What is a persons ideal weight?

gw1sxp
gw1sxp Posts: 6 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi everyone,

How do I know what my ideal weight should be?

Medically I'm pretty sure I should be about 11 and a half stone (161 lbs). I am 5ft 8 inches, (1.76 mtrs) male, medium size body frame.

Currently I am 13 stone 3 lbs (185 lbs), and think if I was my medically ideal weight I would look too thin and gaunt.

Or is it just how you look and feel to myself, more than anything else?

Lastly, what I think makes it difficult for me to gauge if I am are happy with my self body image, is the mental picture of being overweight, as I was some 2 years ago at over 19 and a half stone (273 lbs)

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks.

:smile:

Replies

  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
    I am 5'9 (female) and when I weighed 191Lbs I thought that 160 would be too thin for me. I too have a medium frame. Now that I am down to 168 I can see how I should weigh about 160. I am gonna keep going.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Depends on your goals and body structure.

    That said, a lot of people coming down in weight find it difficult to visualize what they'd be at normal weights. Sure you'll look smaller at 161, but unless you're muscular, you may not even be seeing much abs definition. 5'8 161 is not a "gaunt" height/weight combo.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    I'm 5'3" and 42 years old. When I started my weight loss journey, I was at 130 pounds which most people thought looked great on me! I looked and felt fat. My ideal weight for me to look great, and feel great, and still be within my BMI, is 110 pounds. My twin sister, on the other hand, should be about 115 to 120.

    Everyone is different.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Give yourself a little time to get used to the new you.

    My "ultimate" target was 12st 7lbs which I hit last Christmas - this was based on the weight I thought suited me best in the dim and very distant past.
    After a while maintaining there I realised a few more pounds off would be better and dropped to 12st 2lbs and stopped there for a while until I decided 12st (168lbs) was probably better.

    It's based on lot's of things really, BMI (very top of the normal range), how I look in the mirror, how I feel, energy levels, fitness goals, body fat, fit of clothes.....

    You don't have to do it all in one go and it won't do you any harm to have a diet break and maintain for a while until you decide you are happy or want to lose more.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,039 Member
    To me, my ideal weight is one that allows me to maintain my energy level and physically move and do the things I want to do. If I get sick, it is easy to recover, etc.

    I agree with the other posters. If you like where you are , just maintain for a while.

    Time will tell.
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
    You have to go way past your ideal weight to be your ideal weight anyway. Should be your walk around weight, say if you ate pizza and donuts at the weekend and didn't even go gym, that weight should be your ideal weight.

    I'm 5' 9, and even when I got down to 141 I wasn't really that, I trained to that, wedding food and red velvet cake I was 160, a different 160 to when I first got to 160.
  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
    if you look up Photographic Height and Weight Chart they show real people at different heights and weight so you can see what that body size looks like.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    It depends a LOT on your body fat percentage, so I'd recommend getting a scale that does that. Someone who is very muscular can be considered overweight, if you go by weight & height alone. Then I'd shoot for a healthy body fat percentage & not worry so much about the weight.
  • gw1sxp
    gw1sxp Posts: 6 Member
    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for all the feedback, didn't expect it so quickly...lol

    I think its a subject that many people discuss and a personal thing, so there are lots of different views.

    Think I need to make more MFP friends to help my motivation levels...........

    Thanks again.

    Gary.
    :smile:
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Gary -

    Unless you're unusually muscly, a BMI of 22 or so is going to be a good place to start.

    My muscly, but naturally thin young adult son is 6'2 and 155 sounds. My more average teenage son is 6'1" and 148.

    I agree with what everyone said - when you have lost a bit of weight and look in the mirror you look 'fine' - in fact good. When you lose more you realize you can look better and BE HEALTHIER. It takes a lot to look gaunt. (I'm 5'10', 150, a curvy woman, and definitely NOT gaunt.)
  • Wheelie_UK
    Wheelie_UK Posts: 29
    On that last point, about the diet break, I find you get a much more effective result, if you do allow the body time to adjust. In 6 months, I put on 6lbs, but have lost almost all of it in just 2 weeks! This time, I am going to keep going, so I can allow the 6lbs to take me up to the target weight, when it comes due to less activity.
  • UmmSulaimaan
    UmmSulaimaan Posts: 20 Member
    I am now 140.8 and my heights is 5'4 and although I do think that I look decent and shapely at 49, I feel better at 130. So I thought my goal would be about 127 or so ... this way I have some room to play with. My doctor said that is enough! :-( I guess he doesn't feel that at 49 I should be smaller than about 138. HOw does one know? NOTE: I was 180 about for most of my child bearing years and I had 9!!
  • proboho
    proboho Posts: 62 Member
    Nine! Good work! xx
  • tjthegreatone
    tjthegreatone Posts: 324
    I am 5'9. When I was 190lb I thought I was 'big boned'. My initial goal was 165lb but once I got there I realised that I was actually a medium-framed woman and could comfortably push to 155lb. Once there I decided to drop to 150lb.
    The last 5lb were a mother (forgive the language!) and I only maintained that weight for a year with some extremely disordered eating. Now I find I can maintain my weight at 155-160lb without too much drama and I look comfortably slim, 'toned' and muscular. This is a BMI 23 I believe so bang in the middle of the normal range.
    You just have to play with the numbers I think and re-evaluate each goal once you meet it. If you've overshot and are getting too emaciated your body will let you know (believe me).
    A small part of me wants to go back to 150lb but I realise that I'm a greedy mare and not ashamed of it, I love exercise and I like having energy to do it. If it means that my abs are not as visible as they once were, tough. I'm fit and healthy and not likely to enter a modelling competition anytime soon.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    Who knows'

    Its based upon height , bone structure , muscularity etc..

    Im Just under 6ft and I weigh around 200

    My mate is 6ft and weighs 160 and looks pretty normal

    According to my BMI im fat

    So WEIGHT MEANS NOTHING.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    From the charts I looked at based on height, weight and age 47, 155 to 162 is optimum weight. I am between 5'8 and 5'9. I figured get rid of the fat by getting to the lower number, and if I put on a little muscle weight, I am still in the ideal range.
  • WAHMto5
    WAHMto5 Posts: 375 Member
    To me, my ideal weight is one that allows me to maintain my energy level and physically move and do the things I want to do. If I get sick, it is easy to recover, etc.

    I agree with the other posters. If you like where you are , just maintain for a while.

    Time will tell.

    I totally agree with this!!

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