What is a good, healthy weight for a woman who is 5'2"?

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Replies

  • TEMMEAlexa
    TEMMEAlexa Posts: 79 Member
    There are three weight range which are 108-121 (Small Frame), 118-132 (Medium Frame), 128-143 (Large Frame). I would say you might lose some more weight, but don't over stress yourself to look too skinny.
  • faykis
    faykis Posts: 10
    i think 99-110 lbs is a good range for us, the 5'2'' people! I am eyeing at 99 lbs in 6 months.

    last Saturday i weighted myself and i was 129.5 lbs!! I have all the fat stores in my upper n lower tummy, and face/ jawline as well. I look horrible in all my dresses and jeans don't fit me anymore! So I started eating healthy, 1200 calls a day from that day and hoping for the best. My target is 99-100 in 6 months! since i started counting calories i wonder how much i used to eat before!! almost 3000 cal day or even more in some days for years! I never realised how unhealthy my eating habit was until i joined MFP last Saturday. By coming down to 1200 Cals a day I am hoping to loose at least one or two lbs in 2 weeks!!!!

    I can't manage time for exercise now, but I will be jogging 1 hr a day from 11th Feb....
  • TrulyBlessedToo
    TrulyBlessedToo Posts: 11 Member
    First I am waaaay overweight at this point in my life and very much out of shape. I am 5'4. In my teens I weighed 120-125. I wore a size 12. After 3 babies in just under 4 years, and living a healthy lifestyle, the BEST I ever felt was at a weight of 140. I walked 5 miles every morning, played racquet ball 3 times a week and lifted twice a week. I also ate lots of bright veggies...oh and I wore a size 9 jeans for the first time in my life. 120 = size 12 // 140 = size 9. It took me a long time to get my head around that.
    Weight is a measurable quantity but it does not tell the whole story.

    With 7 children I expect your day is very busy but do make time for yourself. Being physically active with your children can do wonders for all of you. Be proud of your accomplishments I think you are doing great things!!!
  • vh1mtv
    vh1mtv Posts: 5 Member
    Yes, where you feel good is important, but I would think 119 is just fine. Just be careful not to get obsessed with it. I did that years ago and had a problem with food for a while. A lot depends on how we're built, too. I'm 5' 4" and feel good at 140 or so. I'm about a size 8 when I get to that weight. I can weigh down to about 125 and look fine but anything under that I look too skinny. Congrats on your awesome weight loss! The advice about lifting weights, getting toned, is great!
  • vh1mtv
    vh1mtv Posts: 5 Member
    That's a guideline, but I think it favors smaller body sizes. I'm at least medium boned, so at 5' 4", 120 is too skinny for me. Adding 10% makes 132, which is okay but still on the thin side with my bone size. So people should keep that in mind and not beat themselves up for not fitting into those guidelines.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Maybe it's time to tone

    119 sound perfect.

    I always shave 10lbs off of the top & bottom of the BMI scale. I figure 10lbs from the top leaves me a little wiggle room if I get stressed or injured and can't be as active as I'd like. and 10ls from the bottom means that I'll have resources to sustain myself if I get sick.

    As long as I'm maintaining somewhere in that range I'm good. I want to focus on living an awesome life more than focusing too much energy of my energy on food, (be it over eating or dieting)...

    I really would rather go out and have fun.
  • Nenny1985
    Nenny1985 Posts: 122
    Well done hun. Look at yr bmi and also take yr body frame into account. All the best
  • halfjapgirl79
    halfjapgirl79 Posts: 16 Member
    I agree this has to depend on your body type. Im 5'2 for me.. Under 135 looks unhealthy. Coming from 200 pounds back down to a closer range of healthy has been huge. I won't lie its a work in progress still. But I will get there
  • adcede19
    adcede19 Posts: 16
    I'm 5'2"ish and I'll be happy to get down to 125, though I'll probably be thinking I could lose more once I get there.

    Honestly, there is a healthy range for a reason. Your frame size matters, but also your muscle mass matters as well. Muscle weighs more than fat, but muscle is more compact than fat.

    Imagine two girls, same height, that both weigh 120 lbs. One has average muscle and looks average. The other has a more muscle mass, looks toned, and looks much skinnier. The scale says 120 lbs for both, even though one is markedly skinnier than the other.

    Now imagine two girls of the same height who look equally skinny, but one is 110 lbs with average muscle, and the other is 120 lbs and toned. Is one weight better than the other? Depends on which look you choose for yourself.

    NOTE: if you do decide to gain more than average muscle mass, BMI will not be a good estimate for your "ideal" weight because it is based off of average muscle mass.

    If you don't like your stomach because there is fat, do any type of cardio, and it'll trim down fat all over, but you cannot choose where. This might not be your goal since you're worried about your chest shrinking. If you don't like your stomach because it isn't flat or doesn't show your abs, do strength exercises, and brace your core every time you do anything physically difficult.

    As you're going, try to celebrate your triumphs, even the small ones. Surround yourself with others who appreciate and admire what you've done. You will be much happier then. :)
  • gurtrude26163
    gurtrude26163 Posts: 1
    My girlfriend is also 5' 2". She runs and, light weight training. She say she feels her best at 115-118 range. Any heavier and says she feels it on her knees when she runs.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I am going to swim against the crowd here that seems to suggest to just keep losing weight. I mean by all means add more exercise etc to your life, but people post about their dissatisfaction with their post-diet body quite frequently here, so ask yourself this:

    What do you want your body to look like? Is it a realistic image? The thing is I look at my stomach after 2 children and think 'hmm, could be better', but tbh it'll never look like the stomach of a supermodel regardless of how much I'd diet and exercise (yes I get I could much exercise more, but in the long run that is also not sustainable for me). I am not saying that you have aspirations for your stomach to look like that, but sometimes we have unrealistic aspirations and expectations of what our body should look like, especially women.

    Will it be maintainable? How did you diet to get to your goal weight? When is the last time you were this weight?

    Just because we lose weight we don't automatically start to love ourselves more. Somehow it takes a while for us to actually 'see' the weight loss in the mirror. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • Dotsy613
    Dotsy613 Posts: 1
    When I was 120 at 5'2", I wore a size 2. Far too skinny. Not as attractive as when I gained some weight. I looked my best (and wore size 4) was at 125. Right now, hoping just to get to 130 after gaining 20 pounds. 130 is a healthy weight for my small frame.
  • blankney94
    blankney94 Posts: 95
    I think you've done very well so far! I'm 5'3" and currently 122lb. I started at 142lb in October. I'm aiming for a sporty, athletic look, but not skinny. My body shape is a typical pear - narrow shoulders, wide hips and even wider thighs. :(

    I think around 120lb is ideal - but it really depends on the make up of your body. You might want to add in some weight training, and possibly some abdominal work (there are ab apps available online). The more muscle you have, the easier it is to burn fat.
  • blankney94
    blankney94 Posts: 95
    http://www.mybodygallery.com/ is worth a look too. You can compare your body with other women of the same body type to visualise what might be your ideal weight.
  • misswager
    misswager Posts: 67 Member
    I did not read all the replies, but well done for your goals achieved already.

    One thing I can say which I think has already been mentioned is to lift weights. It will change your body composition and overall look providing you eat right.

    I am 5'2 and weigh 119. I am eating to get thinner, leaner & stronger… and am lifting heavier weights now and have seen an improvement in 3 weeks.

    You won't get 'bulky, manly etc', you would really have to train hard to get like that. Its good for your bone health and overall strength. (providing you have no injuries)… I don't know if this is suitable to put on here, but I bought the Mike Matthews book TLS & its great :-)

    keep up the good work!
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
    I'm 5'2.5 and 134ish lbs from about 160ish using diet and exercise. I am still changing shape but have maintained my wt for about a year. I am pretty muscular but def have body fat on the trunk but am strong and fit after 16yrs mountain walking despite carrying 2st extra for much of it. I do weights machines and may progress to lifting if knee and back issues permit.

    I still carry fat on my tummy but at 46 have a bony chest and very slim limbs and am keen to avoid the shelled tortoise look so here I stop - bugger what the charts say!
  • bucjo
    bucjo Posts: 2 Member
    Surely it's what is healthy to you? I'm 5'2 and I've been from 114 - 160 lbs (53 - 73kg) in my adult life and at 114 lbs I was very ill looking. I like to think 127 (58kg) would be my ideal but to be honest I look more at how my body looks in the mirror/photos (one brilliant thing I've done is take photos as you don't always see the results if you don't see them on the scales) and how healthy I am (I regularly have my numbers done by the work nurse - blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars etc).

    It's frustrating on a small frame as such small weight gain makes a big difference. People talk of huge numbers on here and I'm always fighting off 5-10kg fluctuations which mostly take to my tummy.
  • floppybackend
    floppybackend Posts: 52 Member
    I'm 5'2" and around 130 is my ideal weight…when i got closer to 120 i looked sickly skinny on my top half. i think it varies for everyone and really depends on where you carry your weight.

    AGREE 130lbs being 9 stone is about right.
  • mspoopoo
    mspoopoo Posts: 500 Member
    your weight is great right now. Try the 30 day shred to start out with.
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  • steviecooke1985
    steviecooke1985 Posts: 68 Member
    I'm 5 foot 2.5 and I have must have a big frame because 133 is my ideal. I'm currently 155 and wear a size 12 top and size 14 jeans. Anything less that 133 and I think I'd look like a lollipop head! I have a couple of friends who are the same height, but they're definitely small frame people as they look great at about 112.
  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    My girlfriend is also 5' 2". She runs and, light weight training. She say she feels her best at 115-118 range. Any heavier and says she feels it on her knees when she runs.

    That describes me but I'm not the girlfriend! I am 5'2" and run often. Best weight seems to be around 115. I am very slim at 112. Any weight gain messes with my knees. I am pretty strong and yet I look full at 115 - not skinny. Lean at 112.

    115 seems to be the magic stable number where my body wishes to stay - higher is a fuller look and lower is leaner. 115 seems to be a midline for me at 5'2" (medium frame with decent muscle mass).
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Any weight where her body fat falls around 18-25%.
  • momofgnsis
    momofgnsis Posts: 1
    I am 5'2" and I feel very healthy at 147. as long as your health isn't suffering I think the number doesn't matter. :smile:
  • swissmish
    swissmish Posts: 183 Member
    I as well am a small framed 5'2 and am aiming for around the 115 lbs mark. Once I get there then I will see if that is where I am happy or can go a bit further. In the end it all depends on yourself and if you are happy. Good luck with it!
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    At some point you have to just accept yourself for who you are right now. The grass is not greener anywhere else. I have the same issue and am looking to just accept myself in my skin and realize if I am strong and healthy and eating right, that is all that matters. There will never be a perfect weight.
  • skingszoo
    skingszoo Posts: 412 Member
    I feel like a fatty now compared to all the other comments. I am 5'2 and the lowest I got was 135 but I was skinny fat. I now am between 143-148 and I think that is where I will stay or at least that is where my body think it needs to be at lol. I am not focused on the scale now though I am focused on strength. I am training (increase PR) for my 3rd Half Marathon in April and then my 1st Marathon in September so I am eating like a truck driver now. At least 1700 cals a day but haven't gained weight so far so that's good. After Sept I will probably do a cut of some sort since I am eating mucho carbs now.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    I'm 5'3 and 127ish. I feel super healthy. I can run an 8.30 min mile, and I have been strength-training 2-3 times a week. When I graduated from college (12 years ago), I was the same weight, but not as healthy, not as strong, not as fit.

    Point being, weight is only part of the equation.
  • max30son
    max30son Posts: 2 Member
    Congratulations on your accomplishment!

    From a guys perspective, you are at a perfect weight for your height. Now start doing some strength training to tone up and build lean muscle. This will help change your body in a positive way. There is such a thing as too skinny, so don't worry about losing more weight.
  • Soufre
    Soufre Posts: 236 Member
    I'm 5'2 and 121lbs. I'm aiming for 105 lbs but I'll see how I feel at 110.

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