Ideal weight with body frame size in mind

beckyhope
beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying to decide what my goal weight should be. According to BMI I can weigh up to 141, so as of now that is my goal. I believe I have a small frame size because I can overlap my middle finger and thumb while wrapping around my wrist. Do you think body frame is a factor in your healthy weight? So should I be at the smaller side of the BMI scale? I would love to think I'm close to being to my goal and not need to lose 20 pounds more. But I also want to be healthy. Right now I'm at 150 so less than 10 pounds to my healthy BMI. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • prov31ms
    prov31ms Posts: 62
    Try this out: http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/happyweight
  • TiDinzeo
    TiDinzeo Posts: 309
    I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that your ideal BMI is around 22. Sorry I can't help any more than that.
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
    I think you should play by "eye"...when you get to 141, look in the mirror and see if you are happy where you are. If not, lose by 5 lb increments because by that time, just 5 lbs will be a decent difference. :)
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I'm in the EXACT same situation as you. I suspect we're the same height, since 141 is a healthy weight for me too. And I'm right at 150. My goal is to be 135-140. I have a medium frame according to the wrist test, but I've also build up some muscle and I'm already a size 6 in most stores (some 8s in pants). I'm having SO much trouble getting these last 10 or so pounds off that I can't see myself healthily getting down to anything much lower than 135 or so, without it being painful and taking forever. I'd rather focus on toning up and eating right and seeing how I look. Just take it a pound at a time :)
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    I'm in the same boat, we're literally paddling together. I'm 5'3" and 149lbs today. We are considered healthy BMI at 141, yeah, but also healthy at 109. The wrist test you mentioned I think you are supposed to use your index finger? I dunno. Body frame / type always confuses me. I don't know how to figure it out, and I don't know how much it even matters.

    I'm starting to think more along the lines of body shape. I see women who are definitely more stick shaped, not very big hips, the weight evenly distributed all thru. Then there's me, the pear. Small upper body, waist, large bum and thighs. The apple gals hold their mass in the middle, thin arms, legs, thick trunk/waist. There's also hourglass which might be you judging by your profile pic, thin waist, larger hips and shoulders.

    Go for 141 for now. When you reach it, see how you feel. Look in the mirror and *kitten* your muscles and your 'fatty' areas and say to yourself. What do I want to change? Do you want to be more ripped? Do you want to be more skinny? Once we reach the 'healthy' range it is time for us to judge how we feel instead of what the number says.

    It's a difficult change of thinking.... and we're getting close! 10 lbs *high five*!
  • 1FitMomof4Girls
    1FitMomof4Girls Posts: 202 Member
    I'm curious too
  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 209 Member
    I say get to 141 and then reacess. If you are happy with you are then just maintain, if you feel you need to lose a little more then lose a little more.
  • kelligonzales
    kelligonzales Posts: 391
    for my height and weight i should be 125-140 My goal is 150 cause thats where i'm the happiest... thats how you should choose your weight! Just my thought though
  • bbb84
    bbb84 Posts: 418 Member
    Im wondering the same... I can touch my fingers together with ease around my wrist so I'm guessing I am a medium frame. At 5'11 two websites including the self one included in this thread have told me I should weight between 155 and 160.... I don't even think my weight will go that low without seriously losing muscle, I tend to carry muscle in my body especially my thighs. I will get ot 180 and re-evaluate from there.
  • doobabe
    doobabe Posts: 436 Member
    Im not a dr, but I would ASSUME that a smaller framed individual would tend to be healthier at the lower end of the spectrum, while a larger frame at the upper- hence the spectrum at all.
    Muscle mass can play a huge factor in weight, so if you are an athlete you will obviously weight more than if you are a couch potato and have no muscle tone.
    My BMI is 21. I am 5'7 and 135lbs (still working on those last 5) I would say I am a medium frame and the healthy range for me is in the neighborhood of 120-160. I would look disgusting at 120, and Im sure equally disgusting at 160.
    I really think a lot of it has to do with each individual and your fitness level, along with your natural body type.
    I agree with "play it by eye" when you get close. You will be able to guage it better then.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Try this out: http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/happyweight

    That's kinda cool. Not knowing my frame size, I got these:

    small: 116
    medium: 123
    large: 129

    while my goal now is 135, I would absolutely love to be 122. The wrist measurement (I got 6") puts me on the border between small and medium frame, so that site pretty much matches what I chose in my head as my ultimate goal. (I picked this "Ultimate goal" as the center of the healthy range of my BMI)
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
    If you're anything like me, I weigh heavy even when I get into my smallest clothes. I'm solid so I choose to aim for a size, not a number. I'm 5'2 and the most I should weigh is 136. My goal is 135. I know, for me, that puts me in a size 6/8. Good luck!
  • beckyhope
    beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
    Thank you so much everyone. I do agree with getting to the healthy 141 and just making my own decision about whether or not I want to lose more weight. That's the plan I will stick to for now. I'm really wondering how much extra weight "bigger bones" would add to a person anyway.

    Thank you again everyone! The encouragement is amazing!
  • Talonwife
    Talonwife Posts: 9
    Becky,

    I'm not sure what to tell you - I agree with you, the BMI is a great tool, but I'm frustrated that it doesn't take body frame into account. I'm 5'3" and won't get out of the overweight category until I'm under 140-ish, but my family is very stocky and I carry my weight well (thank goodness), so people are always surprised to know my actual weight. If I went all the way down to the 130's I'd probably get accused of anorexia!!

    As a nurse, I will tell you that part of the benefits of weight loss are the heart-healthy factors, reducing your blood pressure, lowering your risks of developing diabetes and certain forms of cancer. So, any amount of weight loss is beneficial. Even losing 10% of your body weight will result in dramatic health benefits. Getting down to a certain number may not always be the "internal" weight that you're body's comfortable with, so sometimes selecting a weight and getting down to it may not be the same as actually being able to maintain that weight later. At the end of this diatribe is your comfort level with your body and your health - so don't get hung up on a number!! If you're uncertain what a good goal is, you can always discuss this with your healthcare provider and take the body type into account. Basically, take stock of where you were, where you are now, and take your time deciding where you want to go from here - and you can change your mind, so enjoy your success!

    Talonwife :happy:
  • beckyhope
    beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
    I'm in the same boat, we're literally paddling together. I'm 5'3" and 149lbs today. We are considered healthy BMI at 141, yeah, but also healthy at 109. The wrist test you mentioned I think you are supposed to use your index finger? I dunno. Body frame / type always confuses me. I don't know how to figure it out, and I don't know how much it even matters.

    I'm starting to think more along the lines of body shape. I see women who are definitely more stick shaped, not very big hips, the weight evenly distributed all thru. Then there's me, the pear. Small upper body, waist, large bum and thighs. The apple gals hold their mass in the middle, thin arms, legs, thick trunk/waist. There's also hourglass which might be you judging by your profile pic, thin waist, larger hips and shoulders.

    Go for 141 for now. When you reach it, see how you feel. Look in the mirror and *kitten* your muscles and your 'fatty' areas and say to yourself. What do I want to change? Do you want to be more ripped? Do you want to be more skinny? Once we reach the 'healthy' range it is time for us to judge how we feel instead of what the number says.

    It's a difficult change of thinking.... and we're getting close! 10 lbs *high five*!

    High five back at ya! I can't wait to get to the 140s with ya!
    If I'm supposed to use my index finger, then I would be medium framed then. That's good to know. I measure about a 5.5" wrist. So I don't know.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Interesting for sure! I was beginning to think that the wrist test was wacky. But since we are same height and weight and our wrists are different that leads me to believe it might actually make a difference.

    I'll lean more toward medium for myself, and you might be leaning more on the small frame side, then :smile:
  • beckyhope
    beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
    Becky,

    I'm not sure what to tell you - I agree with you, the BMI is a great tool, but I'm frustrated that it doesn't take body frame into account. I'm 5'3" and won't get out of the overweight category until I'm under 140-ish, but my family is very stocky and I carry my weight well (thank goodness), so people are always surprised to know my actual weight. If I went all the way down to the 130's I'd probably get accused of anorexia!!

    As a nurse, I will tell you that part of the benefits of weight loss are the heart-healthy factors, reducing your blood pressure, lowering your risks of developing diabetes and certain forms of cancer. So, any amount of weight loss is beneficial. Even losing 10% of your body weight will result in dramatic health benefits. Getting down to a certain number may not always be the "internal" weight that you're body's comfortable with, so sometimes selecting a weight and getting down to it may not be the same as actually being able to maintain that weight later. At the end of this diatribe is your comfort level with your body and your health - so don't get hung up on a number!! If you're uncertain what a good goal is, you can always discuss this with your healthcare provider and take the body type into account. Basically, take stock of where you were, where you are now, and take your time deciding where you want to go from here - and you can change your mind, so enjoy your success!

    Talonwife :happy:

    Thank you! I am more interested in being healthy then having some magical number on my scale. In my entire life I've never been under 140 so I don't know if my body will ever get there, so I suppose it isn't the real issue. I won't worry about the number and just reap the benefits of losing weight and how much I'm helping my body out. :)
  • beckyhope
    beckyhope Posts: 104 Member
    Interesting for sure! I was beginning to think that the wrist test was wacky. But since we are same height and weight and our wrists are different that leads me to believe it might actually make a difference.

    I'll lean more toward medium for myself, and you might be leaning more on the small frame side, then :smile:

    But do you think that "bigger bones" can make you 10 pounds heavier? Makes you wonder.....
  • mtegio
    mtegio Posts: 7 Member
    Frame size indeed makes a huge difference. One cannot go by the BMI charts. I just got a body composition analysis done with a Bod Pod. I'm 6'1" and currently 285 lbs. The results show me at 29% body fat, and my fat-free mass to be 205 lbs. So at 6'1", I obviously couldn't conform to the BMI charts which show overweight/borderline obese at that height-weight combination (6'1", 205lbs).
    I've set an ultimate goal of 10% fat which would put me at about 225, but a 'satifactory' goal of 15% which puts me at about 235.

    BTW, I just clicked on the Jillian Michaels ad and filled out the questionaire. The resulting plan shows my "Reasonable Weight" range to be 144-182 pounds! Really? My fat-free mass is already 205. Just another illustration in how individuals can't go by the charts and simple calculations.
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
    im your height went down to 115 but then started doing more weight stuff and less cardio and now im around 120.... I would say im a small frame to my wrist and fingers are small....120-135 should be a great goal to maintain...
  • GypsyWagon
    GypsyWagon Posts: 82 Member
    BMI and weight are so ambiguious, because they don't take into account your body composition. You can have two women of identical heighth, frame and weight with different Body Fat % and you'll have much different measurements and clothing sizes. My ultimate goal is to be in the fitness range of Body Fat Percentage for women of 21-24%. The average range for women is 25-31% and above that is considered obese. I'm 5'4" and my goal is 135, but that's not set in stone. Ideally, I'd like to hang onto and add to the lean body mass that I have now and just continue to lose body fat. I may have to adjust my goal number up or down to get to the body composition I want, KWIM? Hope that helps.
  • RProhofsky
    RProhofsky Posts: 32 Member
    I think you should play by "eye"...when you get to 141, look in the mirror and see if you are happy where you are. If not, lose by 5 lb increments because by that time, just 5 lbs will be a decent difference. :)

    I think this is GREAT advice giver by a wise person!
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,493 Member
    I think the frame size has more to do with how your body holds weight rather than the bones weighing more. Take me for example, my rib cage is 4.5 inches out, most 5' tall women it is closer to 3. So while most 5' tall women should weigh around 110-115 for me that would result in a sunken in ill looking figure. Its not that my bones weigh more but they "hold" more. I hope that explanation makes sense, best way I could figure to explain it.
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