frame.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited January 2015
    I chose my goal weight to be about 8-10 lb under the top end of the healthy BMI range.
    Once I get there, I'll see how I feel / look & maybe I'll stay there, maybe I'll lose a little more.
    But based on the research into health done on populations to get the BMI scale / categories, I do want to be below 25.

    My doctor originally said he didn't think that was a reasonable or attainable goal for me, because (I thought) it was the weight I was in high school. Well, back then I was already too heavy! So that's not a reasonable excuse for me not to get to that weight.

    51637601.png
  • Holla4mom
    Holla4mom Posts: 587 Member
    That's very interesting to be told you need to be at the top of the overweight range. For my body, there's no way I could achieve that and still have a waist measurement that in a healthy range (i.e. 1/2 my height) or even under 35 inches where health risks increase. Possibly get a second opinion if you losing for health purposes and were planning to lose more.
    katherine_startrek_fan wrote: »
    My doctor recommended the ideal weight for me is near the top of the overweight bracket. I started at a little over 40 on the BMI scale and am now down to 33/34.

    I struggle a bit with it as well, because I'd love to be well within the healthy BMI bracket, but am not sure if I could healthfully get there, especially when my doc thinks it would be too low for my frame.

  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    My doc says for me personally bmi is a joke but I'm very well endowed and broad shouldered enough to pull off the shoulder pad trend without shoulder pads. 130 is healthy on bmi but I look top heavy at 140 and kinda sick last time.
  • royston_ashby
    royston_ashby Posts: 71 Member
    BMI isn't a direct indicator of how healthy or fit you are. I wouldn't worry about it. BMI is great in identifying how obese people are but when it comes down to people like yourself, I wouldn't be disheartened by that at all. the fact that it doesn't take muscle mass into consideration is key to anyone who involves themselves with resistance training and a fitness based lifestyle.
  • emma_vdv
    emma_vdv Posts: 34 Member
    I never look at my BMI- because I'm very short it currently says I'm clinically obese at a BMI of 32 (I'm a UK size 12-14/US 8-10) so the doc says its nonsense; even at my skinniest (UK size 8 which i think is US 4) it showed me at overweight as i have broad hips, shoulders and a big chest at any weight.
    It's more important to feel healthy and make good choices- Body Mass Index measures exactly that; mass. It can't differentiate between fat, muscle or a really big hat so it's not worth spending too much time on. As you've said, you feel sexiest and best at a particular number; so long as it's a healthy number go with it!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Well If I do my weight loss like I want to then I will be an overweight single digit body fat % percent.
    Like other had said do what makes you happy.
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
    Not silly question at all.

    I think 'ideal' weight will be different for everyone. I recently came across this article which I found addresses your question far more eloquently than I can.

    Finding our happy weight I think may or may not be the same as what a stagnate one-dimensional scale dictates as an ideal for all. As others have mentioned, BMI is a great starting point for a goal - ie. my first goal was the weight smack in between the BMI range for my height. But it certainly shouldn't be gospel because it does not take in other variables which impacts what our personal healthy weight range should be.

    Best of luck to you!

    [url="Instead of 'ideal' weight, we should aim for 'happy' weight: https://www.yahoo.com/health/how-to-find-your-happy-weight-108652123452.html "]https://yahoo.com/health/how-to-find-your-happy-weight-108652123452.html [/url]
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    BMI is not an exact science, it's just a guideline. 25 is right on the edge of normal/overweight BMI. If you are healthy and fit and happy and your BMI is 25, there is no reason to lose more. Unless perhaps your insurance company requires it or something stupid like that. :\

    QFT
  • amandakev88
    amandakev88 Posts: 328 Member
    edited January 2015
    ravenrainchild wrote: »
    This is not a silly question. You do what feels best for you. But you have to ask yourself "why" do you feel better at a certain weight? If the answer is truly because you think you look bomb in whatever you wear and you wake up feeling good, then you do you girl.
    shabaity wrote: »
    My doc says for me personally bmi is a joke but I'm very well endowed and broad shouldered enough to pull off the shoulder pad trend without shoulder pads. 130 is healthy on bmi but I look top heavy at 140 and kinda sick last time.

    these are both EXACTLY what im talking about. the answer truly is, because i look better in whatever i wear and i wake up feeling healthy at a weight that is still slightly over the 140 mark [which is 'healthy'. im top heavy and fairly muscular as well. i look sickly if i drop below 140. I feel like I *looked* best at about 160, whereas my fitness was best around 150 [strength and cardio-wise]. 160 is much smaller than my heaviest of 205.

    i appreciate the help, all.
  • amandakev88
    amandakev88 Posts: 328 Member
    emma_vdv wrote: »
    Body Mass Index measures exactly that; mass. It can't differentiate between fat, muscle or a really big hat so it's not worth spending too much time on. As you've said, you feel sexiest and best at a particular number; so long as it's a healthy number go with it!

    a big hat. lol.. i love it!
  • SwitzEngine
    SwitzEngine Posts: 3,418 Member
    Forget BMW. I have a BMI of 26 and Bf of 11%. This is not correct. You have to take multiple factors / measurements into account.
  • Dave2041
    Dave2041 Posts: 257 Member
    BMI can be a red herring (i'm 6' 3" so it's not ideal for me) I find that body fat percentage is a much better measure. Once you know your body fat % you can work out your bodys weight at various %'s then shoot for the bf% you want.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories