I'm Average?

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I read today that the average BMI for women in the US is 29. This is just two days after I heard that the average size for women in the US is 14. Well, I'm in 14 jeans now and I'm almost down to a BMI of 29, so I guess this means I'm average. I am not sure how I feel about this news. On the one hand, I am really happy that few strangers would look at me and see me as "fat" anymore. I love that I can buy my pants in the normal sections of normal stores, instead of having to hit up the plus sizes.

But, on the other hand, I am *just* this side of obese from a BMI stand-point. I was thrilled to be merely "overweight", but find it a bit alarming that the upper end of the overweight BMI range is now the norm for women in the US. I guess, overall, this is good news for me, but bad news for the country as a whole.

[Bonawanabfree 280]

Congrats on being average by the standards of this country. In my opinion I think that the BMI standards of this country are really antiquated and need to be updated due to body frame. I honestly wouldnt pay much mind to it anyhow though cause I think it should be based on how you feel about yourself and your healt above all. You are a great inspration and i cant wait to be where you are. Thanks for all of your insight.

[AvaFern 3,516]

Yay for average!

I was really excited when I finally broke into the "normal" part on a BMI chart, although I do tend to think that this isn't terribly accurate. I had to be 137 to be considered normal, and honestly I was stronger, faster, and probably healthier at 150 that I am now at 129 or than I was at 137. I'm not crazy about the BMI chart, but there doesn't seem to be a much better way either.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Yay for average!

I was really excited when I finally broke into the "normal" part on a BMI chart, although I do tend to think that this isn't terribly accurate. I had to be 137 to be considered normal, and honestly I was stronger, faster, and probably healthier at 150 that I am now at 129 or than I was at 137. I'm not crazy about the BMI chart, but there doesn't seem to be a much better way either.

Yeah. I need to get under 155 (my personal goal) to reach a "healthy" BMI and I am not so sure about what that will mean in terms of my size and appearance. As it is right now, I can see my ribs above my breasts. Not sure how "sickly" I might look if I really lose another 26 pounds. I really want to focus on just lowering my body fat percentage and increasing my muscle mass and not worry about the scale so much. I'd like to at least get to my surgeon's goal of 165, but we'll see.

[bikrchk 1,313]

BMI is a reasonable place to start for most folks, (unless you are a serious body builder that skews the tables), but not the be-all end-all either. I look at it this way... I have yet to meet a WLS patient who doesn't have body dismorphia. We pretty much feel fat at least some of the time. My body image is BROKEN. Based on the responses from some of my friends telling me I need to stop when I was only half way to goal, and hadn't met my Dr. goal yet, THEIR assessment of my size is BROKEN as well. They've never known me at a healthy weight. Ever. So what's a girl to do when setting her goal? Working with my Dr., I aimed for dead center of the healthy BMI range which for my 5'6" height is 135 pounds which I'd never weighed in my adult life. Seemed like a CRAZY goal at the time. Once I reached about 145, and a size 4-6 I decided to set a range a bit to the right between 135 and 145, my happy place being about 140 pounds. It would probably be five pounds less with plastics, but plastics are expensive and painful and I don't know that I'm gonna go there. I think you're not really going to know where you're "supposed" to be until you get close and even then, your body is going to shift around for a few more months as things settle down.

[Babbs 14,681]

I've been working out like crazy, and I find it interesting how different the weight loss is compared to my non working out weight loss many times before.

Before, at the weight I'm at now, and just walking and barely working out, I was wearing a 12-14. Now at this weight, I'm a 10-12. Yay for muscle tone! I think I look pretty good in clothes right now, but I look at myself naked and YEESH. I keep wondering if the 20+ more pounds I want to lose will make a difference in the way I see myself. I just don't know.

I know I've come this far, so I want to go all the way at this point and get to my goal of 150. It may take me 6 months, but gosh darn it, I'm going to do it!

[B-52 7,113]

BMI's are ok, they will get you in the ballpark, and give you ":Average" numbers....not bad when first starting out.

You can weigh 150lbs, but is that weight from fat? or is it from lean muscle.....

Only accurate way (to date) is to have a body analysis done to determine what is fat and what is not...,is the fat content is high, you need to loose more of it....regardless of your goal.

I also like when people say "Average in the US"....everyone knows the "Average" person in the USA is way over weight...an epidemic some say with a country filled with fast food, fast lifestyles, poor habits, etc, etc.

[Babbs 14,681]

@@B-52

You post sounded douchey. I'm not in this to become an elite athlete with 10% body fat. If I feel comfortable at 150 pounds and my numbers health wise look good, I'll be happy. And coming in a thread where someone is celebrating that they are average by saying average in America is still a fat lard is just rude.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

@Babbs@B-52 I don't know if B-52's post was douchey. I alluded to the fact that it was disheartening that the upper end of the overweight BMI range is "average" these days in my original post. Maybe he just said it a little more harshly. In general I think he's right that BMI isn't as important as body composition. I'm sure we've all heard references to being "skinny fat". Where people don't necessarily weigh more than they should, but they aren't fit or healthy due to bad eating habits or substance abuse. My brother was always skinny as a rail and had a heart attack at 41 because he lived off of soda, Cookies, and potato chips and his only regular exercise was walking his dog.

[Babbs 14,681]

@Babbs@B-52 I don't know if B-52's post was douchey. I alluded to the fact that it was disheartening that the upper end of the overweight BMI range is "average" these days in my original post. Maybe he just said it a little more harshly. In general I think he's right that BMI isn't as important as body composition. I'm sure we've all heard references to being "skinny fat". Where people don't necessarily weigh more than they should, but they aren't fit or healthy due to bad eating habits or substance abuse. My brother was always skinny as a rail and had a heart attack at 41 because he lived off of soda, Cookies, and potato chips and his only regular exercise was walking his dog.

I understand what he was saying, and maybe I'm just projecting. But jeez, it seems nothing is ever good enough. You bust your ass to lose the weight and get to what you and your doctor deem as a "healthy" BMI, and yet it's STILL not good enough if your body fat content is too high.

And I know a lot of people on this site who would love to be just "average" at this point. I would have too 8 months ago.....

Meh. I'm tired and grumpy.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

@@Babbs Really, any weight we lose at all is improving our health. Look at all the info on how losing just 10% of your body weight can improve health in all sorts of ways! I don't know how many of us are going to reach the epitome of perfect health eventually, given the damage we've all done to our bodies by being obese for long periods of time. All we can do at this point is our best. We can take comfort in knowing that we will never again be as unhealthy as we once were. I do plan to work hard to be as fit as I can be to try to make up for all the years I spent being a fat, lazy slug. I know that I love the feeling of being strong and fit. Knowing I could run a mile if I needed to, or lift a heavy box or something. Those are good feelings and I want to keep improving.