Weight management veterans are always fooling around with calculators, trying to discover that elusive "ideal" weight target. Since I'm close to what I consider a reasonable goal weight, I wondered what the alternatives might be.

Turns out the BMI range for my height (5'3) is 105-140 lbs. That's a wide range, wouldn't you say?! That spans a "healthy" BMI of 18.5-24.9--if you plug in the various weights.

BMI is probably the least informative index ever devised for determining a target weight. But it's encouraging, anyway, to drop into the "normal" category.

Now if I could only get my digital bodyfat thingie to drop below 30! (Are we EVER happy?)

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/137/130

My digital Body Fat thing always shows between 30 and 31. Once in a blue moon it will show 28%.

Consumer Reports did an article on these a few years ago when they first came out and said that they over state fat % by up to 6 points depending on hydration levels (and up to 8 points for women).

So I use it to spot a trend (i.e. going lower) but it seems no matter how much I work out or get closer to my target weight (which I reached last year before my wedding) the dang thing still showed 30% fat.

Wolfman
Restarted Atkins 1-02-04
202/191.5/175

Thanks, Wolfman. That's about what I figured on the bodyfat gadget. Like you, I planned to use it to detect a trend, rather than a flat measurement.

I'll just subtract those 8 points!



Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/137/130

An important fact about BMI that I just learned about is that a BMI of 24 ish is not completely healthy. According to Walter C. Willett's (Harvard med school professor) book Eat Drink and Be Healthy:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure begins to climb at BMI's of 22 or so. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The panel that chose a BMI of 25 as the upper limit did so to prevent the majority of Americans from being labeled overweight. After 25 the risks begin to become far worse than below. After I read this, I adjusted my target weight, since I am now going to shoot for a BMI of 22 to 23 giving me a target weight between 145-150.

While he does not endorse Atkins, saying that it has not been carefully tested over the long term, he didn’t seem to have an objection to the Zone calling it a low glycemic diet.

One of the things I found most surprising is that he does not believe in the food pyramid, pointing out that it was made by the US Department of Agriculture – and not by scientists. He also agrees that people eat too many grains and not enough vegetables.

This is nothing surprising to anyone here, but I do find it very refreshing to be hearing this from someone who is part of the mainstream medical community. It also makes it easier to argue with those anti-Atkins people.

Started on 9/20/03
235--&gt;190; 150 goal

Yep. I had seen an article comparable to that.

My initial target is 175 but I would have to get to 165 in order to get my BMI down into the "healthy" range.

Wolfman
Restarted Atkins 1-02-04
202/191/175