You feel that you are in control of the process and then suddenly you go to look up your BMI and you are immediately disillusioned with the entire process. If you think that you are doing all the right things then you probably are and that’s why you must identify and understand the problem with BMI measurements, and why it can actually work against you in the long run.
The problem with any of these general measurements is that they create a very generic guideline, which can ultimately cause you to lose any sort of motivation. You probably are doing all the right things, but suddenly you read this measurement that says you are “obese” and it can cause you to want to give up. You want to be sure that you understand that this is just one of many possible measurements and therefore it’s not the end all be all guideline to hold onto. Though there may be some positives to BMI, for most of us it’s a flawed type of measurement and can therefore be problematic from the very start. You want to do your part to understand how it works and then see why this may not be the right focus for you moving forward.
Even with the problem with BMI measurements, it used to be the only way to go when it came to measuring your body and your overall success, but times have changed. Though these can be measurements to consider there are some big problems with them and therefore you need to get in tune to these very quickly.
It doesn’t take anything else into account: This is just one measure and yet far too many people put all their stock into this. You are literally plugging in a few criteria about yourself such as your height and your gender and then it gives you an overall output that may or may not work for you. It’s flawed because it doesn’t take anything into account such as your activity level, your body makeup, or even the way that you live. Consider that for using it to focus on as your primary measure will undoubtedly cause you to want to give up, and it’s not even that accurate of a measurement in the first place.
It gives you a very general guideline that may not work for everyone: Though BMI may have changed slightly throughout the years, the changes aren’t anything big. The problem therefore is that you put a rather large category of people together and tell them that they are “overweight” or “obese” and that doesn’t really tell them anything specific. Be sure that you know that these general criteria don’t fit for everyone, and therefore this is yet another problem with BMI measurements. You will end up with some generic category that may or may not fit you at all.
It can actually work against you and cause you to feel frustrated: How many people are going to feel motivated when their BMI category says that they are “obese”? The likelihood that you are going to stick with the program when you are already working hard and told that you are overweight is simply not there. You have to really try to remember that this is only one of a few measurements and that you don’t want to put all of your energy or focus into this. Be sure that you understand this so that the frustration doesn’t work against you.
It’s not as accurate as body measurements for that’s truly the way to go: It’s not about the scale and it’s not about BMI—if you want to measure your progress or even your starting point then consider what your body measurements are if you want a true idea. The overriding problem with BMI measurements is that it’s too broad and therefore body measurements can give you an accurate depiction of what is going on. Consider your body makeup, your activity level, and your overall lifestyle and that will tell you what’s working and what’s not and that’s the way to go!