Ways to calculate a healthy weight?

Hi all,

Everyone has heard of the BMI, but I know it also has limitations. I am wondering if anyone knows of alternative methods of calculating a "healthy weight".

I am wondering if I have really heavy bones/more muslces than other people, as most people who are my weight are at least 2-3 clothing sizes bigger than me. I am slightly taller than average, but not tall tall. No, I don't have really fat arms or legs or very my clothes super tight.

Anyway, I am trying to continue losing weight (18kg lost since April), but I have a feeling that my "goal weight" according to BMI isn't going to be achievablle/realistic for me. So how esle can I measure a healthy weight?

Try percentage body fat.

I was speaking with a personal trainer who said that people who have more muscle than fat are often in the obese range of the BMI.

A few years ago I went on weightwatchers, dropped from a size 16 to an 8, went to the gym 3-4 times a week. I only lost 2kg and got blasted by the group leader who accused me of not sticking to the diet. My trouble was I'd built muscle mass and had toned up. My body had changed but the scales did not reflect this.

I like Malyna's idea - but I've always worked off the BMI.

I too, had the muscular frame / athletic build but I found going from the BMI made me work harder - and I still achieved the goal.

The waist to hip ratio is another quick way to measure :)

I'm the reverse. I have a small build and my 'normal' BMI is a fraction lower than the healthy range, right at the top of the 'underweight' range.

I'd go with clothing sizes or inches to be honest, if you're just aiming to get slim trim and terrific, perhaps that means you need to lose 8 inches off your bum and waist or something. Got any old clothes you want to fit back into?

If you are a bigger build, your healthy weight is likely to be at the top of your healthy BMI weight range.

You can definitely use body fat to figure it out. Women should generally be carrying between 16-20% body fat to be; healthy. I think you will find that unless you have some serious musecle mass, that once you get there you will be in or near the healthy weight range at any rate. ;) :D

If it doesn't 'seem' possible or realistic at the moment to focus on such a large amount of wieght, then don't. Loosing just 5-10% of you starting body weight has huge health benefits. So set a smaller goal around there and then once that is achieved set a new goal. I lost 30kg, I done so looking at each 5kg block otherwise it was just too overwhelming. Be aware also, that the closer you get to your healthy weight, the harder it will become to loose the weight - you body becomes alot more efficient at what it does in terms of using energy. Towards the end, I was just aiming for each individual kg.

I use BMI, but go with the range. So for my height (170cm) the healthy "range" is 58-72 kg. I set the upper end of the range as an initial goal weight, and then once I was there, set lower goals. I find that my body sort of "settles" around 68-69, so I think that's what's healthy for me.

Congrats on your 18kg - that is awesome!

Hrm ... I'm a little under 170cm and my "settling" weight is 53kg ... I always end up back there. Everyone probably has their own natural weight, totally dependant on their physique and bone structure (I once dated a lovely fellow who was slightly shorter than me and 100kg and that's just how big he was). My partner is another featherweight - 2 inches taller than me and 65kg.

Of course I'm 63kg at the moment and almost 35 years old so it might not be the same after this baby ...

Thanks everyone! Very interesting.

Okay, will be aiming to get to 20% body fat and we will see if that does indeed put me in or near the healthy range, when I get there (may be a little while yet...!).

And are those scales which measure body fat any good? I know someone who has a set which I could borrow.

But I already have my next goal in mind, which is 8 kg away.

They are good provided you aren't breastfeeding - you retain too much excess fluctuating fluid whilst breastfeeding for them to get an accurate read.