Frame Size and Healthy Weight

jldaley09

I think that calculation is a fairly good indicator and I'm glad it puts me right where I thought I should be. Actually I had my goal as 150 but according to that Im aiming a bit low so that is good. I am somewhere between 5'8" and 5'7" and that said I am a med frame which I totally agree with. It said my range is 149-168 (based on both calculations for both heights.)

Losingitin2011

I actually changed my goals on here to reflect closer to what this says. Once I get there, I'll reevaluate and decide if I want to maintain or lose more.

crisanderson27

I found this extremely interesting. Turns out that for my frame size (large) a healthy weight for me is right around 160 for 5'7"

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

The BMI would say I'm still overweight, or close to. I am inclined to lean more towards this, since me at 120 is scary thin. What about you?

That's a very interesting link, I've never seen it before. It says I should be between 150 and 173lbs. I have about a half inch gap between my fingers, when circling the smallest part of my wrist (right before my hand). I have my goal weight set to 180...mostly because I intend to add some muscle weight to it all. Looks like I was in the right range...very cool!

Also of note, there is a link to a body fat analyzer on the same page. It takes you through some questions asking you to use a cloth measuring tape (or a string and standard measuring tape) to measure your waist (39"), hips (40"), flexed forearm (12"), and wrist (7"). It then tosses out a number.

I wonder how accurate that is?? My digital scale is saying like 26.5% lol...but this page says 19.6%. I could have the settings on the digital scale all whacked out though, it's been forever since I used it for anything but weight.

Anyone have any experience with that type body fat calculator?

Cris

Pebble321

Sadly this gave me exactly the same recommendation as regular BMI charts - I must be boring Mrs Average!

dolphingirlsa

Ok I tried this and according to this for me my ideal weight would be around 69-85kg as I am large framed. This makes me happy as the other charts wanted me to go down to 78kg which I thought was a little low... 8kg is a lot!
Still a lot of weight to go but at least its not half my body as it is right now!!!
thanks for that, very interesting!

Unknown

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flausa

Well that chart and BMI agree on me ... boo for being small-framed. Funny, because for a loooong time people told me I wasn't that overweight and that I was really just big-boned. Not so say my delicate wrists. Well, should be interesting to see what I look like when I get down to 130 as it's not a weight I've seen in my adult life.

Losingitin2011

Wowsers. I just did a body fat test, because my scale is convinced I'm almost 50% fat... turns out I am in the "acceptable" range for my waist, hips, wrist, and forearm. Interesting indeed! We shall see where I'm at when I'm down to 170!

M_lifts

oh thanks! i never knew how to calculate frame size!!! my fingers overlap when i circle my wrists so im a small frame and at 120lbs and 5'3" ideal for my weigt!

ljbhill

I'm not sure I really trust that website. It states that I am underweight? This is definately not the case. I went from 70Kg (150 pounds) to 58Kg (127 pounds). I am a size 10 but would like to be a size 8. I have been reseaching healthy eating and weight for a while now and it is my understanding that being "big boned" is a fallacy. I used to use it as an excuse for my own weight issues. I thought that my big bone structure would mean that I would always be a bigger person. That is not the case. I just ate too much and didn't exercise which made me overweight. Once I admited it to myself, I could focus on changing it. I think you can have a number in your head as motivation but as you start to lose weight, you need to keep reassing it as you see it in the mirror. You may feel good being a few pounds above or below that number. Just remember though, that while you are losing weight to look good, you are also trying to reduce health issues so waist measurement should be under 80cm (for women) and 94cm (for men) http://www.health.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.nsf/Content/factsheet-waist-measurement

It is doable -It's all about healthy eating, portion control, exercise and perserverance (not big bones).

Fernandomike

What better way than body fat percentage to determine how fat a person is? Unlike BMI, it doesn't make the mistake of calling an athletic, muscular person obese.

sooh2011

I am a little bit confused about this. If you are overweight your wrists are going to be larger than they would be if you were a healthy weight. So...wouldnt that make a lot of people who are overweight think they have a larger bone frame then they really do?

Also, I'm a bit confused about what I would be. How much are your fingers supposed to overlap to be a small frame? My fingers do overlap, my thump only goes a a bit past my other fingernails. Does that mean i'm small framed or medium still?

Absolutely this! I read a similar post to this when I started MFP in January and declared myself medium frame. Well, 23 lbs later, I seem to be small frame. Hmmmm, it can't be right can it? Maybe I've lost fat off my hands and wrists!

I am now 1lb off a healthy BMI and yet according to this - being a small frame - I have 17 more lbs to lose. Rubbish!

DebiP10

oh i like this and never tried this before. im 5ft 1 and my results are

Ideal weight range is 102 - 112.2 lbs. (46.4 - 51 kg.).
You are marginally overweight by 5.8 lbs. (3 kg.).

beccarockslife

TBH I find a lot of people are in total denial about this (not here but in real life). Trouble is if you can't get your fingers around your wrist it may well be chubb stopping you not bone.

I've been told I have a big frame a lot of my life and it's bull****. I'm fat. I need to lose the fat then determine my bone density, that or have an MRI.

unsuspectingfish

It's interesting you posted that. I remember, in high school health class, we learned how to use a similar method as that site to figure out body fat percentage. My mother wouldn't buy it when I told her about it, because, back then, I was just within the normal range. I know a lot of this is fat, but that fat is significantly lessened on my wrists and ankles, and they're still bigger than a lot of women's. I'm still going to aim for my goal of 150, which is right about what's considered my healthy weight, but I like having different sources available.

AlwaysWanderer

My ideal weight range is 102-112lbs. I'm 115, and I'm 3lbs overweight :sad: My BMI is 22.5
Rubbish :explode: :mad: :sad:

Sezmo83

Trouble is if you can't get your fingers around your wrist it may well be chubb stopping you not bone.

This. Apparently I have a large frame because my fingers don't meet.but before I gained the weight they overlapped which means a small frame. Not a very accurate measure at all imo.

a1schwei

bump

marci355

I think BMI is a lousy way to access a healthy weight for individuals.

I agree completely, but it's what the government has decided is the most profitable ;-)

I'm saying screw the BMI, I'm going with a frame system. It is what they used to use before the BMI came into being.

My doc will just be happy to see me under 200! :-)

I agree also. I've been as low as 145. I looked like drug addict or a starvation victim. Seriously. When they tell you you are going to lose a 100 lbs with an RNY, gastric bypass, you WILL. (or at least I did) I have such a large frame (i'm half german) , but did I look like ****. I had several people ask if I was seriously ill, cancer or something. I weighed 145, looked like 125 and was not happy. We all bounce back and I was so glad to climb back up to 165. Thats a size 10. I looked great and didn't have any skin hanging off of me. So thats my goal, to get back to 165. And yep, it's in the "overweight "catagory on a BMI chart. I don't give a *kitten*, cause I want to look good AND healthy, not go by some dumb chart says. Personally I don't weigh myself much either, I go by my clothes. I want to invest in a measurement tape. It will you you the truth, not that evil scale!

tamiller93

It told me I am 7 lbs overweight right now. I was thinking that I'd lose about 5 more lbs. No way would I want to lose any more than that.

marci355

My wrist is a large frame size at 245 and it's a large at 145. My fingers do not touch and thye a good 1/2 inch apart. It was that way, when I was i at my smallest. It's been an interesting ride, these last 7 years. When stop and think about it, I've lived in 3 different bodies. Weird. But there's one thing that did not change. My frame size.

Ashleypeterson37

"Your ideal weight range-- 144 - 158.4 lbs. (65.5 - 72 kg.). --is based on a formula that calculates what a healthy weight is for most people of your height (68 inches) and frame size (Small)."

Sounds about right for me! My goal is 150 so right in the middle of what that site suggested!

swebb1103

My ideal weight according to the wrist thing is 112 - 123, but BMI wants my lowest weight to be 98 pounds.... honestly, I have been in the 120s and looked horrible - mostly because I'm a pear and so my upper body was skeletal while my lower was more normal.

I'll settle for being in the low 130s, that is always where I look and feel my very best - my overall appearance is a little more proportional! I think as long as I am exercising and eating right, and all my numbers at the doctor's office are good, then I am at my healthy weight - even if it is slightly higher than BMI and other calculators would have me at!

terresabooth

I am 5'6" and as a teen I was very thin and even in my 20's but now after 7 kids I am huge..I don't know what my frame is. I have been doing this plan for two weeks and not seeing much progress so far. I guess the 149 is what I will shoot for and I would like to run the annual 5K instead of walking it.

Laura_beau

This has made me feel much better about myself- at 6'1" the BMI scale is 140lbs (BMI 18.5) to 189lbs (BMI 24.9).

But my ideal weight is 184lbs - 202.84lbs on this site (Medium build- my fingers touch)

I look really good at 190, and used to obsess about being a 'healthy' BMI- even though I was slim at 190.

Hmmmph.....

lucky723

So my ideal weight is 136-149 which is fine because I've been there before and that's a healthy range for me although I'd like to get down to 130 if possible.

BrownSkinBeauty1990

Hey, Just a quick quesiton: My fingers just touch not overlap, so would this be a medium or small frame? Thanks.

ladybg81

I am 5'10 and weigh 134. I am by no means a stick. This calculater states that I am underweight and my weight should be 156-171. I was once that weight which is why I lost it. I was miserable and looked terrible and unhealthy. I look great and feel great now so I think I will stick with where I am.

Sugar_Apple

Am I the only one that had to google what a major finger was lol :bigsmile:

Your ideal weight range-- 136 - 149.6 lbs. (61.8 - 68 kg.). --is based on a formula that calculates what a healthy weight is for most people of your height (65 inches) and frame size (Medium)

I"m aiming for 140 which is within the range....I was in the 120s before but that was before I had boobs and hips...so I'm happy to have the extra fluff

fteale

If I am a medium frame I am at the lower end of healthy, if I am small build I am 1kg overweight. There doesn't appear to be any overlap.