What weight is considered thin for 5'8?
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow
I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
I bet you only look "big" at 130 to yourself. That's a BMI of 19.8. THIN by all standards.
BMI is just a generic number. It doesn't account for body shape or musculature. Someone with a delicate bone structure & undeveloped muscles would carry much more fat % at the same BMI as someone large boned and athletic.
Also, different starting weights lead to different perspectives. If you've always been thin, 130lbs can look "big"- but for someone who's ever been overweight it can look gaunt.
I remember in college, putting on the freshman 15- the first time I felt my arms & legs jiggle because I had a bit of fat where I'd not had it before. It felt icky.
Someone who was used to a little extra cushion wouldn't even notice the sensation, but it really bothered me at the time. Age and chocolate have mellowed my perspective.2 -
130 is very thin on me (5'8"). I am working on building muscle, so I'm hoping that 140 will be my final weight. I look good now at 148 but want to lose a little more around the middle.0
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rosecropper wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
I bet you only look "big" at 130 to yourself. That's a BMI of 19.8. THIN by all standards.
BMI is just a generic number. It doesn't account for body shape or musculature. Someone with a delicate bone structure & undeveloped muscles would carry much more fat % at the same BMI as someone large boned and athletic.
Also, different starting weights lead to different perspectives. If you've always been thin, 130lbs can look "big"- but for someone who's ever been overweight it can look gaunt.
I remember in college, putting on the freshman 15- the first time I felt my arms & legs jiggle because I had a bit of fat where I'd not had it before. It felt icky.
Someone who was used to a little extra cushion wouldn't even notice the sensation, but it really bothered me at the time. Age and chocolate have mellowed my perspective.
It's not a "generic" number. It's a formula. With a range. And 117 is LOW on that range.
The OP is a teen. Probably a 15-16 year old teen. I am hoping she doesn't go down a path where she thinks 130 at 5'8" is "big". Because it's not. 117 is NOT big. See where I'm coming from.
You say different weights can bring different perspectives. So do different heights. she's 5'8" and skinny.2 -
Christine_72 wrote: »
Yeah I could see that. I get complimented on my thinness & that's sort of my drive to stay that way. Plus, I'm in my teens and lots of girls worry over weight. What would you consider healthy for 5'8 ??
also, thank you for the replies !! They've been very helpful
Wouldnt you rather be complimented for your wit, your intellect, your empathy, your personality, your ambition or virtually anything else more meaningful than your looks?4 -
^If she enjoys being complimented for her looks, that is what she enjoys. Looks are not unimportant, don't put her down for being proud of how she looks. All of the things you mentioned are just as important, but if this is what brings her joy right now, let her have it.
That being said, I would speak to your doctor, OP. She/he will know if you are at a healthy weight, and can advise you on what is healthy for whatever bodytype you have.4 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
You're actually underweight which is not healthy. I think looking "big" at 130 is all in your head.1 -
^If she enjoys being complimented for her looks, that is what she enjoys. Looks are not unimportant, don't put her down for being proud of how she looks. All of the things you mentioned are just as important, but if this is what brings her joy right now, let her have it.
That being said, I would speak to your doctor, OP. She/he will know if you are at a healthy weight, and can advise you on what is healthy for whatever bodytype you have.
I didnt put her down. I just asked a question. I know that as a teen, looks are BIG. I am suggesting - never mind.0 -
cross2bear wrote: »^If she enjoys being complimented for her looks, that is what she enjoys. Looks are not unimportant, don't put her down for being proud of how she looks. All of the things you mentioned are just as important, but if this is what brings her joy right now, let her have it.
That being said, I would speak to your doctor, OP. She/he will know if you are at a healthy weight, and can advise you on what is healthy for whatever bodytype you have.
I didnt put her down. I just asked a question. I know that as a teen, looks are BIG. I am suggesting - never mind.
I apologize for misinterpreting your question, I was being unwarrantedly protective. I'm just barely out of the teens myself, and I remember being criticized for both caring and not caring for my looks. It's impossible to win, and I must still be sensitive.0 -
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vinegar_husbands wrote: »
She's not underweight.cwolfman13 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
You're actually underweight which is not healthy. I think looking "big" at 130 is all in your head.
Hard to say, given that we don't know her age...0 -
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I edited my post.vinegar_husbands wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »vinegar_husbands wrote: »
She's not underweight.cwolfman13 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
You're actually underweight which is not healthy. I think looking "big" at 130 is all in your head.
For a CHILD.
Yup. That's what the CDC website says for anyone under 21. She is not underweight for her age.
But she's certainly not BIG. Nor would she be BIG at 130.
I guess we're all worried that this TEEN may be developing an unhealthy perspective... we see it every day here.
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Maybe just because I'm super old the charts recommend a weight of 120 for me, which isn't far off from the OP. I could never achieve that low of a weight, but when I was a 18 I weighed 130. I was a normal weight - not fat, not thin. I don't think I could get that low now either though...0
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See my collarbones in my profile pic.. That's me at my current weight. I can't imagine what they'd look like at 117lbs..2
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I'm 5'8" and have been everything from 118-218. I think I look healthiest at 155-165. 145-155 is tough to attain/maintain for me. Anything under 145 looks way too skinny on me. I look fine until 185, just not great.200+ and I start to look heavy.1
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You have so much more value than the number on the scale. That doesn't determine your worth and anyone who says otherwise doesn't deserve you!
Please be healthy and don't make choices now that will affect your body negatively down the line. Being too thin has its own health risks, just like being overweight.2 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
I edited my post.vinegar_husbands wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »vinegar_husbands wrote: »
She's not underweight.cwolfman13 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I'm 5"8 and 143lbs is the lowest I'll go. Any lower than that and I start to look gaunt and sickly.
Oh wow I guess it just depends on how you're built lol. I'm the same height but 117, I look big when I hit anything over 130
You're actually underweight which is not healthy. I think looking "big" at 130 is all in your head.
For a CHILD.
Yup. That's what the CDC website says for anyone under 21. She is not underweight for her age.
But she's certainly not BIG. Nor would she be BIG at 130.
I guess we're all worried that this TEEN may be developing an unhealthy perspective... we see it every day here.
Agree. We do see this kind of thing quite often here. Not just with older teens, either (and we don't really know if OP is even 18, she might be younger). There have been plenty of women in their mid/late twenties who want to be their high school weight, with that weight being unhealthy for their height and age. Given that we see those kinds of worrisome ideals, I think it's irresponsible to just tell OP she's fine at her weight without clarifying that it's only because of her age and that as she grows older, a higher weight is healthier.5 -
As a guy, I agree with the posts that have mentioned one's natural build type will determine what the lower end of the healthy weight range is. I'm also 5'8" and hover around 120-125 lbs, but I also have a small frame.0
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Sometimes it pays to look at someone's posting history, the OP has mentioned in an earlier post that they are in recovery from an eating disorder and weighed lower than they currently do. We need to be mindful as to how we answer such questions from people with eating disorders.6
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tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »Sometimes it pays to look at someone's posting history, the OP has mentioned in an earlier post that they are in recovery from an eating disorder and weighed lower than they currently do. We need to be mindful as to how we answer such questions from people with eating disorders.
Great post. I wish MFP made that easier to do now. A while back one could just click a profile and see prior posts. It IS a great way to gain some context for a post, and help one decide on a responsible reply.3 -
I'm 5'8" and in HS I was 170 pounds (people said that I looked like I was 145) and I was pretty thin and slightly bony. I'm 200 now and trying to get back to that 170. (I was mostly muscle at that time of 170, I went from being anorexic to muscle to chubby once I stopped working out when I hit college lmao). It really does depend on the person.0
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