BMI Horror/ Confusion. Do I need to get to a "normal" BMI?

[Ray92]

I've always been heavy, the only time I've been a normal BMI I smoked and ate 1,000 calories a day.

I'm currently 8 months pp and 16 stone 9. Before pregnancy I was around 15 stone. Obese in both instances. I'm clearly delusional, as I don't feel I looked obese! My blood pressure, cholesterol, fitness, blood sugar have been checked and they are all good. I'm so ashamed of being so obese.

What do I do? Get down to "normal" by any means possible or is it okay to be 15 stone, which I feel is manageable?

Does anyone else have this problem with BMI?

I don't know how I've put so much weight on, but my breasts have .gone from a 34C to a 36I

I'll attach pics of me around 15 stone for reference.

I agree with pp that from mid 40s onwards, carrying excess weight does start to catch up with you. It's easy to "carry it well" and look good when you're young. But not when you're old. Your joints and organs don't care what you look like, but they are affected if you are overweight.

Oh phooey.
I am 5'8" and workout a lot (run, swim, cycle, weights) and my BMI is right at the bottom end of healthy.
There is 3 stone range.
People like to kid themselves BMI doesn't work for them, and that's their choice but aside from a few outliers (world class rugby players and Olympic female gymnasts and tiny marathon runners) having a weight within the healthy BMI statistically has better health outcomes.

Even looking at olympic gymnasts - Simone Biles (as a random example) has a healthy BMI.

I think most people ignore the fact that a range of around 3 stone is actually huge, allowing for plenty of different body types. They just look at the top end of the range, and decide for whatever reason that it is unachievable for them.

I'm not sure how it can work for everyone.
Before children my BMI was in the low 20s. After children my breasts grew, enormous. My hips widened. And my BMI grew.
I average 15000 steps at work.
I walk my GSD twice, before and after work on top of this.
I swim, I lift weights.
I eat a whole foods diet.
Nothing is bringing that BMI down, because nothing is budging the hips and the bust.

I've heard a lot on Zara sizes on here being small, I'm obese at 5'10 and fit in a Large trouser at Zara.
There is too much variation in bone structure, muscle mass and fat distribution in women for BMI to be a good guide for ALL.

Also, sports stats online lie. One of my closest friends plays Rugby for Ireland. It says he weighs 16 stones. He weighs closer to 20.

Your hips widened because you are carrying more fat on them though? I don't understand why you think this would make BMI 'wrong'?

Exercise and a good diet are important for health, but eating healthily doesn't automatically mean your BMI 'should' go down. I eat healthily and my BMI is static because I'm not in a calorie deficit.

It may be a blunt tool but saying "I put weight on, and now my BMI is high even though I do lots of steps, so it must be wrong" makes no sense. It's great that you do lots of steps and eat well, but it doesn't necessarily mean your weight is healthy.

There is too much variation in bone structure, muscle mass and fat distribution in women

This is why there is roughly a 3 stone difference between the bottom of the healthy range and the top.

Do I look like I'm overweight? Because I don't. However I am

So you went from bmi 22 (11 stone) to BMI 30 (14 stone) and this is down to your hips being wider and your breasts being larger.

I think you're kidding yourself.

Why would I need to kid myself? I look amazing.

I'm not questioning how you look, but that you claim the healthy BMI range doesn't apply to you.

For someone so vocal, I think you should post a pic of your super healthy body so we can see what we should all aspire to.

My body is healthy. No health professional has said otherwise. So why should I trust you, medical degreeless woman of unknown origin?

You are obese and no health professional suggests losing weight would be good for you long term health.
Ok

I'm not one of the people making claims that BMI is 'wrong' or doesn't apply to me.

I'm simply saying that what someone looks like, or how much exercise they get, doesn't answer the question of whether they are a healthy weight (as was discussed by others further upthread). It's entirely possible to look attractive, get regular exercise (healthy), and eat good foods (healthy), while also being over/underweight (not healthy).

Just like it's possible to be a healthy weight while eating rubbish and looking dreadful due to lack of vitamins.

They're totally separate questions, but lots of people seem to conflate them.

Actually, no.
My waist is 30 inches and my breasts (give or take an inch for my time of the month) are 46 inches. It is quite clear to anyone where my fat is stored.

I find it helps to think of BMI categories in terms of health only. So you might be overweight or obese, but as a medical term. So you're too heavy to be healthy.

From a purely aesthetic/vanity point of view you can be however you want to be. You can be slim, athletic, voluptuous, however you want to describe yourself, and that's fine.

But you'll never be at your healthiest if you're carrying too much fat.

You think she is too heavy to be healthy?
She's obese.
I bet she could out run, out squat, out swim you on any day at any given time.
Your thinking is outdated.

I imagine she is not carrying too much fat i.e. her high weight is due to muscle and she is one of the very few outliers where BMI isn't a good indicator of health.
This is not the case for most people who are obese according to BMI.

... But I thought we couldn't judge health by looking at someone?

I thought her obesity meant she must be unhealthy because of all the extra weight on her joints?
Be that weight fat or muscle.

Well I am seriously jealous because I am also an hourglass, couple of inches taller than you, coupler of stone lighter, but you look way better than me!! Unless those are overly flattering photos I think you’re doing great at 15st! BMI isn’t the best measure of health. If I were you I would try body composition scales and as long as your fat levels are acceptable then crack on and enjoy yourself.

Acceptable with long term health in mind, that is, nothing more superficial.

What I meant is that obese etc are medical terms. Not a description of how you look.

I've just found my comment I made in February and realised since then I've lost almost 2 stone! I've lost 2st 1.5lbs since January and don't feel I look that different but people are noticing

BMI in itself though isn’t a direct predictor of health. BMI is correlated with metabolic health outcomes such as high blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol. The higher your BMI the higher your chances of having poor metabolic health which is in turn associated with health issues.

I cannot remember the exact BMI cut off but roughly one third of those with a BMI over 35 have no indicators or poor metabolic health whereas one third of those with a ‘healthy’ BMI do … which is where the term skinny fat comes from.

As for impact on joints, I’m sure if your BMI is very high there may be a risk but someone with a BMI of 30 who is fit with flexibility and good muscle mass will be fine.

There are also quite a few studies showing a BMI of 26 - 27 for women before menopause is linked to better health outcomes . And when there is a higher ‘risk’ of being overweight, the actual individual increase for an overweight BMI especially if you eat well and exercise is tiny.

AA does look fat in most of her pics.
She is carrying excess fat.
Do you know what her running pace or swimming pace is? I google'd but couldn't find the numbers.

Follow her on Instagram, she regularly posts stories about her stats: running, lifting etc.
What are your stats?
Why don't you post a picture and we can see if you're carrying any excess fat?