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I am a male, 5'8'' and weight 127 pounds. I still have a little bit of belly fat, approximately 10 millimeters.

My goal is to get a flat stomach and I am not interested in building my body. I am build of a small frame and my BMI is still in the acceptable range.

I want to drop my weight further, towards 120, or even below that, to lose my belly fat. But I do not intend to stay at that weight class. I will then immediately bulk up afterwards, followed by a small cut of all fat that I gain during the bulk-up process.

Should I be worried if the BMI says I am "underweight" for a month or two? Because I am not malnutritioned, I carefully keep track of what I eat and let my weight drop. On top of it, "underweight" people are skeletons, I do not look like that, and have plenty of fat on my stomach to still drop. What are the health concerns?

user2109131
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    At 5'8" and 127 lbs, it is possible you think you have "plenty of fat" on your stomach due to a psychological disorder such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder. – End Anti-Semitic Hate Jan 22 '16 at 04:32
  • @RockPaperLizard There is no "disorder" here, you can measure the exact numbers using calipers. What you are essentially doing is telling a short guy he has a "disorder" because his own measurements tell him otherwise. – user2109131 Feb 02 '16 at 07:19
  • I am not saying you have a disorder. I'm saying it's possible that you do. Your words sound much like those of a friend of mine who suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder. JohnP raises the same concerns in his answer below. I encourage you to speak with a medical doctor and a mental health professional. Hopefully, they will be able to help. – End Anti-Semitic Hate Feb 02 '16 at 09:13

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Body Mass Index, or BMI, is not really a reliable indicator. It was based on statistics developed almost 200 years ago, and ignores such things as high muscle content (Muscle weighs more than fat), strong bones and also where and what type the body stores fat as.

Visceral fat is much more dangerous health wise than subcutaneous fat, and BMI makes no distinction on this.

Spot reduction is also a myth. It's entirely possible that you could lose another 10 lbs, and still have that "10 mm" of belly fat.

Finally, "cutting all fat" is not really possible for long term maintenance, and is in fact, unhealthy. The body needs fat for vital vitamin transport, organ health, many other factors.

As RPL suggests, you may be suffering from body dysmorphia, I would encourage you to talk to a medical professional about your weight and body goals before you go further.

JohnP
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