BMI Prime number is your BMI divided by the “Normal BMI of 25”.

When I began 8wBSD/Fast 800 I was unaware of the “BMI Prime” number. My height is 1.75m and I weighed 96.2 kg aged 62.5 years. My BMI then was 31.4 with a Prime of 1.3. I can now admit that I was technically in the Obese Category although I was just too heavy for my height! To get into the lower section of the Overweight category I had to first reach the Prime of 1.2 with a BMI of 28.7 at top of the overweight range which for me was 88 kg. My next target is for me to reach 80 kg so as to be at the top of the normal weight range with a BMI of 26.1 with a BMI Prime of 1.1. From there the Prime of 1.0 stretches all the way down to a weight of only 73 kg. For me once I arrive at 80 kg a “normal” BMI of 25 might seem to becoming within reach. Back in 1979 when I joined the Fire Service I weighed 78 kg which unbelievably equates to BMI 25.5 or almost bang on! Of course I was young, fit and healthy post RAF training.

It may be of little interest to many but in a spreadsheet starting at 96.2 and reducing in 1 kg increments, the feeling of achievement for me was improved once I got out of one category into another lower one. I am on day 55 of the 56 days today and expect to carry on until I reach the upper normal weight in the Prime 1.0 range. Maybe then I will address just how “Normal” I wish to be at 63. My wife was in the pre-diabetes levels of BG but with her GP in denial. She reached her Prime 1.0 weeks ago. Sorry if this is irrelevant to others but it was a great motivator to me. We are winning…. I should add that today I am 83.4 kg BMI 27.2 with just 2 more kg to achieve the Prime 1.0 barrier.

Well done SkyWalker. I think the spreadsheet idea is really good because the proof is in front of you if you have a down day! I had a couple of those this week when I gained 2lbs between Tuesday and Thursday, but by today it’s off again and when I look back to where I started from I am encouraged once again. Well done to your wife as well.

Hi Grandma48 I have had 6 weight plateaus in the 8 weeks and at least one rise. Some were due to constipation I think when my intake was very low for a few days and I probably did not drink enough. Plotting weight regularly after the first 4 weeks shows and interesting curve. My BP has really dropped now and I feel tons healthier too. Jenny says Hi and has lost over 8 kg too. It is good to be on a good news site as we do not do social media elsewhere. Keep smiling…

Thank SkyWalker. I missed this post. I have never heard the expression BMI Prime before. I have a (couple of ) spreadsheets that I use to monitor my weight loss etc and one has a graph of my weight loss against the BMI levels for obese, overweight and normal. It is a long drop from not being obese to getting to ‘normal’ – I am half way there. I will have a look at the prime 1.3, 1.2, 1.1 and 1 as they are good markers and targets to go for along the way, giving a feeling of progress.

Ok, I am 173 cm and currently BMI Prime 1.11. 82 kg is 1.10, and 1.0 is 75kg – which is what I was aiming for. Like you I will decide what weight to go for after that – I used to be 63kg, but I do not want to get down to that weight – maybe 68, most likely 70-71kg.

Hello Orchid, I got a shock this morning when I appear to have gained 0.8 kg overnight! All I have done is to have one pint of Guinness at a function last night. Without wishing to be too indelicate I am still carrying the last 30 hours worth of food intake so that would explain most, if not all of it. I have averaged under 850/day for the 10 weeks to date. The boat I am on this week affects the scales every time it rocks but even so? I was expecting to sneak into the top of the Normal range by the end of tomorrow when I jump on the scales on Monday morning, maybe I will need a few more days. There are 8 kg in the Overweight range so often the Prime number does not appear to change for ages, but nibbling away at the next level (‘scuse the pun) is or at least was, motivating for me. We all shrink for a variety of reasons and with different levels of passion and commitment. I am lucky to have the time to be quite focused without having to work 9-5 anymore. I don’t get wrapped up in exotic menus as there is no need, but fewer carbs = better health.

Relief! back on track now at 80.5 kg so maybe I will make it tomorrow to 80.3 and a so called upper limit for Normal BMI…

Hi Skywalker – congrats on getting back on track.
It was a relief to see your post this morning as, like you I had thought I would reach the next target of 82kg (Prime 1.1) at the end of this coming week before I go on holiday, but the scales said no. The last 5 days I have lost 0.1kg and put it on again twice! I am still stubbornly at 83.3kg this morning, the same weight I was when I did my ‘official’ weight day on Tuesday.
What was particularly annoying is that I have been doing a lot of exercise this week – 2 hour walk in the country, 45 mins jog/walk, 45 mins aqua class and 45 mins yoga on top of my normal 60 mins pilates and this is the worse weight drop I have had.
I suspect my body is holding onto fluids (checked waist today and it is up 1cm) as I am pushing it hard and it is being ultra careful. If I can persuade it either – this is the new normal, so no panic and release the water, or a couple of rest days convince it that it does not need to conserve fluids, them maybe by Tuesday it will be back to normal!
I started reading a few more of the metrics my scales provided two weeks ago. I bought them to get fat estimates, and these ones have a few other measurements as well. I know the fat estimate varies a lot as %age hydration plays a large part in what is can read, and that varies through the day. There as another measure is gives that I was interested in and that was visceral fat. They have a scale 1-12 and if you are on that, your % visceral fat is ok – ie not too high. Above that and you have a problem. Mine was 12. I got the scales a year ago and at the time thought, fine – fat is in the right places and it will move as I lose weight. It never moved even when I dropped a few pounds or put them on again. I then ignored it thinking it was one of these metrics that was probably not worth the battery power it was drawing to measure it.
Since I started this diet – that figure has moved down from 12 to 10. I started to take notice!
I also noticed another measure – body fat to muscle – it was still saying I was obese, despite the BMI at 28. So, yes I am losing fat, and weight, but have been inactive for too long and my muscle mass is low. I decided to take these measures more seriously and set the jogging and walking programme up. I don’t think the difference this week is muscle being added (yet), more fluid retention and yes, bowels being a bit irregular. Also there is usually a plateau, and I have hit it. Pity it had to be now :-(.
Still two days to go before weigh in so it can still come good.
Good luck for tomorrow!

WOW Orchid you are very active and those are some scales! In 10 weeks I had 6 plateaus some for up to 3/4 days. If I had half your energy I would have it cracked. I’ll let you know if I succeeded in getting down to 1.0 tomorrow

Finally, 10th post on this thread after 10 weeks on the Fast800 I even took my watch off to get weighed today and sneaked into the BMI Normal category of Prime = 1.0 with a BMI of 26.2. That means I’ve lost 16 kg or 16.2% of my old body mass of 96.2. For the imperialists that’s 15 st 2 to 12 st 9 or 35.3 pounds of fat, shed since 8th Feb 2016. Now, I carry on but without counting every calorie & sugar. I never counted carbs. I just gave up bread & flour based products (very hard for me at first) and cut potatoes to an occasional treat of no more than 30 grams raw from a daily near 200 gms. This morning on waking and laid flat BP was 111/65 HR 52. It is sunny here on the East coast but cold. I feel relieved to have got out of the overweight category. I just have to set up camp here and stake a claim to my weight somewhere close by.
To everyone still marching towards their own place in the area of Normal – it has been 10 busy weeks with all the highs and lows one might expect, but all of it done eating real food, nothing exotic. I slipped up when I bought a TV advertised spiralizer. I gave it away after a couple of tries and one injury. So of all of the money I saved on food £25 was wasted except to say that I did not need it. One reward a few weeks ago was a Polar M400 Heart Rate and Activity Monitor and it has recorded most of the highs and lows and reckons that I have expended 2360 kCal/ day on average which is not that much. In food I consumed Total Calories of 59,253 and 1990.8 gms of sugar. I averaged 846.5 kCal/day with 28.4 gm/day of sugar. What I learned was consequences of choices – Doh!
So to Dr Mosley the BIGGEST THANK-YOU for giving me the scientifically BASED motivating method. Prof Taylor et al Thanks too. If only we had ignored the “Low Fat” message, and done what we knew of i.e. “Eat fewer carbs, move more and learn to smile again”

Hello Skywalker , congatuations and I love your post, I found it helpful to hear the messages again and how they have worked for you. And a big hear hear on the spiraliser gadget, after two week of trying I sold mine on ebay! I have since found that Sainsburys sell spiralised veg in the fresh veg section. Do keep posting, My biggest concern is how to ensu re the weight loss is permanent – I have reached target on diets many times before only to gain it all again within a few months, it does sound too good to be true that all I have to do is keep to a mediterranean diet…

Thanks Odette C, We all on here are so different and yet have so much in common at the same time. The act of”Mediterraneanizing” for me is more about adopting a new and self-enforced active lifestyle that is fueled by substitutes refined (bad) carbs and added refined sugars with quality protein and some more oils/polyunsaturated fats. I had a bit of a worry today when I made lunch without using the scales, but I’m confident that the 10 weeks training in the principles will guide me to eating more and safer calories and thus prevent a slide into a risk of under/over-nourishment. I bought an olive oil spray that is a great aid to making salads from Dunelm. I also bought some measuring cups that I do not need to use now I am familiar with quantities & weights v calories in the foods that I eat. If we accept that added sugars are in everything and only millimeters and milliseconds away from us, our subconscious will take over – it’s a bit like what is called in Human Factors “environmental capture” like when we drive home in auto-mode and don’t remember the journey – it just happened? Having good genes helps and I think mine are basically OK. I know now that can easily go back to the Fast800 for a while if the 5:2 does not work for me or I need to again after a holiday for example or a long sail where fresh food is not easy to come by. I reckon if I calorie count when away from home and be sensible it will do the job. Back soon…

thanks Skywalker. I got to my original target of losing 7kg by end last week, it was .5kg off of the 1.1 prime and for some reason I hit a plateau despite exercise so did not get to the 1.1 Not too upset – this is a long term plan and 15.2 kg off plus 2 dress sizes down in 12 weeks is great. I am going on holiday for 2 weeks with limited control over food – I can avoid high carbs – rice, pasta etc – or make sure I only have small portions, but packed lunches are likely to be sandwiches and I will be walking a lot so will have to take a call on how best to approach it.
Two targets for this 2 weeks – only weight gain to be ‘gut-fill’ and strengthening exercises for legs and butt so I can get going on jogging again.
I will try to check in occasionally, but not sure about wifi access etc.

Well done Orchid, that’s great. I am definitely in the 1.0 territory now and not counting but still losing. I am thinking I may have to start and reintroduce some carbs. I found cutting sugar to < 30 gm/day and losing all of the flour based stuff was all I needed to do but some of the fruits are so high in calories and sugar I had to leave them out too. You deserve a break and will soon get back to where you want to be. Remember its not a race and we are doing this for ourselves, no-one else. We can take our time. Happy hols…