Bmi question??

[MARY1616]

Hello everyone,

I need some opinions or advice for my situation. I am 5' 11" tall and I weigh 145lbs. I had my bmi calculated and it is 29. I workout with Cathe 6 days per week (cardio/weight training) and my food is pretty clean. I cant seem to get my bmi down no matter how hard I try. My question is if I should focus more on cardio or weight training. I have been as low as 138 lbs, but still never firm. I do have VERY plyable skin and have since I was a little girl. my diet is the same almost everyday
fiber cereal w/ low fat milk
grilled vegetables with tempeh
4 egg whites
grilled chix or fish with veggies
thank you for any help!!I feel like I will never be firm

 

[Calico]

BMI is really not an accurate measure of fitness. It is better to go by your percent body fat. I can't believe that at your height and weight that your BMI would be that high. If you are working out regularly and maintaining your weight then, I would say that you are fine and wouldn't honestly worry about the BMI! Soo many people have told me to rely on your body fat measurement, because if you are muscular and weigh more because of the muscle then your BMI will be higher yet you actually are fine due to your muscularity!

Hope that helps some!

 

[GraceNote]

Try this calculator:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm

I put in 5'11" with 145 pounds and get 20.2. Your diet sounds pretty healthy, too. I think you sound like you're in great shape!

For anyone else, how is the BMI any different from the old height and weight tables except that it gives you a number instead of a chart to look at? I thought that was a method that was inaccurate because it didn't account for body fat % or different body bone structures? So how can the BMI be 'better'?

 

[Debra L]

Mary, the BMI for a person who is 5'11" & 145 pounds is 20.2 which is at the low end of normal. You're also quite slender using the formula used in nutrition classes - for women use a base of 100# & add 5# for every inch over 5'. Adjust 10% up/down if small boned/large boned. Both formulas ignore body composition (body fat%).

Are you confusing BMI with body fat percentage? A slender person could have a high body fat percentage (poor body composition). And a heavy person (high BMI) could have a very healthy body fat percentage.

Honestly, your caloric intake looks very low. Consider whether you're restricting calories so much that you can't build muscle & your body is holding onto fat because it's in "starvation" mode. You'll get lots of feedback on that on this forum.

I do agree with the poster above that focusing on BMI is not the best indicator of fitness & healthy body composition.

Debra

 

[midnight]

BMI does not distinguish how much of your body weight is composed of fat tissue and how much is composed of muscle tissue, therefore it is even more inaccurate for people who are fit, including elite athletes who rely on strength for performance. Many of them fall in the obese category! It doesn't sound to me like you are eating enough calories for either your heightand weight or your activity level. You can actually shortchange yourself this way because your body will go into fasting mode and will decrease its energy requirements accordingly, saving what fuel it is getting for body function rather than exercise fuel. You also need more carbs than you're eating because they are the body's primary energy source. I think you should speak to a sports nutritionist and discuss a more realistic and balanced diet to support your activity intensity and also help you to find out which numbers (BMI, body fat %) are appropriate and achievable goals for you. The BMI in particular is a "one size fits all" type of measurement. We all know that doesn't work.

Good luck!!

--Lois


"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning" - Mahatma Ghandi