The body mass index (BMI) is a ratio of your weight to your height and is generally used to determine whether you are at a healthy weight.
At 5’9 and 163lbs, my BMI is 24.1. If I weighed 169, just 6 more pounds, I’d be considered “overweight” because my BMI would be 25, even if it’s 6 more pounds of muscle 👎🏾
But I have more muscle mass than the average person my height, which makes me weigh more, so the recommendations don’t really tell the full picture because it doesn’t account for where the weight is coming from.
Instead of using BMI, your body fat percentage is a better indicator of health. It will give you a better gauge on the type of weight you’re carrying and how much weight really needs to be reduced.
Most gyms can give you a rough estimate using their machines, or you can purchase handheld machines or scales to use at home.
Those these won’t be 100% accurate, they can give you an idea of how you are trending (whether or not you’re losing body fat and whether it’s fat or muscle.)
For a more accurate assessment, you can do a DEXA scan, underwater weighing, or a couple other methods that are a little more pricey but give you a more well-rounded picture of your body composition.
Composition ID Houston is one place here in Houston that I can recommend to get a DEXA scan.
Let me know if you have any questions!
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