BMI targets

D

downsizingmycurves

Silver Member
Is everyone here chasing a healthy BMI target?

I ask as to get to the top of my healthy BMI, I still have 4 stone to lose and I'm not sure where it will all come off from or if it will suit me?

I have already had people saying to not loose too much more and I would be very happy at a size 12/14 (currently a 16). I have big boobs (got re-measured in Rigby & Pellar this week and was a 34I, down from a 38I - I am actually wearing a Fantastie size 36GG at mo) and hips but I like my shape and dont really want to shrink too much. Or do I, and I am denying myself?

How have you set your target and do you think its 'right' for you?
 
Hiya, I think the BMI is a tricky one - it's a useful guideline for healthiness of course but it isn't an absolute for me. At my very thinnest, circa 10.5 stone, I was still at the top of my BMI but looked underweight! So I think you should use it as a guide and see how you feel in your body. Good luck!
 
I agree with the above - a rough guide only. See where you are once you get a bit nearer, but you don't necessarily want to make it your actual goal if it's unrealistic for you personally.

The BMI thing was devised many years ago, and is not relevant to everyone, the perfect example being some athletes. Certain heavily built sprinters, boxers and bodybuilders have extremely low body fat, but proportionally high muscle levels, and this makes them appear overweight when they are not.

A better guide would be taking a bodyfat percentage reading, and trying to reduce that to a lower level, as BMI takes no account of your frame, bone size/density, or muscle mass. As a result, there are lots of 'skinny fat' people out there - people who weigh in a healthy BMI, but who have higher than recommended bodyfat levels, and possibly less muscle mass than is healthy.

For me, I would have to get down to under 12st to be in a healthy BMI for my height, but the lightest I have ever been as an adult was 12st 10lbs, and I don't see myself getting much lighter than that! In saying that, 12st is my goal for now anyway, but I will feel at liberty to change that closer to the time :eek:
 
i have set my own target which i think from memory will either be at the top end of a healthy BMI or just outside it so i would stll b classed as being overweight!, but many years ago i lost loads of weight and got down to 9st 1lb but ive set my target at 10st 10lb as now that im athe grand old age of 33 lol i dont want to be that slim.

a wee quick story to show how ineffective the BMI target can be - a male friend was trying to get into the police force but was declined twice at the early stages due to is BMI...... he was a body builder so had a high muscle density and therefore the BMI chart showed him to be obese!!!! he did eventually get into the police force after he challenged the decision based on the fact that he is indeed very healthy but his muscle density made him appear obese. so it goes to show that the target/charts arent all that its cracked up to be.
 
Im not really bothered (for want of a better word) about my BMI i have set myself a goal of 9.5st but will see how i feel when i get there, might want to lose abit more or stop a little bit before i get there.

When i did weight watchers my goal was 9st, got to target weighing 8st 12lb (which was BMI 'Normal')but i looked too slim, my face didnt suit it If you know what i mean .... so this time i think i will just see how i feel :)
 
Thanks for the replies. x

The fat percentage sounds like a good idea. I remember I had that done a few years back and it was over 50% :eek: - it made me wonder how I was able to stand up. LOL

I think it will be a suck it and see situation. Once I get under 200lbs (hopefully next week), my next target will be to lose another 2 stone. I guess then will be the time for me to ponder if I want to go lower and if so, by how much.

I still have a lot of work to do on overall fitness which is just as important to me as weight, more so probably. I'm just back from a body step class which was a mix of step, body combat and body pump - it knacked me out! I guess the target for me may end up fitness based rather than BMI or weight based. :confused:

Is it right that you can become a SW target member outside of a healthy BMI (as long as its not below that is)?
 
I am currently teetering right on the edge of "healthy" BMI. But I can see I still have a good chunk of weight to get shut of, so as a target I am looking to lose another stone or so, which will put me bang in the middle of the range. Once I get there, I shall ponder whether there is more to go or not.
 
great thread - i dont have a target yet as ive never been slim so not sure what weight i want to be - but would like to be a size 12 i think....on the BMI scale i need to lose another 3.5 stone, so will have to see how i go/look as i go along - good luck honey xxx
 
my target is mid overweight-i purposely set it as a realistic target as i dont want to feel like im not getting anywhere even though i couldve lost 7st or more by then!

although i know i will probably lower it by half st at a time when i get there and see how i feel/look then before setting on an eventual target if that makes sense!
 
Im just going to see how i feel my own target is 9stn 5lbs but if i went by BMI it would be just over 8sn something and i just think that would be to small for me. Just going to see how it goes and stop when i feel happy. im 11 stn 9lbs atm and a size 14, i want to be at least 10stn by xmas and a size 12.
 
I think that I am one of the people that BMI just doesn't work for.

As scanbran mentioned above atheletes and sportspeople often have a higher muscle % which isn't taken into consideration with BMI. As a dancer I think I must have a similar problem.

People are often shocked at what I weigh compared to my size. I now weigh 12st 5 and am a small size 12. I have spoken to people who are a similar weight who are 14/16. Weird although I am not complaining.

All this leads me to believe that to get to my BMI "ideal" weight of 9st 7 might be near impossible!!

I would advise the OP to not place too much pressure on a BMI based target. Find a weight that you think would make you happy personally and that suits you.

Think that will be my plan!

xx
 
Be aware that ladies like you and I, who carry extra in the shirt potato department will always have a slightly higher body fat percentage. Even at 10 and a half stone, I'm still a F cup, maybe a E if I push it but I'll never be any smaller.

I'm aiming for a weight I'm happy at, just now thats 11stone, which makes me all of *shock* 4 lbs overweight but I felt good at that weight. I'll hold it for a while there and see how I get on, if I want to lower it I will, if not I'll hang steady.

Its your body, you listen to it.
 
AmyS said:
People are often shocked at what I weigh compared to my size. I now weigh 12st 5 and am a small size 12. I have spoken to people who are a similar weight who are 14/16. Weird although I am not complaining.
Click to expand...

I have that too. People can never believe what I weight (nor could I when I got on the SW scales for the first time but that's another matter:D). I reckon I'll be a size 12 at 12.5 stone. Maybe its the "shirt potato department" effect like Lexie says! :D
 
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