We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

"You're tall. You don't want to get too skinny."

2

Replies

  • Posts: 1,450 Member

    Pshaw. I'm only 5'7" and have gotten "You're tall." (and have been rolling my eyes at the comment) ever since I sprung up to that height in the 7th grade. The US national average is 5'2" to 5'5" for women, depending on what population you are looking at. If a woman is even marginally taller than that, she seems to be considered tall by some people. Regardless if it's really true or not.


    My mom constantly thinks she's short 5'4", my sister is average, 5'6", and I'm tall 5'10"....
  • Posts: 765 Member
    vespiquenn wrote: »

    I'm not going to lie, when I think of "taller girl," I think back to my days of binge watching America's Next Top Model. The cut off to enter was typically 5'8" with a few 5'7" girls slipping by.. not that I tried to enter or anything. :sweat_smile:

    Somehow my perception of height has forever been altered by my intrigue with fashion models back in the day. But obviously it boils down to perception.

    When I think of tall women, it starts at 5'10"-5'11" and goes up from there. That's my point: A lot of women are told they are tall when, in fact, they are not. A least in the US. :)


  • Posts: 2,171 Member
    Ignore what others say, as long as you're in/aiming for the healthy range, have plenty of energy and stamina, aren't getting sick, and are eating a reasonable amount of food for your activity (i.e. you're not living on 1200 calories/day while running 10 miles).

    If any of those things do apply, though, you should then re-evaluate what you're doing.

    There's a range of healthy weight. For 5'9" that range is 125-169. Where you look and feel your best in that range will depend on your build.
  • Posts: 403 Member
    Not a woman, but one of my best friends is 6'2" and she gets this all the time. She bounces around a lot with her weight, but I think she looks good when she is in the middle of a normal BMI.
  • Posts: 136 Member
    edited July 2017
    People are always going to be crappy and feel the need to comment on your weight. I'm 4'10.5" and when I was 104 a friend told me I looked too skinny. I was the healthiest and had the most tone in my life. My point? You, and maybe your doctor, know your body best, If you're getting the right nutrients and activity, and you can achieve that weight with those tools, then it IS healthy.
  • Posts: 5,727 Member

    When I think of tall women, it starts at 5'10"-5'11" and goes up from there. That's my point: A lot of women are told they are tall when, in fact, they are not. A least in the US. :)


    Average height of women in the US is 5'4-5'5 depending on who you believe... STDEV is 3-4 inches. so 5'1=5'9"

    So yes. 5'10" is where "tall" starts statistically.
  • Posts: 383 Member
    I'm somewhere between 5'9 and 5'10, and I'm definitely tall, no matter what statistics say.
  • Posts: 495 Member

    Average height of women in the US is 5'4-5'5 depending on who you believe... STDEV is 3-4 inches. so 5'1=5'9"

    So yes. 5'10" is where "tall" starts statistically.

    Well.... clothing sizes disagree with you. At 5'7 I've needed "talls" my entire life.
  • Posts: 2,904 Member
    I don't think I've gotten that but I'm 5'7". I feel tall since so many of my friends are 5'-5'2" and my husband is 5'8" but not really that tall. ;)
  • Posts: 415 Member
    I'm 5"8, 133ish, and size 4 usually. I don't see what's wrong with that. I mean there was times where I was thin from unhealthy means, but right now I'm lean from a healthy diet. That's a good thing. :) you're goal weight if perfectly fine.
  • Posts: 16,049 Member

    Well.... clothing sizes disagree with you. At 5'7 I've needed "talls" my entire life.

    Same here, I'm 5"8. So many of my pants, especially track pants are ankle freezers on me. I don't know how really tall women find pants that are long enough.
  • Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited July 2017
    I'm not tall (5'5.5"), started at 241 lbs, yet at my current 165 lbs, my friends and some of my family think I need to stop. My goal is 145 lbs, which I've never told any of them. I also have no plans to discuss my diet with them. My weight, my business.
  • Posts: 374 Member
    I'm between 5'9 and 5'10 and down to 171 from a high of 284. Nowhere near "too skinny" but people sometimes tell me to stop or I will disappear. I am shooting for 150-155 to re-evaluate and I think of the comments as just "awkward compliments" because I think that's the intention!
  • Posts: 159 Member
    5'9" here and according to the clothing industry am definitely tall. The "standard" 28-30 inch inseams are just way to short for me. I have had to wear talls to get 32-33 inch inseams ever since junior high (longer if I want to wear with heels). Otherwise...pants just look ridiculous. No one needs to see my ankles when I'm wearing jeans!
  • Posts: 1,450 Member
    Aerona85 wrote: »
    5'9" here and according to the clothing industry am definitely tall. The "standard" 28-30 inch inseams are just way to short for me. I have had to wear talls to get 32-33 inch inseams ever since junior high (longer if I want to wear with heels). Otherwise...pants just look ridiculous. No one needs to see my ankles when I'm wearing jeans!
    My biggest problem is that I have a long torso and most companies don't offer long in shirts. I need the long pants too, but I've given up and make a lot of my shirts.
  • Posts: 319 Member
    cmtigger wrote: »
    My biggest problem is that I have a long torso and most companies don't offer long in shirts. I need the long pants too, but I've given up and make a lot of my shirts.

    Me too. I'm 5'10 so tall anyway but longer in the torso and only 33.5" inside leg. Dresses are so difficult as even the tall ranges in shops tend to just add the extra length to the legs and don't think about body proportions. /rant.

    Anyway, back to the OP - I would just say that being taller makes it harder to estimate how much weight will equate to a dress size on a taller frame. If you feel happy with your goal weight then that's your beusiness and not for anyone to comment on, but I know if it were me I don't even know what clothes size I would be if I lost x amount of pounds.
  • Posts: 157 Member
    I can commiserate about the long torso. Ever try to find a one-piece bathing suit?

    Everyone's body is different. I'm 5'11" and a size 10 @ 177lbs.
  • Posts: 16,049 Member
    erienneb66 wrote: »


    I'm a 6' female and when I was in Shanghai people kept wanting to take pictures with me haha

    OMG that me LOL :laugh: They thought you were an Amazon woman!
  • Posts: 1,351 Member
    I'm 186cm (6'1ish), and whilst I haven't had people telling me to stop yet, I still have people trying to tell me what they think my weight should be. Since I haven't been at a healthy weight since my pre-teens, I don't even know what I should be weighing, but when I get there I will. at 96kg (210lbs) I'm in an AU14/16 (US10/12?) pants, if I can find them long enough, and I still have a long way to go. Weight sits differently on us Amazonians, and sometimes I think people tend to forget that.

    Provided you are happy, and your doctor is happy, then that's all that matters (my husband may get to weigh in with an opinion as well I guess ;) ). The opinion of the rest of the world can go jump.
  • Posts: 158 Member
    I'm 5'8.5 and since I am with all Chinese people, I feel very tall. But I have a short torso. Finding a dress is kind of hard because they look short on me, even if they look normal on other people. And it's not the "Show some leg and be sexy" kind of short, but rather the "Your clothes don't fit" kind. :/
  • Posts: 5,966 Member
    No I don't get that. Everyone has a different body type/frame. Some tall girls probably look better at a size 12. I'm 5'10" and size 6 is perfect for me.
  • Posts: 3 Member
    I'm 6' 0.5"... and in my profile picture I was 190 pounds. There are a lot of factors that influence weight (muscle mass, boobage, booty, etc), so focusing on weight is a moot point. Everyone's going to be different. I know, for me, I have a larger bone structure, maintain a booty, and carry a lot a muscle. I'm a dense mo fo, and know I'm HAPPY and HEALTHY when I'm at that size.

    Just focus on being happy with yourself and healthy. Disregard anyone's negative comments. Those opinions are their problem, not yours. :smile:
  • Posts: 166 Member
    I love this post! I always get(I'm 5'8) you're tall you can't lose too much weight.
  • Posts: 6,644 Member
    erienneb66 wrote: »


    I'm a 6' female and when I was in Shanghai people kept wanting to take pictures with me haha

    They wanted pictures of me 'cause I'm Black. *shrug*
This discussion has been closed.