At 5'8 you are already at the low end of healthy weight. Are you trying to lose weight and what is your goal? What prompted you to join MFP, maybe you are looking to be healthier or tone up??

I'm 5'8 and 134lbs... I am actually below my 'goal weight' but above my BF% - it's 25% and I want it down to around 20. I am throwing the scales out - I don't think they help much

I don't think you need to lose any weight but if you want to change your body like I do i.e. stop being 'skinny fat' then eat more protein and start lifting weights - get yourself a copy of New Rules of Lifting for Women! Good luck xx

Hi I'm 5'8, close to 5'9, weighing 120 right now but looking to gain weight through muscle building. I lost weight very quickly and I look "skinny fat". Muscle weighs more than fat so I am looking to bulk up about 10 lbs.

@tattedchic

130lbs is probably the perfect weight for being 5'9, if you tone and build muscle you will probably be in the same weight range but you will look way more athletic. I'm finding it so hard to build muscle after I lost weight

@kelseyhere

You are definitely right that different people look different at the same weight.

In my case, it's not the missing protein. I've been on a keto diet for the last couple years due to other medical issues, so my diet is primarily protein. Probably close to 55% protein. I started to lift heavy weights with low-avg. reps but I got bulky fairly quickly. Now I'm doing less weight with more reps. I have to eat about 2500-3000 calories a day because I am also a long distance runner. It's hard for me to maintain weight because I can't physically eat that much every day.

Anyways that's just me, like kelsey said, everyone is different, and it's not the number on the scale that matters, it's how you feel!!

@divadivax

I am 5ft8i and I am currently 76kgs. I was 69kg for my wedding in Nov 2011 so am working on getting back down there.
Been doing lots of strength training though and finding I dont care about the scale number as much!

@tattedchic

130lbs is probably the perfect weight for being 5'9, if you tone and build muscle you will probably be in the same weight range but you will look way more athletic. I'm finding it so hard to build muscle after I lost weight

I would doubt this statement because I'm 135 and only 5' 6" and typically wear a size 2. I'm very athletic and strong, but can't drop below 130 before people start commenting that I have an eating disorder (which I don't, I eat all the time). So I have a hard time believing that a woman 3 inches taller could weigh less and still look healthy. That brings me to my next point....

It's best to find the right weight for YOUR body rather than trying to compare to others. There is no "perfect" weight for every height, that why we have ranges. Everyone has a different fat/muscle ratio and because muscle is much more dense than fat, a more muscular person can weight a lot more, but still appear thinner than a person of the same height with less muscle.

And mjperreault, if you are finding it hard to build muscle you either
a. aren't eating enough protein
b. not lifting heavy enough,

...but probably going to guess a since you said this happened after losing weight (presumably through a calorie defect). In order to drop pounds and still gain muscle, you have to eat a lot of protein. And more likely what will happen is that your weight will stay them same, because you will be gaining muscle at the same time as you lose fat. Sorry if I'm getting a little hyphy, but all you ladies need to realize that the number on the scale is pretty pointless anyways. Frankly, I don't care if I gain 20 pounds as long as my measurements don't increase. Strong is the new skinny. I suggest you stop these silly comparisons unless you are trying to sabotage yourself and mental health.

"So I have a hard time believing that a woman 3 inches taller could weigh less and still look healthy." My sister is 5'8 and 127 and definitely looking healthy, I'm 5'7 and when I hit 132 people were commenting (although I just think that was from how quickly I dropped it and them having to adjust).
It depends on the person and the type of weight. We are all different.
I have very broad shoulders and skinny wrists so I probably look thinner than I am when clothed.

The point is, all bodies are different. Girls with round faces need to be skinner than girls with oval faces in order to noticeably look thin, some people have broader shoulders or longer torsos or longer legs, so you can't exactly say that someone 3 inches taller than you won't look healthy just because you wouldn't look "healthy" at that weight.

Also socio-economic and geographic region plays a part. Certain areas, particular some in America, like bigger women. When American girls come over to our country from these areas you can tell that some of them have different perceptions of their physical attractiveness and their weight to us. It's not that they are necessarily fat and it's not that we are necessarily thin, it's that their perception of themselves on the scale of attractiveness differs from ours. While most girls in my socio-economic circles would have a BMI of about 18.5-21, they would consider anything up to 25 fine, these girls would consider a BMI of 21-22 attractive, anything to 25 "fine" and anything less "too skinny". While it's all vaguely in the healthy realms it's just a slight different in perceptions of attractiveness and what is "too thin" and the room for error allowed. We like the smaller BMI sizes, they like the middle. So people's comments on your weight vary depending on the society you live in (and even your economic status, with richer women tending to be thinner).

Wow Sunnykt you are very knowledgeable!! Just wanted to say

I am 5'8.5 and my goal is to be 133 with a 18-20 percent body fat.
Currently I am 153 with a 28 percent body fat. if I wanted to be 18-20 percent body fat at my weight I would need to replace 15 pounds of fat with muscle. So when I think of it that way it makes me feel a bit more optimistic about my fat loss.

Just a note, while 133 would be GREAT I just don't wanna be flabby anymore. So whatever I am at a low fat percentage will be A ok with me!!

I'm 5'8 and 144lbs. I was 180 when i started dieting. I definitely think that everyone is different, despite being similar height. I couldn't imagine being 135...I'm already getting comments that I'm too thin lol. Every BODY is different and u should get to whatever weight you feel comfortable with.

hi! i'm 5'8.5 and right now i weigh 149 and i'm trying to get down to 135!! my goal weight is around 130-135.

feel free to add me!!!