How much should I weigh

I am almost 38, I am active in as much as I work full time and have a 3 year old who I run after all the time but I’m not an exerciser and I’m not really aiming to be.

I do need to lose weight, I am keen to do that as healthily as possible, I have a daughter watching me!

I have never been slim, I have always been overweight from teen years but since having my daughter and being diagnosed with a disability it’s gone beyond what is acceptable.

I’m finding it difficult to look at what is actually a healthy weight for my height (5ft 4 or 163cm).
I understand from reading that BMI isn’t a great indicator of health (is that even right?)

Can anyone help? I’m a bit at a loss.

Thanks

Replies

  • Nicole_BGA
    Nicole_BGA Posts: 45 Member
    I haven’t found my doctor to be particularly helpful to be honest.
  • brittlb07
    brittlb07 Posts: 313 Member
    I am 5’4’’ and weigh 122.6 right now. My final goal is 115-118 but now that I’m towards the end of my journey, I’m only losing about 1-2 pounds a month. I started at 146 in January. Hope this helps.
  • SeanD2407
    SeanD2407 Posts: 139 Member
    My problem with BMI is that it claims a 5"6 male and a '5"6 female should have the same "healthy weight range"
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    BMI is fine for the vast majority of people. You may want to ask your doctor whether your disability means that your healthy weight range is different from someone who does not have that disability.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    It really does depend. When I lost weight I went with the old adage: 5 feet is 100Lbs, and 5Lbs an inch after that. At 5'6", 130 looked great on me. It wouldn't on many who are 5'6". These days I aim for the middle of "normal" BMI. That suits me well.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    SeanD2407 wrote: »
    My problem with BMI is that it claims a 5"6 male and a '5"6 female should have the same "healthy weight range"

    That is why it is a range, and not a definitive number. The healthy weight range for someone who is 5'6" is 40 pounds. That is a lot of flexibility to account for various differences between people at that height, including potential differences due to gender.

    I think BMI can seem intimidating to people with a lot to lose. I know it was that way for me. When I first started at 5'11" 235, I was 57 pounds outside of the high end of normal weight for my height. I didn't "feel" 57 pounds overweight, so I thought BMI just "didn't really apply to me" and that if I could ever get to 185 (still 7 pounds overweight), I would be like a twig. So that's what I set me original goal to. Now that I've lost 37 pounds, and I'm only 20 pounds away from normal weight, the BMI range doesn't seem nearly as intimidating, Now I feel like I am 20 pounds overweight, and I feel confident I will be able to get within the normal BMI range. 165-175 seems much more realistic to me.

    If you have a lot to lose, it's okay to set goals along the way that don't have to be normal BMI yet. Once you go along your journey, you will almost certainly reevaluate.

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited July 2019
    SeanD2407 wrote: »
    My problem with BMI is that it claims a 5"6 male and a '5"6 female should have the same "healthy weight range"

    It's a pretty big range though, 120lbs - 150lbs and as has been mentioned several times, it's a starting point based on statistics, not the be all and end all of what is healthy for each individual, there are other things to consider such as body composition, hip-to-waist ratio, etc.

    But for someone who isn't sure what to aim for, it's a good starting point.

  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Nicole_BGA wrote: »
    I haven’t found my doctor to be particularly helpful to be honest.

    That's not uncommon, to be honest. Consider talking with a different doctor for this issue who might be more helpful. I'd recommend a registered dietitian as your best starting point.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    I agree that for the majority of the gen pop clientele BMI is an OK measure.

    Out of curiosity I went and plugged my numbers in. I came in as normal at 23. However, I found that the range they gave me for my "normal" kilos is 52.2Kg - 70.3kgs.

    I can guarantee that at 52.2kg I would be skin and bones and skeletal. And at 70.3kg I would be fat. Like overweight fat. I was in the early 70s during pregnancy.

    Last time I was 52kg I was a teenager. Not sure if even had gotten to my final height either (168cm). I recall that at 55kg my hip bones stuck out.

    Just seems like a bit of a too-large range. 20 kilos is a lot.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    SeanD2407 wrote: »
    My problem with BMI is that it claims a 5"6 male and a '5"6 female should have the same "healthy weight range"

    The range thing aside there's also the factor of healthy BF% differences and musculature between males and females.

    Women have a slightly higher healthy body fat percentage than men which means that all things being equal the healthy female will weigh slightly more. BUT men generally have slightly more muscle mass so again all things being equal the healthy male will weigh more.

    When both are taken into account one factor somewhat offsets the other to varying degrees.
  • wmweeza
    wmweeza Posts: 319 Member
    I'm aiming for 135-140, and I'll reevaluate when I hit that goal. BMI for 5'4 has a wide range and I have no idea how I'll feel or look
  • TallGent66
    TallGent66 Posts: 84 Member
    There are other weight formulas, one example is one from the Navy. A few account for different body types.

    The US CDC BMI calculator said I should weigh between 160 and 215 pounds! I am 6'6" and graduated from high school at maybe 175 pounds, and I ocassionally got hurtful comments on how I should gain weight. As a mature adult playing ball and lifting, I couldn't get below 230 pounds.

    The Hamwi formula / University of Washington accounts for body type - slim, average, big boned. (Big boned for men is a wrist 7.5" circumfrence or larger.) They give me a range up to 235 pounds - a roughly 10% increase. Here is one link to this formula.

    http://www.nafwa.org/hamwi.php

    Best wishes. You have additional challenges, but I saw a thread here with Before and After pictures, and one man in a whelchair had lost substantial weight. Very inspiring!

  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    Not a fan of BMI. Take a look at my photo. That is a 28...and apparently overweight and approaching obese.

    Dealing with muscle is one major acknowledged flaw in the tool. Yes, I guess it is better than nothing. I just dont use it.