BMI, Height/Weight Charts and Body Fat Percentage?
I am 24yo M who weighs 236lb. I have lost 80 pounds of fat and 62 total pounds in the last year. My lowest weight was 225lb, but my trainer tells me that my body fat percentage is 2 points lower now then it was then. It is now at %17.9 making me have about 43 lbs of fat. I also have a large body frame. My question is, according to BMI and height/weight charts, I am still really obese. Many weight charts are telling me I need to get bellow 180lbs. My question is, if I removed over 50 lbs to get into that range, wouldn't I have to remove more fat than is physically possible? My trainer tells me I need that muscle to help keep my metabolism up. Is that right? We had plateaued before, but I'm loosing fat again with the extra muscle and I can run (8m a week) now instead of using ellipticals and bikes, but I weigh more. What's going on? I am really confused.
Public Comments
- According to the BMI charts, i have to lose another 10 lbs to not be "obese" which will put me in a size 8, if size 10 is obese, then that is seriously messed up. I would work with your doctor and your trainer instead of relying on this other information. Your doctor will be able to help you determine how your weight loss is benefitting you and where you should be at and your trainer will be able to help you get there. Good Luck and Congratulations!
- BMI's don't work on muscular people. Muscle weighs more than fat so the BMi's get it all screwed up. Besides that, BMI's don't really say whether or not a person is obese, they usually just correspond with obesity. Don't worry, if you are only around 18% body fat you aren't obese.
- Why are you even worrying about your weight? Your body fat precentage does not indicate that you are obese. You do not need to lose 50lb, all you are going to do is end up losing muscle. Ignore the height/weight charts.
- Besides that, BMI's don't really say whether or not a person is obese, they usually just correspond with obesity.
