So the talk of 'excess weight' has me thinking... (Dangerous, I know)

Julie you are a goddamn genius for explaining this in a way that I FINALLY understand.

I am also 5'5. 377-150=227, which was my excess weight, yes? Am I following correctly? I've lost 249 pounds. But I've never understood the whole excess weight thing but maybe I do now...

You've got it!

To calculate percentage of EWL, you'd take 249 (amount lost) and divide by 227 (amount to lose), so you've lost 110% of your excess weight :)

This is exactly how my program determined it -- because my program is the Cleveland Clinic! You saved me the time, Julie.

To PA -- my personal goal was to have a BMI of 21.5 (about 130), slightly lower than my program's IBW goal -- to give me some bounce back room and for my own personal satisfaction.

I've found various definitions of excess body weight, and it's frustrating. I asked my surgeon, PAs, dieticians, everyone I could about how they measured it, and got only vague non-answers.

I've seen some programs that put it at a BMI at the top of the healthy range, while others put it in the middle. Others use body fat -- but then never actually measure bodyfat.

While I'm on the subject of BMI and bodyfat percentage, I thought I'd expound a little, since everyone has strong feelings about it.

Most people hate BMI. All fat people do. But it's an easy number: height, weight, and an online calculator.

Body fat is really hard to measure accurately. The electronic scales and such are horribly innacurate. Buoyancy in water or a Bodpod test are ok for most folks, but not so much for us. We have too much floppy mass for them. That leaves a specialized DEXA scan, and those cost money. Any doctor can figure BMI for free.

Then there are the arguments that BMI is inaccurate. Folks point to bodybuilders with fantastic physiques that have obese BMIs.

There was a study published in 2015 that measured body fat and compared it to BMI. And sometimes it was off.

The study used 35 percent for a maximum body fat for healthy women, which seems high. Most studies I've seen are closer to 25 percent.

3 percent of women had an overweight BMI, but a bodyfat percentage under 35. Just those 3 percent were "healthy overweight". So, those are the chances that BMI is off.

There is another group the study called "skinny fat." They had BMIs that were normal, BUT still had over 35 percent bodyfat. For the remaining 82 percent of women, BMI and bodyfat were in agreement. Pretty accurate for a quick and free test.

I'll find the study and post it sometime.

I do want to get a dexascan, sooner than later, and I have a standing referral from my doc. This year for sure.

But, I like using the BMI as an indicator, much more than I did BEFORE I lost weight

Sometimes I think there are people on here that short-change themselves and pick super high END goals (obviously some start high and lower it as their expectations rise), and then call it good...

But that's another whole post, likely to get someone moderated, as best

the doctor referral ones often include just the bone density test - you want the body composition test, which is what the commercial ones include. So just be aware of that (although the bone density test might be of interest, too. The commercial places usually measure both)

What catwoman7 said. A basic DEXA scan check 3 spots -- leg, spine, and forearm -- and gives you a bone density number. The comprehensive DEXA can be hard to find, and I've never seen insurance pay. But they seem to run about 150 bucks. That one will give you percentages of lean mass, fat, bone, etc, along with a breakdown for your whole body.

And if you want to start a fight, just yell "I love BMI, drinking booze, and taking Flintstones!"

I LOVE BMs, YELLING BOOs AND WATCHING FLINTSTONES!

Oh wait.... I think I did that wrong. :S

Grim, Did you go for a DEXA scan in Mass? The only one I have found while searching on Google is Cenegenics (in Boston). I want to have a dexascan and an RMR test (they offer both for $250).

I haven't actually had it done. But a year or two ago I looked around, and Cenegenics was the only place nearby that I could find.

I was very interested in finding out the numbers, but it was just curiosity. I wasn't likely to change anything based on the results, so I just never did it.

Let us know if you decide to try. I'd be interested to hear your opinion of Cenegenics.