BMI on an indivial basis

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tacticalcraptical
tacticalcraptical Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 6' 2" and a year and a half ago I weighed 312 lbs. Today I weigh 205 lbs. My original goal was to get to 195 lbs because that seems to be where I would no longer be considered overweight in terms of BMI.
Many of my family and friends are saying I should not lose more. I will be too scrawny. It would not be healthy. I am not sure if this is just them being nice or they are just used to seeing me bigger so it looks weird to them.
I am also having a hard time getting past 205 lbs. been stuck her for a bit.

I know the BMI is not always accurate so I am wondering, what is the best/easiest way to tell what my ideal weight really should be?

I personally feel I could probably lose another 10+ lbs. Though most acquaintances disagree. I still have a small stomach lump a set of small rolls under my pectorals.

Any ideas?

Replies

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Another few pounds probably won't hurt you, but getting someone to measure your body fat percentage might help you decide.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The best person to ask about what is right for your health is your doctor. Friends and family could be lying for various reasons.

    The doctor's job is to tell you the truth about your health. If you need to keep losing, he will tell you. If you should stop, he will tell you that, too.

    Every weight loss journey should be overseen by a doctor. If you haven't seen yours, go do that. :)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Take your clothes off, stand in front of a mirror, and take a look. If you are okay with what you see, stay where you are. If you think there's a bit too much there, lose more weight. If you think your overall size is okay but you'd like to just firm up more, considering maintaining your weight while lifting heavy weights for more of a recomp.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    BMI does not work very well when applied to an individual. It is much better when applied to a population. Example: Take my current profile picture. Despite having a relatively low body percentage, I am overweight using BMI. For me to be "normal" on the BMI scale I'd have to lose 16 more lbs. (205 down to 189). This would put me at extremely low body fat and would be something that I doubt I would be able to maintain for more than just a short period of time. It would also be hell getting there. You can tell from looking at yourself in the mirror if losing more weight is a good idea or not. Don't let a somewhat arbitrary number be your guide.
  • tacticalcraptical
    tacticalcraptical Posts: 20 Member
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    I don't have my own doctor, which I need to find. I was just hoping there was another way to find out or calculate it. I guess not. I am pretty sure by looking at myself, I still have a little more to go down.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    If you aren't unusually tall, short, or muscular it's a reasonable stating point. Given where you fall on the scale and your personal feelings about it, it's likely losing the last few pounds would be fine if that's what you want.
  • BumbleBreeBuzz
    BumbleBreeBuzz Posts: 83 Member
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    I've been thinking the same thing. I've lost 10 lbs and i already feel a lot better but my BMI says i should lose another 25 lbs to he out of the "overweight" range. I am very short though

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