What is my ideal weight

hollypashley
hollypashley Posts: 8 Member
edited April 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
Having been BMI overweight/higher end of healthy range my whole adult life (I’m 37), I’m looking to work out what weight would be suitable for me to aim for. Is there a way of calculating this using age, height, build, fat % etc?

I’m currently about to hit 11stone (9lb down since Feb1st), and at 5ft5.5 that puts me at roughly a 25 BMI. I do feel like I have a bit of weight to lose still, but I don’t want to get obsessive about it if my body is naturally wanting to sit a little heavier. I eat healthily, but portion sizes were all an issue. MFP has helped manage that.

Has anyone else been in this position, trying to work out where to get to? Thanks!

Replies

  • ginamyrmel
    ginamyrmel Posts: 70 Member
    Definitely! I have a sister who's an inch shorter than I am and weighs 108 soaking wet. My original goal was to lose 100 pounds, which would put me at 115. Sounds reasonable, I thought, but when checking the internet for a goal weight, I found that at my age, height (5'3"), and medium build, 133 turns out to be a better goal. Today I weigh 163 and feel great, although a bit bottom heavy. So, I suggest you find a graph that takes your age into consideration. I wouldn't consider fat % if you're looking for an ideal weight, though. It's fat that we want to get rid of; right?
  • ginamyrmel
    ginamyrmel Posts: 70 Member
    I'll poke around the internet and see if I can find a similar graph to the one I used and send that to you.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    It's likely enough that it will be within the range of your healthy BMI - So, between where you are now, and 113 lbs. Fewer than that would leave you underweight. That would seem less than ideal, to me. I was under the impression, though, that once you were in the healthy BMI category, it's pretty much just a matter of personal preference? I'm at a BMI of 23.9 and still trending downward - I'm a runner, so I figure I'll stop where I'm fastest. When I notice that I'm slowing down or feeling fatigued, that's not ideal, right? So that's the metric I'm looking at. Otherwise, if I'm still getting faster at a BMI of 18.5, I'll have to consider the risks of being underweight vs. the potential speed increases of dropping a few more pounds - but I kind of expect not to have to worry too hard about that - I really like to eat.
  • 0121s
    0121s Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I started in exactly the same position, 11st 9 on the 15th Jan, the same height too, I am now down to 10st 8. My initial target was 10st, not sure why, it just seemed realistic to start with. I'm not really sure what 10st looks like on me as I've fluctuated most of my adult life so am unsure if that's where I'd be happy to get to and settle at. My main aim though was to fit into a pair of jeans that I've never been able to wear as they were always too small, they finally fit me comfortably now, but I'd like to lose more weight.

    My plan is to continue to work towards 10st and see how I feel when I get there, if I'm happy at that then great, but if not I can continue to lose or even gain like sijomial said. I'm taking it as it comes and seeing how I feel at that stage when I get there.

    Hope this helps you come to a decision.
  • Rainworth_Massive
    Rainworth_Massive Posts: 11 Member
    I have a weight range that I feel good in & where clothes fit nicely. On the BMI scale it's right at the top end of the range for my height. I've been at a lower weight and look too bony, face looks too thin & drawn, people were commenting that I looked too thin - yet I was still well within the "normal" weight range. I think it depends a lot on your body composition - if you exercise a lot / have good lean muscle mass you are likely to need to be at the heavier end of the range? If you're in the normal range for your height, just go with how you feel and don't stress about losing more.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Like some others mentioned, within the confines of "healthy/normal" by BMI standards there's an element of preference within that range as far as appearance and any athletic performance goals you may have. I know from my personal experience I've been anywhere from a BMI of 21 to 24.4 and personal preference for body composition played a larger role in bodily satisfaction than the number of the scale. Before I took up weightlifting I didn't look much different at 159 lbs than I did at 175 lbs and I knew I wasn't altogether happy with how I looked at either weight as I was undermuscled and over fat at proably 18%+ body fat. Since 2016 I've been fortunate to see a pretty continuous improvement to body composition and get to a lean-ish 12% body fat and hover in the 170s the majority of the time. Even at the top of a bulk at 185 I'm happier in my own skin now than I was 25 lbs lighter pre-lifting.

    If you really want a number to go from, in addition to being a pretty solid TDEE calculator (based on my observed data, at least) https://tdeecalculator.net/will give you a weight from the four established formulas used for "ideal weight". For me there's a range between those four equations but the average is pretty decent for my preferences for aesthetics at this point. Interestingly it ranges from a BMI of 21.6 to 24.1. YMMV based on gender, weight and height.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    I looked at a "healthy" BMI range, and selected a number about midrange without that range.
  • Jessie24330
    Jessie24330 Posts: 224 Member
    I picked 150 lbs, which is at the very high end of normal or low overweight for my height, according to the charts. I have no desire to be skinny, as I don't find that attractive (it's great if someone likes themselves that way, it's just not for me). I'm just aiming for that as a general goal and I figure when I get somewhere that I'm happy, I'll know it's right for me.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I am 5'4, got down to 156 only one time! Could not stay there so 160-162 is what I can easily maintain. I am happy there, wear sz 10 and 12's and I am not young, 67 years old so that is good for me, I would loved to have weighed less but geez I am going to do some eating! Skinny doesnt look so good the older you get, I weighed 137 and did not look good at all. Everyone is different, you know what feels right or believe me people will tell you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited March 2021
    hollypashley wrote: »
    Having been BMI overweight/higher end of healthy range my whole adult life (I’m 37), I’m looking to work out what weight would be suitable for me to aim for. Is there a way of calculating this using age, height, build, fat % etc?

    I’m currently about to hit 11stone (9lb down since Feb1st), and at 5ft5.5 that puts me at roughly a 25 BMI. I do feel like I have a bit of weight to lose still, but I don’t want to get obsessive about it if my body is naturally wanting to sit a little heavier. I eat healthily, but portion sizes were all an issue. MFP has helped manage that.

    Has anyone else been in this position, trying to work out where to get to? Thanks!

    There really is no such thing as an "ideal weight"...BMI is a fairly large range and is so for a reason...people have different bone structures, varying degrees of muscle mass, etc which will all influence scale weight. Just as an example, my wife is around 5'3" and one of her best friends is the same. My wife is much more comfortable at the higher end of BMI and really no lower than 125 Lbs, which is pretty stinkin' lean on her...around 20% BF. She has an athletic build...she has a larger bone structure and frame and a lot of muscle mass for a female which she carries naturally, but she's also a former collegiate rugby and soccer player and she still hits the gym and trains. Much below 125 Lbs, she starts to look gaunt and a bit sickly. Her friend is of a very slight build...very small bone structure and very little muscle mass and no "curves". She looks great at the lower end of BMI for her height at around 110 Lbs because she has such a tiny structure...my wife would look absolutely emaciated at that weight.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    Listen to your body.

    BMI chart says that I'm "overweight" at 161. I'm currently ~153, and it feels really good. I don't find my calorie limits to be too restrictive, I like the way I look and feel--even if I can't fit into a size 10 jeans and my boobs mandate that I keep wearing the same XL shirts I did 50 pounds heavier.

    A weight of 143 would put me right in the middle of the "normal" BMI range for my height. COULD I lose another 10-11 lbs? Probably? Do I feel compelled to do it? Not really.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    I looked at a "healthy" BMI range, and selected a number about midrange without that range.

    That's where my goal is too - I'm 5'6" and my goal is the 130s - I just picked 135 because it was the middle. For a brief period I was toward the lower end of my healthy BMI range, unintentionally, and I remember I had several people (who were not typically nosy) inquire after my health. Looking back at photos I do look frail at that size. It's probably the one time in my life stress led me to quit eating enough rather than overeat, heh. I'm also looking to have a bit more muscle mass than I did when I was last in a healthy weight range, so that might tip my weight a little higher, and I'm OK with that.

    My plan is as I get into the 140s I can take an honest assessment of my body and figure out how much more I need to do. At that point I'm going to be more concerned about how clothing is fitting, how I'm feeling, etc. Then I can pin down better the precise number that fits - it might be upper 130s, it might be lower. I might maintain for a while and then find that something else is actually better suited to my goals after all. I'm not too concerned about figuring out where the perfect spot is now, as long as I'm going in the right direction.
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 231 Member
    I recently talked with my health care provider abour a realistic goal for me. We decided I will lose for another 20 pounds and see how I feel. That will still leave me in the overweight range of BMI but she feels it will be a good weight for me. She told me not to get overly concerned with BMI. My plan is to get to that weight, see how I feel and maintain for awhile. I will decide later if I want to continue to maintain there or lose more.
  • NVintage
    NVintage Posts: 1,463 Member
    edited March 2021
    My ideal weight is a few pounds over BMI as long as I'm exercising and fit into my 7-8 size jeans without having a muffin top. :blush: When I first found this site, I was thinking to go all out and lose 15-20, but I lost about 5 pounds and already feel pretty good. (I'm short) I'm staying from 138-140, which is just 4 or 5 pounds overweight, for me, according to BMI. I'm so over counting calories, and hope to never have to do it again!!! I love that I can still just copy my meals and recipes into the food diary without counting and it lets me know if I go way over. Meal planning not only helps me to eat healthier, but saves me tons of money as I'm hardly wasting any food. I still plan for 1200-1300 calorie days, but I'm guesstimating on stuff like almond butter and olive oil...and wine, so it's probably more likely around 1500 calories per day.
  • MercuryForce
    MercuryForce Posts: 103 Member
    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    Listen to your body.

    BMI chart says that I'm "overweight" at 161. I'm currently ~153, and it feels really good. I don't find my calorie limits to be too restrictive, I like the way I look and feel--even if I can't fit into a size 10 jeans and my boobs mandate that I keep wearing the same XL shirts I did 50 pounds heavier.

    A weight of 143 would put me right in the middle of the "normal" BMI range for my height. COULD I lose another 10-11 lbs? Probably? Do I feel compelled to do it? Not really.

    That's where I am. I'm at 152, and think I'd like to be at 145 and will probably do it. But, as my dietitian has discussed with me, "what is more important to you, reaching the goal weight or maintaining?".

    For some people, they might be willing and able to make the long term adjustments to lose those last 10 lbs. For me personally, I'd rather stay here, but stay here long term, rather than make myself miserable losing those last 10.

    And, that can change....I might feel more like it in the summer when there is access to better produce and cold weather doesn't make me want hearty foods and the gym is open and I go to more intense classes than I do in my home.

    I've made the changes I really wanted to. I went from obese to "normal", I am now consistently working out, and I have a much more nutrient rich diet than I did before. For me, those last 10 lbs aren't as much a priority as those things were.

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