[Joanne M]

Today I got weighed in lost a half a pound. My total weight loss is 29 and half pounds. My body fat dropped from 51% 47.5% My BMI went from 50 to 43.5 I am not sure what this means. Is it better to loose the weight or the body fat or BMI. I also lost inches and went 2 down sizes.

[Tuscany]

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is an estimate of the percent of fat in your body. It's based on a formula, which is based on your height and weight. It only works for the "average" person...and few people are "average". So, if you have a better way of measuring the percent of fat in your body, I would rely on it and ignore the BMI. That said, there aren't too many reliable ways of measuring the percentage of fat in your body...so when you say your body fat dropped from 51% to 47.5%, those numbers might not be reliable either.

I tend to rely on my weight, inches, clothing size and the way I look in the mirror. If you've lost inches and you've gone down 2 sizes, then that's sounds great!

[angelarm]

It's more important to see your body fat percentage go down than your weight in pounds. That's because, if you gain muscle as you lose fat, you could stay the same weight and still be getting slimmer and healthier. (For example, a muscular person could fit in size 10 jeans and weigh 175, while a person who has less muscle mass might weigh 175 and wear size 16 jeans.)

But like Tuscany said, body fat percentage can be tricky to know exactly, so I stick with measurements and how my clothes fit. Weight can be a pretty good indicator of progress, too, but it can fluctuate so much that it's often discouraging. I have a few pair of tight jeans that I use to check my progress every once in a while.

[PatriceChild]

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is an approximation of the percentage of fat within the body. It's based on a method, that's dependant on your own weight and height. It just works for your "average" individual...and few individuals are "average". And So, for those who have a much better means of measuring the percentage of fat in the body, I would depend on it-and dismiss the BMI. Having said that, there are not too many reliable means of measuring the percent of fat in your body...so if you say the body fat dropped from 51% to 47.5%, those figures may not be reliable either.

[Joanne M]

Thank you everyone.