So, I know this is passe', but damn! I was playing around with a BMI calculator earlier, and found that if I lose down to my "ballpark" goal of 250, I will still be obese! I'm 6'4", and have a powerlifter build (this won't mean much to the ladies, but the guys will know what I'm talking about). I struggled early on with setting a "target weight", because I have no idea. My tangible goal is to get down to a heart-healthy waist size (bout 34).

The skinnest I have ever been in my adult life was 225. I was 17 yrs old and playing football. When I was 225, my ribs were prominent. Too thin for my tastes, when I look back on old photos. Subsequent years resulted in gained weight, but some was still muscle (as evidenced by ability to lift more and more weight).

The depressing part is, for me to get to a "normal" BMI, I need to get down to 205. That's right, 20 lbs less than my weight in high school. Sheesh! I know the subject of BMI has been bandied about recently, so I don't expect a lively debate.....just needed to rant. (Am I turning into a chick?!? LOL)

I think in the end you can really only go by how you look and feel.

I agree with that.

Other people I know of similar height and weight wear a smaller size, and look much less flabby than I do.

This happens to me too. But what also happens is that my numbers are much better than theirs. My blood pressure is lower. My Iron is higher. My cholesterol is lower. Etc. Flabby and what size you wear isn't necessarily about health. :biggrin:

But really, unless you're VERY muscled as in training hard, the range of BMI will probably cover it.

I just read that BMI is inaccurate for 25% of the population. That's more than the elite athletes with lots of muscles.

The problem with BMI is not just that it tells people who are healthy that they aren't; it also tells people who AREN'T healthy that they are. There are better measures IMO of health. BMI is just the old weight charts slightly updated and turned into a single number.

So, in conclusion, we are all agreed to pick up our burning torches and pitchforks, congregate into an angry mob, and storm the BMI stronghold, yes?

Plain - you are such a goofball!!! To me, the BMI calc is only my justification to get the band! I've had one appointment with the surgeon where he proceeded to look up my "ideal" weight. I'm 5'4" so my ideal weight is 124. Now if I got down to 124, people in my life would be worried that I was going to die! The smallest I've been as an adult was 135 but I was working out more so some was muscle. At this point, I just want to see a "1" as the first digit of my weight.

Second surgeon story - I was saying how weight is so odd b/c I'm so dumpy and my brother is 6'5" and 170ish. (Couldn't you just kill him, Plain?) So my surgeon proceeds to say that he clearly needs to eat more. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? :biggrin: If any of you saw him, you'd think he was just fine. (Tho he does describe himself as the most out of shape skinny guy around.) He absolutely got my uncle's metabolism where I got the fat, thyroid disease (5th generation).

So I didn't mean to threadjack but I think BMI is crap. I think you said you wanted to get down to a 34 waist? When you do, I say screw the BMI!!! :mad:

On the contrary, thanks for resurrecting this ancient thread....and thanks even more for your "goofball" designation, as it is very apt. When my oldest boy was around 10, we decided to visit another church. His advice to me: "Uh, dad...at church, you might want to tone it down some". I did.

But enough of that painful flashback. Your bro is 6'5 and 170?!? Wow...I could never, ever achieve that (and I'm not talking about growing the extra inch, smarty).

I think BMI could be fairly accurate as a way of assessing the body fat level but I think we need to keep in mind that it is just an average and does not take into account muscle mass, therefore BMI may overestimate body fat in people with a muscular body and can also underestimate body fat in people who have lost muscle mass.

My husband is 6'2 and now he's definitely overweight, :tongue_smilie:.... but when we met he was around 250lbs and very muscular and I don't think he would've looked good weighing any less...:tt1: he looked fine....

However, I do respect those who go strictly by the BMI:wink:

On the contrary, thanks for resurrecting this ancient thread....and thanks even more for your "goofball" designation, as it is very apt. When my oldest boy was around 10, we decided to visit another church. His advice to me: "Uh, dad...at church, you might want to tone it down some". I did.

But enough of that painful flashback. Your bro is 6'5 and 170?!? Wow...I could never, ever achieve that (and I'm not talking about growing the extra inch, smarty).

Ancient!?! 3 months' old is "ancient"? I kind of figured that "goofball" was appropriate but what child doesn't think their parents are "goofballs"? :embaressed_smile:

I just hope I live long enough to see my damn brother have a poochy tummy! He has alwaysssss been very slender; it's so unfair!!! Thank goodness I, at least, got the "good" teeth! haha

I don't have that, we have the same teeth---we even smile alike!!! He though, is 6'3" and 165 pounds and FIT!! Solid, firm muscle. But he works outside, physically every day.

My thing with him, used to be, that I at least had hair, his was getting thin. Then 5 years ago, I lost every hair on my body----and he did not say a word, he did not ever rub it in. So now even though "thin" is long gone, and now "bald" resides, I never say a word.

He told me the other day he didn't think I should lose much more weight-----I don't know which of us the comment shocked more!!!

Kat

Please, God, let me get so small that my brother tells me that I've lost enough weight!!!