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by anon84873628 600 days ago
Two months ago I was in a similar situation as you. I'm a few inches shorter but had the same body fat percentage, and my history of lifting still showed.

I went to a new primary care doctor and who said I was a bit overweight. I had the same initial response of "oh come on!" and general exasperation with the state of medical care.

The thing is, he really wasn't wrong. From an epidemiology perspective it is simply better to be leaner if possible. The fact that I didn't "look fat" isn't really relevant; I was still carrying excess adipose tissue.

I already had a DEXA scan booked and was planning to do a cut before that exam. I lost about 10 pounds over the next 8 weeks through basic caloric deficit and moderate exercise. It wasn't exactly fun but it also wasn't that difficult, and the results were far more impactful than I expected.

Yes, I looked noticably lean with more muscle definition. I also went down a pants size and felt better in general. My blood work, especially lipid panel, was better than ever.

All this is to say that, while BMI charts certainly have flaws, and all individuals are different, most of us can still improve our health and longevity prospects by shedding excess fat. And that probably is leaner than we might expect.