Target BMI?

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sequoialea
sequoialea Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
OK, so I used the the BMI tool and I am a little freaked out. It says by target weight range is 101.2 - 136.7 lbs. Really? It sucks being short! So, I have further to go than I thought. I guess 120 would be a good target? I honestly don't mind a little chub. I think 120 lbs is ridiculously low. What do others think about their "target weight range"? Is this a good thing to be concerned with or should I just stick to shedding the pounds and not worry about what weight I end up at?

Replies

  • McBody
    McBody Posts: 1,703 Member
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    Try inputting your information on this website:

    http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

    Then you get a few different options for a good range.
  • hstallings13
    hstallings13 Posts: 306
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    I would focus more on loosing inches than weight. I have always been heavier than I looked, so it depends more on what you want your body to look like. Weight is a number and often isn't an accurate measurement of how your body looks. So I would set a number for weight that you would like to see, but then I would put more focus on inches and how toned your body looks and feels
  • arhzon
    arhzon Posts: 150
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    I am in really great shape now (at least, good health and condition), and before the last 6 pounds I lost (which I was really trying to keep on), I was considered overweight by my BMI. There is another test you can take that roughly figures your lean muscle mass, and combined with your BMI calculator, you get a more accurate reflection of where you are, and where you want to be.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/

    I don't know where you are right now in terms of being lean, but as you lose weight, you may or may not find you want to stop a little heavier. If I went to my "perfect" weight by my BMI, I would be scrawny!
  • vaston
    vaston Posts: 38 Member
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    BMI is a tool established to help healthcare providers and others get a good idea as to where people are in relation to where they should be. It is primarily useful for people that are outside their target BMI. Once you get in the healthy range things change a bit regarding muscle mass vs body fat % etc, and the BMI is not as accurate. But for those of us trying to lose weight it's an excellent tool to guide us to a healthy weight range. Try checking your body fat % too. Yes, for the shorter people the BMI can be intimidating. But if the BMI says you should be around 135 and you are significantly higher than that, at least you have a goal weight automatically set for you right? Good luck!
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    Bear in mind other factors than BMI. It's a good range to work for, but other things, like body fat are also important- it's better to have a BMI of 27 and 20% body fat, than a BMI of 24 and be 40% fat! Also, bear in mind your frame (size of your bones / skeleton). There is such a thing as being "bigger-boned" as well as being smaller boned, regardless of height - some 5 foot tall' people would look great at 120lbs, others would look skinny.
  • rustyrn
    rustyrn Posts: 17 Member
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    It doesn't just suck to be short, I think the numbers for BMI are too low. I'm 6'1" and it says I should be 140-189, If I were to possibly get that low I would be a walking skeleton. I weigh 224 and can't ever see myself getting that low without stopping eating altogether and living on a treadmill. My thought is whoever makes those numbers up needs to re-evaluate them, most people I know, even the very fit ones, are nowhere near "healthy" weight.
  • GreatSetOfBrains
    GreatSetOfBrains Posts: 675 Member
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    I agree to a point. My BMI on MFP is 24.3 and on fitnessmagazine.com its 25 either way I'm at the way top of healthy. I can't gain one pound! lol I was at one time 135 and althought that is 20lbs lighter I still was not without cub, for lack of better terms. Weight can really be just a number, check this out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/276599-another-reason-weight-is-just-a-number ! My goal is a BMI of like 21.8 at 135lbs. 155 is the lowest healthy weight for me and I would NEVER want to get that low. .
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    I'm guessing you're about my height, 5' 2" - I'm around 135 and at the top end of the bmi range.

    But you know what? I'm happy here. I dont feel the need to lose much more. And I have a range not a single figure that I keep within.
  • katapple
    katapple Posts: 1,108 Member
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    I'm at the top of my BMI weight range and feel great! I'm in a size 6, to drop another 15lbs to be in the middle of it would make me look too thin I think. Too start off, maybe aim for the highest number and see how you feel when you get there. You'll find through your journey the scale doesn't matter as much as you think :)
  • sequoialea
    sequoialea Posts: 26
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    Thank you all for your replies. I appreciate your wisdom on this issue!
  • sequoialea
    sequoialea Posts: 26
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    Try inputting your information on this website:

    http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

    Then you get a few different options for a good range.

    That site helps a lot! Thanks
  • sequoialea
    sequoialea Posts: 26
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    I'm guessing you're about my height, 5' 2" - I'm around 135 and at the top end of the bmi range.

    But you know what? I'm happy here. I dont feel the need to lose much more. And I have a range not a single figure that I keep within.

    Right. I honestly have never been even close to a normal weight since the age of 5 or 6 so I am just trying to get an idea of where I should be. I think the BMI scale is too low but I won't know for sure until I get into a more normal range for my height. Yes, I am 5'2". Thanks.
  • vaston
    vaston Posts: 38 Member
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    There's part of the challenge, finding perspective. I'm 6'1" and just reached my goal of 175 lbs and I feel great. A very close friend of mine is a personal trainer, he is also 6'1", weighs in at 180 lbs and is absolutely RIPPED. The guy must have a body fat % around 5%. I guess this leads me to respectfully disagree with you on this. My BMI is now 23, but I plan on trimming down and adding more muscle. Again, it is a guideline to help get us to where we need to be.
  • sequoialea
    sequoialea Posts: 26
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    I agree to a point. My BMI on MFP is 24.3 and on fitnessmagazine.com its 25 either way I'm at the way top of healthy. I can't gain one pound! lol I was at one time 135 and althought that is 20lbs lighter I still was not without cub, for lack of better terms. Weight can really be just a number, check this out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/276599-another-reason-weight-is-just-a-number ! My goal is a BMI of like 21.8 at 135lbs. 155 is the lowest healthy weight for me and I would NEVER want to get that low. .

    Great! Thanks for posting that link. Makes since. I can tell she put on a lot of muscle.
  • cutie2b
    cutie2b Posts: 194 Member
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    BMI is generally inaccurate. It's a ratio of your weight to height. It's suppose to approximate Body Fat percentage. But it is does a really bad job of that, especially if you are tall and/or athletic - so tall guys are really limited with BMI. The ratio was conceived by the French and they used short (< 5'8 on average) soldiers in the Napoleonic wars as their starting point by measuring their height/weight and then coming up with a formula that fit those heights/weights. I don't think I am anything like a short MALE soldier from the 1800's.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index

    So I wouldn't necessarily go with that number. Although it could be a good starting point, that if you are over a BMI of 30 to make a goal to get under 30. Waist to Hip Ratio is more accurate in determining risk of death and disease. So that's another number to look at. Body Fat percentage I think is also better. If you can try to get that read and see where you are. It would be best to be under 30% body fat (and really 22.5-27% depending on ethnicity), but start with a goal of 30% if you are over that. That's what your BMI is trying to estimate - that's why the BMI of 30 and 25 are so important, but again, it does a bad job of the estimation. So get your real body fat % and use that. And also, you don't have to set a permanent goal. Set a goal. Go down to that goal, and then see how you feel/like it. You can always lose 5 more pounds or even gain 5 pounds if you feel it's too low.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    I'm 5ft1" tall and I don't care what my BMI states. I'll let the doctors care about it for the reason they use it. The BMI can't tell how much fat is on a person's body. The body fat percentage can and that's what counts in my eyes. I'm not trying to lose scale weight. I'm aiming to lose body fat percentage.

    For my height, I'm told that I should be 101 pounds. I don't think so. I would be anorexic.
  • Mcctin65
    Mcctin65 Posts: 507 Member
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    bump
  • mfpchris
    mfpchris Posts: 279 Member
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    These answers mostly make me think of the recent study that showed the higher ons weight, or the greater the level of ones obesity, the higher the estimate of a healthy weight is.

    I guess another way of putting it is, further one is from some healthy/ideal weight the more distorted their estimate is of what that health/ideal weight is. Sort of hard to put that in words....hopefully I made a cogent point.

    BTW: For myself in picking a target, I decided to do two part. The first part purely objective....my thoughts and feeling and impressions are not a part. The second part I use my impressions and feelings.

    My first part is to calculate my middle point of the normal BMI 22.5....then get myself to that number on the scale.

    The second part is to then, and only then, ask myself how I feel, am I energetic, do my clothes fit well, do I want more lean muscle, do I want to go up a little or down a little.

    I'm still not at 22.5 yet but I'm getting close. After that I'll start to check in with my impressions on what is best.

    When my BMI was 40 if I guessed a good target weight and when my BMI is 22.5 and I guess a good target weight I'm thinking those would be two different numbers. The number I pick while at 22.5 will probably be much closer to a healthy/ideal weight

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