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Forum -> Health & Wellness -> Healthy Lifestyle/ Weight Loss/ Exercise

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amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 10:55 am

I'm 5"6 and 153 lb with a BMI of 24.7 which is at the top of the range of healthy weight. I recently lost 30lb with my goal being to get to a BMI score of 21-22, the mid range of normal weight for my height. In order to get there I need to lose another 18 lb, to 135. I haven't weighed that little since high school, I was a total stick then. I think at 140 I'll be fine. But my BMI will be on the high end of normal. So how do I tell what's a healthy weight for me? I do think my bones are heavy since I look thinner than what I weigh.

happyone

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 10:57 am

You don't necessarily have to follow BMI guidelines. It's important that you feel healthy. The BMI is just a guide.

Ruchel

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 11:13 am

Yes, it is just a guideline. And there are several shittot (18-25, 20-26...).

chani8

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 11:56 am

What's the point in calculating BMI anyway??

Ruchel

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 12:16 pm

Having an idea

MaBelleVie

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 12:24 pm

I've seen charts that calculate bmi differently depending on your frame. Why don't you check that out? Anyway, I agree that bmi is only one factor and you need to use your common sense and look at overall health.

Mirabelle

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 1:31 pm

I now weigh about what I did in high school (BMI 21.5) but after having kids and being in my mid 30s it looks a lot different....just saying.

livinginisrael

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 1:47 pm

my doc said if your large frame and 5'6" then 150 is perfect weight and never less than 140

amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 4:35 pm

chani8 wrote:

What's the point in calculating BMI anyway??

Only what it was intended for: a way of comparing weight across different heights. Weighing 170 lbs at 5'3" is different than at 5'10". Same with clothing sizes. I'm a bit chubby wearing a size 2 at 5'2". If I were 5'10" I'd probably be very underweight.

It doesn't take into account your frame and where you carry weight, either. So I wouldn't worry too much about it and use body fat % as a general guideline instead.

freidasima

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 4:42 pm

Ok now you have me stumped.
A size 2, that's not a 12 that's a 2 right? not as in 1, 2, 3, but as in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. ladies sizes. That's like a 32 in European sizes or a 30 in English sizes.

In my day if you were 5 foot two (I am) and a size two american you were anorexic. Or worse. I was usually a size 8 or 10 when I was in high school and I was considered perfectly normal. If you were in high school and a size 12 at that height you were a bit round but ok. My mother was a 12-14 and that height and she was considered just fine.

In terms of weight, when I was in high school and a size 8-10 I weighed 112 lbs and was considered very slim. After kids I went up to anywhere between 122-132 lbs and was still considered fine. Same height, 1.55 or five two.

So what weight is considered "chubby" at five two? In my day a girl of five two who was 135 lbs was a bit "chubby". She wouldn't have been considered "fat" until 140 plus pounds at that height...

Have things changed so much? I look at my kids, my girls are all around five six, and they are considered quite normal at their weight (they are in their late 20s early 30s) and they sure aren't a size two here in EY (we have european sizes, they are around size 38-40 which would be american 8-10 or English 10-12)...

amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 4:51 pm

US size 2. Also, sizes have changed over the years. 10 years ago, at the same height and weight, I wore a size 4.

My body's really none of your business and I should have made up somethibg instead of using myself as an example. If I ever meet you in person you're welcome to take a look at my rear and thighs so you can judge for yourself. til then, I'd appreciate if you lay off me in this thread as I'm not going to argue with you and it's not helpful to OP.

freidasima

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 4:59 pm

I wasn't targeting you, chas vecholilo....I was just asking, really, because I'm five two and a size two or even size 4 in my day (I'm in my 50s) would have been considered very very skinny!

And as you are amother, I have absolutely no idea who you are. So what weight is considered chubby for someone five two these days? You don't have to tell me your particular weight, I just wanted a guideline of what weights are considered chubby as a size 2 or even a 4 sound to me like skinny!

Mirabelle

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 5:03 pm

Gotta agree with FS...even with a modern size 2 that's still pretty small..not quite sure how that can be viewed as chubby. I'm a size 2 and am commonly referred to as "thin" or "skinny" by most people....I guess everyone wears weight differently but to even fit into a size 2 skirt or dress your waist has to be pretty little...

Mirabelle

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 5:04 pm

Oh and I'm 5"4 but I dont think that the 2 inches would make that big of a difference...

amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 5:22 pm

I am so sorry I posted on this thread.

imasinger

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 5:27 pm

To get back to the original question...

I have a scale that purports to measure percentage of body fat, which is supposed to be a more accurate measure of health than BMI. You might want to check it out.

tsiggelle

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 6:33 pm

imasinger wrote:

Can you share more about it?

amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 8:07 pm

Hi im an RD we are slowly stopping to use bmi because a weight lifter at 250 lb vs an obese man w a huge belly at 250 lb, same height, would have the same bmi... obviously not an ideal calculation...
Fyi your ideal body weight range would be 117 to 143 also not a great indicator but if you have a larger body frame mid 140s should be perfect

amother

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 11:15 am

I'm recovering from an ED and I love this blog written by an RD, here's a blog about BMI.

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.c......html

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