I understand what you're talking about, about the obsession with a "number"; only very recently have I been able to have a healthy relationship with a scale in my house. I think the idea of BMI is that it's a slightly more comprehensive measure of how healthy your weight is: You know, 200 pounds isn't so bad for a 6-foot-tall man; it's just really terrible for 5'2" me. BMI takes your height and gender into consideration. However, most doctors will tell you BMI, while a good indicator of your overall health, has its limitations--some people really do have bigger bones, high muscle mass, and other factors that can make BMI seem high when it's not necessarily. You're better to worry not about your BMI, per se, but your overall health in general, with a healthy weight (as determined by your doctor) as a part of that.

BMI- you can type it into google and you'll get a million sites to calcuate it. I give you credit, I could never throw out my scale. And I did exactly what you did. BMI is a little better than weight. Every pound doesnt count. You may go on a good trend, lost 10 pounds and your BMI may drop, it might not. Same in the opposite direction. So, I hope this helps.

In response to your BMI post. I am concerned with my BMI because it is a more accurate way to understand how much I am at health risks. Your weight doesn't necessarily let you know if you are unhealthy or not. I understand that you are crystal clear on your weight problems but that is not the general consensus of everyone else out there. You & I could be the same weight but I could be healthier than you & less at risk when it comes to health problems. Having a good BMI number means that you are in a healthy range. BMI is not just a tool for the overweight or obese, but is also a tool for those who are underweight.
I never thought of myself as obese until I calculated my BMI & it was then I realized that I needed to start living a healthier lifestyle . Binging & purging is very unhealthy. You can lose more weight than me put become unhealthier & sick in the process. The scale just offers you a number. You have to measure a lot more than that to gain the real benefits of weight loss.

BMI, scales, measurements, graphs, charts, and so on... are just tools. It is also how the medical/insurance worlds communicate. We should be aware of it all, take in what we can, use what we can, and also know that we can get overwhelmed by it all.

I often mention BMI here in the obesity community when I sense that a member might need to lose 5 pounds, but is in no way OBESE.

I think each of us needs to lose weight in our own ways and to the "goal" that is confortable to the individual. I'm sure my doctor wants me to weigh 135 like the charts say, I'm sure my family would love me as a size 8, and I'm sure that I'll most likely never be able to maintain the goals of others. I'm doing it for me and will lose weight until I'm comfortable and more healthy and can maintain the weight loss.

Obsession is rarely a positive so go with your own feelings.