I am doing MyFitnessPal and had it "calculate" my BMI (I know that having someone measure would be best but I don't have that option right now). The problem is that it said based on my height I should weigh between 94 and 128 pound I have not weighed less than 120 since I was 20. I had been very athletic until knee issues took me out. I did not think that shooting for 130 would leave me still "overweight." Is there anyone out there that is as short as I am? (probably not) and in need of getting down below 125? I just feel that I was shot in the butt with that.
I am around your height and I know how you feel. I had a discussion with some people a few days ago and we were talking about how our ideas of "average" are usually borderline overweight. Maybe its because we mix our ideas of average (what we usually see) and average (average BMIs) when the two don't always go together. Not that you can't be healthy at a higher weight! But anyways, any weight loss is positive, stick with your current goal! Maybe get a doctor's check up when you reach your current goal (and maybe in between that) to see your health progress. You could be super healthy and want to stick with 130 even if it is a higher BMI. I would recommend chugging along and then seeing if you want to get lower when you get to 130.
BMI is not a perfect tool on an individual basis and is much more succesful when looking at statistics of a large population. That being said, it doesn't hurt to shoot for something close to it and reevaluate from there. Right now I'm 5lbs above a "healthy" BMI and in terms of most medical issues (blood pressure, cholesterol etc) I've been in the healthy range for awhile now. BUT I have crappy knees and I have noticed that even close to a healthy BMI range small weight loss seems to be improving them. But that's pretty much my only health motivation for continued loss.
What I'd suggest to you is shoot for 130lbs now. Once you get there you could get your body fat percentage check and decide if you want to continue losing or not. Now, you said you were active before, are you still quite active now? Are you lifting weights? Because being active at 130lbs is going to look very different than non-active at 130lbs. I have some before and after shots of when I was lifting vs before I was lifting at the same weights and you can see the difference here.
130 pounds at 5 feet is still overweight but only just slightly. Somewhere between 127 and 128 would put you back in the healthy weight range so honestly, if you look good and feel good at 130, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I consider BMI a guideline personally. You're talking about a very, very slight difference, don't sweat it.
Running....I walk the treadmill but can't run ever again. I am a teacher so I am always on my feet. My activity level is nothing like is was 20+ years ago (I would run 7 - 10 miles a day). I have hand weights but can't afford a gym membership to really lift. I know that would help, but that extra $ out is not in my budget right now.
BMI is crap - i refuse to have anything to do with it. even my dr doesn't believe in it - he said his eyes can give a much better indicator than BMI can.
to his eyes and in his 40yrs+ experience, while i am definitely obese, i'm certainly not in the about-to-die category my BMI puts me in. i'm a size 18, not a 28, for crying out loud.
go by measurements, clothing, and your mirror - never mind BMI. if you want a "rough guideline" or "ballpark", just use the old insurance charts as a starting point.
when it comes to weight lifting, go to the drugstore and get a roll of rubber resistance tubing. you can do all the weight training you want with that stuff - if you want it more difficult, double up the tubing or add a third, etc. i paid $15 for mine.
Last edited by threenorns; 03-12-2012 at 10:27 AM.
Running....I walk the treadmill but can't run ever again. I am a teacher so I am always on my feet. My activity level is nothing like is was 20+ years ago (I would run 7 - 10 miles a day). I have hand weights but can't afford a gym membership to really lift. I know that would help, but that extra $ out is not in my budget right now.
You can always try body weight exercises (lunges, squats etc). But I said that, not to guilt you into lifting, but just to point out that 130lbs might like different on you then when you were younger and an athlete vs. now after weight loss. Just something to be aware of.
My initial goal was 135. I picked it at the beginning of my journey because it sounded reasonably attainable and my doctor had recommended it based on my frame size in relation to the BMI charts (I have a large frame and am well endowed, so he added 10% to my BMI range and decided 135 would be ideal). I reached 135 a week and a half ago and revised my goal weight to 125. While I look and feel great at 135, I still have plenty more to go and I question if 125 will even be low enough...still have more chub to lose in my thighs, upper arms and abdomen.
So like others have said, set your goal for 130 and then reassess once you get there. I never thought in a million years I'd reach my goal and voluntarily want to work toward losing another 10, but I'm glad I kept my mind open to the possibilities. And if you reach 130 and feel right, stick with it and work on maintaining it. In the end, we're working toward feeling good in our skin. Good luck to you!
threenorns......do you have a workout video you use with your rubber bands? That is a good idea had not thought about those.
running.....no you didn't make me feel guilty at all. Unfortunately, I can not do squats or lunges. As long as I am upright, I am ok but when I start to bend my knees and put weight on them.....look out 'cause they are gone. LOL I do need to add some kind of resistance type training on top of the cardio because I know it will improve body shape overall.
dogday....thanks so much for your input. It helps to know that there is someone in pretty much the same boat as I am.
If it helps, when I quit the gym I lost more weight than ever. I lose a bunch of it by walking, heck strolling lol. Maybe you can buy a pedometer and try to get to a certain number of steps, and build a routine or something, but mainly focus on the diet or vise versa. I found that when I had elaborate work out and diet plans, it was too overwhelming to do both. Now that I am used to my diet plan (took a lot of trial and error lol) it feels a lot easier to make time to be more active.
There is nothing wrong with setting goals you feel are obtainable. And then, if you wish, you can fine tune as you get closer to meeting your goals.
My initial goal was 175. I had never seen 175 before in my adult life, but had gotten to 185 before and knew that I wasn't done at that weight. BUT... with being so overweight, shooting for the sky seemed counter productive, so I went for what I felt was possible because reality was, it was a lot better to be 175 than 255!
Well, I got to 175 the beginning of December and I could see I had more weight to lose and the weight was coming off quickly. I decided to drop the goal by 15 pounds. I got to 171.2 by December 15th. Then the holidays hit and I gained over the holidays and it's taken 2 months to relose the weight I gained during that time, but just today I got to my new all time low.
I look at my body now and I can pretty much see what it will look like in 10 pounds and I don't think I'll change a goal weight at that point because for my body, it will be close and from there on I will be focusing on building more muscle and seeing where continuing my fitness level takes me.
I see no reason I should weigh more than 160, but maybe I'll go lower, maybe I won't, but I can almost guarantee I'll still get a bit smaller even if I don't lose weight as I keep weight training and keep building muscle.
So... don't sweat seeing what you saw with the BMI charts. you'll be able to figure out what's best for your body as you get more fit and closer to your goals. Pick something attainable and fine tune as you go. All is better than staying where you are now.
thanks BBB......I was even a bit hesitant in setting my goal at 130 because it just seems like such a long way off. I didn't want to set myself up for failure. Kind of the reason I had searched out some form of support too....because it is such a big goal for me and I don't want to slip up anymore. I had acutally lost 10 pounds before Thanksgiving/Christmas and gained every bit back. I want more accountability than what I had prior.
BMI is a rough guideline. It happens to fall where I want to be so I use it. My doc told me that if you are muscular it can be very off. She said most bodybuilders fall into "obese" category even though they have a low body fat percentage.
Question about BMI and actual weight
I have not weighed less than 120 since I was 20. I had been very athletic until knee issues took me out. I did not think that shooting for 130 would leave me still "overweight." Is there anyone out there that is as short as I am? (probably not) and in need of getting down below 125? I just feel that I was shot in the butt with that. 
