I was just reading a new-to-me blog (Laurie at Laurie's Journey to Better Health) where she was talking about her goals. I share some of the same goals: getting to within a normal weight range. Don't we all! After reading her blog, I got to thinking about my goal chart, I don't think I put in obesity/overweight/normal weight range. I want to update that, because I just love reaching goals.
Right now, I am morbidly obese. It's hard to admit, and those are two very ugly words to me. I Googled to come up with a weight-range chart for morbid obesity, to find out when I will be obese and not morbidly obese.
I hit the Wikipedia site and learned something new.
Instead of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese and morbid obesity, they have three stages of obesity. And to top that off, there are two stages of the third stage of obesity, which I didn't know.
Make sense?
If your BMI is:
< 18.5 you are underweight
18.5–24.9 you are within normal weight
25.0–29.9 you are overweight
30.0–34.9 Class I obesity
35.0–39.9 Class II obesity
> 40.0 Class III obesity
Any BMI > 40 is severe obesity
A BMI of 40.0–49.9 is morbid obesity
A BMI of >50 is super obese
Okay, so my BMI right now is 43.4 which puts me in the Class III/morbid obesity range still. I started out at a 47.
So now I get to update my goal chart to include the various stages of obesity as mini-goals. I never knew there were classes to that at all.
To get to a 39.9, CLASS II OBESITY, I will have to weigh 240.
To get to 34.9, CLASS I OBESITY, I will have to weigh 210.
To get to 29.9, OVERWEIGHT, I will have to weigh 179.
To get to 24.9, NORMAL, I will have to weigh 149.
Wow, that's less than my current goal of 162. I'll worry about that when I get there. It is still unimaginable to me to get that low. I try to picture it in my mind, I look at old photographs, but it's so long ago and so foreign to me. I'm really working at forming a picture of it in my mind, though.
These numbers are humbling and overwhelming. I don't think I could have made this chart when I started out, because it would have been too depressing. I'm thrilled to be reaching each 5-pound goal I have, and I'm coming up on a 25-pound goal, too. I have to think small otherwise it would just get me down. And I don't need down. I'm feeling so much better now, I don't want anything to spoil that!
Yeah, I'm aiming for 'overweight'. I don't think I could realistically maintain a 'normal' BMI, but I'll see what happens! My goal is 163 (overweight), but I wonder if even that will be too low for me to maintain.
ReplyDeleteThey're all just numbers. The important bits are our physical & mental health improvements that come with weight loss :)
I always hated the fact that I had to put a number to feeling healthy. But with weight watchers they make you pick you goal weight. I couldn't do it when I first started but recently picked one. I have a piece of paper that I printed out that has my goal weight on it. I have it on the fridge I cross off pounds as I lose them...to get to 150! yikes! Sounds scary to me but as you get closer it gets more reasonable. :) Keep going Jo! your doing GREAT!
ReplyDelete:)tj
For me, 179 is normal, so my goal. is 179, but I'd be happy with anything in the 200s! (I'm 5'10")
ReplyDeleteWow, I feel so honored to be linked from your blog. This whole blogging with followers is new to me. I'm so glad I gave you something to think about. I am very excited to see you reach your goals. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know it's hard and that it takes a lot of hard work and patience, but if you can dream it, you can do it.
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I know a fair amount about BMI but more info is always good.
ReplyDeleteIt is a revelation this BMI thing - I just want to be merely overweight rather than obese. I don't think I will ever make normal.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to have more little goals to reach though!
OMG!! I didn't know that either. Classes??? Where have I been. What a great idea to add that to your goals! I may have to steal it ;)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. What a horrid term. Morbid obesity. *SHUDDERS* I'm in that category. What a motivator....
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of a numbers freak so, this really lights my fire! :-) But I think that shows incredible commitment to go through the exercise of putting that information together, applying it to yourself, and then putting it out there and sharing with others! Great job Jo!
ReplyDeletePutting actual numbers to the idea of obesity is quite an eye opener. I'm certainly not as bad off as I thought, but worse than "normal", so guess I'll aim for as close to normal as possible. Thanks for the info....I think. :)
ReplyDeleteJo, for me and where I've come from my goal of 178 lbs will feel normal to me. I think we all have to pick a weight that feels right for us and that is maintainable. I think that's the biggie, being able to stay where we get to. I'm sure you will reach your goals and you should be so proud of every lb you lose because they are well earned.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they changed the categories of "obese"! Wow. I wonder what that says about us. I honestly think most people look good in the "overweight" category, and that bmi is kind of a load of crap. I think if I hit my "goal weight" (ha ha - not even sure why I have one!) I will be at the very very high end of "normal."
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