Today the worser half treated me to some new scales - the Weightwatchers ones that also register your BMI, body fat and body water.
When I was programming in my info, I saw in the booklet that according to Weightwatcher's a 'normal' BMI is one upto 25.8. But all the websites I've seen say 'normal' is upto 25 (or 24.9).
This is of great interest to me as my BMI has been stuck around 25.8 for some time and no matter how carefully I watch what I eat, or how much I exercise, it's not shifting. If I wanted a 'normal' BMI, according to everything I'd read upto now, I'd still have another 4-5lb to lose. But according to WW, I'm now normal anyway!
I won't know my body fat % til I weigh myself tomorrow and for me that will be the important one as that will tell me if I am really overweight or now at the top end of 'normal'.
I know it sounds daft - when I started this way of eating last year I never thought I'd get this far and would have laughed to think I was hung up on the last few lbs. But as I've worked so hard for so long - with no real change for months - it would be so cool to think I'd finally got there!
According to everything I've seen upto now, I still have 5lb to go. According to WW - I'm there! Which would you go for, and why? Also, have any of the UK cysters found other discrepencies in online tools and charts, etc?
If I had hit 'normal' without realising it - that would explain why no more weight's coming off! But looking at myself objectively, I still think I could lose another half stone - even then I'd be a lot heavier than I have been in the past, although having 5 kids has kind of wrecked my chances of ever being a size 8 again, I realise!
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Its a mater of numbers. I think you should take numbers totally out of the equation. You need to think firstly am i happy with the way I am? I don't mean looking back on the weight you once were either. and also will I realistically lose more weight?
There is no need getting stressed over a few pounds if in reality it will not make any different. To be fair who is to say that normal BMI is anyway? I wouldn'y think 0.8 of a BMI is really relevant. I have been told I need to be 10 stone 1 to be normal? When i was 10st I wasn't normal at all I wasn't eating so that is total rubbish.
Hope this helps a little with the focus
Cazza xxx
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Name Carrie, married to Steven for 3 years, Age: 31
DS Dylan born 10/06/07
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Ah Cazza I know you're right I just needed to hear it from someone else.
Now it gets more fun - according to the scales, my weight is now 'normal' but my fat % is 'overweight'. I guess the numbers are confuzzling me even more, now as again there's a massive discrepency between that and other body fat % calculators I've used which said (when I WAS overweight by a long way) that my body fat % was underweight! According to systems that measure your neck, waist etc I have really low body fat. But according to a machine with sensors it's heading towards high! Arg! I think it's going to have to be more subjective, as you say - am I happy with where I'm now at? Happy enough, yes. It wouldn't kill me to lose another few lbs just to give me a margin for error really but I'm happy eating the way I'm eating and exercising as much as I do, and I don't really want to change anything.
The discrepencies between these 'tools' is massive though - I only noticed it because I was in that crucial part of the percentiles, but it's quite worrying to see how great the difference is between one system and another... According to one, my weight was still marginally overweight but my body fat underweight - according to another my weight is in the "ideal' zone but my body fat is skyrocketing!
I can take it with a pinch of salt, really, just wanting to keep track of where I am so I never go back to where I was a year ago. But the discrepencies are huge - what's going on?
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Don't forget if you're muscly, or have replaced some fat with muscle, that your BMI can be higher while you are still at a healthy weight. These tools are trying to categorise individuals with vastly different builds, body compositions, etc, and thats why they are just not all that accurate. 25.8 sounds pretty good to me! I know what you mean, that it would be pleasing to lose a little more, but I think - no, I know! - that it would be healthier to maintain the weight you have now than to yo-yo, so don't forget that maintaining is a big achievement too. I agree that gettting fixated on a particular number isn't helpful. Well done on the weight loss though!
I think I have fixated on a number to some extent, merely because it felt 'so near and yet so far'. You're also on the money about maintaining - if I can do that, I'll be happy. It's easier in a way when you're first dieting and watching the #s on the scale go down consistently - once they stop, it's harder to find the incentive to stick to your guns. I've continued eating the way I did to lose weight and exercising, although since about January have only lost 4lbs or so - and I'm actually enjoying the way I eat and look forward to my walks/runs so much that I can't see myself going back to where I was.
But it goes to show that number watching can be counterproductive.
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So Am I 'Normal' or Not??? 
