Extremely frustrated - Need advice

Have you checked one of those charts with 'ideal' height and weight? You should and i think you'll find that where you are is exactly where you should be!

http://www.healthstatus.com/cgi-bin/calc/calculator.cgi Look here it says you are with in your healthy range. If you are active & eating healhty then that good .

Have you considered getting your body fat tested to see exactly how much lean vs. fat you have? I'm the same height as you but I know that I have about 134lbs of lean so I could never get to even your weight! It's a nice way to get a full picture of what your body is really made of and what may/may not be realistic for you.

Are you happy with the way your body looks? If so, you can focus on maintainance. If not, consider the following:

1. Try eating more, not less (search the forums for the group "Eat More to Weigh Less." I started my weight loss journey on Ja, 15, 2011 and have been through 3 plateaus since then. I've broken 2 of them by increasing my calories.
2. Weight training--if you're not currently doing it, I really encourage you to try it!

Good luck!

You may have reached the skinny fat plateau and need to add in some weights.

You're a size 4. Work out, smile, and strut your stuff.

Hi there

I am 5'6" as well, and let me just say that this is a tricky height to assess. It's above average, but not quite considered tall (though I am considered tall...people often think I'm 5'8-5'9. Doh!)

Anyways, a lot of it really depends on how you carry your weight and what your body composition is (is it body fat or is it muscle contributing to the weight?) For instance, I am 5'6" and currently weigh 130. This is considered healthy; however, I want to tighten up a bit and get to 120 (also healthy). I have long limbs and have an "apple" shape, so I tend to carry my weight more proportionally with a leaner build. However, My old roommate was around my height and was thicker (more athletically built/voluptuous) than me. Because of her build, she probably would not have looked very tantalizing at 120 (We're all different). She always thought she was "chunky"...but I thought her body was amazing!

Moral: What you weigh can often reflect a mere difference body types.

As far as your concern for yourself, the following information may be useful for you

Here is a standard (very simplified) equation that you may find useful:
for women (It's different for men):
100lbs (for the first 5ft) + 5lbs (for every inch after) + or - 10% (to account for variations in frame size)
So, for a 5'6" woman: 100 + 5lbs(6in) = 130 lbs (this is the median)
Now to account for differences in frame size:
10% of 130 = 13
So 130 - 13 = 117 and 130 + 13 = 143
Therefore an estimated healthy weight range for a 5'6" woman is 117lbs-143lbs

Also, for BMI: underweight= <18.5, normal= 18.5-24.9, overweight= 25-29.9, obese= 30 or above, extreme obesity= 40 or above

In conclusion, a 140lb 5'6" female is in the healthy weight range. Also, your BMI is 22.7 (kilograms/meters squared). Again, this is in the healthy range. However, so am I. So I definitely understand being in a healthy range but feeling that your skin could fit a little more snug and your clothes could fit a little less snug =P

Ultimately, it's entirely up to you if you want to lose weight. If you are displeased by your appearance or feel that you should work on your health, then there are steps you can take to lose it (although don't go beyond an unhealthy BMI!).

Hope that helps!

Agree on the body comp testing. Rather than picking some arbitrary number, based on feelings, base it on science! It was very eye opening to me.

It doesn't matter what you WEIGH, it's how you LOOK!

If you start doing strength training, you'll probably start to look smaller, even though you'll put on a few pounds.

Oops I did BMI for 5'6" 140 lbs. For 141lbs your BMI is actually 22.9 (aka still healthy)