BMI vs % body fat
I have one of those scales that measures your approximate body fat % when you step on barefooted. My reading has been around 23-25% for weeks now.
Here is why I bring this up. I am sitting at around 200 lbs. For my 5'8" frame that gives a BMI of around 30, right on the border between obese and overwight.
I have busting butt for weeks now walking 30-50 minutes every single day and I cannot got below 200 for more than a day or two.
I still have areas of fat on me so I know I could lose more, but my % body fat is in the healthy range
I am a 41 yo man with big bones so some sites suggest that 185-190 is a reasonable weight for me. I am not too far off. Should I be pushing hard to shed these last 10-15 lbs?
Here is why I bring this up. I am sitting at around 200 lbs. For my 5'8" frame that gives a BMI of around 30, right on the border between obese and overwight.
I have busting butt for weeks now walking 30-50 minutes every single day and I cannot got below 200 for more than a day or two.
I still have areas of fat on me so I know I could lose more, but my % body fat is in the healthy range
I am a 41 yo man with big bones so some sites suggest that 185-190 is a reasonable weight for me. I am not too far off. Should I be pushing hard to shed these last 10-15 lbs?
1. Yes I am very pleased with where I am now. I told the surgeon I would be happy if I could hit 200 and here I am.
2. I discussed goal weight with the exercise physiologist at the surgeons office. He said that under 200 was a good goal. He also said that if I set my goal to "ideal" weight I ran the risk of losing muscle and bone mass.
I am indeed much healthier now than I was a year ago. No more choloestreol, blood pressure or diabetes meds for me!
2. I discussed goal weight with the exercise physiologist at the surgeons office. He said that under 200 was a good goal. He also said that if I set my goal to "ideal" weight I ran the risk of losing muscle and bone mass.
I am indeed much healthier now than I was a year ago. No more choloestreol, blood pressure or diabetes meds for me!
You are only 8 months out.. You could still loose more weight. I lost most of my weight in the first 8 months and by comparison I thought I was staying the same.. but I continued to loose another 2-3 pounds per month.. I'm 5'8".. 56 years old.. I too thought if I got anywhere near 200 I'd be thrilled. I started at 323. I now weight 167.. I have a ton of loose skin.. I'm guessing I probably have at least another 10 pounds of skin...
I'm actually on the "thin" side now.. and can't seem to gain weight no matter what I eat.. I bought a bunch of new clothes when I hit 200 and the weight loss slowed down.. because I thought that was where I'd stay. those clothes are all way too big now... I have lost a lot of muscle mass. I'm pretty much a weakling now.. I'm sure my wife could beat me in an arm wrestle lol..
If you are close to your goal weight and feel good I wouldn't worry about a number on the scales. I'm just suggesting that you may not be done.. I'm assuming you had RNY surgery.. They suggest that the period of mal obsorption and weight loss can continue up 16 months..
Congrats on your weight loss..
J
I'm actually on the "thin" side now.. and can't seem to gain weight no matter what I eat.. I bought a bunch of new clothes when I hit 200 and the weight loss slowed down.. because I thought that was where I'd stay. those clothes are all way too big now... I have lost a lot of muscle mass. I'm pretty much a weakling now.. I'm sure my wife could beat me in an arm wrestle lol..
If you are close to your goal weight and feel good I wouldn't worry about a number on the scales. I'm just suggesting that you may not be done.. I'm assuming you had RNY surgery.. They suggest that the period of mal obsorption and weight loss can continue up 16 months..
Congrats on your weight loss..
J
So when it comes to numbers I contradict myself quite alot but actually live my life in the middle of my thoughts.
So I agree with the not letting the numbers on a scale rule your life, these are the numbers that made us feel miserable in our old lives so why continue to let them rule things now? As for BMI versus body fat % . BMI is a total load of crap in todays world, as it is based on made up math. If you study the history of the BMI you will find that a calculation was created to support an expected result. The BMI was created to express the over all fitness of a population so when you apply the laws of large numbers things are different than when they are on an individual scale. So again BMI is crap!
Body fat % in the most simplistic terms is the percentage of fat in relation to lean muscle. 22% is towars the top of NORMAL. It is perfectly possible for an individual to be Obese BMI wise and normal or even Atheltic Body Fat % wise. Think body builders some of these guys may qualify as MO and have a body fat percent in the single digits.
I know some guys that have hit their goal weight only to realise that they didn't like how they looked and then spent time building muscle and increasing their lean muscle weight.
If you have areas you are not happy with then by all means target those areas and tone them and such so that you like how you look, but also remember that sometimes what we see in the mirror isn't what is there or what others see. Be happy with who you are and don't chase some number.
So I agree with the not letting the numbers on a scale rule your life, these are the numbers that made us feel miserable in our old lives so why continue to let them rule things now? As for BMI versus body fat % . BMI is a total load of crap in todays world, as it is based on made up math. If you study the history of the BMI you will find that a calculation was created to support an expected result. The BMI was created to express the over all fitness of a population so when you apply the laws of large numbers things are different than when they are on an individual scale. So again BMI is crap!
Body fat % in the most simplistic terms is the percentage of fat in relation to lean muscle. 22% is towars the top of NORMAL. It is perfectly possible for an individual to be Obese BMI wise and normal or even Atheltic Body Fat % wise. Think body builders some of these guys may qualify as MO and have a body fat percent in the single digits.
I know some guys that have hit their goal weight only to realise that they didn't like how they looked and then spent time building muscle and increasing their lean muscle weight.
If you have areas you are not happy with then by all means target those areas and tone them and such so that you like how you look, but also remember that sometimes what we see in the mirror isn't what is there or what others see. Be happy with who you are and don't chase some number.
Paul C.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Correlation_betw een_BMI_and_Percent_Body_Fat_for_Men_in_NCHS%27_NHANES_1994_ Data.PNG
I found this chart very informative.
I found this chart very informative.
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