Target weight? 5'4 female

mercyto
mercyto Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
I used to be underweig. Fast forward life and now I have some to lose.
What is the target I should be aiming for, being 5'4 and a female?

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Have you checked the BMI charts?
    110 - 140lbs is the variation when you ask google - so somewhere in between those - it all depends on your build/age...
  • Kilsi_Kizmit
    Kilsi_Kizmit Posts: 9 Member
    MyFitnessPal's goal range is 107.8 lbs - 145.7 lbs. I'm 5'4" and I'm aiming at a goal weight of 135. I felt comfortable there the first time I lost.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    I'm 5'4" and I maintain between 125-130, which is kind of in the middle of the healthy BMI range. Your goal should depend on where you are comfortable and can easily maintain, but given that you used to be underweight, I would advise against aiming toward the lower end of healthy BMI. You don't want to risk falling back into the unhealthy habits that made you unerweight.
  • imfornd70
    imfornd70 Posts: 552 Member
    really depends on your goals - runner? - 115 - fitness model 130 - general health 120-135 ---- really depends
  • fdlewenstein
    fdlewenstein Posts: 231 Member
    BMI is just one measure you should look at. I am 5'4" and my goal weight is 140. This is at the higher end of a healthy BMI, but I have a solid-built. I would set a goal (not too low) and see how you feel and look at that weight. If you are not comfortable, set a new goal. Years ago when I lost weight I was able to fit into a size 8. I thought I could get smaller. Unfortunately, I was not able to maintain at that low weight and I gained it all back (and I'm back for the LAST time on a weight loss journey). Find a weight that your lifestyle will allow you to maintain.
  • ladyzherra
    ladyzherra Posts: 438 Member
    Hey there! I am a 5'4" almost-40 year old woman and I have found through my wellness journeys that I have had to discover the weight that is perfect for my body. I have a small bone structure, and I once believed that my perfect weight would be 120 pounds. However, after years of trying to get down to 120, I found that it was just too skinny for my personal feeling of wellness. I did not like how I looked -- too thin for me. I found that 125 was more amazing, and 130 felt OK, although at that weight I did not always like how my clothing fit.

    Currently, I am the heaviest that I have ever been in my life (aside from pregnancy). I weighed in at 144 in December 2019, so I am working my way back down to my goal weight which I know is between 125-130.

    If you have never reached a weight before that you would consider "goal," then I think that knowing what to aim for can be confusing. I would just use the BMI index, as others have mentioned here, and I would aim for the highest bracket at first. So, for a 5'4" woman, aim for 140. Once you get there, determine if this feels like your "goal" weight right now. If so, make a plan to maintain that weight until it no longer feels "goal" for you.

    Best wishes!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    One thing it may be useful to know, if you don't already: The goal weight you put in your MFP profile has absolutely no effect on the calorie goal it will set for you: None, zero, zip, nada. It only uses that data to give you some progress messages and such. That setting is not worth stressing over; just make a reasonable guess and go on.

    The only difference between a higher and lower goal weight is when you will want to stop losing (or gaining, for those trying to gain). It doesn't change the process of loss.

    What this means is that you can put in a rough guess now (like the middle of the BMI range for your height), then just start tracking and managing your weight day to day.

    As your goal weight begins to approach - or at any point along the way - you can take a look at your goals and progress**, and decide to raise or lower that goal weight, depending on your health and appearance at the time. You can even reach some goal weight, and decide much later to either gain a bit, or lose a bit, if it suits you.

    Best wishes!

    ** Especially sInce you were once underweight, it may be a good plan to stay in touch with your doctor about what would be a good, healthy goal weight for you personally. Somewhere in the normal BMI range will suit the majority of women, but exactly where in that range is most suitable can depend on skeletal build, previous exercise and eating history, health conditions and medical history, and things like that. BMI is only a very rough guide.

    It's a good plan for anyone to check in with his/her doctor about goal weight, but even more important for someone whose history (or physical structure) is statistically atypical in some way.

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