BMI My Butt

5' 4" + 150 pounds = 25.7 = "Overweight". Well, yes and NO.

Those are my stats according to the lovely tool - here.

The site also answers what BMI (Body Mass Index) is:

"The BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height and waist circumference measures abdominal fat. Combining these with information about your additional risk factors yields your risk for developing obesity-associated diseases."

Here are how they breakdown:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9 - Where you want to be.
Overweight = 25-29.9 - My current rating claims this.
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
Another one they do not show (and where I started) - Morbidly Obese = BMI of 40 or greater.

That my BMI says I am overweight has been bugging me for a while. Then I found a spot on this site that says:

"{The calculator) may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build."

And there it is. I knew that, but I wanted it in writing and the National Institutes of Health have been kind enough to do just that.

You see this simple calculator takes only weight and height into account. Not the endless hours I have spent in the gym proudly packing on muscle. My recent fat measurement tells a much truer story. My body fat is 21.3%. Very healthy, in fact, athletic, which is where I have wanted to be along.

So, the point of my post is: One number does not tell the whole story. You have to bring together many numbers to be clearer on where your health really sits. Do your research and you will know what your real plan should be.

Yours in health, Kate