My goal is to get my BMI to 21%. My doctor weighed me in December and I had gained 8 lbs. in just six months.

When I used the ticketfactory ticker, it calculated by BMI already at 21.8%, based only on my height and my weight.

I don't think that's correct. I've only been strength training and watching what I eat for about the last five weeks.

I think that my scale is correct and that my BMI is 31%, which sounds accurate given the condition of my body and the cellulite on my butt, thighs, and stomach. My hydration level is at 47%.

My question is, how do most of you calculate your BMI?

How long did you see changes in your BMI along with changes in your weight? Does it take longer to lower your BMI than to lose weight? Thanks!

Michele, it sounds like you're confusing BMI with body fat percentage. They're two different things.

BMI is Body Mass Index and it's a formula based solely on height and weight. It's not a percent. A BMI between 18 and 24 is considered normal, 25 - 30 is considered overweight, and anything over 30 is considered obese. The shortcoming of BMI is that it doesn't take into account age, gender, or body fat %. We have a BMI calculator here at 3FC.

You're talking about percentages and so I'm guessing you really mean body fat %. That's a completely different number from BMI - it that tells you what % of your body is fat and what % is LBM (lean body mass), which is everything in your body that isn't fat, such as blood, water, hair, skin and muscle. Body fat % is trickier to measure than BMI because it doesn't use a formula based on height and weight. Instead, people commonly use calipers, a body fat scale like a Tanita, or a hand-held device like the Omron to figure out what % of their body is fat.

When we lose weight, our goal is to lose as much fat and as little muscle as possible because muscle is the calorie burner in our body (good stuff! ).

So is your goal to get your body fat % to 21 or your BMI? Since they're two different things, the answers to your questions are going to be different depending on what your goals are. If you can clarify, I'm sure we can help.

My BMI, based on my height and weight, is in the normal range.

I am trying to lower my body fat % from 31% to 21%. Let me start off by writing that I don't have an eating disorder, and I don't think that I'm "fat", just unhealthy and gaining weight much faster than I feel comfortable with gaining.

I wear a size 6 and the clothes are feeling very snug. I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe for work, so I am choosing to watch my weight and gain some muscle mass.

I know that I have been eating all the wrong foods and not exercising, and that's why I've gained weight so quickly. I'm actually surprised that I've been able to eat the junk that I was eating (mostly drive-thru) and not exercise, without gaining even more weight.

I own a Tanita scale. On that scale, it shows that I at least have lost 4 lbs. from 126 to 122 in five weeks. My body fat% hasn't budged from 31. I've cut out coffee and diet coke, and have been drinking at least my ten glasses of water a day at 8 ounces a glass. I have not had McDonald's french fries in five weeks! I have been eating much better, stretching, exercising, and doing the Yourself Fitness program.

Will it take longer to lower the body fat% than to actually lose the weight? I was hoping that I would see the body fat% lower. I understand that muscle weighs more than fat.

Do I need to do more strength training? I've been seeing results with upper and lower and core body workouts which include free weights, squats, and lunges in the Yourself Fitness program. Thanks!

Meg: I also noticed that at 5'4", you weigh 135 lbs. and you wear a size 4. I want to wear a comfortable size 4 again. I always thought it was more important to watch the scale. So, please advise! I'd like to know how to get lean and fit into my size 6 clothes comfortably and possibly get back into a size 4.

I've never weighed more than 126, when my doctor weighed me for my annual check up in Dec. of 06. I never owned a scale or counted calories or worried about body fat%, when I was younger. I usually had problems gaining weight.

I think I understand now that I didn't have much muscle, and I have probably not only gained weight, but lost muscle mass, which gives my body an appearance I don't like. I don't look as fit and healthy as I'd like, just because I weigh 122 and wear a size 6.

Ah, gotcha! You're looking to lower your body fat percentage to 21%.

OK, I think you're absolutely on the right track with what you're doing already.

There are three components to getting rid of body fat: nutrition, cardio, and weights.

Nutrition is what you eat (and don't eat!) - you want to emphasis lean proteins, good carbs, and good fats while controlling your calories. Stay away from sugar, white flour and junk.

Second, cardio is going to be your big calorie burner. Are you doing any now? Shoot for 30 minutes, 5-6 times per week (though you may have to gradually work up to that, depending on what you're used to doing). Cardio can be swimming, biking, elliptical, running ... anything that raises and sustains your heart rate for a period of time.

Finally, strength training/lifting weights will add some muscle which will make you tighter and smaller. Your workouts sound right on the money with free weights, squats, and lunges.

Don't be surprised if you see more change in your clothes than on the scale. Like you said, your BMI is normal so it really doesn't matter if the scale goes down, as long as you're losing fat and getting smaller, right?

You might want to check out the Ladies Who Lift forum here for others who are doing exactly what you are! Lots of great people and great ideas there.

Meg: Thanks! I'm really glad that you corrected me and explained the difference between BMI and body fat%. I'll have to check out the weight-lifting forum.

Thanks, I'll check those out, but somehow I think that it is possible to be thin and flabby and out of shape, and have a high body fat%. I've had my body fat% checked out before at a gym with the hand-held device by a person with a master's degree and fitness trainer, and it was around 30%.

I've notoriously been thin, yet not muscular, and a little weak and out of shape. I used to weigh less and wear a size 4. This time, I'd like to gain muscle and still wear a size 4.

I wear a size 6, except I'm not toned or muscular at all from inactivity. Most of the weight gain has been in my abdomen and my hips, but my butt is flat. I think if I was more muscular, I could once again fit into a size 4, like I used to, and be healthier.

Even if the scale is innaccurate, wouldn't I see the body fat% go down as I gain more muscle?

I found an online body fat% calculator that uses measurements, and these were my results. So, yes, it is possible for someone to look thin and wear a size 6, and still have a 31% body fat:



The Bodyfat Percentage (BF%) of a 63 inch female with a 12 inch neck, a 31 inch waist and 38 inch hips is 32% Recommended BF% for a woman is 22%.

The web site did not require my bust measurements, but I have a 36 inch bust. Is there anyway to keep the bust and lose the waist and hips?

Thanks! I've already gotten great information here. I was confused about BMI and body fat%. When I checked by bodyfat % at the gym a couple years ago, I was about 118 pounds, and still had around 30% bodyfat. Except, the person at the gym used the BMI terms and said that I was in the "obese" range, which seemed very odd to me. I don't look fat or obese, so I didn't bother to learn more about body fat%, which I really should have.

Part of the reason I ignored the weight gain, is because, I was always so thin that I liked looking shapely and having an attractive bustline. I wasn't aware that my waistline and my hips were following in the same way.

The other reason I'm concerned about the body fat% is that I've recently turned 37, and I had a scare about a year ago where I had to have a mammogram and an ultrasound, and then a six-month follow up mammogram, which luckily was clear. I have to go back again next week for my yearly mammogram, and I really wish that I was leaner and in better condition.

Thanks for reading!