For years the health industry has been touting the Body Mass Index as an accurate state of the health of Americans (and beyond).  People who fall within a prescribed height/weight classification are deemed underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.  So when I was a competitive bodybuilder 3 decades ago, I would have been classified as obese based on the BMI.

Recently a study came out showing that women who were classified as normal weight may actually be overweight or obese.  While others, both men and women who are considered overweight or obese are actually very fit.  See Americans May Be Fatter Than We Think, Study Says

The National Institute of Health (NIH) still is focused on this (BMI) inaccurate view of health.  And because of that, our society has become a weight obsessed one.  Many women weigh themselves almost every day.  Then they get upset when their weight goes up by one pound.  Or they jump for joy when they lose 10 lbs in a week. In both cases it could be the loss of weight could be unhealthy versus the gaining of weight.

You see, if you take the same weight of fat versus muscle, the fat takes up a much larger area. When I see a 10 lb drop in weight, that usually leads me to believe that the loss is mostly water and muscle.  In fact, most tend to have an increase in body fat percentage.

What I tell my clients is to use the scale for only one reason. To see how much muscle they’ve gained.  Other than that, use a tape measure.  You can get an estimated calculation of your body fat percentage by using a formula developed by the YMCA.  The basic one uses will take the circumference of your waist along with your weight to calculate your body fat percentage.  There is a different formula for men and women.  I have a body fat calculator on a tab located on my Facebook Fan Page (and please click the “like” button):
YMCA Body Fat Calculator

Simply go there to discover yours.  Make sure to measure your waist right.  It has to go across your navel, making sure to stay level all the way around.  Get help if you need to.

Knowing your body fat percentage is a much better gauge to your health and fitness level.  The BMI was well-intentioned, it was just plain wrong.  So stop focusing on the scale and focus on your waistline instead.  Always remember that muscle weigh more than fat based on the same area it takes up in your body.  It is more dense.  So if you’re gaining weight, it could be muscle and not fat.  Unless you’re gaining around your waist too.

So stop stressing over the scale and start living a healthy life today!  JUST DO IT!