Good Measurements for Women? Anyone?

Hey everybody :)
I am 20 years old and 5'9. I have fluctuated in my measurements, but haven't measured myself for a good 4-6 months (and since I have really been working out and eating a lot more healthily!!). The last time I checked I was 36-29-40. My legs are pretty muscly (at least I like to think it's muscle), and are 25in around.... don't laugh!
What should I be striving to reach?
Some of my friends get disappointed when they only lose 3.5 inches on a diet... But I don't think I have ever lost that much. Do you think I'm doing something wrong?

Replies

  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
    The "ideal" figure for a woman is still 36-24-36. Where are you measuring your legs--is that 25" your calves or your thighs?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    It entirely depends on build. Don't go by some invented ideal, go by the mirror, clothed and not clothed, go by how you feel, how strong you are, how healthy you are.
  • I'm not sure 36-24-36 is a true ideal. That is an extreme hourglass figure, which isn't even achievable for some people due to their genetic. There are calculators online in order to find out what your waist to hip ratio should be.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    I think you're doing fine!

    You may have more success looking into measuring your body fat percentage, and figuring out where you'd like that to be. Just make sure you obviously look at the numbers for women - guys can have a much lower percentage than girls.

    Any improvement you see in your measurements is awesome, but comparing them to other women is largely meaningless. One, do you know how varied body types are? Two, you can't choose where you lose fat from, so it's not like you can actively decide you're going to make your hips smaller (or whatever).

    If you know your body fat percentage, you can say, I'm at 28% and I would like to be at 23%. You're losing 5% of your fat, so you will definitely have smaller measurements, but you really have no control over where that 5% comes from

    Personally, I've been able to lose some inches off my stomach, which I appreciate, but in 6 months I haven't seen any improvement in my (generously-sized...) thighs. That's just the way it goes... I'm sure some people have lost fat in the opposite way. Comparing yourself to others is pretty much just setting yourself up to fail.
  • dancetrix
    dancetrix Posts: 11 Member
    its my thighs that are 25 ! :(
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Don't focus on getting your measurements like anyone else's. What is ideal for me may not be for you.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    The "ideal" figure for a woman is still 36-24-36.

    Yeah, right. And women still wear whale bone corsets.