What is a good, healthy weight for a woman who is 5'2"?

A year ago, I weighed about 170 lbs. I was considered obese and was very unhappy about my weight. My new year's resolution was to get healthier. This morning I weighed in at 119. I'm still not happy with the way I look. My chest has always been small so there isn't a lot in that area. Just looking for some input. 120 was my goal weight but now that I'm here, I still feel like I could lose some more.

I'm a small-framed 5'3" woman and 110-115 is my ideal (I can probably go lower and still be OK).

I hope that gives you an idea. But it's mostly about where you're happy unless you feel like you're becoming obsessive.

That's a FANTASTIC achievement! Congrats!! You've definately provided inspiration as I'm in that exact position right now!! Time to get the weight off and keep it off!!

Hi Kim! supposedly a good weight for a woman this height is 105-110 lbs (5 lbs for every inch over 5'?) but it certainly varies. I'm the same height and my normal weight is 120-125 which is usually when I'm happiest with my body. At one point I dropped to 110 and sadly it was one of the most unhappiest times of my life due to external reasons. Therefore I concluded that health is not just the physical but appreciating and being content with what i already had. Just keep in mind that that there are PLENTY of women who would love to be at your weight and if you do continue to lose weight, keep it healthy and keep happy!

Hi -- I am 5'1" with a "curvy" build regardless of what I weigh (ie large breasts and hips) My "normal" weight that I could maintain very easily until I reached age 40 was 120-125 pounds. I looked the best at 110-115 pounds, but I could never maintain that weight for very long without going to extreme measures. I look "ok" up to 130 pounds. Anywhere over that (my highest non-pregnancy weight has been 143) and I definitely look chubby and my clothes are uncomfortable. Hope that helps! Congratulations on your great weight loss!

This thread was posted a couple of weeks ago and has some good suggestions about working on your stomach.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach


I think regardless of whether you want to focus on your abs, lose fat in general, or just tone up, weight training is going to be key. I'm 5'2 and right now at 127. Was going for 125 or 120 but really right now just want to focus on strength/toning. I'm in a similar situation with not really knowing how to start but a lot of people recommend reading The New Rules of Lifting For Women (I have not yet).

I've been just doing some basic exercises with dumbells and a couple of videos and have seen a difference in tone in many areas of my body, and am planning to increase weight and start lifting more at the gym.

Good luck.

I'm glad I'm hearing this bc I don't feel so alone anymore in this world lol! I also went through a little transformation about 2 years ago and have been able to maintain my weight at a descent 93-95lbs, I am 4'11. I hear it ALL THE TIME... "You're so skinny, stop trying to lose weight" blah blah blah..... for some reason I also am not fully happy at this weight, even though this is considered "ideal" for my height. I am also small framed so I decided to start building muscle instead of just losing weight and have seen some improvements, especially in my tummy area (which is what I'm mainly unhappy with as well). I definitely like how its going so far and I feel highly motivated once again - which is what I needed!!!!!! I do lots of yoga so I'm starting to incorporate more ab workouts to my routine and started eating a little more protein and fiber...and so far its working for me! I'm not saying that this works for everyone but its worth a try! Try building muscle! Its a totally different ball park, and I'm sure you'll enjoy doing something new!!! Plus, I'm sure your results will be great as well! I can't wait to get there myself

I do have a small frame. This may be a stupid question, but how do I focus on fat loss instead of just weight loss? I do have some weights here but I don't really know what to do with them. Honestly, I'm mostly happy with my body at this point. It's just that my stomach is still bothering me. And yes, I have 7 kids. Life is crazy here.

Try eating at a lower deficit, with the suggested range of TDEE-20% to TDEE-10%. Your TDEE is your "maintenance" calories.

For example, if eating 2000 calories everyday meant you stayed the same weight, that would be your TDEE. A smaller deficit would mean you'd eat maybe 1700-1800 calories to lose weight more slowly, allowing your body a chance to preserve it's muscle, or lean body mass (LBM).

Adding in strength training "strengthens" (ha) this process even more. If you have some weights and aren't sure what to do with them, look into programs like Stronglifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting for Women. These programs (which you can find online in places) will detail what you should do. The MFP group on here, Eat-Train-Progress, is also a great resource.

In general, the "core" moves of lifting with weights that are recommended are: squats, deadlifts, bench press, and military press/overhead press. Some programs add some form of row to that list.

tl;dr: Some form of strength training + a smaller deficit = emphasis on fat loss over indiscriminate weight loss.

I'm 5'2" and around 130 is my ideal weight…when i got closer to 120 i looked sickly skinny on my top half. i think it varies for everyone and really depends on where you carry your weight.

I do have a small frame. This may be a stupid question, but how do I focus on fat loss instead of just weight loss? I do have some weights here but I don't really know what to do with them. Honestly, I'm mostly happy with my body at this point. It's just that my stomach is still bothering me. And yes, I have 7 kids. Life is crazy here.

Much of that is diet. I don't know enough to answer your question, but hopefully some of the people who are more focused on that kind of thing can help you.

^^^ This... I also suggest you look into the Eat, Train, Progress page. Strength training can also help with fat loss in addition to a good diet.

Or what firstsip said.... I didn't get down that far when I replied.


As for personally, I'm 5'1.5"... I was at my happiest at 125/127...