What Is Your BMI and How Are You Going with Your New Year's Resolution?

Seeing as how moderators have decided discussing other people's BMI is inflammatory, I figured why not open a can of worms and let's discuss everyones BMI and what we're doing towards maintaining (or aiming to be in) the healthy range.

My BMI is bang on 24.0 which I'm pretty happy with. Mid to late last year things were getting out of hand with it heading up towards 26.

My goal (though not my NYR) is to get it down to 22ish. This will require constant diet maintenance, a lot less drinking than what took place in 2017, and cutting (or heavily reducing) key things out of my life like milk and bread.

My 2018 New Year's Resolution is to try and do push-ups every day. I've currently only been able to do them about 60-70% of days though due to my right arm playing up on me. I did however reach a milestone of doing 100 on one of the days, although most days I'm happy with 60-80.

So what's your BMI and New Year's Resolution? I hope all OzBargainers are actively trying to be healthy and live a lengthy life.

You can calculate your BMI at the Heart Foundation website.

Comments

  • 48.1 :@

  • ~20. 10% BF according to US Navy method. Don't have time to eat a lot and not a fan of junk food or sweet foods and drinks (and nutritionally poor processed foods wouldn't let me stick to my $50 p/w healthy food budget).

  • 26.3

    95kg, 190cm. ~15% BF so not too worried.

  • +1

    my bmi is 21.3 at the moment. A year ago my bmi was 27. though I have been eating lots recently
    100 push ups, 100 situps, and 100 pullups every morning with 3km run surely keeps me in shape!

    • +1

      If you had run 10 km instead of 3km and did squats instead of pullups, you would have been able to obliterate everything with just one punch.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atxYe-nOa9w

      • +1

        Or might just go bald.

  • +1

    BMI is 18. Diagnosed eating disorder at 15, bmi was 16 or so. Constant mental health issues since. I'm 32 now.
    But my weekly grocery bill is like 50 bucks. Rolling in cash. Who needs stable relationships and mental health, anyway.

  • +3

    May last year: 31
    Jan this year: 25

    Have dropped about 22KG. Weight loss and fitness is like any other journey/activity in life - the tools you start with aren't necessarily the tools you end with. If you're coming from a place of being unfit, unhealthy and overweight, BMI and simply 'stepping on the scales' are incredibly useful, valuable tools; what you need is data, and to start forming consistent patterns and habits. As you start to drop the weight and get fitter, those tools alone aren't as useful and you'll be looking for other metrics or guides - your running pace, what you can lift, your percentages from a body scan etc. This will also be completely guided by what your actual goals are, since they'll be changing too in a lot of cases.

    I started out purely wanting to drop the weight and lower my risk factors for heart disease/diabetes. I found calorie counting worked great for me, just basic energy in vs energy out stuff. Now almost a year later, with my weight being close to my ideal personal goal, I'm focused more on enjoying what I eat and eating better, and also doing some weights and cardio to build the fitness side of the equation. I had to go look up my BMI for this post since I don't ever check that any more since it's no longer my main motivator.

    TL;DR don't hate on BMI, if you're just starting out it's as good a guide as any.

  • BMW 19 and turning 40 (age) in a couple of months.

  • +1

    I was 28.6 in August 2017. Today i'm 25.2. Pretty happy :)

  • BMI is 31 - Your suggested healthy weight range 71.1 - 95.7kg. I'm 196cm and currently about 120kg.

    I went from 150kg to 105kg about 5 years ago and have put about 15kg back on since then. I'd love to get under 100kg by the end of the year at the latest.

    • +1

      Good work mate keep chugging away

    • +1

      Cut out all refined carbs and sugar, including fruit. Stay committed and it will fall off.

  • +1

    I'm 191cm and currently way 77.9KG. BMI is 21.4.

    I had been trying to get properly fit for a long time with limited success, swimming, cycling, various gym memberships. I hovered around 85/90KG.

    In October 2013 I took up running, but, more importantly i changed my diet. Dumped all junk food, and softdrinks. I took the gym more seriously and more recently I am doing HIIT classes. At one point I did an 8 week challenge, and as a result of that i gave up Dairy, and bread. now after the weight loss i'm slowly putting on muscle. Easier said than done.

    At the gym the other day I happened to mention I was over 40 and one of the girls couldn't believe it (we've been doing classes together for ages). when i told her I was 46 her jaw hit the floor.

    Fad diets come and go, but you need to make permanent change and you need to get up off the couch. If you're happy looking at yourself naked in the mirror, regardless of how you eat or what exercise you do, then that's all that matters. Are you happy?

  • Numbers are an just another obsession
    Eat in moderation (portion size = stomach size)
    Exercise along with all behaviour is habitual - long term
    Build good habits and train those taste buds to appreciate more than sugar

    • +1

      Yer, lots of tasties out there…

      Tamerind, tandoor, Tom yam…..

  • I’ve ha a bmi close to 30 before. I lost weight and now am down to a bmi of 24. I still have more fat and less muscle than I would like and I feel I am still overweight compared to what ideally I ought to be despite being in the healthy BMI range. I was definitely ‘fitter’ a couple of years ago when I could run 10km despite having the same weight as I do now.

    Point being - cardiovascular ‘fitness’ and ‘risk’ is not entirely reflected in weight and BMI, BUT these are simple enough measures that we should still stick with because these are easily comparable to our own previous measurements. The healthy BMI range for all of us is slightly different because of differences in muscle mass/ bone structure etc, but for the majority of people the BMI range is still an adequate target range.

    Regarding calorie counting and food types, there are so many diets out there that tell us completely opposite things, and overall I don’t think we as a society know what a perfect diet is. So next best thing that has worked for me- keep it simple! Eat everything you want, but in moderation, eg I buy that burger when I really crave it but then I chuck away half the bun because i mostly care about what’s on the inside, or I might have it in the afternoon so my body can burn it rather than at night when it’s more likely to get converted into fat. Other times when I crave burgers, I know really that I’m just hungry and anything would actually do, so I eat a healthy alternative.

    Keep it simple. Eat less overall. Eat less junk. Exercise a bit more. Don’t have to do anything heroic :)

  • If you want to know how fit and healthy you are do this:
    1. buy some body fat calipers (they are only a few bucks), and get an accurate measure of your body fat. (22%)
    2. visit your GP and have your bloods done. This will indicate your general underlying body health and identify any issues that need addressing. For example I have Scottish ancestors and I inherited half of a gene that makes me retain iron, but fortunately not to the detriment of my health.
    It will also give you that all-important cholesterol level.
    3. Check your VO2 maximum. This indicates the body's ability to take up oxygen, essential if you are running, playing sport, heavy lifting etc.
    I have a Garmin sport watch that does it automatically, but I have also had it validated in a sports lab. (40:"excellent" band)

    If you are really keen, volunteer for a research project at your local university's Sports Exercise/Physiology department.
    I have done some really interesting stuff and found out more about my body than I ever would have normally. (How efficient my heart is, the condition of my arteries, my recovery rates, my performance under stress and in different climatic conditions etc.)

    How to get healthier:
    Stop all junk food
    Cook with fresh food; leave those tins and packets alone.
    Reduce salt (it hides in unlikely places, such as bread)
    Cut out saturated and trans fats (cakes, biscuits, processed meat)
    Reduce sugar (cakes, biscuits)

    Download and use "My Fitness Pal" to log your food and exercise. (free) You will learn very quickly what you eat is made up of and how exercise effects you.
    Consider downloading "Runtastic" apps. They have pushups, squats, six-pack etc. They start easy and increase progressively which is what you have to do as you adapt to load, (exercise) very quickly.
    Get outside: run, cycle, hike, kayak, whatever.
    Take up yoga: stress management, flexibility, strength, coordination, balance.

    My 'body age', calculated by amalgamating all the data on my health and fitness, is 27 years below my actual 'chronological' age.
    Now that feels good!

  • +1

    I dont use BMI as I dont conduct large scale statistical analyses of sedentary populations.

    I use waist measurement. Its a good aesthetic tool and health proxy marker.

    My waist measurement is 92cm. It was 122cm at my fattest. My goal for the year is 82cm. Its going well so far.

  • lost 3.5kg since start of the year. Just get tonsillitis so you can't eat lol

  • Agree with everyone that BMI is an inaccurate marker of health but since that's what the OPs asking then I'll frame my answer within that context.

    My BMI has been 20 for a long time and I'd always been happy yet people kept saying how I was too skinny and need to eat more.

    Since September last year, I decided to start lifting because I had started to feel my health declining. Doing the same shit of barely any exercise and eating junk that served me well all the way up to mid-twenties was no longer working. Even though I was not overweight, I was not healthy.

    I started to exercise and to facilitated that, I had to bulk up more. Now I realise everyone was right, I was too skinny. I am at BMI 22 and I've never felt better in my life. I'm aiming for BMI 25 as my goal.

    I also started to reevaluate my diet, making sure I get all the right macros and micros. The best thing about it is that my new diet is not only healthier but so cheap. Bad part is I had to spend money on new clothes.

    I converted my weight goals into BMI and it really confirmed how poorly it performs in my situation. My starting BMI would be considered healthy but that's certainly wasn't true.

    Someone mentioned Xiaomi fat calipers. Are they any good and where can I get them?

    Good luck to everyone on achieving their health goals.

    • +1
      • Thanks bro. I'm assuming you're quite happy with it? I'll bookmark it for when I start cutting.

        • Yes very happy. Buy it now so you can track your progress; you don't want to add too much body fat even when bulking.

        • @4sure: That's a good idea. Do you know where's the cheapest place to get it?

        • +1

          @Hogg: I've had mine for a couple of years so I am not sure now. I paid $30.

        • @4sure:

          Thanks, I'll do a search.

  • +2

    My BMI is healthy but I care less about it than I do about gaining strength and developing muscles by increasing strength training! Heard that it's also good for bones for women in particular as it increases bone density to minimise osteoporosis

  • +1

    I think I've found the best diet. In the past week I've lost around 1.5kg without doing much exercise beyond a 20min walk to the station. Have a bit of trouble with even that much due to some joint injuries which need more physio. Bmi 27.5 or so.

    Basically just been having home made oporto burgers. I've been overseas a while and craving it, looked up recipes and realised that a homemade sauce has nothing bad in it. Plus a bit of chicken breast, some bread and salad, it can actually be pretty healthy. I've also been watching calories in general

    I've found that using sliced bread is better because you can make larger burgers and fill up more. Thinner bread can also be less carbs. Then the trick is to keep the chicken pieces pretty thinly sliced so you get coverage without too much meat, and throw in as much salad (with variety) as you can, and no more than a tiny bit of mayo. The strong sauce keeps it super delicious and it feels like a big meal because of all the salad. And preparation is quick and easy so there's no leftovers to pig out on except some more tomato or whatever

    So I'm probably gonna have bondi burgers til I'm skinny

  • -1

    A DREAM written down becomes a GOAL. A GOAL broken down into steps becomes a PLAN. A PLAN backed by ACTION makes your dream a REALITY.

    I saw this quote at my gym yesterday.

    I'd always been very fit after riding my bike for years but a couple of years ago I put on quite a bit of weight (Depression was driving my eating addiction and on top, I moved to a remote country town and stopped riding after getting my first car). I started going to the gym and it was damn hard at first but I knew I would see results over time and STUCK IT OUT, especially in those crucial first few months. Don't give up, keep going! After only going once a week, for around six months, (eventually) doing 30 mins on the bike, then weights and weight machines for biceps, triceps, lats, squats, shoulders, and another 18 mins on the bike (slowly increasing weights and distance over time) I was looking good again. I actually started with only one go on the bike for 10 mins. It was awesome seeing it all increase and feeling my body get stronger. Forget how it even looks, just the way it feels is enough.

    My confidence in every aspect of my life improved greatly.

    Then school got in the way (I was traveling to a better school that was hours away) and practically all my good work was undone. Started eating Hungry Jacks (which was cheap and convenient during lunch time) and junk food and even though I eat lots of vegetables (which I love) I stacked on the weight again. In December I started going to the gym again (not interested in New Year's resolutions, just resolutions) and I've been back four times and am already rebuilding muscle and was surprised to see that I could do my full routine yesterday, even though I'm at the weight I started with when I first got my membership. They told me at the gym that the reason why is because muscle has memory, and my brain had become used to doing that full routine. Just four visits in and my arms feel solid and look big again. Gut needs a lot of work again, that takes time. I had lost 15cm off my waist the first time around, I aim to do the same again.

    Well, I can tell you that some days I really don't want to go the gym but I go anyway and those days in particular, I feel such a buzz afterwards having got through it and having battled my stupid excuses and lack of motivation. After ignoring my self-defeating thoughts and getting through a routine, I get in the car, take a deep breath, and think, I DID IT! Feels so good. At the end of the day, you just ignore what your mind tells you and you just do it! REMEMBER, your mind is only fighting you because of HABITUATION. The mind needs time to recompute. One day you notice the fight is barely a whisper.

    Slowly getting my BMI down again and already remembering how good it feels when I finish a session. Don't even feel that sore today.

    Just one and half hours per week and you can see results (and that's with several minute breaks between each set). An extra day and you'll get there in half the time. Three days and you're laughing, but for most of us, one day is a good start and better than nothing.

    Exercise and the benefits are phenomenal. Have the odd splurge - you'll enjoy a treat even more this way. Life is better when you're fit, physically AND mentally. Oh, and stop watching those competitive cooking shows. Besides the fact that are SO fricken dramatic and psychotic (that stupid music, you'd think you were watching a fricken suspense thriller! Lol), they teach you to think you have a right to live like a king with no thought as to the consequences to the environment or health system. There's a real disconnect between the eating habits we have and the consequences. Then there's the issue of how we try and compete with each other to impress. It's all so superficial.

    Ignore the fads. Results require effort. Luck is for the wishful thinkers so I won't wish you luck but I will tell you that you can do it!

  • 21.4

    Gained 4 kg in the last 12 months. I eat lots and whatever I want. Mostly unhealthy because food is love.

    I play sport 3 times a week but don’t hit the gym but am quite athletic.

    • R u speed dating?

  • 5 years ago, 20, 8 months ago, 26, currently, 24 and still working on it. I hit 90kgs for the first time in my life after slipping into bad food habits. Didn't really hit me until I saw my gut in a change room mirror from a side angle.

    Haven't changed much apart from:
    - no McDonald's/HJs/KFC
    - absolutely no sugar lollies/chips when bored.
    - no extra sauce in foods
    - cut out sugar in coffee/tea. They both taste better now, and sugar in them tastes sickly sweet.
    - no soft drink, apart from slipping up with a Coke Zero once a week to once a fortnight.

    While not quickly, the weight has dropped off with relative ease. All you really need to do is buy healthy food when at the supermarket, and skip the shit aisles.

    Exercise is between 1 to 2 hours of sport a week.

    Glad I saw myself in that mirror, otherwise could have kept going to 100kgs.

  • -1

    BMI is completely retarded. I'm 180cm tall and male - the limit for BMI before I am 'overweight' is 80kg. My current 0% fat weight is 83kg. Healthy fat % range for men is 8-19% (I'm at 12% right now, 95kg). I am considered 'upper range' overweight, nearly obese, by the BMI range, yet I am smack in the middle of healthy body fat %.

    Long story short, BMI is a crock of shit which should be used by nobody. Just makes skinnyfats think they are healthy when they aren't.

    • I'm curious why you're having DEXA scans to get an accurate body fat % when you're approaching obese territory.

      How many hours a week do you spend lifting heavy at the gym and how many steroid cycles have you done to reach your The Rock-like proportions?

      • Precisely because I am approaching obese territory, and my job requires either a 'normal' BMI or a normal body fat %. They have a hydro system where we do our medical tests though, so I don't end up with cancer.

        And there's no need for steroids to build muscle mass any more than you need to eat weight loss pills to lose weight. CICO for weight loss, protein intake and regular strength training for muscle gain. Simple.

        • +1

          If you're nearly obese by BMI yet somehow have a healthy body fat %, you have serious SERIOUS muscle mass and aren't far from genetic natty limits/exceeding natty limits, meaning you're likely taking steroids. Nice sidestep on how much you lift by the way. Also, saying "simple" at the end of your post doesn't make you right, it just comes across as looking like a prat.

  • +2

    Female 20.5 bmi.

    Riding to and from work every second day (around 20 kilometres each way)

  • Instead of posting BMI, I reckon we should post photos of ourselves!

    • INFLAMMATORY

      • +1

        Why you so phat?

  • I'm sure it has already been mentioned, but BMI is a load of rubbish.

    Sure, use it as a reference if you want to lower it (or even raise it, if underweight) but it's not really all that useful otherwise. You may as well just use your bodyweight.

    My BMI is 25.

    I'm 16% body fat.

    You tell me if you think I'm healthy or not? And which measurement is more useful out of the above 2?

    • You tell me if you think I'm healthy or not?

      Define healthy. If someone eats incredibly well, gets a great amount of exercise and then punches half a dozen ciggies on a Friday night are they "healthy"?
      A vast array of lifestyle choices contribute to your overall health, and bordering on/slipping into overweight territory is one of those lifestyle choices. You're on the cusp of an overweight BMI which has statistically-backed health risks attached, regardless of you how feel.

  • 21, I really only eat when I'm hungry. And I don't get hungry all the time. Sometimes I'll have a morning lunch, and come home and eat dinner. That's about it.

  • I’ve lost 10kg since Christmas 2x 1hr walks a day, 1/2 hour workout/weights a day. Eating healthy no snacking current bmi 23.8 got another 2/3 kgs to lose till im happy. Feel heaps better with more energy. I have always had a fast metabolism so dropping weight is easier for me.

  • i’m sure this has been mentioned already but needs emphasis nonetheless.

    Lower bmi doesnt equal fit or healthy.

    You can be in the arbitrary ‘ideal’ range and still have insulin resistance, heart disease.

    Need also to assess yourself by waist hip ratio and aerobic endurance. Total body fat composition is also useful if you get a proper test (not the bathroom scale kind).

    • Lower bmi doesnt equal fit or healthy.

      You can be in the arbitrary ‘ideal’ range and still have insulin resistance, heart disease.

      Being a non-smoker doesn't equal fit or healthy.

      You can be a non-smoker and still have cardiovascular disease, lung cancer.

      See how silly your argument is? BMI isn't the litmus test for health, it's a basic prerequisite that you jeopardize your health by failing to land within the healthy range, just like being a non-smoker isn't the litmus test for heath, it's a basic prerequisite that you jeopardize your health by failing at.

      Also;

      arbitrary ‘ideal’ range

      Do you understand what the word arbitrary means? Empirical data backed science is literally the opposite of arbitrary.

  • My BMI is 33 was up as high as 38…..currently on the Atkins diet and had a 3 week break through xmas, lost 15.5kg prior to xmas put back on about 3 over xmas………….just about back to where I was prior. Doing this as at 49 just been told I need a knee replacement….so losing weight…. and getting stronger in my leg muscles to help delay the inevitable surgery.

  • +1

    Don't see too many gym membership or exercise equipment bargains on OzB!

    • Thats because gym memberships are a bigger rort than the AbbottTurnbull government.

    • Yet plenty of Maccers deals (though for some reason they don't like OZB taking Screenshots). I often wonder if there's a way I can filter those deals out.

  • 💗 Resting Heart Rate 💗
    if you’re considering a Health & Wellbeing goal for the new year, look no further than aiming to maintain or reduce your Resting Heart Rate. A reduction in Resting Heart Rate is far superior than monitoring one measure alone (eg body weight). Get the balance right
    ✅ Nutrition & Diet 🍏🍅🥑🥦🥒 🍤🥗 🌰
    ✅ Sleep 💤
    ✅ Hydration 💦
    ✅ Stress
    ✅ Toxins 💨
    ✅ Excercise 🚴‍♂️🏊‍♂️ 🏃‍♂️ 🏋️‍♀️
    ✅ Relaxation 🧘‍♀️

    • Fitbit argues that having a higher resting heartrate is healthy. Marathon athletes have a resting heartrate of 80+ and it, of course, leads to a faster metabolism.

  • ~18.5. About 173cm and vary between 54-56kg. Have started doing push-ups and strength training to hopefully put on a bit of weight this year.

    So, aiming for 20 but it won't be easy :/.

  • If your waist is over 1m imo u need to fix it.

    U don’t… ur choice; choose to be happy.

  • -2

    I'm fat, I'm happy and I dont make drunken promises to myself once a year :D

    • negged because I'm fat or because idgaf about peer pressure? lol

  • Just checked. BMI of 30.8, putting me in the Obese category. Could be worse I guess

  • Wrestler Steve Austin, at the height of his career weighed 114kg (252lbs). He was 6ft 2ins tall. His BMI at 32.4 would class him as obese… I don't think I would have considered Steve Austin obese…

    These are all general guides.

    Waist to height is probably a better "guide" -

    Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height is general a good rule of thumb - (but again its a general guide).

    • "I'm not fat, I'm Stone Cold! Austin 3:16 says that's the bottom line, give me a hell yeah because Stone Cold Said So."

  • -1

    troll thread

  • About 20.9 so not actually overweight. Trying to eat healthier as I have a bit of unnecessary fat around the middle and generally feeling less than fantastic due to eating a lot of junk lately. 3 days in. So far so good.

  • +1

    Fell from a BMI of 22.5 to 21 in the last 60 days.

    Didnt even have to exercise. Belt is really loose so it probably ain't water mass. So it's fat mass or muscle mass.

  • Fwiw 22, body fat percentage ~12%.

    I would like to increase mine.

  • +1

    Currently sitting on 24, but gradually lowering weight.

    The weight loss isn't linked to a new years resolution, but rather getting back to where I was before a month long trip to the USA in October of last year. Gained about 8-10kg, returned home and didn't keep the gym routine up.

    Back in the gym now, lost 4kg.

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