]Maybe it's just me being a bloke, but I just cannot understand this fixation with BMI. I have friends who are dieticians, personal trainers etc and everyone one of them (and you can add my GP and the Back Specialist at Great Western Hospital to the list) says that BMI is only a guide and in many cases is a bad way to measure your health/ideal weight.
Agreed, but it's the only easy guide we have at the moment, and works for the majority of folks that have had 'fat' issues. Besides, it's quite flexible. In my case, there's over 2 stone to work with. I'm a large frame (as in not particularly tall, but very large feet, hands etc), so my aim(ish) was the top end of the healthy scale. If I was less muscular, or smaller framed I would go for a lower healthy BMI which is over 2 stone less.
There's quite a difference there within the same band.
orThey have said that some people can get obsessed with achieving a "healthy BMI", but when they get there they will technically have an "unhealthy body".
Which I agree, is madness. I do think the average Joe and Jane Doe put more emphasis on this, thinking they will be prescribed as unhealthy by the medical profession, when in fact, I've found my doctors to use common sense.
All health/fitness/diet professionals that I have spoken to always say to use BMI as a guide only, and that the best way to measure you true healthy/maintainable weight is vis your Body Fat %age.
True. Not easy to measure accurately though.
In fact, I have been told that I will never be able to achieve and maintain (easily) a "healthy BMI" because my muscular build will always push my weight up and therefore mess up my BMI,
I think this is probably more common for men, and of course, I suppose strictly speaking would mean that you should move up to 810 before BMI 25. Your body composition will be higher in lean if you are muscular, and the more lean you have in relation to fat, the more calories and protein you need, as you are more likely to burn lean if there's less fat there
but my Body Fat %age would be healthy (Note - it's not at the moment due to 3 weeks or eating and drinking too much in Greece :break_diet
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Whoops. Hope you had fun though
Anyway, enough waffle. All I am saying is do not get too obsessed with a healthy BMI ....
I do agree in a way, but when it comes to moving up plans to protect lean mass, then unless you are expert with calipers and know exactly what point you would need to move up on, then the BMI thing is probably the safest way to go.