How do you know what weight to maintain?

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Bunnaliqua
Bunnaliqua Posts: 17 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
From the reading I have done, it looks like there is a fluctuation for what is a healthy weight based on height. How do I know what weight to be?

I'm 5'-4", female.

I read something about if you can wrap your fingers around your wrist and overlap your small framed, just touch and you are medium, can't touch you are large framed. I can just touch.

I am getting close to my goal and am pretty excited! Looking forward to gaining knowledge from your insight!

Replies

  • tristaj90
    tristaj90 Posts: 330 Member
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    Couple of things I see for 5'4" medium framed women are range of 124-138..
    i'm also 5'4" and plan to maintain between 125-130 (once I get there). Currently I've been maintaining between 136-140..
  • sgoldrupdouglas
    sgoldrupdouglas Posts: 6 Member
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    I am 5'2" and though the charts say I should be below 135 my Doctor told me he wanted me at 140-145, I am big boned . When I was in collage I weighed around 115-125 and you could see my spine I was very athletic and had a VERY low Body fat count . There are many factors involved in your proper weight, age being one as well Please contact your doctor to help you find the right weight for you at this time of your life .
  • xkimberlee007
    xkimberlee007 Posts: 44 Member
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    AnythIng up to 145 is considered normal weight according to BMI calculator. What really matters is if youre comfortable in your own skin.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
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    From the reading I have done, it looks like there is a fluctuation for what is a healthy weight based on height. How do I know what weight to be?

    I'm 5'-4", female.

    I read something about if you can wrap your fingers around your wrist and overlap your small framed, just touch and you are medium, can't touch you are large framed. I can just touch.

    I am getting close to my goal and am pretty excited! Looking forward to gaining knowledge from your insight!

    I really dont go by that even at my highest at 192 I could just about touch my thumb and pointer finger together and can do now at 175 and Im 5"3
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    It depends on what you like, although ideally your doctor should be happy with it too. I'm your height but small-framed and I like 115 lbs, but on someone with a bigger frame or more muscle that might look too thin.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    Focus more on how you feel than the number. Me, I am more comfortable at the lowest healthy weight range for my height. Others might think that is too low and feel comfortable at a slightly higher weight. It's all about how you feel.
  • lowfatveg
    lowfatveg Posts: 19 Member
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    AnythIng up to 145 is considered normal weight according to BMI calculator. What really matters is if youre comfortable in your own skin.
    . Agree if you feel good and are happy with how you look then that's the weight to keep.
  • catci
    catci Posts: 1 Member
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    generally, when you get to your ideal weight your body will do all it can to stay there. you will have difficulty losing weight as well as gaining. try not to focus on what the ~healthy weight range~ is, but rather on what your boy is telling you. some people naturally and healthily weigh less than the BMI range, while others can weigh more than the range while still being healthy.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Focus more on how you feel than the number. Me, I am more comfortable at the lowest healthy weight range for my height. Others might think that is too low and feel comfortable at a slightly higher weight. It's all about how you feel.

    This :)
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    i'd rather be at a size and physique I liked than a particular weight. so many things effect your weight, the number is relatively meaningless....

    it also needs to be healthily maintainable.....if you need to restrict cals and exercise excessively to maintain there is something wrong!
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
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    I found that my easy to maintain weight was below what all the charts said, and my husband's is above. I am 5'8" with a long thin bone structure. At age 55, most charts and commercial weight programs put my maintenance weight range at 139 to 149... but my weight dropped to 128 on maintenance, and it easy relatively easy to maintain between 127 to 133, and my clothes all fit fine. I am a business consultant and play french horn in my church orchestra, and my main concerns are keeping my energy level up so I can enjoy life. I went to a Doctor who specializes in helping performing artists maintain their health, and he set my "healthy active weight range at 125 to 135. At my height, body frame, and activity level, this is do able. I have to estimate my calories every day as I eat out 7 to 21 meals a week. I log my food calories every day.

    My advice is once you get to the top of your range, assess your energy level, sleep patterns, etc. If you are feeling great, then you have hit a weight that you will find easier to maintain. Other than that, check in with a medical professional who can help you set the right range.

    A good book that helped me understand what healthy should feel like is "Ballet Beautiful"... it is about a professional ballerina leaving ballet and how she maintains and appreciates a healthy lifestyle outside the professional ballerina world. Very good read on how to eat, exercise and enjoy life.
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and like you I'm comfortable between 112 - 115lbs. Though I am there, I am focusing on improving my strength.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    Focus more on how you feel than the number. Me, I am more comfortable at the lowest healthy weight range for my height. Others might think that is too low and feel comfortable at a slightly higher weight. It's all about how you feel.

    I agree with this. The normal BMI weight range for my height is 118-158. For me personally, staying below 140 seems about right but I feel like I look the best at 128-131.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    BF% and how you're looking in the mirror are both better estimates than some arbitrary scale value or trying to get to the low end of BMI for you height, ect.

    A healthy range for my stats is 132 - 167. I'm currently at 183, but I'm at a healthy BF% for my age at 20-21%. If I was 167 I'd probably be looking pretty rockin' at around 12-15% BF...but I haven't been that lean since the Marine Corps and I'm not sure I have the discipline to get that low again or maintain it.

    I have 143 Lbs of LBM roughly...so to get even to the middle of my BMI range I'd have to burn off some muscle mass...how exactly would that be smart or healthy? To get to the low end I'd really have to burn some muscle off.

    Again...all about BF% and how comfortable with where you are in the mirror IMHO.
  • Bunnaliqua
    Bunnaliqua Posts: 17 Member
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    **tHaNk YoU** so much every one! I really appreciate your insight. Consulting with my doctor is a great idea.

    My weight has gone up and down so drastically for the last 15 years (I've been bouncing between 115lbs and 225lbs). The last 5 years it's been less weight each time and I am very DETERMINED to maintain the healthy lifestyle I have been working towards and feel I am living now.

    Because of the fluctuations I have a hard time seeing what I look like, if I'm unhealthily heavy or bony. It's hard for me too see.

    I do have a scale that measures body fat and water etc. but usually don't pay too much attention to those things. I will start looking at what it says.

    I really agree that if I have to work waaaaay too hard to maintain (working out like a maniac and cutting calories) then something is wrong.

    I really liked the feedback about listening to my body and feeling good in my own skin.

    Thank you again :happy:
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
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    I read something about if you can wrap your fingers around your wrist and overlap your small framed, just touch and you are medium, can't touch you are large framed. I can just touch.

    I know this isn't what you asked about but I've heard this before too. I never quite believe it because I have "small" wrists and giant hands with alien fingers so with fingers like mine, it's all too easy to wrap them around things. I also have cankles and that never seems to account for anything!:brokenheart:
  • Jenn842512
    Jenn842512 Posts: 41 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and 120. I don't pay too much attention to the number. There are too many variables. Muscle mass, frame, your body's natural inclinations...
    I hate to see people stressing over "exactly" where they need to be. Give yourself a little wiggle room :)

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