[aangel22]

That BMI calculator pretty much matches every other one I have found. It might be a little off though. 169 would put me in normal range, but according to yours, I would still be overweight.
Here's a good site to find your frame-size. I always thought that I had a large frame, but surprisingly I have a medium frame. Check it out. http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/fsz

[JulieJ08]

Originally Posted by NishKitten

Especially the ones that just take height and weight.

The ones that calculate your waist, hips, forearm, wrist, neck, and sometimes the measurement around your knee are the most accurate.

I find that with the calculator like you showed, to the one above there is as much as a 10% discrepancy, especially for women over 5'5". Then they become very inaccurate -- either too low or too high. Like according to that thing i'm 21.1% BF, but I just had a docs appt where he calculated my BMI the way I mentioned above and I was actually more around the 17% range. I am CERTAINLY not underweight by any means, nor am I even remotely slender. Just really muscular. I've got an athletic build.

They're okay as a guideline for someone who isn't athletic, but those calculators don't take into account lean muscle mass or the size of your bones.

Nope. It is not saying you have 21.1% bodyfat. You're mixing up BMI (Body Mass Index) and Body Fat. Two different things. The range of normal for one is not the same as normal for the other.

All the other things that have been said about BMI not taking into account your muscle vs fat mass, breast mass, etc., are true.

[NishKitten]

Originally Posted by JulieJ08

Nope. It is not saying you have 21.1% bodyfat. You're mixing up BMI (Body Mass Index) and Body Fat. Two different things. The range of normal for one is not the same as normal for the other.

All the other things that have been said about BMI not taking into account your muscle vs fat mass, breast mass, etc., are true.

I thought BMI was a measurement of body fat?

Thanks Julie, good to know. Learn sumthin' new every day...

[Thin4Good]

That's pretty neat. I'm 5'5.5" and if I say 5'5" it says I have a medium frame and if I say 5'6" it says I have a small frame. I guess I'm right in the middle?? I don't know. I've always said my bones must be dense or something because I have been shocking NURSES with my weight my entire adult life. You would think they could tell right??

From the looks of the BMI range for my "healthy weight" I should aim for 120-125 but I really just can't wrap my brain around that! I can't imagine being that thin. I'm just going to keep with my plan to 150 and re-evaluate when I get there! I am building muscle right now so that may be perfect for me with my dense bones. .

[Elwing]

Originally Posted by NishKitten

I thought BMI was a measurement of body fat?

Thanks Julie, good to know. Learn sumthin' new every day...

BMI is nothing else than a number that describes the proportion between your weight and length. The calculation is something like length x length / weight. And out of scientific research they have found that "if this number is below 18.5 you have more risk of certain diseases so we will call that underweight". And also "if it is 25 or higher you have more risk of certain diseases so we'll call that obese". That is all there is to it. It is a nice estimate, but nothing more than that - an estimate. I have a tiny frame so with a BMI of 24 I'm definitely not a healthy weight. On the other hand, someone with loads of muscle might find it very hard to get below that.

And, thanks for the frame calculator!