BMI... How much has yours changed?

2

Replies

  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
    You can ***** off BMI all you like but...

    It is used by health insurance companies to determine how much you pay
    It is used by doctors to decide if you can get fertility treatment
    It is used by doctors to diagnose anorexia
    In the vast majority of cases it is a good indicator of health and fat accumulation
    It is used by military services worldwide as a measure of physical condition
    It gives non-medically educated people a way of determining their own health risks

    Come on. Do you really need to bring up all this muscle mass cr@pola again? If it applies to you great, but then you already obviously have a big interest in health and fitness and are measuring your fitness in other more appropriate ways. But MOST PEOPLE are not in that position. It is very abnormal. That is why BMI is used by medical and health professionals worldwide. MOST PEOPLE with an obese BMI are obese, not bodybuilders.
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
    some are posting "morbidly obese" >> this doesn't show up on my BMI from the MFP tools...

    just getting started, went from 39.5 to 36.
  • brit49
    brit49 Posts: 461 Member
    Start BMI 25 over weight, now BMI 23.7 Healthy Still have about 7lb to lose toned.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
    I started at 37.8 and am now at 30.6. I will be out of the "obese" category when I lose about 5 more lbs.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    Mine has changed by 13.2. I am about half way to my goal.
  • bevskiwolf
    bevskiwolf Posts: 296 Member
    71 to 41....and chipping away every day! xxoxoxoox
  • Persipan
    Persipan Posts: 85 Member
    I've gone from 30 (at 13 stone 4, the heaviest I've ever been, I realised I wasn't just overweight but actually into the obese bracket and it gave me a much-needed wake-up call) to 25.5 (4lbs away from being officially Not Overweight!)
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    I've done some research on BMI and it seems like a poor tool to monitor progress. It doesn't factor in muscle mass, for one, so many athletes index in the 'overweight' range. I know of a few people who stopped exercising for a few months due to injuries, saw their quads shrivel up and then were congratulated by their doctors for reaching their goal BMI. Something wrong there, no?

    A woman who is 145 lbs and a low % of body fat will look different than a woman of the same weight with a higher % of body fat. I think body fat % is a more useful tool.
    I do agree as at my fittest I was 'overweight', but sadly this is a big thing in medical professions and I've had a lot of crap from Dr's in the past about my weight.. so finally I'm happy to be heading back to 'overweight' where I can at least argue the fact that I DO have muscle.. not all muscle admittedly but I know it's there.. I can feel it (under the padding of my remaining weight. :(
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    71 to 41....and chipping away every day! xxoxoxoox

    Wow!!! this is truly inspiring and you're going to have a wonderful samhain this year for sure!
  • robmaguire1
    robmaguire1 Posts: 111
    I went from 36.9 in May to 29.1 today. Much more work to do!!!
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    Well done everyone! :) Whether it's the best form or not it's a great idicator of reduced weight. Can't wait to see overweight and 'normal'!
  • eviltwinkie
    eviltwinkie Posts: 153
    Er.. 46.3 when I started, 28.4 currently (using the calculator on WebMD that includes gender/age.)
  • SeattleLove
    SeattleLove Posts: 59
    My BMI went from 23 to 18.2....
  • eviltwinkie
    eviltwinkie Posts: 153
    I've done some research on BMI and it seems like a poor tool to monitor progress. It doesn't factor in muscle mass, for one, so many athletes index in the 'overweight' range. I know of a few people who stopped exercising for a few months due to injuries, saw their quads shrivel up and then were congratulated by their doctors for reaching their goal BMI. Something wrong there, no?

    A woman who is 145 lbs and a low % of body fat will look different than a woman of the same weight with a higher % of body fat. I think body fat % is a more useful tool.

    Yes, I agree with this, but using it just as a gauge is fine. I know without a doubt, when I reach 150 now, it's NOT going to be the same as when I was 150 when I was younger. Back then, I lifted weights ALOT and that was a great deal of solid muscle weight (I was admittedly a little tank.) I'm not exercising like that, so 150 isn't going to mean the same because I won't be in the same condition.

    I think most folks understand that, or we're hopefully on a journey to help us understand that. Well, except apparently a doctor. Geez... must be someone who doesn't see many athletes. Or a crappy doctor. Hmm. Perhaps both?
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    I've gone from 53.6 to 42.3, more than a 10% difference. Even when I get to my goal of 175 lbs. my BMI will still show me overweight. So I don't put much stock in BMI.
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
    I consider the BMI chart a HUGE fail. When I started, it had me at about 34, and now I'm down to 27. This thing lists my goal weight as 118-159lbs lol. That's me in my profile picture, at about 175lbs. No way I could lose 15lbs more, and still look healthy.

    Silly BMI.

    Totally agree. Mine says I should aim to be 112lbs. At 5' 7" and a medium build and nearly 140lbs now, 112lbs would make me look so ill and would be so ridiculously hard to maintain I would have to live on water
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
    Meant to add I take more not of my Body Fat percentage than the BMI
  • colbiegirl
    colbiegirl Posts: 138
    My highest recorded eve was 33.98 (obese) and now I'm currently at 20.6 (normal).
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    mine went from 23.3 to 20.8
  • cheesesandwich
    cheesesandwich Posts: 79 Member
    From 24.0 (normal), right before I started using MFP to 20.4 (ideal)!
  • shelly650
    shelly650 Posts: 319
    At my all time heaviest, I weight in at 185.5lbs and had a BMI of 30.9 (obese). Im only 5'5"!! Now I weigh 158lbs and have a BMI of 26.3!! Only 8lbs away from being classified as "healthy!!"
  • hhan
    hhan Posts: 74
    some are posting "morbidly obese" >> this doesn't show up on my BMI from the MFP tools...

    just getting started, went from 39.5 to 36.

    "Morbidly Obese" is considered anything over 40, although some doctors will skip the "Severely Obese" category (35-40) at start their "Morbidly Obese" at 35 instead of using the other standards. 50+ is "Super Obese" by those who want to categorise obesity even further.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    I was at 31.9, which is obese. I am now 25.4, which is overweight. 24.9 or less is normal weight so I am SOOOO close!
  • splackk
    splackk Posts: 163
    At my highest I hit 28.3 BMI, when I really buckled down to lose weight a few months ago I was 27 BMI exactly.

    Now I'm 22.5 BMI and in the normal range :)
  • 54fevers
    54fevers Posts: 22 Member
    before: 28.4
    currently: 25.3

    I'm about to be in the "healthy" zone. :)
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
    I have dropped 10 points. I am so excited from the day I go from obese to overweight. Seems silly to be excited about being overweight, but that's a big deal to me. It should be in about 3 months. It will have taken me 10 months.
  • amomatt
    amomatt Posts: 41
    I was in the mid 30s at my heaviest and am now just a smidge away from healthy...am very excited and motivated to get there
  • sherrillg
    sherrillg Posts: 317 Member
    33.2 (obese) to 23.7(healthy) Thanks for the reminder! :-)
  • aldavis55
    aldavis55 Posts: 9
    Everyone has done fantastic! Has anyone considered getting their bodyfat % done instead of focusing on their BMI? Which BMI doesn't take into any consideration on any muscle weight you have been putting on during your weightloss? I know everyone has heard muscle weighs more than fat, so you improve your lean muscle mass and decrease your Bodyfat % your BMI reading might be a little misleading!
  • alisonnicole84
    alisonnicole84 Posts: 32
    Mine went from 43.6 to 25.8, which is still overweight and very annoying! But I try not to put too much trust in those things. :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories