VSG Maintenance Group
Body fat percentage and goal weight - thoughts from vets, please
I had my 6 month follow-up at 7 1/2 months today (a long story involving a job change and a 90 waiting period for insurance). I asked my Doc about possibly lowering my goal weight and he's not enthusiastic.
Here's why: I've told you I'm a solidly built girl. Didn't realize quite how so...my lean body mass is 137 lbs! According to my doc's chart, a healthy body fat for a fit woman is 21-24%, for an average woman is 25-31%. I'm at around 29% now.
Using the "fit woman" range (I sure don't belong down in the athlete range), to maintain a 21% body fat my weight would be 173, to maintain a 24% body fat my weight would be 180. 175 would be 22%. So he says that despite being above 25 BMI, 175 really is the right weight for me.
Any thoughts?
PS: All labs except protein excellent, protein acceptable (I seem to malabsorb since I get 90+ grams a day)
Here's why: I've told you I'm a solidly built girl. Didn't realize quite how so...my lean body mass is 137 lbs! According to my doc's chart, a healthy body fat for a fit woman is 21-24%, for an average woman is 25-31%. I'm at around 29% now.
Using the "fit woman" range (I sure don't belong down in the athlete range), to maintain a 21% body fat my weight would be 173, to maintain a 24% body fat my weight would be 180. 175 would be 22%. So he says that despite being above 25 BMI, 175 really is the right weight for me.
Any thoughts?
PS: All labs except protein excellent, protein acceptable (I seem to malabsorb since I get 90+ grams a day)
Highest weight: 335 lbs, BMI 50.9
Pre-op weight: 319 lbs, BMI 48.5
Current range: 140-144, BMI 21.3 - 22
175+ lbs lost, maintaining since February 2012
I was obsessed with this for awhile. I had my body fat tested in a bod pod and I have a scale that measures body fat. Of course, they don't agree. I finally decided, it doesn't matter what my "number" is. What matters is how you feel. Do you like the way you look? Do you feel good? As long as you're healthy, this is what matters. I still have goals of reducing my body fat, but not at the expense of losing pounds. I lift and work out to try and change my boy composition, not to lose weight!
You're still fairly early out and everything is new and it's easy to obsess about these things, but try to keep the big picture in mind. This is about the rest of your life! If you focus on eating for the nutritional benefits, your body will settle in where it wants and it will probably be what's right for you.
You're still fairly early out and everything is new and it's easy to obsess about these things, but try to keep the big picture in mind. This is about the rest of your life! If you focus on eating for the nutritional benefits, your body will settle in where it wants and it will probably be what's right for you.
Wow, this is very interesting... I had no idea that the Dexa Scan would be so different from the BMI. I thought it was more accurate, but I had no idea that it was that different.
I would LOVE to get a Dexa Scan to determine my lean body mass... I am so curious about what mine might be.
I am a BIG girl. But only in my shoulders and hips. I have small slim hands, wrists, ankles and feet, even when I was heavy. At almost 6 feet tall my feet are only a 9.5. I think my wrists are something like 6 inches, maybe less now, not sure. Most times my wedding rings don't feet even slim people that are way shorter than me. Very long lean hands... ANYWAY I would love to know what this ole' body really weights and how much fat I still have on it.
I agree with some of the others, the most important thing is that YOU like what you see in the mirror. As long as you are in a healthy range, go where you want to go. I sure am :)
Congrats again,
Cindy
I would LOVE to get a Dexa Scan to determine my lean body mass... I am so curious about what mine might be.
I am a BIG girl. But only in my shoulders and hips. I have small slim hands, wrists, ankles and feet, even when I was heavy. At almost 6 feet tall my feet are only a 9.5. I think my wrists are something like 6 inches, maybe less now, not sure. Most times my wedding rings don't feet even slim people that are way shorter than me. Very long lean hands... ANYWAY I would love to know what this ole' body really weights and how much fat I still have on it.
I agree with some of the others, the most important thing is that YOU like what you see in the mirror. As long as you are in a healthy range, go where you want to go. I sure am :)
Congrats again,
Cindy
For an AVERAGE person, I think the BMI and body fat results would be similar. But most of us skew one way or another from the average don't we?
Basically BMI simply measures the ratio between your height and weight. Doesn't matter if you have a light frame, little muscle and quite a bit of fat or a heavy frame, lots of muscle and little fat. In other words a couch potato and body builder of the same height and weight will have the same BMI.
The DEXA (and other body fat measurement methods) measures how much of your body weight is fat. So our couch potato would have a much higher body fat percentage than our body builder. To me, it's a more accurate picture.
I still have too much body fat right now, but I've known from the beginning I had a heavy frame, and I've been building muscle. Hate to be a walking cliche, but I really am "big boned".
Basically BMI simply measures the ratio between your height and weight. Doesn't matter if you have a light frame, little muscle and quite a bit of fat or a heavy frame, lots of muscle and little fat. In other words a couch potato and body builder of the same height and weight will have the same BMI.
The DEXA (and other body fat measurement methods) measures how much of your body weight is fat. So our couch potato would have a much higher body fat percentage than our body builder. To me, it's a more accurate picture.
I still have too much body fat right now, but I've known from the beginning I had a heavy frame, and I've been building muscle. Hate to be a walking cliche, but I really am "big boned".
Highest weight: 335 lbs, BMI 50.9
Pre-op weight: 319 lbs, BMI 48.5
Current range: 140-144, BMI 21.3 - 22
175+ lbs lost, maintaining since February 2012
DEXA scan is the most accurate so I think it's worth taking those numbers into consideration when picking a goal weight.
But there's no reaon you can't get your body fat under 21% if you want to.
At some point it's about what makes you happy and how much work you are willing to do.
But there's no reaon you can't get your body fat under 21% if you want to.
At some point it's about what makes you happy and how much work you are willing to do.
HW - 225 SW - 191 GW - 132 CW - 122
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Starting BMI 40-ish or less? Join the LightWeights
I agree that you should achieve a weight that makes you happy, where you feel healthy and vital. I'm 5'7" and, to my surprise and at my age of 62, my body seems to have settled at around 133, or a BMI of 21. No idea what my body fat percentage is, although I don't exercise so I know I've lost muscle mass along with the fat. But I feel healthy and I'm happy at this weight for now. (I feel like I've given myself a little cushion in case I end up doing the bounce-back thing.)
Height 5' 7" High Wt 268 / Consult Wt 246 / Surgery Wt 241 / Goal Wt 150 / Happy place 135-137 / Current Wt 143
Tracker starts at consult weight
In maintenance since December 2011.
