What is a healthy but also slim weight for a girl who is around 5’9”
Options
Replies
-
@mentallyinmaldives - lol! My watch is on its smallest setting - I can’t take any extra links out, I think my wedding ring is 4.5 or 5.
Ps - just got back from the Maldives not to long ago— it was breathtaking!1 -
It all depends on body composition, how much muscle you have and bone structure. To tell you what a good weight for you would be foolish. Look in the mirror. Do you look slim or toned? If so who cares what the scale says. If not start with nutrition and do strength training. You will find many people who start strength training actually gain weight but lose inches since muscle is more dense than fat.3
-
I'm 5'9ft and look good between 145-150.1
-
FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I'm in the exact same boat. 5'9" with PCOS, currently floating in the 250-260 range. Like Fiona, I wear an 11 shoe, have large hands, natural muscles, and fairly broad shoulders and a large frame. I was down to 190 several years ago and looked/felt really good. I've had a long shot goal of 170, but honestly, I don't know if that's realistic for me. That weight could be misery and impossible to maintain.
I agree with others that you'll need to find something appropriate for your frame and muscle mass - a good conversation to have with your doctor. That number on the scale is only a small part of the equation. What matters more is how you feel, your energy levels, your joints, etc. Make sure you are looking at the big picture.3 -
FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I have a large frame too. I'm a little shorter than you, and the only time I've seen the 140s as an adult was after 6 weeks of under-eating and over-exercising in Boot Camp.
When I get to my goal weight, which is in Overweight, I'll likely get a DEXA scan to confirm my belief that this is an appropriate weight for me.3 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I see you've received several "disagrees" but I can honestly imagine this being true about 145 lb being too small for your frame. I used to be around 300 lb but I had a size 5 ring, size 7 shoe, tiny wrists, etc. I'm not meant to weigh 200+ for sure. However, at 160 lb (my lowest) I still have wide, wide hips and pretty broad shoulders and I know I might look fashionable at 145 but I don't think I'd look my best, to be honest. I think the wonky blood work and low, low libido I had around 160-163 tells me a lot about my "happy weight" and right now at 170-173 I truly feel my best.
I feel like anyone who clicked the "disagree" tag should message me and tell me why they thought so. I weighed 145lbs at 5'7" as a freshman in high school and was clearly not at a good weight for my large frame. Now at 35 years old, more than twice that weight, and two inches taller I'm also clearly not at a good weight! But at my full height and frame, I'm broader in the shoulder than my 6'4" father. There's nothing "svelte," "petite," or "slim" about me! I'm just... big. There's really no two ways about it, honestly.
Thank you for chiming in on my post! I appreciate the support.4 -
FionaNiConnor wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I see you've received several "disagrees" but I can honestly imagine this being true about 145 lb being too small for your frame. I used to be around 300 lb but I had a size 5 ring, size 7 shoe, tiny wrists, etc. I'm not meant to weigh 200+ for sure. However, at 160 lb (my lowest) I still have wide, wide hips and pretty broad shoulders and I know I might look fashionable at 145 but I don't think I'd look my best, to be honest. I think the wonky blood work and low, low libido I had around 160-163 tells me a lot about my "happy weight" and right now at 170-173 I truly feel my best.
I feel like anyone who clicked the "disagree" tag should message me and tell me why they thought so. I weighed 145lbs at 5'7" as a freshman in high school and was clearly not at a good weight for my large frame. Now at 35 years old, more than twice that weight, and two inches taller I'm also clearly not at a good weight! But at my full height and frame, I'm broader in the shoulder than my 6'4" father. There's nothing "svelte," "petite," or "slim" about me! I'm just... big. There's really no two ways about it, honestly.
Thank you for chiming in on my post! I appreciate the support.
No one is intentionally giving you bad advice, but, there isn't any objective data to work with. Words like wide, broad, too small and happy weight are subjective, and cannot be measured. Without measurable attributes there is no way to know for sure if you are gaining, losing or staying the same.
My suggestion is to use the tools available in MFP or other places online that use numbers as the data to calculate your calorie needs.
There isn't any need to guess. THere are plenty of places to calculate your individual needs, and when you find they all give slightly diferent results, well, I just took the average of them all. (and found that to be almost exactly what MFP calculated for me in the Goals section).2 -
FionaNiConnor wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I see you've received several "disagrees" but I can honestly imagine this being true about 145 lb being too small for your frame. I used to be around 300 lb but I had a size 5 ring, size 7 shoe, tiny wrists, etc. I'm not meant to weigh 200+ for sure. However, at 160 lb (my lowest) I still have wide, wide hips and pretty broad shoulders and I know I might look fashionable at 145 but I don't think I'd look my best, to be honest. I think the wonky blood work and low, low libido I had around 160-163 tells me a lot about my "happy weight" and right now at 170-173 I truly feel my best.
I feel like anyone who clicked the "disagree" tag should message me and tell me why they thought so. I weighed 145lbs at 5'7" as a freshman in high school and was clearly not at a good weight for my large frame. Now at 35 years old, more than twice that weight, and two inches taller I'm also clearly not at a good weight! But at my full height and frame, I'm broader in the shoulder than my 6'4" father. There's nothing "svelte," "petite," or "slim" about me! I'm just... big. There's really no two ways about it, honestly.
Thank you for chiming in on my post! I appreciate the support.
No one is intentionally giving you bad advice, but, there isn't any objective data to work with. Words like wide, broad, too small and happy weight are subjective, and cannot be measured. Without measurable attributes there is no way to know for sure if you are gaining, losing or staying the same.
My suggestion is to use the tools available in MFP or other places online that use numbers as the data to calculate your calorie needs.
There isn't any need to guess. THere are plenty of places to calculate your individual needs, and when you find they all give slightly diferent results, well, I just took the average of them all. (and found that to be almost exactly what MFP calculated for me in the Goals section).
These are things I've worked on with my physician, and she agrees that the 145 range is not (safely) attainable or healthy for me. Obviously 300+ isn't healthy either, which is why I'm working on coming way down from that number. 200lbs for me is a comfortable goal weight because it is meant to take into account the PCOS complications and my musculoskeletal framework. I'm not just throwing out arbitrary words or making this up as I go along. Of course those words are subjective; the subject at hand is me! I am subjected to my broad shoulders and hips, I am subjected to my PCOS condition that changes the way my body gains, loses, carries, and distributes weight.
As far as the calculators on MFP are concerned, I have done the numbers and the macros and the calorie counts. When I was really devoted to this process a few years ago I was able to shed almost fifty pounds- safely, carefully, consistently, and under medical supervision. Life intervened and I lost track of myself and my goals, but now I'm back and motivated. In the week and a half I've been back now I've already lost almost three pounds. I know that isn't much but I'm following The Plan and have my goals firmly in mind.
I agree that I'm not being given bad advice by the people who clicked "disagree." I'm just curious as to why they did so, not knowing me or anything about me other than what I have posted in here.6 -
I am 5' 9" as well!
It is also very important to consider your body frame as that dictates what range of BMI you should be on. There is handy chart out there, but I know for women over 5'5", wrist circumference (at the boniest part) can indicate ideal BMI.
Wrist under 6.25" should be close to BMI 19ish
Wrist between 6.25"-6.5" should be close to "normal BMI" 21ish
Wrist above 6.75" should be close to 24ish
My wrist circumference is 7.5" at 5'9", my ring is size 11.5 - My doctor has told me she doesn't want to see me any less than 180 lbs (which is around 26.5 BMI), and would really like me around 195. So, anyways, I guess the moral of the story is, ideal weight is subjective based on a lot of factors and can be easily determined by just asking your doctor.4 -
FionaNiConnor wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I see you've received several "disagrees" but I can honestly imagine this being true about 145 lb being too small for your frame. I used to be around 300 lb but I had a size 5 ring, size 7 shoe, tiny wrists, etc. I'm not meant to weigh 200+ for sure. However, at 160 lb (my lowest) I still have wide, wide hips and pretty broad shoulders and I know I might look fashionable at 145 but I don't think I'd look my best, to be honest. I think the wonky blood work and low, low libido I had around 160-163 tells me a lot about my "happy weight" and right now at 170-173 I truly feel my best.
I feel like anyone who clicked the "disagree" tag should message me and tell me why they thought so. I weighed 145lbs at 5'7" as a freshman in high school and was clearly not at a good weight for my large frame. Now at 35 years old, more than twice that weight, and two inches taller I'm also clearly not at a good weight! But at my full height and frame, I'm broader in the shoulder than my 6'4" father. There's nothing "svelte," "petite," or "slim" about me! I'm just... big. There's really no two ways about it, honestly.
Thank you for chiming in on my post! I appreciate the support.
Here's some ideas:- Perhaps because some people have wrongly used "big-boned" as an excuse, other people have a hard time with the concept of large frame size.
- Others may think that the BMI range should cover everyone.
- Women who are smaller framed than you may just have a hard time conceptualizing 145 as being unhealthily low.
But try not to let the disagrees bother you - I got a lot of disagrees on my post about my intermittent cat allergies, of all things, and when I invited people to explain, no one did.6 -
I’m 5’9.5.” Current weight is 144 lbs. I’ve brought my weight down from 156 lbs. I have a fairly slight build, and still have some fat I’d like to lose and muscle I’d like to build, so I’m working on recomp. Good luck to you!1
-
Safari_Gal_ wrote: »@mentallyinmaldives - lol! My watch is on its smallest setting - I can’t take any extra links out, I think my wedding ring is 4.5 or 5.
Ps - just got back from the Maldives not to long ago— it was breathtaking!
Ahhh!! Thanks for commenting and the request. Between your post and another post similar I looked into frame size based ideal weight. It seems for someone with a very small frame like me an ideal weight is anything from 129 to 149. 😊
1 -
FionaNiConnor wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »FionaNiConnor wrote: »Well, I'm 5'9" myself and trying to pare down to 200lbs. That being said, I have a number of factors that play into that seemingly high goal weight. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome- this means my body produces more testosterone than a female without PCOS. That translates to, in my case, a very large skeletal structure and more bulk muscle versus lean muscle. So while the typical BMI chart says I should weigh 145lbs, I have been that weight and looked like I was going to keel over from starvation at any minute.
For example: I wear a size 12 shoe, an XL glove, I have very broad shoulders, and at my current weight of 303lbs I can feel most of my ribs and my illiac crests (hip bones); 145lbs is just too little for my very large frame.
I see you've received several "disagrees" but I can honestly imagine this being true about 145 lb being too small for your frame. I used to be around 300 lb but I had a size 5 ring, size 7 shoe, tiny wrists, etc. I'm not meant to weigh 200+ for sure. However, at 160 lb (my lowest) I still have wide, wide hips and pretty broad shoulders and I know I might look fashionable at 145 but I don't think I'd look my best, to be honest. I think the wonky blood work and low, low libido I had around 160-163 tells me a lot about my "happy weight" and right now at 170-173 I truly feel my best.
I feel like anyone who clicked the "disagree" tag should message me and tell me why they thought so. I weighed 145lbs at 5'7" as a freshman in high school and was clearly not at a good weight for my large frame. Now at 35 years old, more than twice that weight, and two inches taller I'm also clearly not at a good weight! But at my full height and frame, I'm broader in the shoulder than my 6'4" father. There's nothing "svelte," "petite," or "slim" about me! I'm just... big. There's really no two ways about it, honestly.
Thank you for chiming in on my post! I appreciate the support.
I don't tend to use the disagree button, but I'd say most people who clicked it probably did so not because of your frame size discussion but for this: "more bulk muscle versus lean muscle." There isn't really such a thing as lean muscle or not lean muscle. If I was being extremely generous in interpretation, there is intramuscular triglycerides (IMT) and technically if someone had a very unusual physiology that stored large amounts of IMT / IMTG, perhaps that could mean they don't have lean muscle. That's being generous with language use though - I don't think I've ever known someone that understands what IMT is to use the term "lean muscle". Not to mention, that's worse for your position: testosterone probably discourages IMT storage as women tend to have higher IMT muscle levels than men, which could be regulated by some other factor, but I would bet on androgens generally being the reason why. That would imply PCOS should be giving you "lean muscle" over "bulky muscle".
A bit off from that - I would also wonder if low libido, if relatively low for yourself rather than compared to others, is perhaps a healthy sign, given you have PCOS with high testosterone. If being 160 put you at a low testosterone, I would not be surprised for your libido to be low relative to what was the norm for you.5 -
^ I think maybe you're mixing people up a little bit because I'm the one who said I had low libido at 160 and I don't have PCOS. I am a really energetic person and have what I'd say is a normal interest in sex...but when I was at my lowest, I had dramatically less energy, less interest in anything really and didn't have hardly any libido at all. Although I didn't have any other perimenopausal symptoms I was worried about that...doc says nope. Not in peri.
My bloodwork was really wonky and totally resumed normal when I gained back about 6-7 lb. That was several years ago. Anyway! Just wanted to clarify.1 -
I am 5’10”. At 140, I only looked a little overweight, like 130 would probably be good. But I spent every moment I could lying down, resting, and I was always hungry, always thinking about food. I felt good, had more energy, and easily maintained my weight at 160. Now I weigh 220. If I could choose a weight and feeling based on my past, it would definitely be 160.
I think you can read all these posts to get ideas, but you really have to decide when you get there what’s best for you.3 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »^ I think maybe you're mixing people up a little bit because I'm the one who said I had low libido at 160 and I don't have PCOS. I am a really energetic person and have what I'd say is a normal interest in sex...but when I was at my lowest, I had dramatically less energy, less interest in anything really and didn't have hardly any libido at all. Although I didn't have any other perimenopausal symptoms I was worried about that...doc says nope. Not in peri.
My bloodwork was really wonky and totally resumed normal when I gained back about 6-7 lb. That was several years ago. Anyway! Just wanted to clarify.
Ah sorry. Hard to tell who's quoted in the layered quotes when replying.3 -
YoureAWalnut wrote: »I'm 5"10 and currently at 188 lbs. My goal is to get down to 150 lbs since that is normal BMI but after seeing some of these posts I'm starting to feel that may be too low. I was between 160-170 for multiple years after college and have only recently gained the 10-20 lbs that put me over 180.
I'm 5'11 and 150 is my "happy weight". I'm a size 8 (sometimes 6). I started at 193. After getting to 143 in 2013ish, I gained/lost a few times to realize 150 is where I feel/look best.
So I don't feel your goal is too low.
1 -
As others have stated, I think it depends on frame/build and how you feel.0
-
As others have stated, I think it depends on frame/build and how you feel.
Exactly this. And for someone who is reasonably sensible, without significant issues that distort one's body image, it will usually be pretty easy to tell when getting close to/at the right weight.
One thing people don't always realize, that I don't think I mentioned in my earlier post: The goal weight you put in MFP has absolutely no effect on the calorie goal it will estimate for you. (It's only used for some progress-related features and motivational messages.)
This frees us to put in a provisional goal weight to start, and adjust it as many times as we need, as things move along. (I adjusted mine a couple of times, mostly because when "everyone said older women should carry some extra pounds compared to when a younger adult", everyone was wrong.
).
It's even fine to stop losing for weeks/months/years at some reasonably healthy weight, see how maintaining there works, then either lose some more (or gain a bit) to adjust.
Regardless of goal weight, as long as it's less than current weight, the MFP calorie goal and process will be exactly the same.2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 919 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions