What's a healthy weight?

Sometimes these things can be misleading - when i was training more - my weight soared as lean tissue weighs more, and i actually hit the obese field! I am a bit chunky but no way obese!

Crikes, I never thought of myself as obese but am approaching the overweight set according to the BMI. Think those lunch-time crisps must be catching up with me - and the chocolate - and the Friday night beers. Get off your behind boy!

i try not to concentrate on weight as muscle mass can increase this. My BMI is 18/19 and a little low but here's the problem: According to those waist hip ratios i should lose weight. i am basically completely straight and have no hips or waist. My waist is 29 inch and my hips are 33 inch which puts my ratio at 0.88 above the recommended 0.85. it tells me i should lose weight. I would love a nipped in waist and bigger hips but if weight comes off it dont come from the waist!! My arms and legs are skinny. If weight goes on it goes on waist and not hips or arms legs!!If i lose any weight i look gaunt. i am 5 foot 7 and half inch and weigh 8 stone 8 lb. I do feel a bit like a freak when the hip waist ratio programs keep telling me to exercise and lose weight. What should i be doing?

I wonder if those dreadful 'ready meals' are in any way to blame, even the so-called 'healthy living' ones (yes Mr/Mrs Tesco, you), or any other supermarket for that matter. There was a recent TV programme about two families who swapped lifestyles over cooking and the ones who ate ready meals suffered as regards sporting prowess. Any comments, anyone?

I always come out as obese, but I eat health foods, no prepackaged ready meals at all just fresh fish, fresh veg, organic chicken etc, run three times a week, go to the gym twice a week and have a low rest heartrate and according to my doctor I am very fit and very health, I think all these weight height ratios are mis-leading and do not always reflect the truth. I have large muscles, especially my legs, but I am not flabby at all.

Hello, I've been running for about six months now, gradullay building upto about 7 k 4 times a week. I started as i wnted to loose a bit of weight (about half a stone). i don't think my food intake has changed and I am really enjoying the exercise, but I feel like I've actully gtot bigger and my clotthes are tighter!!! It doesn't seem right. Ehat am i doing wrong!

According to my BMI 30 (6ft and 16 stone) i am obese, but according to my resting heart rate (50 bpm) i am in the athlete category.

Who is right?

I have just spent the last year and a bit losing approx 2 stone. I have 9.5 LBs to lose to hit my target but now I have upped the running levels, I have actually started to put a little weight back on, even following the diet! My diet consultant says this will level off and I will start losing again once my body is used to the change. - we shall see.
I'm not too worried by this as I'm sure it'll all work out in the long run - as long as I am feeling better, that's the main thing.
The diet (by the way) is not a faddy, silly one, it's based on eating as much fresh fruit and veg as you wish and then is based on the food combining idea of limiting mixes on Carbs and Protein. It has worked really well for me and allows me to eat loads!! especially carbs which I find good with the running.

I've just read the comments posted by alijwhelan and am so glad to find that I'm not alone. I have also been following a food combing plan and have successfully lost weight, and likewise have just increased my running training as I wish to compete in a 10k race in April. I thought the remaining half a stone would just fall off without too much difficulty, instead to my horror I've actually put on 4lb since Christmas!! I know I should be checking my measurements and not worrying too much about what the scales say - but having battled with my weight for so long now, it's really hard to relax about it.

Having started in the very obese sector myself and now comfortably only obese... I would like to comment that we should consider any of these yardsticks in context. If we are honest with ourselves we can tell in the mirror if we are too heavy due to fatty tissue or if we are heavily built - after all a lot of body builders would come in the morbidly obese category.

My way of motivating myself ( I have lost 2 / 2.5 stone ) is to consider my capability and clothes not weight or BMI. I.e. I used to wear 44 inch trousers, now 38 - I couldn't run 200 yards and I just finished a half marathon only taking a single 1 min walk break at 12 miles. Therefore I think I have improved, and justifiably so - I have a goal to fit into 34 inch trousers and to run a marathon non-stop and when I do I will be (hopefully) celebrating a great achievement. But I will still likely be approx 2-3 stone above what my doctor wants me to be.

BMI is a measurement suitable for many to monitor their weight, it is however flawed as the comments all indicate. There has been a lot of research to create the scale and the zone separators which make the scale suitable for the majority of people - not everyone. So common sense must prevail.