Average weight for my height seems impossible!

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christymedarismcfarland
christymedarismcfarland Posts: 6 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm 5'3" female 43 years old. I've been working HARD for 9 months on working out and losing weight. I'm down from 173 to 152. I know the high end of the healthy weight average for my height is 141ish. It seems impossible! I want to be nice and thin and healthy - but that would mean getting more to the mid-range. It's taken forever to get this far. I don't think I look bad, and my health is great. How important is it to get to that mid range? Do other short girls feel like they have to be super low weight to look and feel healthy?

Replies

  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    If you feel good, you're healthy, and like what you see, fk the scale and bmi
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    There are several body composition tests you can do just to be sure. The problem with bmi and many of the other measures is that it all is done on an "average" body type. Most body builders are obese according to bmi. I wish I was obese like them.
  • jbuzzed
    jbuzzed Posts: 10,172 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and I completely understand! I'm 154 down from 180 and am feeling great but my bmi says I need to be 135 just to be the top. It does feel daunting because I've never weighed that low.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    annette_15 wrote: »
    If you feel good, you're healthy, and like what you see, fk the scale and bmi

    I agree with this. I'm the same height as you and 37 but I'm having a hard time breaking into the 180s. I've been gaining and losing the same 10lbs for like a year. Mostly because I refuse to weigh my food and I take too many cheat days. (Hey, at least I'm honest and know this is my own fault). I've got my current goal set at 175 because it's too daunting to think about losing another 45bls. (I've lost 30lbs).

    My ultimate goal is to be closer to 100 than 200. Literally, I hit 149 I might not even go tthe extra 5lbs to be normal bmi.
  • mp0526
    mp0526 Posts: 3 Member
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    I think BMI is made for an average body type if you have bigger chest or booty, this can change your BMI. I have always been large chested and my doctor told me that my BMI is inaccurate because BMI doesn't take into account your actual body type.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Yes, BMI is a useful tool but not the end-all, be-all authority of human physiogomy... If you feel terrific where you are it seems silly to chase a specific number. But you don't want to slack & backslide either. I would pick a fitness or confidence boosting goal like completing an event or introducing a new sport 6 months out & work toward that instead. You might be surprised where your body goes in that pursuit!
  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
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    If you're unsure if the average weight is right for you, discuss with your doctor what they would consider a healthy weight for you is and focus on body measurements and body fat instead. We all carry weight differently. Plus someone who's been overweight long term will greatly improve their height by maintaining a higher weight if it still is significantly lower than they've always been.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I had a long talk with my doctor about this. I have struggled with my weight all my life, but did get down to the exact pound of the high end of "normal" for my height and kept it off for 2 years. But I felt like my life was ruled by food. I think in some ways, it took more effort to maintain that weight than it did to focus and lose the 70 lbs that got me there.

    After gaining back most of it over several years, I'm trying to take it off again. But my goal this time is actually 20 lbs above that "normal" mark--a weight where I felt good and liked the ways my clothes fit and that I maintained for 5+ years at three separate times in my adult life-with much less obsessing than that lower "normal"mark.

    The doctor's input? As long as my blood numbers look good at that weight (which they have in the past), she said that gaining and losing and gaining and losing probably puts more stress on my body than just carrying the 20 lbs.
  • christymedarismcfarland
    christymedarismcfarland Posts: 6 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    Yes, BMI is a useful tool but not the end-all, be-all authority of human physiogomy... If you feel terrific where you are it seems silly to chase a specific number. But you don't want to slack & backslide either. I would pick a fitness or confidence boosting goal like completing an event or introducing a new sport 6 months out & work toward that instead. You might be surprised where your body goes in that pursuit!

    That's an interesting idea. I'm not very competitive, but I do enjoy feeling strong and learning new skills. 2 months ago, I could only do girl push ups. Then I saw a girlfriend at the gym doing full on push ups w/ a 25 pound plate on her back. I want to get there! This week I did 35 regular push ups! No plate on my back yet, but much better than where I started.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    I'm 5'4"...My first goal was 150, second was 140. I felt nice at 140 but it wasn't quite enough for me, aesthetically. If you feel good though, no need to get into the middle or low end if you don't want to.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    Not to quibble, but BMI is not an average, it is a standard. If you have a normal BMI, your weight is considerably below average.
    BMI is a perfectly good answer to the question: how can I judge whether I'm at a healthy weight of my only tools are a rule and a scale? But if you're not stuck with those tools, there are better answers
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
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    christymedarismcfarland wrote: »
    I'm 5'3" female 43 years old. I've been working HARD for 9 months on working out and losing weight. I'm down from 173 to 152. I know the high end of the healthy weight average for my height is 141ish. It seems impossible! I want to be nice and thin and healthy - but that would mean getting more to the mid-range. It's taken forever to get this far. I don't think I look bad, and my health is great. How important is it to get to that mid range? Do other short girls feel like they have to be super low weight to look and feel healthy?

    I think it's more important to judge by body fat than by BMI. If you're not aiming to be athletic, a body fat range for your age that's reasonable is 28-30%. That's the high end of ideal to the middle of average. The full chart I am referring to is:

    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart3.jpg

    If you measure your body fat and are content to be where you are now, eating 1500 calories per day should be able to maintain.

    1500 calories is not that easy to stick to, continuing your current level of physical activity would make it easier. Remember that one extra potato chip a day - just a single chip - is 1 lb in a year's time. One bag a day ... well that's over 20 lbs :( Most other indulgences are comparable or worse than chips (in case your thing is chocolate, or cheesecake, alcohol, or what have you).

    Happy maintaining!

    Osric

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