Target BMI?

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.

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!

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.

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. .

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

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.

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.

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