Everyone knows that BMI is outdated. This formula takes into consideration your height and weight and tells you if you're obese, overweight, normal, or underweight. What is does NOT take into consideration is your muscle mass and water weight. I know for me personally, I weigh 10 pounds more than I did 5 years ago but I wear a smaller size. That is because I have built muscle mass and toned my body in places that make it so I wear a smaller size but I weigh more because of my muscle. I think it's good to know where you're at with your BMI but the point is, take it with a grain of salt.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/
I was just watching Jillian Michaels on the TODAY show and she suggested instead of using BMI to gauge your body composition, you should instead use the method of "Waist to Hip Ratio"
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/
"Your waist to hip ratio is an important tool that helps you determine your overall health risk. People with more weight around their waist are at greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips. It is a simple and useful measure of fat distribution. Use a measuring tape to check the waist and hip measurements. Measure your hip circumference at it's widest part. Measure your waist circumference at the belly button or just above it."
I will add that this method is not 100% effective either. If you have access and can afford it I will suggest getting "dunked" a.k.a. "Hydrostatic Testing" as it is the only true test.
http://www.getdunked.com/home/default.asp
This method is the most effective and most accurate measurement of body fat, muscle mass, body water, etc. It is a little pricey and I don't know of any permanent centers in Las Vegas, but if you can afford it and/or if you're in the LA area you should definitely check it out. Actually, I just found one in Henderson but they have no appointments listed in September or October. I will call them and see if they're taking appointments.
I don't think BMI is all that accurate for me, but it is not a terrible gauge. I wouldn't want to base all my working out on it though.u
ReplyDeleteBMI should be taken with a grain of salt, it's just not really that accurate for anyone. With that being said I still care what my number is and I've lowered my BMI 13 points in the past 7 months. It's good to strive for a lower number, but not get too hung up on the number. Does that make sense?
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