1 year on and BMI has depressed me now!

[rm782]

Hi All,

I have been in training for a year and dropped 4+ stone in weight, I attend the gym 4 or 5 mornings a week, play golf and have had 2 new wardrobes due to the weight loss and fitness regime. At 51 i am probably fitter now than i have been in a long time, my BP & sugars etc are back to normal and i feel as though i now have a lifestyle change rather than a 'dieting and weight loss' regime which got a bit humdrum.

I have never checked my BMI until today, which comes in as clinically obese at 30.5 (stats 6'4 & 114 kg). Some weight has gone back on due to muscle development, but the BMI rating shocked me. Personally i feel great and enjoy training.

Is this a 'scientific method' of measurement? I am not sure how to drop the recommended further 34kg... Thanks for any advice.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

My advice, forget the BMI, it's only intended as a guide and one size does not fit all. Very fit athletes such as rugby players would also come out as obese.

If all other health indicators are normal and you feel good, just carry on as you are and don't give it another thought

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Rm782,

Firstly, many Congratulations on achieving such a great weight loss - dropping 4+ stone in weight is a phenomenal achievement, and it sounds like you're enjoying all your training and exercise and fitter body.

I just put your stats into the 'new BMI calculator' - if you google it, you can try that particular calculator - it was designed to be more accurate for taller people - I use it myself as I am 6 feet 1 inch tall.

Using the stats you've provided: 6 feet 4 inches tall and 114 kg, it indicated that your

Standard BMI was 29.96 (overweight)

and your NEW BMI is 27.88 (overweight).

Therefore, neither the standard nor new bmi mentioned clinically obese, and you're mid way in the overweight category on the New bmi.

BMI is an indicator, and sometimes if someone is particularly muscly it can give a higher BMI - hence the reason that some athletes and Rugby players can come up as being obese when infact they have very little fat on their bodies, and are mainly muscle.

You know how your body looks, and how you feel, so hopefully you'll not take the BMI results too literally. They can be very useful for the majority of people to have an indiciation, but they are not the be all and end all. There are other factors to take into account.

I could have made a mistake with the entering of your stats, but you can google it and try it for yourself. I put in 195.072cm as your height - as I used a converter to find out what 6 feet 4 inches is in cms.

Anyway, I think you've done really well with your weight loss, and I hope you're feeling good.

Lowcal

[Gonti 10 kg]

You are exactly where I would like to be in one year time, fit trim and four stone lighter achieved through lifestyle change. Am impressed and envious. If you eating healthily and not drinking then don't change a thing. You weight may adjust downwards v slowly. Alternately pay a lot of money and get your body fat measurements.

Also you are -enviably-tall. I am pretty sure that bmi calls are unreliable for tall and short people.

[Jalapenolover101]

Hi, I've just left a comment on ideal bmi, on another thread, I personally find it ridiculous ! And probably unacchievable!!!!

Go you on feeling great! Keep doing what your doing, after all, surely it's about how we feel in ourselves?

Sounds as though your doing great, congratulate yourself!!! That's a huge loss!!

Best of luck

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi again,

Another measurement that is often taken as a health indicator is the waist measurement - here is a link regarding that from the British Heart Foundation:

heartfoundation.org.au/heal...

Lowcal

[rm782]

Thanks all, i really appreciate your comments and feedback and also the links, (particularly the BMI & waist calculator at healthdirect.gov.au/bmi-cal... which looks like a more sensible metric for measurement; which as you have pointed out has me at overweight, but waist size is normal now having gone from a 43" to a 36", which improves my outlook greatly.

It just goes to show that a little information x ignorance can be quite demoralising. Thank you all. A great forum and one i shall keep visiting. Heres focusing on Xmas now!!