To think a BMI of 22 isn't 'unrealistic'?

[BellyWibbles]

I know BMI is quite outdated but ive found it a helpful reference to progress.

My current BMI is 23 (down from 40)

Someone has just told me on another thread I need to be realistic about maintaining and I should go back up to BMI25

That makes no sense to me, that is the very cusp of being overweight.

A BMI of 22 is in the middle of the healthy range and nowhere near underweight.

And gives me a little wiggle room for gaining without being medically classed as overweight again.

At 25BMI just 2lbs would have me back in the orange zone!

Why do you feel the need to listen to a random person on a thread who has a different opinion to you? You’ve done an amazing and difficult thing to lose so much weight. A BMI of 22 is, as you say, bang in the middle of the healthy range.

Listen to your own thoughts and opinions on your own body and find a way of maintaining your weight as this is harder than losing in my experience. I’m the same BMI and after I lost weight about 18 years ago I read that daily weighing was the key to maintaining and so I’ve done it ever since. Many will disagree.

Going from BMI 40 to 23 speaks to a fair degree of commitment to the weight loss.

So if you're prepared to stick with the changes and commitments you need to maintain, 22 doesn't sound at all unrealistic.

If you were using weight loss injections and will stop soon or have already, that might well affect how realistic it is, as you'd probably need to change more of your triggers and relations to food in order to maintain, and it might need significant willpower and developing new habits.

But it sounds like a great goal, good luck with it and congratulations on your progress so far!

I wouldn’t worry about what your BMI is, I never ask anyone what their BMI is. Mine fluctuates between 22-26. I don’t lose any sleep over it. Anything can happen in life, I ended up becoming an alcoholic after WLS and my BMI went down to 21/22. I’m now 25 but I’m eating and not substituting food with vodka. I’d just focus on your own journey and not worry what strangers tell you online.

People love company because it validates their choices. I'll bet the person posting that is around a 25 or larger.

We can test this. My BMI is 20 and I think 22 is achievable and healthier than sitting on the cusp of being overweight.

Because I was just wondering if that's many peoples opinion, that a BMI of 22 is too low?

You are right, it doesn’t make any sense. What’s magical about BMI of 25 specifically? The only reason it may be trickier to manage lower weight is if you TDEE is low and you are having to survive on bird portions. Otherwise, it really shouldn’t matter.

Not really. Mine is 21,6 and I could honestly lose a few lbs.

You just need to be healthy, whatever weight that is

I lost 80% of it before I started weightloss injections.

I hit a brick wall and maintained for a year without any gains, but couldn't lose any more and I was still classed as obese so started mounjaro.
That helped me lose the last chunk of weight

I'm confident I will be able to maintain as it did it for 12 months previously and my eating habits are completely different than when I was morbidly obese!

Well according to the NHS it isn't, so I'm not sure why you think MNetters opinions would out-trump that?

I've just checked my BMI out of curiosity due to this thread, and it's 22.3

I'm 5ft 3, exactly 9 stone and age 55.

I'm happy with that so other people's opinions mean diddly squat 🤷‍♂️

My BMI is 19 and I'm fine

I have periods, successfully breastfed 2 babies for a year each, work full time, participate in life etc.

I'd be flabby at BMI 22

I guess the problem with a BMI of 22 is that you know you have “leeway” so if you do put on some weight then ”it doesn’t matter as I am still healthy” and then you hit 25 and think “well I’ve already gained loads so it is too late” and keep on gaining.

Where as if you were at 24.9 then you would know that you can’t relax and so you don’t gain.

Not sure if that is correct though.

I am someone whose BMI has moved between 22 and 25 throughout my adult life. I have found that I can only commit to dieting when I hit 25 and go “oh shit!”.

It's just a question I posted
I don't think one persons opinion is worth more than the NHS. I just found it interesting that some people would think it's preferable to teeter on the edge of overweight than be in the middle of healthy.

I don't think that will be thw case for me.

I think my aim is to stay in the '9 stones'

If I hit 10stone something I'll know I have to take action

You have a gastric sleeve, don't you?

I think that's likely to help you maintain when you come off the jabs.

Perhaps the poster you're referring to didn't know that?

It’s not that a BMI of 22 per se is unreasonable. It’s the fact that your BMI was 40 and it took a hell of a lot of work including weight loss injections to lose that excess weight. That suggests that your maintenance weight is naturally higher than 22 particularly if you hit a brick wall and needed mounjaro to get to a healthy BMI.
Many health professionals believe that BMI range should be adjusted upwards as women enter the peri/ post menopausal age range.

I think it depends on your frame when I go below about 22 BMI I look really boney, I am tall, broad shoulders and pretty straight up and down. I wouldn't worry about it

I think you missing the point of BMI. I have a BMI of 24 and have broad shoulders, flat stomach, short legs classic 'stocky build'. DP has a BMI of 20 which suits his frame. The range is there to account of different frames/ muscles etc. Neither of us would be able to sustain each other's BMI, and we would both look worse with each other's bmi. I agree, giving yourself a bit of leeway is helpful, but do think hard about why you need to lose more weight now. Make sure you have a good reason rather than chasing numbers. You won't necessarily feel/ look better at a lower BMI and there isn't any evidence that you would be healthier.

Yes, that plays a huge part in my confidence about not regaining, though I know plenty of people do after sleeves.
I've really put the work in mentally to throw away the food crutch I used to rely on.

I still have an unused pen in the fridge but I want to do this last bit myself and maintain alone too

I think the poster saying it might be 'unrealistic' is simply suggesting that once off the injections and your natural hunger comes back then you might find it easier to sit at (maintain) a slightly higher although healthy weight. If that's not the case for you, there's no issue!

A healthy BMI is between 18 and 24. So you're fine @BellyWibbles

Mine is 28! (At around 5 ft 3.) I need to work on it! (After Christmas.) 😆

I agree a BMI of 22 is not unrealistic, but I do think you can claim victory at your current BMI of 23. There are different body types and 23 might be the best spot for you in terms of your body not feeling hungry and it being easy to maintain. Pretty much anywhere in the healthy range is fantastic.

I think if you know it’s outdated but find it useful as a reference, then there’s little reason to subscribe to the numbers as closely as you are, especially if it’s within +/– 3 points.

I'll be aiming for around 20, but really I just want to be healthy

I have stopped weight loss injections and my body seems to be settling at about 2kg higher than the very lowest I reached. That's fine for me. Another option, which I'm surprised isn't discussed more, is either titrating down, so taking a lower dose or using that last pen on and off. I think in the future, some of these dosing regimes are going to be more complex than just fully on or fully off. Hunger for sure does come back full on after completely stopping, some people can cope with that, others may need either the medication or just accept a slightly higher base weight as a result, even if they are not eating in their old ways.