BMI 28, but want to maintain.

Hi

I'm 45yr old, 5'4" 165#.  I have lost 67# in 18 months. I have gone from a size 22 to a 12.  My face and neck are very, very thin, but I am still over weight with a BMI of 28.  My thin face makes me look ill, and tired.  I am not unhappy with my weight.  I have never exercised before and I now spend an hour a day at least 5 days a week at the gym and work out hard.

I think it is time to begin maintenance, at least for now.  My husband has voiced concern about my continued weight loss, he feels I am beginning to look unhealthy.  Is there anything wrong with maintaining even though I'm still over weight?

Thanks      Leslie

Weight loss should be about getting to and maintaining a healthy life style. BMI calculators can be off by quite a bit, so don't worry to much. Unless it calculates in your natural breast size, if your naturally large, the calculation will be off. Keep up the good work!

~~ cheer

If you're happy, if you're healthy, I say GO for it. Maintenance can be achieved at any healthy state. You may see pounds continue to fall off as you try to figure out your maintenance numbers. This isn't about a scale or a chart, it's about living healthy. Health = body + mind.

BMI is one of the worst things ever created.  What really makes sense is the body composition (body fat).  A friend of mine has a high BMI, but has 5% bodyfat.  So, his doctor would tell him that he's way overweight, but where can he lose his weight?  He's 189 lbs now, but for his height the high-end of his weight is 177, so really he's 12 lbs over the BMI's high-end for his height of 5 foot 10 inches.  He'd have to lose 12lbs of muscle to get to what his doctor would tell him.

The BMI is a simple starting point for people, but should not be followed completely.  If you feel comfortable at your weight, then maintain.  if you work out, adding weight training, and keep your weight the same, then you'll lose fat, gain muscle, but still have a BMI issue.  So, skip the BMI.

That same friend of mine is a nutritionist and personal trainer and he hates and refuses to use the BMI with any of his clients.

 

If you workout that hard for an hour, 5 days a week, then you have probably built up your muscle mass, which would make you heavier, but not actually look fatter.  Definitely don't go by the BMI charts if you have any sort of muscle.  Remember muscle weighs more, so your BMI will be off.

And congrats on the weight loss!!!!

I'd encourage you to look at the type of foods you're choosing rather than simply how much.  That 'ill & tired' look can be down to poor nutrition rather than simply weight-loss.  I think the BMI is a good rule of thumb..  You don't have to be BMI 25 but at BMI 28 you shouldn't be looking ill and tired if your diet is good.  You should have lots of energy and be looking younger with plenty of colour in your cheeks.

Are you, for example, getting at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day?  Plenty of iron-rich foods?  Lots of fibre and protein?  Dairy products?  A good variety of interesting foods? 

Some studies show that except for the obese, it is the unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle that causes harm -- not weight per se. So if you are eating healthy and exercising, enjoy where you are now and don't worry about a number.  Congratulations on making such a positive change in your life.