Has bmi range changed?
Replies
-
@cwolfman13 well I learned that somatotypes are not a thing today. I just did some interesting reading.
I think you are likely in the majority with your preferences.7 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »It just seems odd tha the others (overweight, obese etc) are in 5s.
So I can assume 18.5-20 is still healthy?
There are a lot of factors that go into whether or not that is actually healthy. A BMI of 19 would put me as a 5'10" male at 132 Lbs...I would basically look and be emaciated...I'd look sick AF and I would have to basically not only get lean, but also burn a lot of muscle mass. I would be quite skeletal...I don't think that would be healthy.
<<<For perspective, I'm 182 in my profile picture...as per BMI, I'm slightly overweight. I'm not super six pack lean, but I'm also not fat...about 15% BF. Even to get to the middle of the BMI range, I'd have to burn some muscle mass.
BMI isn't really a range in order that you can pick and choose and still be healthy...it is a range in order to accommodate various frames and builds, including more or less muscle mass.
Most people I've ever seen at the low end of BMI typically look like they're on the verge of being underweight...because they are. Basically skin and bones at that point.
Thanks, I think skin and bones is a personal opinion though, some people like to be curvy and some don’t.
There's a happy medium...I could drop to 170 or so and be very lean and aesthetically look really good because my muscles would be well defined, 6 pack and all of that...at 132 I would indeed be skin and bones...I know because that's about where I was when I was a senior in high school, and I was super skinny and bony.
Perhaps not liking that particular look is my opinion...but I've never seen anyone at the bottom end of BMI who didn't look pretty well emaciated...no fat, but no muscle either.
I've been at the bottom of my BMI a few times.. (I am 5'7). While I personally did not prefer being that low, I definitely did not look emaciated in any way! I still love how I look in those photos when I look back at them. But everyone has their preference and preferred aesthetic.
OP I also recommend looking into recomp. If you are ultra close to your aesthetic goal and just want to lose a few extra lbs, fine. But if you look at yourself and are not near where you want to be, working on body composition can definitely help9 -
Since you are going to see your PCP in a few weeks just mention that you want to drop to ...whatever goal weight you have in mind. See what he/she says. Better than asking on an online forum where people don't know what is healthy for you. Then follow the professional advice. Do take a hard look at what is required to maintain that goal weight and see if that will fit into your lifestyle.7
-
mountainmare wrote: »Since you are going to see your PCP in a few weeks just mention that you want to drop to ...whatever goal weight you have in mind. See what he/she says. Better than asking on an online forum where people don't know what is healthy for you. Then follow the professional advice. Do take a hard look at what is required to maintain that goal weight and see if that will fit into your lifestyle.
That's a kicker right there that many people seem to ignore. The lowest I dropped to since starting all of this was 175...I was pretty lean and looked pretty awesome...but it was a PITA to maintain. I enjoy healthy living and a good quality diet and regular exercise...but I also like pizza, beer, cheese burgers at the Saturday afternoon pool party, pub grub, etc. I had to really be a lot more strict at 175 vs 182 with both my diet and my exercise...and I was hungry a lot which I assume was a hormonal thing attributable to my level of leanness which was somewhere between 10-12%11 -
This is me at the bottom of BMI. Not skin and bones at all and still at 22% (give or take) bf. That’s why BMI = BS.
17 -
I'm hanging out at the bottom of my healthy BMI range at the moment because I do cycling metric and full centuries, and this is a good muscle to weight ratio for me. I'm small boned and have a very narrow frame and tbh I don't look much different now than I did 10 lbs. ago.
I'm doing a slow recomp and like that I show some definition in my arms now, and less of a muffin top, but my current weight is less about what i look like and more about what suits the activities i enjoy. I don't find it difficult to maintain right now, and if and when the time comes that I'm less active i plan on moving back up 10 or 15 lbs. because it's less about what I look like and more about how I feel.
8 -
This is me at the bottom of BMI. Not skin and bones at all and still at 22% (give or take) bf. That’s why BMI = BS.
I don’t see what about this picture is supposed to make BMI - a repeatedly, reliably validated population analysis metric - “BS”.
Your interpretation of BMI rather than the actual metric seems to be at fault.18 -
In terms of aesthetics I’m ok, it’s really just some fat of the top of my thighs and a tiny bit on my stomach. My body looks better now at 145 then it did at 140 2 years ago because I’ve got a bit of extra muscle and I’ve lost loose skin from baby weight.
In terms of maintenance I think it’s pretty easy, when I lost weight before i gave up drinking short term, this time I know I’m not going to drink again.
I will see what the doctor says when I go but thank you very much for all your replies.4 -
Pictures for perspective, I don’t think I’m in any danger of being skin and bones - I think 7lbs less would be ok?9 -
In terms of aesthetics I’m ok, it’s really just some fat of the top of my thighs and a tiny bit on my stomach. My body looks better now at 145 then it did at 140 2 years ago because I’ve got a bit of extra muscle and I’ve lost loose skin from baby weight.
In terms of maintenance I think it’s pretty easy, when I lost weight before i gave up drinking short term, this time I know I’m not going to drink again.
I will see what the doctor says when I go but thank you very much for all your replies.
My previous comment suggesting recomp still stands.6 -
Pictures for perspective, I don’t think I’m in any danger of being skin and bones - I think 7lbs less would be ok?
I think you should take a look at this thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat#latest
8 -
alvakathyy wrote: »BMI is not an exact science. Health care professionals may use it to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it is not an absolute diagnostic tool to determine body fat or overall health. Get to know what's BMI and why does it matter
Which is why she is being told to take BMI along with other factors into consideration. I'm not sure why this thread needs to devolve into an argument about BMI. All OP has been suggested is that based on this one variable, and the fact that she is looking to combine a height on the high end of the scale with a weight on the low end of the scale, she should proceed with caution.
And again, she didn't ask if she will look good at that weight, she asked if she would be healthy. And how she looks in a picture doesn't determine that anymore than her BMI does.
OP, you look great, but your opinion on that is more important than mine. I'd still suggest recomp rather than losing more (I think you'd be happier with the results honestly) but that's totally up to you. It's awesome that you are approaching this mindfully and taking everything on board. If you do lose more weight and still aren't happy with how you look, definitely at that point focus on building a little muscle, it can really change your shape and tighten everything up. Good luck!19 -
This content has been removed.
-
shadow2soul wrote: »
Pictures for perspective, I don’t think I’m in any danger of being skin and bones - I think 7lbs less would be ok?
I think you should take a look at this thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat#latest
All of this. OP, you're at a normal build, with a thigh gap. Your thighs are *clearly* not fat.
It's hard to tell how you'd look with another 7 pounds off -- you can't control where it would come from. It may come from your thighs, it may come from your torso (which no one can see, since you've got clothes from collarbone to toe anyway), or it may come from your decolletage. It could come from your lower back. It could come from your shoulder bones.
If you want more muscular thighs, you need to recomp, not simply go into further restriction and hope for the best.11 -
I've never put too much much stock in BMI. I'm a couple points below the 18.5 mark, so technically underweight, but i dont feel that i look "emaciated". I'm 5'4 and have a very small build. I see my nurse practitioner every 2-3 months for follow-ups and she's only ever mentioned my weight once as far as i can remember, and that was only after I'd asked about it. Actually, come to think of it, no doc I've ever seen has put much (if any) emphasis on BMI (except one at the ED treatment center I attended, which is understandable.)
I think BMI categories are meant to be used as a guide, so that medical professionals can get an idea of who's at risk for conditions like CVD or diabetes. The lines between 'underweight', "normal", and "overweight" can be blurry, not as clearly defined as some people like to think. You don't go from being perfectly healthy at BMI 18.5 to suddenly sickly at 18.4, or from Normal at 24.9 to 'heart attack waiting to happen' at 25. There's always a grey area, always outliers.
I say this gently, because I've been there, too -- the ED is clouding your perspective of what a normal and healthy weight may be, and what a normal appearance may be. I *still* disagree with my physicians' recommendations, but that doesn't mean I go around telling people that it's OK to be underweight.16 -
There’s definitely spare fat on the back of my thighs but I’ll keep at it short term and speak to the dr when I see them in a few weeks.
Thanks everyone.
Ps re uterus - I’m not expecting a flat stomach it’s just a little fat at the top, closer to ribs than hips.2 -
This women looks healthier 18 pounds heavier in the far right picture than the weight in the middle:
12 -
I think that the flattering light and camera angle in the picture on the right has an awful lot to do with her appearance, more so than just her weight.
She also appears significantly leaner and more muscular on the right than in the middle.3 -
I think that the flattering light and camera angle in the picture on the right has an awful lot to do with her appearance, more so than just her weight.
She also appears significantly leaner and more muscular on the right than in the middle.
I have to admit that even though this is a "go-to" picture that people use and it supports my own view-point, I do have some mild doubts about authenticity.
Having said that, that's the whole point of the picture series: that looking leaner and stronger and being more muscular does not equate being of lower weight and you CAN, in fact, be stronger AND LOOK LEANER and healthier at a higher weight.15 -
Now, the OP here, I have very few doubts about its authenticity! Right @mom23mangos?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10698672/maintenance-failure-gained-all-the-weight-back-w-pics/p17 -
I think that the flattering light and camera angle in the picture on the right has an awful lot to do with her appearance, more so than just her weight.
She also appears significantly leaner and more muscular on the right than in the middle.
Yes, that's the whole point. She worked hard and is happier 18 pounds heavier than her previous goal weight.
The OP is 5'10" and not happy at 145 pounds. Instead of losing more weight, she might be happier with a recomp.6 -
Now, the OP here, I have very few doubts about its authenticity! Right @mom23mangos?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10698672/maintenance-failure-gained-all-the-weight-back-w-pics/p1
That's worth some bandwidth!
10 -
I think the main issue I have with recomp is the change in mindset, I’d go from thinking I’m quite happy with how I look just a little bit further to go to feeling years of hard work off maybe being happy with how I look.
Sorry if that doesn’t make sense, I just like the current feeling of nearly being there - if I set a new goal it would seem huge at this point.2 -
But based on your pic and description you aren’t actually going to get the look you want by losing a few more pounds. So while I understand the mindset issue, the question really is whether you want to actually get where you want to?7
-
I think the main issue I have with recomp is the change in mindset, I’d go from thinking I’m quite happy with how I look just a little bit further to go to feeling years of hard work off maybe being happy with how I look.
Sorry if that doesn’t make sense, I just like the current feeling of nearly being there - if I set a new goal it would seem huge at this point.
But then what happens in 7 pounds time when you lose the weight and still aren't happy? Which is most likely what will happen if you carry on as you are?11 -
So I can assume 18.5-20 is still healthy?
Nope!
Because one of the many things that never was within the intention of the BMI-index was to measure "health".
It is an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass within your body in relation to your height
What it doesn't do is evaluating this tissue (i.e. percentage of body fat vs muscle mass).
5 -
Thank you, it was really the health issue I was asking about, I’m not seeking to look perfect and have no intention of parading around in a bikini - I’d honestly settle for looking a tiny bit smaller in jeans.3
-
Thank you, it was really the health issue I was asking about, I’m not seeking to look perfect and have no intention of parading around in a bikini - I’d honestly settle for looking a tiny bit smaller in jeans.
Recomp isn't something you do only if you want to look good in a bikini you know....12 -
It was an extreme example
I fully respect people who strength train, recomp etc - it’s just not something I want to aim for right now.5
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions