BMI, should you put male or female ?

[Erin H]

Just wondering what to put.

I am a women, but also genetically male so i don't know what one to put, as gender is accounted for in the BMI test and other tests that are similar.

x

[Tazia of the Omineca]

When I put female I am normal weight, and if I put male I am horribly under weight.

[Vanora]

A BMI test simply takes weight and height and plugs it through a formula to show a measure of your weight relative to your height.  It says nothing about how much of that weight is water, bones, fat, organs, or anything else in your body.  That's why I think it is going to fall out of favor as measure.  So the question is, "what are you trying to do with the BMI number?"

[pretty]

Umm, iirc BMI doesn't account for sex?

It doesn't really matter though 'cause BMI is really old and kinda useless. 

But for things like that male might make sense... unless you had a more feminine development. Well it's not like anyone is going to know so just go with what you think is more physically accurate.

[Skyanne]

Technically the BMI formula doesn't take gender into account, so if it's asking for your gender and giving different results, it's not BMI.

[Erin H]

whoops, sorry i meant to say one of those calorie counters.

It tells you how many calories you should have each day and those like require height, weight and gender etc

sorry about that

[pretty]

whoops, sorry i meant to say one of those calorie counters.

It tells you how many calories you should have each day and those like require height, weight and gender etc

sorry about that

BMR?

Male if you are not on HRT, otherwise female.

[Erin H]

BMR?

Male if you are not on HRT, otherwise female.

yeah that's the one, thank you

[Rabbit]

Stay far far away from anything that tells you how many calories you "should" eat. Things just don't work like that...

How many calories you burn in a day is extremely variable and depends on a billion different things about you.

And this is from someone who was 100 pounds heavier in the past.. i spent a lot of time learning about the myths in weightloss and how things really work.

[Tazia of the Omineca]

Well you need a base of 1200 calories just to exist.

[wheat thins are delicious]

A BMI test simply takes weight and height and plugs it through a formula to show a measure of your weight relative to your height.  It says nothing about how much of that weight is water, bones, fat, organs, or anything else in your body.  That's why I think it is going to fall out of favor as measure.  So the question is, "what are you trying to do with the BMI number?"

This, BMI is not a useful or accurate tool.

Watch the documentary Fatheads, it's really interesting and talks about the myths of "dieting" and what the government has led you to believe.

[JoanneB]

Stay far far away from anything that tells you how many calories you "should" eat. Things just don't work like that...

How many calories you burn in a day is extremely variable and depends on a billion different things about you.

And this is from someone who was 100 pounds heavier in the past.. i spent a lot of time learning about the myths in weightloss and how things really work.

As another former 100+ pounder I cannot agree more. If I took in close to 2000 Cal/Day I'd be gaining weight like crazy. I am 6' and big boned, not much muscle, lots of fat cells (thankfully in the right places like ass and breast and thighs, thanks mom), am basically a desk jockey, not into exercising but do try to walk 4 miles/day or so uphill both ways in West Virgina. 1200/day is about my ideal for not putting on weight, which I joke I can do by just smelling food. Plus the type of food those calories come from makes a world of difference.

Know thy Body

[Jeneva]

Just so this thread doesn't make it look hopeless, I should also point out that sometimes the "magic" numbers are wrong in the other direction.

I ran the numbers for both Harris-Benedict and Mufflin as both male and female.  The male ones were a couple of hundred higher.  Then I calculated RMR based on lean body mass using the Katch-McArdle formula (which doesn't factor in gender).  I used a electrical impedance scale to get my fat %.  According to that one my actual RMR was VERY close to the Mufflin calculation as a female.  So I'd say that HRT lets us use the female version fairly safely.

So I'm supposed to eat around 2100 for maintenance.  Instead I'm on a 1600 calorie diet to lose weight.  It is supposed to yield a weight loss of 1 pound per week (3500 calories = 1 pound).  Both of the past weigh ins I've been using this diet and have lost 3 pounds each time (6 pounds overall).  I've very carefully measuring each meal and have been within %1 of my target weekly calories.  Not sure why it is so different, but the scale is accurate and I have been VERY meticulous with my food measurements (for well over 2 months now).   I'd suspect it was all water weight, but I've been on the same lower sodium diet for 2 months (only recently dropped the calories though).  Now I do drink a ton of water and eat a lot of fiber and protein and spice wise I use a ton cinnamon and cayenne pepper.  Also while I've not had much "formal" exercise I do a lot of work around the farm.

So even pretending the farm work for 5-10 minutes a day counts as higher activity I still can't explain the weight loss.  Either I have worms or something has sped up my metabolism.

[Vanora]

So even pretending the farm work for 5-10 minutes a day counts as higher activity I still can't explain the weight loss.  Either I have worms or something has sped up my metabolism.

Metabolism is highly variable and effected by what you eat and the cascading hormones that burn, process, and store energy in your body.  Most of these diets that run based on calories don't work because they don't take into account the types of calories you are eating.  Caveman were skinny and muscular and did not have to count calories.  They never even heard of a calorie. 

[spacial]

If you look anything like your photograph, putting anything other than female might be seen as a bit strange.