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To Bmi or Not To Bmi That is my question

muzza3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,789
Location
Australia
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Cauliflower pretending to be rice and any vegetable pretending to be pasta
I am really interested in your feedback on goal weights.

I have lost just under 27kg (59lbs) over the last 8 months. While I have some way to go I need to seriously consider where I want to settle.

I am a 62 year old male, Height 173cm (5.7") and current weight 83.1kg (183lbs). My BMI is 27.2.

To hit the top end of a normal BMI I need to weigh 74.8kg (165ib) which would require me to lose a further 8.3kg (18lb). Now while I am determined achieve a healthy weight and maintain that I do wonder if BMI is a bit extreme. I have come across another measurement a Smart BMI https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/

It takes into account Gender, Age and Ethnicity. Using its guidelines I can hit the top of its ideal range at 82kg (180lbs) My current goal is 79kg (174lbs)

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences about BMI and its value as a goal?
 
Personally I don’t use BMI as a goal , as it doesn’t really take into account build muscle etc , I’m 5’8” ish but I weigh 81 kg on a BMI scale I’m very over weight (or am I not tall enough ) however I work out 5 times a week and have very little body fat .in fact when I was playing rugby I was same height but 14 and a half stone so basically obese , there’s a bit more to it I think than just numbers on a chart ,I suppose there are some plus points for it , but personally I wouldn’t use it as a goal , I now as I’ve got older tend to use my eyes and my clothes as a pointer to how I am doing
 
Ushthetaff said:
I now as I’ve got older tend to use my eyes and my clothes as a pointer to how I am doing
Click to expand...

Good advice I think. I have a friend who is a gym junkie and he is quite obese by BMI but has very little fat on him at all. In my case not a lot of muscle @37% just short of the normal range and body fat at 27% which is still high.
 
Yeah BMI can be misleading. You’ve done really great!

I think a good settling point is where you feel comfortable. You can also hit maintenance just to see what it takes for a successful maintenance plan, maybe reduce any diet fatigue. Start dropping again if you feel the need.
 
For me bmi is no good whilst I’m not a gym junkie I have a lot of muscle and little fat

I would say if you’ve got little/no muscle then bmi would be a good point for you to aim.. if you feel you are overweight but have reasonable muscle then the bmi isn’t so important

Also if as you are losing weight and feeling healthier if you become more active and eating correctly you may start to gain muscle and find a point where you are gaining weight but it’s not fat

Personally I think you’ve done well… and it’s good you have a target even if it’s higher that what bmi suggests… when you reach that target that’s the time for you to decide if you want to go a little further or not..

Once again.. Well done
 
My BMI showed I was overweight and my waist measured 24 inches, but I was quite muscular - I could swing by my hands - used to scare some people witless.
My GP hammered on about my weight and put me on diets which made me weak and feeble, so in a few years I could no longer brachiate, and my waist expanded as my muscles shrank.
 
muzza3 said:
I have come across another measurement a Smart BMI https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link @muzza3 a different outcome to what the the app I have on the Samsung shows

I am not a fan of BMI, I had a argument with a locum GP when she told me I was now obese because I turned a certain age and put me on a diet. My argument was that the day before my birth date I was not obese according to the BMI calculator so it was a load of bull kakka to say I was obese the next day.
 
I just aim to eat to my meter, and low carbing seemed to settle me in the normal bmi category. My meter is my guide, and to get it to read lower i do need to eat less (which will reduce more weight) and do more exercise, but I'm not aiming for any particular weight number
 
Thanks LeoDan. I have to say that have not been feeling any diet fatigue since using the PE Diet. Agree though about feeling comfortable and looking forward to trying the maintenance version of the diet
 
searley said:
nd it’s good you have a target even if it’s higher that what bmi suggests… when you reach that target that’s the time for you to decide if you want to go a little further or not..
Click to expand...
Thanks Searley
Totally agree. Am starting a little work on building some muscle% and will review when I hit my current goal
 
Thanks MrsA2

I think that from the feedback so far a combination of finding where I feel comfortable, what my eyes tell me and Muscle/Body fat % as well hip to weight ratio will all need to be considered when reviewing my target when and if I achieve my current goal
 
muzza3 said:
Hi @Mbaker
Finally got around to measuring Waist to Hip ratio 110cm to 110cm or 1:1 Ratio. As I read it needs to be under .90 to be in a healthy range? Will do so weekly now on my official weigh in day

Thanks
Click to expand...
About right:
https://www.lowcarbprogram.com/blog/waist-hip-ratio-what-should-we-be-aiming-for/

"..According to the World Health Organization (WHO), men should aim for a waist-hip ratio of 0.9 or less and for women, 0.85 or less [1].
A waist-hip ratio of 0.91 or higher for men and 0.86 or higher for women is associated with an increased risk of dying early"

Such a good marker.
 
Well that scares me! I am very small hipped, have always had a thick waist, even when I weighed less than 8st in my younger days, and have a short waist. It's just the body shape I was given
 
Just measured me .91, a bit more work to do. I don’t know how accurate my measurements were though
 
LaoDan said:
Just measured me .91, a bit more work to do. I don’t know how accurate my measurements were though
Click to expand...
Great, that's your baseline hopefully to stay below.
 

Hello Muzza3,
You have done really well with the weigh lost.
We are are in a similar position and I’ve been pondering what to aim for, BMI or waist measurement.
I’m 67, 5ft 8 and have lost 22kg so far by going LCHF, and 18/6 intermittent fasting. Currently weigh 82kg and aiming for 75kg (BMI 25).
Although I have found it relatively easy to lose weight I need to be realistic about maintaining a normal BMI (according to the NHS guidelines), or should I just go by how I feel/ look like in the mirror?
My waist is now a tight 36 ins (was 41) so 34 would be right for waist/ height ratio. I’ve tried the other links provided
Smart BMI. 39/70 which is ideal for my age apparently.
Waist/ hip ratio 0.91, so improvement to be made there.
My fasting BG is improving ( 5.2 - 5.8) which is the important thing, but it would be nice to improve my flabby stomach.
I think I’m going to ignore BMI, keep losing weight if I can and aim for a 34 inch waist. Meanwhile I need to find a way to tone up the flabby bits.
Good luck with your weight lost and thanks for asking the question which I’ve been thinking about.
 
Last edited:

Hi Brian

Yes very similar indeed. Great work on your weight loss as well. Also aiming for 75kg and have the flabby stomach. But have more to do on my Hip to Waist. Following the feedback on this post I think it is all of the above and what we see in the mirror. Good luck and it is very positive to be able to think of an end goal
 
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