Ok, I was being a little naughty yesterday and dreaming of an unobtainable body. I wanted to have a look at some people my own height and see what they weighed. So I looked at Heidi Klum

Now she apparently is 5'9" (as I am) and weighs 119 lbs. According to the BMI that is underweight. Looking at some other celebrities they are also underweight according to BMI. Note, I am using celebrities as their weights are readily available on the internet.

I was aiming for a goal weight of 65kg (143lbs) but it is making me think that I could actually aim lower. I think I set the goal of 65kg for no other reason than having been there before but not really much less - especially not as an adult. Do you think that relying on the BMI is a good way to set a goal weight or should I disregard it and just keep going (god help me!) until I am happy - even if that means technically being in the underweight range of the BMI.

I know that it is a little early in the game but I am interested if other people used the BMI as a guage for their goal.

I use BMI as a goal, but I'm aiming for the high end of my BMI range. I'm 5'6". 155 pounds is the top of the healthy range for me. I'm aiming for 145-150, but I'll be happy with 155.

I like to put more stock in getting my body fat percentage in a healthy range. I have a naturally "thick" build...I put on muscle fairly easily, so for me to hit the bottom of my BMI range, I would actually have to either lose muscle or go waaay below the healthy range of body fat percentage.

If your BMI is 19 or lower, you are considered to have an unhealthily low weight, which means you have a higher risk of anemia, bone loss, nutrient deficiency, heart irregularities, amenorrhoea (loss of periods in women) and osteoporosis in later life. Health risks of being underweight may also include depression and other emotional distress. If you are underweight, you should take steps to gain weight and improve nutrition.

As you have said, you are "considered" to be underweight. It is difficult to comment that should I decide to go for a weight goal that is technically under the recommended healthy range, that I will be comfortable and healthy with none of the above effects you have mentioned. Unless I am there, I won't know for sure.

I have heard a few prominent trainers and nutritionists mention that the BMI is not realistic as it does not take into account all individual factors including age. I have also heard that a better guage is to use a waist-to-hip ratio. Any thoughts?

I'm not going by BMI because I want to be muscley! So it will probably say I'm overweight or at least in the upper range. Same goes for my husband, even at his lightest it said he was overweight even though he could wear a size 30 pant just because he had a lot of muscle.

My thought would be just go until your happy, keeping in mind that being too underweight can have negative effects the same as being too overweight.

Keep in mind that the camera adds weight to celebrities, so they need to be thinner than they look to appear the size they are on movies and pictures.

This is why I don't pay attention to BMI

http://www.mydna.com/health/weight/w.../bmimyths.html

My BMI is currently considered "underweight" ... But just like Cheeseburger&Thighs stated it really depends on your body. I still am trying to lose MORE fat and gain more muscle.

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

I use the BMI chart to keep track of my progress. It was nice going from moderately obese to normal weight. It's true that it's not a specific chart for everyone due to different body types but for me it's right on target!

I use bmi as a general indication of weight I sould be at, something to aims for, I started at 154 which is obese for my height.
now 131 Im still overweight.
Iwanna get to 120 for my healthy bmi and proberly lower for my own aim.
see I would like to use another method as a general indication but my dontor was very unhelpful

I pay attention to it, but like others have said, only as one factor in a general "where am I now and where do I want to go?" diagnostic. Right now, my BMI says I'm obese. I don't consider this true, though, because I know I carry a lot of muscle weight. I know I'm overweight, as I carry a lot of excess around my tummy/breasts, but I am STRONG for a girl! (And proud of it!) Anyway, I would like to reach 155, which will put me in the "normal" category of BMI, though at the top. I'll be happy being bigger and stronger than the average girl -- as long as I'm healthy

Angel - How tall are you, out of curiosity?

As far as BMI goes for me, I really paid attention to it when it said I was obese and overweight, but now (just getting into) the normal section it doesn't matter anymore. My body fat is still too high, so that's the number I will concentrate on now. And although weight number matters little, for me, mentally, to be considered overweight by any standards (short of Hollywood standards of course) brings me down. I think BMI can be helpful when used as a very loose guideline. Of course when it comes down to it, it really doesn't matter at all.

Im 4'11''

I pay a little attention to my BMI. At the moment I am 130 pounds at 5'6 and so have a BMI of 21.

I have weighed as little as 112 pounds in the past and my BMI was 18 and yes, I was seriously underweight and my body could not support it. I was FREEZING all the time, my hair started to fall out, my bones stuck out so much that it hurt to lie down to sleep etc etc.

Basically I am comfortable anywhere from 125 to 130 pounds but I have a lot of muscle. I'm a US 2/4 and most people mistake me for weighing a lot less than I do.

I believe going by how you feel is generally the best method and just use the BMI as a general guide. As for seeing how far you can push yourself...just be careful. It can become addicting when you start to think "maybe just another pound or two...I know I can do it"

Livi