How much should I weigh?

BlissfullyActice

I agree with maybe looking at body fat percentage as a better indicator. Just my own tidbit, I was 115 at one point and I am 5'6. It was not a good experience because even thought I ate healthy (lots of fruits, veggies, no foods with sugar added at all and just water) because I felt weak. I found I was low on several vitamins like B12, Iron etc. You should just see how your body feels and make sure whatever you eat, you are giving your body enough to fuel itself. Sometimes decreasing the calories makes you feel super weak, so in my experience, so you have to look at nutrient rich foods to add.

-Nav

FrnkLft

Just read my response, thank us later Going by total body weight is a common thing to do, but ignorant of what that weight means.

If you're just hunting around for a target, this approach is a little dubious, but do a search for women your height and weight loss photos. Usually they post the before and after weight.

Women's body weight is tricky though, because of things like breasts and the huge difference in body fat distribution and body shape.

Ultimately though, like we're saying, learn about body fat %, determine what yours is right now, then set your goal weight. Once you're there, then you can decide what to do if anything.

karl39x

No matter how short you are anything under 100 is a little scary to me, I feel like I'll break you honestly, no offense. Try shooting for in between 110-125 or whatever feels comfortable.

99 feels comfortable. Boo! Now I'm extra scary!

If you feel comfortable then that's good. I sometimes say or write things without thinking, my bad.

BL_Coleman

I have actually put a lot of thought into this as well. I am 5ft and 1 and 1/2 inches tall. I have been everything from 106 to 155. To decide what I wanted I looked through old photos and decided that between 120- and 127 is where I want to end up. That will usually have me at a solid size 4 and roughly at about a 36/25/38 - which I desperately want to get back too. If I go below that I start to lose curves and get closer to a 2. Considering I am no longer a teenager and have no desire to be mistaken for a 15 yr old ..that is my goal. Even though the evil app on my phone tells me my ideal weight is 117.

melham

No matter how short you are anything under 100 is a little scary to me, I feel like I'll break you honestly, no offense. Try shooting for in between 110-125 or whatever feels comfortable.

99 feels comfortable. Boo! Now I'm extra scary!

If you feel comfortable then that's good. I sometimes say or write things without thinking, my bad.

No worries. I'm just a smarta$$! :drinker:

nagniho

I am 4'11 am 95lbs with 21.3% BF. I do not look skinny ( see profile pic), have tons of energy and lift as heavy as I can. Squat 110lbs and bench 80lbs. Goal is to increase muscle mass.

judilockwood

I heard that Marilyn Monroe was the same as an English size 16 which is the same as an American 12 - seriously curvy x

FrnkLft

I know this kind of thing is important in discussions between women, but it doesn't matter for a second with men. Show me a 150 lb short woman with the right curves and a pretty face, and I could give a damn what the scale says or doesn't say.

Seriously, do you care what a man weighs, or is it how strong he is and how he looks? Same thing.

I'm 5'4", 148 lbs. There are men my height who weigh as much as me and are fat, there are other men who weigh as much as me and are leaner & more built. The number on the scale doesn't mean anything at all. You have to learn what the number means, and use it as a tool to reach your real goals.

ragingmrs

Doctor's use the BMI calculation as a quick and inexpensive way to determine a healthy weight range. It estimates body fat percentage based on height, weight and gender. The BMI is not perfect but a place to start.

I know someone in the military that was not eligible for promotion and threatened to be kicked out because BMI showed him to be overweight. He played football and was one of the leanest muscular people I've met. After a period of time being pushed by the military over his weight, they paid for him to have his fat percentage measured by a lab. His percentage was in the 10 to 15 % range which is below what is normally considered healthy; however, for an athlete of this nature is probably ideal.

I hope this helps.

That would be why the military has a tape test as an alternative to the standard hight/wieght tables. My husband has almost alway been taped. No the BMI is not perfect. It puts highly muscled athletes like Michael Jordan as morbidly obese.

Really just go until you like the look and feel of your body. My acid test is if I see my hip bones sticking out or I can count my ribs in the mirror, with my arms down I need to gain weight.

ragingmrs

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

I am by no means trying to start a fight here, but a size 12 in those days was a lot smaller than a size 12 is today.

To burst everyones bubble, mine included. Marilyn Monroe averaged 36-24-36 which is a modern day 6-8 in designer brands. The woman had beautiful curves. I think most women would kill to have that body. When we are talking about variance of personal bodies I know that the lowest I should go at 5'2" is 160. It really is what is right for your body.

llkilgore

I heard that Marilyn Monroe was the same as an English size 16 which is the same as an American 12 - seriously curvy x

An American size 12 from 50+ years ago wasn't anywhere near as large as its modern counterpart. More like a current 4, if that large.

enigrebua

You can use things like a BMI calculator to get a rough idea of the margins you fall into, but remember BMI does not take into account your individual build (some people carry more muscle, some carry more fat, some people have larger skeletons etc. which all impacts how light or heavy you are going to be at a healthy weight compared to someone else your height.). Basically, try not to obsess about the number (as difficult as that might be!) and remember to keep track of your measurements as well as your weight to gauge your progress more accurately.

Personally I have a build that is on the larger side - I've always carried around more fat and bone than my friends (male and female!), even from the age of 7 or 8, but I tend to retain proportion well, so I can lose or gain a stone or two and most people won't notice at all. I'm doing a lot more exercise now than I ever have and I'm finding that I'm able to reach much lower measurements (waist, hips, thighs etc) than I ever have before because those wobbly bobbly bits are more toned and muscular. I would much rather have a nice shape and fit comfortably into clothes that make me feel good about myself, than obsess over the fact that my natural build means I weigh more than a lot of girls my height. Hey, if we're the same dress size, we can still borrow each other's clothes, I don't care if you're 20lbs lighter than me!

Mcgrawhaha

just set a realistic goal, and when you get there, YOU DECIDE if you are where you want to be, its a personal preference, to a point...

llkilgore

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

I am by no means trying to start a fight here, but a size 12 in those days was a lot smaller than a size 12 is today.

To burst everyones bubble, mine included. Marilyn Monroe averaged 36-24-36 which is a modern day 6-8 in designer brands. The woman had beautiful curves. I think most women would kill to have that body. When we are talking about variance of personal bodies I know that the lowest I should go at 5'2" is 160. It really is what is right for your body.

She had a tiny waist. I'm a not so curvy 37-29-36 and wear mostly 4s, now. 40 years ago I weighed about the same and was a size 10.

padams2359

My love handles are gone, and when I look straight down I see my belt buckle, my waist is a 28 or 29, depends on the brand, 2 sizes smaller than my length. 3 lbs to go. 155 was a number that I picked. If I am only there for 1 day, and stay under 160, I'm good. As I continue in the gym, that number will go up, but will mean something very different.

leadiax3

I am 5'5 and 112 pounds of solid mass and quite happy. Check out my pics:flowerforyou:

MelissaPhippsFeagins

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

I am by no means trying to start a fight here, but a size 12 in those days was a lot smaller than a size 12 is today.

But Marilyn Monroe was by no stretch of the imagination skinny. But she was effing gorgeous.

This has nothing to do with the original post, but Marilyn Monroe was tiny. She was curvaceous; she worked out and yes she was "effing gorgeous", but she was tiny. Her dressmaker said she was 5' 5" and was 35-22-35. Tiny...

melindafritz1976

according to bmi- 149 or less is healthy weight

melham

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

I am by no means trying to start a fight here, but a size 12 in those days was a lot smaller than a size 12 is today.

But Marilyn Monroe was by no stretch of the imagination skinny. But she was effing gorgeous.

This has nothing to do with the original post, but Marilyn Monroe was tiny. She was curvaceous; she worked out and yes she was "effing gorgeous", but she was tiny. Her dressmaker said she was 5' 5" and was 35-22-35. Tiny...

Okay, so was she 36-24-36 or was she 35-22-35? Or something else? I see the Marilyn Monroe example a lot, and it's pretty inconsistent.

5n0wbal1

According to a BMI calculator, anywhere from 94.5 to 127.5 can be considered a healthy weight for a woman five feet tall. Get to a healthy weight that's right for you; those numbers can be a guideline.

sazzyhalo

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

I am by no means trying to start a fight here, but a size 12 in those days was a lot smaller than a size 12 is today.

Her dressmaker gave her measurements and her clothes were displayed in London...her waist measured 22-23 inches and she weighed between 118-140 as she fluctuated a lot, plus she was pretty tall. Her dressmaker said she was never larger than a UK 10 (US 6) at her heaviest but looked curvier as she had such an extreme hourglass shape.

lisalsd1

I'm about 5'3 and weighed 129 this morning. Last time I was this weight, I was a size 8. This time, I'm a size 4.

After years of listening to my husband tell me "the scale doesn't matter," I finally believe him. The # of the scale is only a single measure of your health. And honestly, BMI isn't much better. I'm the same BMI as before, BUT am a 4 vs. an 8.

Like other posters have said, there isn't a specific # on the scale you should be. I started focusing on fitness goals rather than weight, and that has made a big difference for me.

MorganBody

90-110lbs according to weight charts.

mitch16

I'm about 5'3 and weighed 129 this morning. Last time I was this weight, I was a size 8. This time, I'm a size 4.

After years of listening to my husband tell me "the scale doesn't matter," I finally believe him. The # of the scale is only a single measure of your health. And honestly, BMI isn't much better. I'm the same BMI as before, BUT am a 4 vs. an 8.

Like other posters have said, there isn't a specific # on the scale you should be. I started focusing on fitness goals rather than weight, and that has made a big difference for me.

I have a story about this... not related to OP's issue, but about how sizes have changed so much over time... In my 20's, I dabbled with an eating disorder. I'm 5'6" and was down to ~118. Although I looked good in clothes, it was pretty miserable--I was cold all of the time and it hurt to sit too long because I had no fat left on my butt. Anyways, what started this all off? This adorable little grey flannel wrap skirt that I bought at the Gap. It was a size 12, and the first time I wore it my sister told me I could stand to lose 5 pounds for it to look good (I was ~135 at the time). So I lost weight. And kept losing. Eventually that skirt was a little bit too big for me as I was down to a size 6.

Between then and now (~20 years later) a lot has happened. I got married, had a kid, gained weight, lost weight. Earlier this year I was back down at 135 again. Wearing a size 6 from the Gap and moving towards a size 4. The little grey flannel wrap skirt still lives in the back of my closet, so I tried it on. I couldn't button it. *Sigh*

lilmissvoid824

I am also 5 ft tall and I have always been super curvy even when I was 118 lbs ( size 4 or 5). I was really in shape. I don't think my body type would be healthy looking at any less weight. At 125 lbs I was a size 7. Which Is what I actually prefer even though most they say for my height 125 is overweight by 5 lbs. At 125 I measured 34-28-37 & at 118 I was 32-27-36.

sweetd6

Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Nuff Said!

Size 12 in her day was about a 6 today. I even read that a 0 today is an 8 from the 60's, and I believe it, I remember being 99 lbs. at 5'1" in the early 70's and a size 5 pair of jeans in juniors was too small. That size 5 was probably smaller than 00 is today, but it was the smallest junior size there was, there were no 3's, no 1's, no 0's, etc.

Josalinn

Small frame is 117-130, medium frame is 127-141, large frame is 137-155lbs. Hope this helps!!!

she's 5' 0.5" not 5'5"

Thank you for catching that! I was ....concerned....

Check out this site: http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/ I am personally not happy with the weight they suggest I should be at but it is interesting.

WrkinProg55

I weigh 132 and am also 5'5. ALSO my goal is 125 and my belly is my problem area. I have always thought 125 was a perfect weight for 5'5 female. BUT I only have 7 more lbs to go and I feel like for my belly to be where I would like it to be I may have to go lower. But in order for you to be really happy with your over all look being tone is the key is what I hear. And muscle (so I'm told) weighs more then fat.