5'4 girls... "perfect" weight?

christyrp90

So. I'm 5'4, 22 years old. I'm just looking for general feedback. A few years ago I weighed about 180. i DREAMED of being 160. Then I was 160. I DREAMED of being 150. Then, I wanted to be 140... I thought each time, with each goal, I'd feel happy and confident with myself. I am now about 136, and I feel like I still have at least ten more pounds to go. I see girls on here my height who want to be 100 pounds who look VERY thin, trying to lose weight. I feel like if you are at this height and 125 or under- you really don't NEED to lose... I'm sure you look just fine. I always think the girls that have some shape look the best. What is your opinion on an ideal weight for a girl that is 5'4? I'd say anywhere from 120-130 (unless you're athletic and/or muscular [jealous]) ... then I see the girls who are 105 and asking on message boards "WHY CANT I LOSE ANY WEIGHT!?" Girl you can't lose weight because you'd have to chop off a limb. Opinions?

AuddAlise

I am 5'5" and would like to be between 120 and 130. I have a very small frame. I would think 120-130 sounds right for someone 5'4". Though I will admit I care less about the actual weight and more about being toned.

Jul158

I'm 5'4" and I always (ALWAYS) seem to settle at 133. There was a brief point last year when I got down to 122. I wasn't starving but I really had no room for error and watched everything I ate. My goal is to be around 125 (though 122 would be great), anything below 130 and above 120 : ). I have a small frame and carry all my weight in my stomach so I'd like a lower weight to be a little more balanced and less apple shaped!

MJ7910

it all depends on your body composition i think. if you are more muscular you can look really good at like 130-140 at 5'4" and if you're less muscular probably 120-130 would be good. for me i hope to be between 122-125 because i am a little less muscular but i'm trying to tone up and lower my body fat.

knitjogread

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cara4art

Depends on one's bone structure, along with how much muscle one is carrying vs. body fat. Generally-speaking, people who have more muscle and are leaner overall can weigh more and look great, while someone less muscular has to weigh less to look good. However, bone structure is really important even before this. A smaller frame dictates a much lower weight in general. I'm just under 5'5" with very small bones(not Asian BTW)and look best around 110-114 max. I'm 118 now, and it feels a little too heavy for me, even though I work out. In earlier years before working out as much I easily maintained between 105-108 and still looked good. No, I'm not anorexic, just with a very petite structure!:)

jcamby

My goal is 150.

kiely13

Personally I aim for 115-120 just because I feel comfortable at that weight but at the end of the day I just want to look in the mirror and feel good about my body because the scale can be a big fat liar. hahh ;]

Pheonix2012

I'm 5'4''. I'm 157 (size 9) right now, but have weighed anywhere from 110 lbs to 180 lbs. I have a medium size frame that builds muscle pretty well. When I was 110 lbs, I was a size 0, and I was so sickly skinny that everyone around me thought I was either on drugs or had an eating disorder. I feel my healthiest and happiest between 125-135. At 135 I'm a size 5 and fit. You also have to take into consideration what is a manageable weight that you will be able to still enjoy life while maintaining the weight.
When I am at 135, I can maintain it easily by watching what I eat, but still treating myself, and working out a few times a week, which was manageable for me. When I was trying to stay down at 110, I had to practically starve myself, and was constantly fasting. Which realistically is NOT manageable.
Also - While BMI's aren't 100% accurate. They do give you an idea on what a healthy range is. It's your job to find out what in the range works for you. For a female that is 5'4'' a healthy BMI range is between 108-132 lbs. Hope this helps!

http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/ideal-body-weight.html

PLEASE NOTE: The BMI indicator is just a guide and may provide misleading results. It does not take into account different body frames, muscle tone, etc. It's important to speak with a physician about your individual weight if you are unsure.
For example, if you are 5'4, 145 pounds but you have a small frame/build, you may look out of shape even though the BMI caluclator says your weight is "desirable."
Those same stats (5'4 and 145 pounds) may look completely different on someone with an average or larger frame/build.
So even though these two people have the same weight and height, they carry it completely differently. The BMI calculator does not take this into consideration.

kitkat4141

I'm 5'4" and weigh 122 pounds. My original goal was 130 and thought I would never achieve that because of my age (53 at the time). Eventually I got there and my body kept losing. It has since stabilized. I have a wide frame and big bones, no waistline to speak of. But I have lifted weights for two years and am toned and fit for the first time in my life. I've been in maintenance since March 2010 and exercise 5-6 days per week.

anorangie

I go by the guidelines of an "ideal weight calculator" found on another fitness site. Based on frame size, the weight ranges for a 5'4" woman (that's me!) are as follows:

thin/small frame--Ideal weight range: 113 - 125 lbs.
medium frame--Ideal weight range: 122 - 135 lbs.
broad/large frame--Ideal weight range: 132 - 149 lbs.

(You may Google "frame size calculator" to calculate frame based on wrist circumference and elbow breadth.)

I am medium frame, so I have set my ideal weight at 135 lbs. Even so, I am going to look at that number again when I am about 150 lbs. to see if it would be best for me to weigh a bit more than 135 lbs. Maybe 145 lbs. would be more sustainable and a better "fit" for me, but I won't know until I'm closer to my goal.

borispili

busty girls all day baby

gingerveg

These kinds of threads come up all the time here and the reality is that it really depends on the person, where they carry their weight, how much muscle they have, and their frame. I am 39 years old and I have never (in my life) been able to hold any more weight than 125 lbs (so that would be my max not my minimum). My ideal weight is between 115-118 even with a lot of muscle mass.

So while I know people worry about members here being ana etc. some of us are just on the thinner side naturally. We look and feel our best under 120. And it is worth noting that being 5'4" and under 125 is not unhealthy in the least. Maybe it doesn't look good on you but it looks good on many of us.

forwesgar13

there was another thread like this when I first started and someone posted to look at body gallery .com it has pictures by height and weight . You can find someone with your frame and what you are wanting to look like. I'm 5'4 and 125 was my goal . I'm at 128 and a size 2 I dont wanna lose more just tone . Now I'm measuring so we shall see where I end up .

LetsMakeupXtina

I'm 5'4" and want to get to 125-130... everyone carries weight different though.... I have friends that are the same height as me, pretty much the same weight, yet we look completely different and wear different sizes... go figure

Rosa1213

Like others have mentioned: it all depends on the person. Sometimes people can have the same frame, same height, and still look very different depending on where you carry most of your weight, if you have a big booty, or a big bust.
There's just way too many variables to consider aside from height.

Also, as someone else mentioned: take a look through mybodygallery.com to see how people of the same height and weight can all look completely different. It also helps because you're bound to see someone that kind of looks like you

I'm still torn as to what my personal "ideal" weight is, just because this is the thinnest I've ever been. I don't know what I'll look like when I lose another 10 pounds, but I'm planning to just continue to lose until I can look in the mirror and think I'm pretty hot! Hahah

JosieJo2000

It's a tough one.

As everyone has said, there are lots of factors to take into consideration. I am 5'2" and have a very small frame (and very small boobs) so at 130 (untoned) I look huge and have a unhealthily high % body fat. My friend is the same height with a large frame and more muscle and at 135-140 she looks smokin'. I envy her strength and her curves. She has very little body fat.

I generally work on what I see in the mirror, and aim to keep strong and healthy with a fat % in the healthy range (I'd love to look "athletic" but not sure if I'll get there!). Numbers are something to focus on, but can make you unhappy.

JosieJo2000

Also, as someone else mentioned: take a look through mybodygallery.com to see how people of the same height and weight can all look completely different. It also helps because you're bound to see someone that kind of looks like you

I'm still torn as to what my personal "ideal" weight is, just because this is the thinnest I've ever been. I don't know what I'll look like when I lose another 10 pounds, but I'm planning to just continue to lose until I can look in the mirror and think I'm pretty hot! Hahah

Wow, just checked out mybodygallery.com and it's a real eye opener! People at my height and weight looking completely different, from thin to athletic, chunky, soft, toned...you name it!

Also, I hear you on the where to stop. I was happy with my weight then lost a few more pounds and liked it better. Then I lost a few more and I started looking not hot at all...just skinny, and old, and like a 12 year old boy! Make sure you stop before you get to that lol.

verdancyhime

I'm 5'4''. I'm 157 (size 9) right now, but have weighed anywhere from 110 lbs to 180 lbs. I have a medium size frame that builds muscle pretty well. When I was 110 lbs, I was a size 0, and I was so sickly skinny that everyone around me thought I was either on drugs or had an eating disorder. I feel my healthiest and happiest between 125-135. At 135 I'm a size 5 and fit. You also have to take into consideration what is a manageable weight that you will be able to still enjoy life while maintaining the weight.
When I am at 135, I can maintain it easily by watching what I eat, but still treating myself, and working out a few times a week, which was manageable for me. When I was trying to stay down at 110, I had to practically starve myself, and was constantly fasting. Which realistically is NOT manageable.
Also - While BMI's aren't 100% accurate. They do give you an idea on what a healthy range is. It's your job to find out what in the range works for you. For a female that is 5'4'' a healthy BMI range is between 108-132 lbs. Hope this helps!

http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/ideal-body-weight.html

PLEASE NOTE: The BMI indicator is just a guide and may provide misleading results. It does not take into account different body frames, muscle tone, etc. It's important to speak with a physician about your individual weight if you are unsure.
For example, if you are 5'4, 145 pounds but you have a small frame/build, you may look out of shape even though the BMI caluclator says your weight is "desirable."
Those same stats (5'4 and 145 pounds) may look completely different on someone with an average or larger frame/build.
So even though these two people have the same weight and height, they carry it completely differently. The BMI calculator does not take this into consideration.

This, pretty much. Also... there are a lot of other factors that can impact this, either if you're looking at aesthetics or health. My ex was considered at a perfect weight for her height and to have a very nice body when we dated but she couldn't walk a single mile without feeling exhausted and miserable.

As someone who has never had a time in my adult life where I wasn't above 200lbs, I am developing my own idea of what I'm looking for. I'm basing on something similar to the guidelines my vet goes by to tell if my cat is at a healthy, low, or high weight. I won't go into all of it, but my top four goals are: Able to dance or jog for a certain period of time without stopping, no "rolls" anywhere when not wearing clothing, collarbones visible, rib bones not visible. Where that goal lies on the scale is anyone's guess, but the point is to know it when you see it and feel it. People can't look at you and guess your weight, and few people can hear height and weight only and know exactly what your body will look like.

I'm going to add... two years ago I had a friend who started a weight loss journey with me. At first I was jealous because she was much more successful than I was able to be at that time in my life... but she started losing weight primarily because she had low self esteem, and no matter how many pounds she shed, that didn't get better. I am not going to say she has an eating disorder, but she has become more and more consumed by low self esteem behaviors and by attempting to fix her problems via diet and exercise, to the point where she is harming her relationships with others, and she doesn't seem happier. If you start to feel like achieving the perfect body is your whole life, even if you don't show typical signs of ana or mia, it might be time to take a small break... don't give up, but take up a hobby that is related to inner growth or something.

justme9717

I'm 5"3' and I weigh 120 lbs..and trust me, I am NOT slim! Of course weight is not that much of a concern to me...it's healthy enough...but i am here on MFP to cut some fat and lose some inches...so I guess the perfect weight for a girl of 5'4" height should be between 120-130..:)

aredrose017

I think it kind of depends on the person and their body frame. I'm about 5'4 or 5'5 and when I weighed 135, people were asking me if I was starving myself. For me, 145ish is just fine. It depends on the body type too, I'm kind of heavier built anyway I think, and when I weighed 145, I was just fine..barely any fat. I was a size 7 at that weight, and it was very comfortable for me. I have friends who are 120-150 at this height and also look just fine...so yeah, I don't think there is "one right weight"