So what does it all mean? I’m glad you asked.
BMI
The Body Mass Index (BMI) uses a simple formula based on a person’s height and weight. BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2). The BMI table is a table with that information already calculated.
A BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight. A person with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. The BMI does not measure body fat levels and cannot show the difference between excess fat and muscle. This means you can be perfectly fit and your BMI will show you as obese.
Just take your BMI reading with a grain of salt. If a professional rugby player measured their BMI, they would show up as obese. You can’t apply a "one-size-fits-all" measurement to unique body types. What the BMI is good for is to track your own progress. If your BMI is going down then you are heading in the right direction.
Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage is another somewhat flawed method. While the formula is more complex than BMI in an attempt to get a more accurate picture of your body composition, the researchers had to make certain assumptions about you. Those assumptions are based on a sample of study participants and that means they are an average of those who participated.
I have nothing against averages but once again if you have a significant variation from the norm your result will be misleading. Do you have very dense bones? Maybe you have a very light bone structure?
Another flaw that can skew results is the measurements taken. If you do not go to the same person then your measurements will be inconsistent. If the person you have take the measurements does not have experience with the process then they can end taking measurements in slightly different place each time.
So remember, just like the BMI this number is best used as a reference point against your later results. That can make it a great feedback tool for your dieting.
Ideal Body Weight
Ideal body weight is another moving target. Each person will have their own preference/opinion and what is too much weight for one is not enough for another. The bigger questions to ask: are you comfortable at that weight and is it healthy (it’s not only about self esteem.) If the weight you are happy at does not make you an unhealthy statistic waiting to happen and does not interfere with what you want to do in life, then that sounds pretty ideal.
In short ideal weight is where you want it to be, to a point. Not everyone cares to be thin, thick, skinny, fat, buff or any one of a number of different bodyweight labels. You can probably think of someone at this moment who most would write off as horribly unhealthy due to being overweight. Yet in spite of their excess weight can finish a triathlon. On the other extreme there are plenty of thin people who get tired walking up a flight of stairs.
What is most important is that you are talking care of yourself, are healthy and can accomplish the things in life that you want. What weight you do that at is your choice. The tricky part is finding that balance, but no one said life is easy. Learn to enjoy the journey and you’ll fare much better.
