Ideal body weight calculator for smaller or larger frames.

RHachicho
RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
I was interested in this as I have a very large frame and have often wondered if the weight recommendation the NHS usually stick to would actually be a bit low for me. This calculator seems to do a moderately decent job of modifying the usual recommendations. Of course if you are building lots of muscle mass your ideal weight is still going to be way higher than this. But if your are just a genuinely heavy boned guy or girl and want to know what your REAL ideal weight is then this is seems a good idea. I'm going to have a look and see if I can find something that calculates the ideal weight even more accurately.

http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/ideal-body-weight-3146-143.html

Replies

  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
    I agree it is nice to have ideal weight calculators factor in frame size. i tried the calculator referenced below, and i found it to estimate heavy--even with selecting small frame. many of the other calculators don't ask about frame but give a range that, in theory, accomodates frame. those calculators seem to start me off at about 10-15 pounds lower than this frame specific calculator.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    Aye I'm interested in accuracy myself too. I keep getting friends and relatives telling me that aiming for 200lb's is actually too low for me. I am extremely tall such that seeing someone noticeably taller than me totally freaks me out. And not only that my frame size is massive and i am just a generally large human being. So I was wondering if they where right. My objective isn't to conform to some rubbish uniform scale of ideal weight it is to be healthy. And underweight is not healthy. Not that I am near that point yet. But I have kept the weight loss up long enough that I want an accurate measure of my ideal weight. not just some delinquent BMI system telling me I should weigh 190 - 200lbs.
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
    How come it doesn't ask gender? Did I miss that? I'm female - large frame - 6' tall. Right now I'm 185lbs. FWIW my goal is to be between 165-175lbs.

    The scale at that link was 188-206 and told me I was underweight. "The weight above calculated with your height is only a measure of weight and obesity based on BMI. " Yet when I went to the BMI calculator on the same site it told me I was in the overweight range with a BMI of 25, lol. << Which I actually believe btw. I can assure you I do not seem underweight at this time.

    It does feel good to read it ;) but this is why I wonder why I can't plug in gender.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Its lowest recommended end is too high. I could weigh as low as 105 and be over %18.5 body fat, that thing says don't go lower than 114. However, it's dead-on for the weight I start getting pudgy at: 125+. Other calculators that don't take frame into account think I'm just fine at anything under 140.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    wow ..it says I'm overweight by 2 pds….that sucks , I have work to do :ohwell:
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    While I think this is good, who is making the judgement on frame size? I can't even count how many people I hear talking about how they need to lose weight but they are large framed so they can't lose too much or how they are large framed and need to weight what they do (when they are clearly thickly covered in fat)...etc.

    I agree frame is important, as long as it isn't becoming a cop out.
  • tmaryam
    tmaryam Posts: 289 Member
    Oddly it's way off and the original BMI scale is more accurate for me!
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    The wrist measurement thing isn't hugely accurate for "frame size". I have small wrists but huge shoulders and a big ribcage. It says I'm at an ideal weight, but doesn't take body fat percentage into account at all.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    That's pretty much meaningless.

    Try this http://www.healthstatus.com/perl/reload.pl it will be more accurate to see what frame size you are. Even then though, it doesn't take body fat into account, so it doesn't mean much. I have a medium frame according to this one (even though my fingers touch easily), and it says I'm at the lowest ideal weight for my size... Yeah I don't think so, lol!
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
    That's pretty much meaningless.

    Try this http://www.healthstatus.com/perl/reload.pl it will be more accurate to see what frame size you are. Even then though, it doesn't take body fat into account, so it doesn't mean much. I have a medium frame according to this one (even though my fingers touch easily), and it says I'm at the lowest ideal weight for my size... Yeah I don't think so, lol!

    I tried that one too. It said I had a small frame. I was large on the other and every one I've ever checked and every doctor I've ever seen. I mean - SMALL FRAME. The world small has never applied to me in my entire life so I'm kind of in love with that site, lmao.

    It gave me an ideal weight of 165 which is my ultimate goal and a healthy range of 147-183. My real life goal of 165-175.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    Yeah honestly I don't think there is a simple calculator that will work for everyone. Still trust me one look at you and you would say ... yep that's a large frame. Despite the fat. I don't wanna cop out but I also happen to think that people have a really big chip on their shoulder about the healthy weight range. I think it's a lot broader than people think it is. Personally for me I think that 215 lbs will be just fine for the end of my diet. After that it will be time to change focus to building muscle :)
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    The wrist measurement thing isn't hugely accurate for "frame size". I have small wrists but huge shoulders and a big ribcage. It says I'm at an ideal weight, but doesn't take body fat percentage into account at all.

    ^^^This, tiny tiny hands wrists feet and ankles, linebacker shoulders and a barrel of a rib cage. Never in my life has anyone described me as small framed, but based on wrist size, I totally am. I'm overweight by BMI, healthy body fat. I'm in good shape, so I just ignore BMI and go by body fat.

    ETA: The ideal weight range given on the OP's link for someone my height and medium frame sounds about perfect though, so since I KNOW I'm not really a small frame even though my wrists say otherwise, the actual weight estimate is pretty good.