BMI?

seraphcaeli · June 2011

I am new to the site and this is a question that has probably been asked before, but I couldn't find it.

I am 5'2" and 204 lbs. According to the BMI, I am obese and my target weight range is 101-136 lbs. I don't see how this can be accurate. I haven't weighed under 130 lbs since middle school. In high school, I was on the cross country team, ran 5-8 miles every day, and I looked great. But I was always in the 140-150 lb range. I feel like that range ought to be my target, since that was where I was at when I hit the peak of my fitness level. I have always had a curvy build and honestly, I think I would look unhealthy at 101 lbs.

So is the BMI accurate? Or should I continue striving instead to be back at the weight that seems healthy to me?

sweetheart03622 · June 2011

1. Don't expect to weigh what you did in high school... I'm currently smaller than I was in high school (based on my measurements) and I weight 25lbs more than I did in high school.
2. I asked my doctor the same thing. She said that BMI is pretty much crap and to look at it this way... size 14 is about the very highest that a woman can go without bumping in to the "overweight" category. Size 8 is considered "healthy". I'm currently 160, according to my BMI I'm overweight (by about 10lbs) and I'm a size 8. BMI is crap for any woman with muscle.

Hope this helps

anna_lisa · June 2011

every person is different every body is different. I too am almost 5'2" and when I weigh 145-150 I am size 4 or 5. I don't know if I could weigh 130 or less. i would be non-existent. I also don't want to be skinny skinny. I like a little curve and softness when I am smaller than I am now.

We sound very similar.

Go for what you feel is healthly. if you would rather be 140-150 be that.

Azdak · June 2011

I am new to the site and this is a question that has probably been asked before, but I couldn't find it.

I am 5'2" and 204 lbs. According to the BMI, I am obese and my target weight range is 101-136 lbs. I don't see how this can be accurate. I haven't weighed under 130 lbs since middle school. In high school, I was on the cross country team, ran 5-8 miles every day, and I looked great. But I was always in the 140-150 lb range. I feel like that range ought to be my target, since that was where I was at when I hit the peak of my fitness level. I have always had a curvy build and honestly, I think I would look unhealthy at 101 lbs.

So is the BMI accurate? Or should I continue striving instead to be back at the weight that seems healthy to me?

If 140-150 is what you think your target should be, then that's what it should be.

Regardless of any BMI reading, height/weight chart, fitness magazine, etc recommendations, the fact is that you are now 5'2" and 204 lbs. Work on that and let the rest take care of itself. Trust me, if you can get to 140-150, wondering whether or not to continue and go lower will be a nice problem to have. Right now, it's the least of your worries.

For the record BMI should not be used on individuals. It is a valid statistical measurement for analyzing large groups, but a poor tool for evaluating individuals or for setting target weight guidelines. Ignore it.

freckledLeanne · June 2011

BMI is not accurate. Like you say, it doesn't account for body type. My BMI wants me to be 120-ish, but a trainer at my gym did the test which shows how many calories your body naturally burns when it's at rest and how much body fat you have, and really, I should be aiming for more like 150.

elliecolorado · June 2011

Personally I don't think that BMI is accurate. I was the same way in high school I played sports and ran a lot and was still considered 'over weight'. Personally I want to get back to that and don't really think it matters that my goal weight is technically a few pounds 'over weight'. I think if that is a weight you were comfortable at then there is nothing wrong with shooting for that weight again.

kdelost630 · June 2011

I would say get down to the weight that you feel comfortable in. If you look and feel healthy, I wouldn't worry about getting down to a certain weight. People's ideal weights can vary based on bone size and such. I'm not aiming to get to my healthy range either.

kr3851 · June 2011

I like to think of the BMI as a guide to where I should aim to be. My 12 year old nephew weighs what the lower end of my BMI is - so I'm not convinced that it will be a healthy weight for me. I'm concentrating on getting out of 'morbidly obese' (1 kg to go!), then will work on getting to overweight. In the end, my body will tell me when it's ready to stop losing, and that's when I'll try maintenance. I don't want to be stick-thin, I want to be healthy with a little muscle - and since muscle is more compact I'm not likely to ever hit the low end of the 'healthy' range.

All that is 47kg away though. It'll be a long journey!!

courtneylwatson · June 2011

I am also 5'2 and right now I weigh 188lbs. When I was in high school I weighed 112 but I did not have an ounce of muscle on me. From what I have seen if I would have worked out then and built muscle and not really changed my size my bmi would have gone up too an unhealthy range. I have a friend that is 5'3 wearing a size 6 but according to her bmi she is overweight. My goal is the top side of the healthy range. I am aiming for 135, I haven't weighed that since halfway through my first pregnancy. I would aim for what feels healthy for you unless you have a medical problem and a doctor is pushing you to lose more.

Lleldiranne · June 2011

BMI doesn't take into account muscle. By the BMI calculations, most body builders would be "obese" (even though they have barely any fat on them!!)

I think you should aim for a weight that is comfortable to you (135-140 maybe, at least to start, or more if you want it to feel more manageable) and then also track your % body fat. Skin fold caliper measurements are most accurate (when you have someone who is trained to do them, and to interpret them - check with your gym), but you can also use a scale or other machine that does biometric impedance. Set a goal for 25-30% body fat to start, but I think optimum for a woman is 22-27% (I'm not sure on those numbers, I haven't looked it up in a really really long time)

lisapickering · June 2011

Your target should be whatever you want it to be. If you are comfortable at 140-150 then that should be your goal. Don't let anyone dictate it -- it's your body!

My goal is 145 which is the high end of my BMI and then I'm going to decide from there what my ultimate goal will be.

Elizabeth_C34 · June 2011

BMI is notoriously "loose." Shoot for a goal that you feel healthy at. Every body shape is different, and the BMI does not account for those changes. If you are unsure of your goals, you should consult a nutritionist or a doctor.

seraphcaeli · June 2011

Wow, thanks guys! That makes me feel much better. I saw that obese thing and almost had a heart attack. Even at my current weight, which is definitely overweight, I still don't think I look that bad. I don't think of people who look like me when I think of what an obese person looks like.

BMI?

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