I used to not care about my weight or my BMI. Honestly, I had no idea how to work it out. But everyone should know how to calculate their BMI.

What just annoys me is that I gained 22 lb (10 kg) during menopause. Of course this is complaining at a high level. But for me it's simply a lot. It crept up over 5 years, and now instead of 132 lb (60 kg) I simply weigh 154 lb (70 kg). At 5'9" (1.75 m) it's still bearable, and yet I don't really like my new weight.

Calculating your BMI

I don't want to give up eating. And exercising a lot is really hard for me. I don't know yet how I'll change it. More protein or fewer carbs? My friend Molly says: "Calculating your BMI would help you. Because you're being silly, you're just slim and no longer skinny!" It's very easy to work out. Either the calculator does it, as Molly suggests, and they're all over the internet, or you can calculate it yourself.

Let me do the math: calculating your BMI

I entered my numbers online, and yet I want to know how calculating your BMI works on paper.

I take my body weight (those stupid 70 kg) and divide it by the square of my height. The exact formula for calculating your BMI: BMI = kg : height squared. The unit is kg/m2.

So I don't need to worry, because I'm at a normal weight. Everything's great, says Molly! Not for me, though, and I'll think about simply eating a third less. Calculating your BMI is interesting and might let me sleep more peacefully, but a few pounds could still come off. It doesn't have to be 22 lb more, but 11 wouldn't hurt. But without a fight and without cramping up!

Calculating your BMI and the individual categories

Calculating your BMI

BMI is also classified by age group:

  • 19 to 24 yrs.
  • 25 to 34 yrs.
  • 35 to 44 yrs.
  • 45 to 54 yrs.
  • 55 to 64 yrs.
  • etc.

Then the calculated value is compared with the corresponding classifications:
underweight, normal weight and overweight. Then it goes on to obesity and massive obesity. Fine, I don't want to compare myself with those in the end.

In the past, people didn't have the BMI formula. You simply took your height in cm and subtracted 100. That was simply normal weight. Nobody had any idea about BMI. In the end it's about your very own comfortable weight, and if I'm honest, I'm somehow a bit more reassured. Calculating my BMI has helped me a little. Gaining any more is out of the question, but even if it did turn out hard, I'm still within the normal weight range. A crazy world with us women!