What should I weigh???

This may be an odd or a common question but I'm a little confused on this. In 2008 I weighed in at 311.5lbs and I set out to lose weight and become healthier all around. Now I'm 31 years old 5' 10'' and currently 221lbs. According to my BMI I should weigh in at 174lbs at the most. I just feel like that is so small. What is your thoughts?


Here is a picture of me.

6896059044_030f0a8ef9.jpg
Before and after so far by shanejoshua, on Flickr
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Replies

  • sm_4ever17
    sm_4ever17 Posts: 128 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs
  • momof3and3
    momof3and3 Posts: 656 Member
    Rule of thumb for women is: at 5' weigh 100lbs give or take 5lbs, for every inch over 5' add 5 lbs...so at 5'10" you should be around 145-150lbs...

    Now you need to consider your frame size...large frmae add in up to another 10lbs, meddium frame 5lbs and small frame 0 lbs...to determin your frame size, measure your wrist...more than 6" is large, 6" medium and under 6" small...

    So if you are a large frame at 5"10 you should weigh about 150-160lbs...

    I think you need to be a weight that is "doable" for you, but in my opinion, 221lbs for a 5"10" woman is still heavy...
  • dmwells3
    dmwells3 Posts: 42 Member
    BMI is just a average #. It would like me to weigh 120. @ 140 my ribs, hip, and collar bones were showing. I would shoot for an ideal (to you) body fat percentage. I am shooting for 25%, as of right now I am in the high 30's to low 40's. Everyone is different. Go ahead ad got to 180, and see if you like it. If you do, then concentrate on toning muscle and stop worring about weight. Just feel good about you.
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs
    I would agree with this.
    Were you at a healthy weight in high school? I read that our weight should stay within a dozen pounds of what it was in high school if we were at a healthy weight then. Of course if you have packed on a bunch of muscle then that's a different story. Currently I weigh what I weighed in high school... but the body composition isn't the same. I'm trying to lose fat and gain muscle at this point.

    Edited to correct spelling error.
  • Austin1988
    Austin1988 Posts: 243 Member
    Honestly I would get down to like 195-200lbs and work on body fat %. BMI doesn't factor that in, and can be fairly low weight for someone who has muscle on them. I am 6'4 and it says I should be around 180, which will never happen.

    Edited to add: congrats on your weight loss so far- great job!
  • JBurger2066
    JBurger2066 Posts: 161 Member
    I feel the same way, man. It tells me I should weigh 179 at the most. When I was playing college hockey, I was 210 pounds with around 8% body fat. According to BMI, I was obese...but I sure didn't feel like it! Haha. I don't know for sure, but I don't think BMI accounts very well for muscle mass or bfp. I feel small, only weighing 189, so 179 isn't going to happen.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Rule of thumb for women is: at 5' weigh 100lbs give or take 5lbs, for every inch over 5' add 5 lbs...so at 5'10" you should be around 145-150lbs...

    Now you need to consider your frame size...large frmae add in up to another 10lbs, meddium frame 5lbs and small frame 0 lbs...to determin your frame size, measure your wrist...more than 6" is large, 6" medium and under 6" small...

    So if you are a large frame at 5"10 you should weigh about 150-160lbs...

    I think you need to be a weight that is "doable" for you, but in my opinion, 221lbs for a 5"10" woman is still heavy...


    But what's the rule of thumb for a man? See picture

    ETA - I don't know the answer, but i'd be curious, my bf is in the same situation...same height and everything.
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs
    I would agree with this.
    Were you at a healthy weight in high school? I read that our weight should stay within a dozen pounds of what it was in high school if we were at a healthy weight then. Of course if you have packed on a bunch of muscle then that's a different story. Currently I weigh what I weighed in high school... but the body composition isn't the same. I'm trying to lose fat and gain muscle at this point.

    Edited to correct spelling error.

    I replied before you edited your post and added the pics....I thought you were female.
  • jacque1129
    jacque1129 Posts: 113 Member
    Maybe get into the 180's and work on gaining muscles, the bmi chart isnt very accurate because it doesn't take in fat to muscle ratios.
  • Mom0fTwo
    Mom0fTwo Posts: 326 Member
    my dad is 5'9 and he weighs 175, and is healthy so i guess around there is good...if you put on a bit of muscle i would say 180-85 is fine also :)
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    teehee funny reading the comments ^

    Maybe you could get your body fat % checked at a gym or clinic and aim for a healthy BF %? Honestly, by your picture on the right, you like you are at a healthy weight. BMI is definitely a flawed measurement.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs

    that seems incredibly low.

    I think you should focus on body fat percentage, waist size, how you feel physically and mentally. if you get to a certain weight above what your bmi should be and you are in perfect health, who cares what the scale says.

    BMI is usually a bunch of bull anyways, especially for men I think as they have higher muscle mass.
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    I think you should weigh wherever you feel comfortable. Personally I think 145lbs to 160lbs you would look much too thin.

    Feeling comfy in your own skin is the important thing.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Pfft. The WHO's BMI is a bunch of crap as far as I'm concerned. If I weighed 170 I'd be an emaciated stick.

    If you feel good, are in athletic shape and have good energy and stamina then actual "weight" is a secondary concern, IMO.
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 909 Member
    i think you look great!
    how do you feel? thats all that matters
  • m16shane
    m16shane Posts: 393 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs
    I would agree with this.
    Were you at a healthy weight in high school? I read that our weight should stay within a dozen pounds of what it was in high school if we were at a healthy weight then. Of course if you have packed on a bunch of muscle then that's a different story. Currently I weigh what I weighed in high school... but the body composition isn't the same. I'm trying to lose fat and gain muscle at this point.

    Edited to correct spelling error.

    I replied before you edited your post and added the pics....I thought you were female.

    No problem, I added a pic a little late.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    It depends on how much muscle you want. Since you're a man, a significant portion of your weight probably should come from muscle. At 5'10", if you weighed 140lbs, you would have to be pretty scrawny.

    I would shoot for closer to 160-180. But getting below 200 would be a good goal for now
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    Considering my husband is 5'10" and weighs 220, and looks only a little overweight to me, I'd say 190 or 200 would be good for you.
  • Jules2Be
    Jules2Be Posts: 2,238 Member
    hmm well i think you should weigh between 145 - 160 lbs
    I would agree with this.
    Were you at a healthy weight in high school? I read that our weight should stay within a dozen pounds of what it was in high school if we were at a healthy weight then. Of course if you have packed on a bunch of muscle then that's a different story. Currently I weigh what I weighed in high school... but the body composition isn't the same. I'm trying to lose fat and gain muscle at this point.

    Edited to correct spelling error.

    HUH? 145 to 160 is what i would say for a female at 5'10"!

    i saw the edit...phew.
  • bergsangel
    bergsangel Posts: 131
    I think you look great now and should just keep up a healthy diet and routine. I cannot imagine you looking/being healthy THAT much smaller...jmo
  • twistofcain
    twistofcain Posts: 190
    I am the same boat as you. My ideal range is between 160 and 175, but I think I would look deathly ill since I have such broad shoulders. I do not plan to go any lower than 190 and then maybe bulk up to 215. When I graduated high school I was at 210 and looked fine, I was a bit chubby, but no where close to what I am now at 299.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I won't really be able to weigh what I "should" according to BMI standards. In general BMI is crap, it's not really accurate for a single person, it is more for looking at a population.

    Have you had your body fat % tested? I did, I then took my weight, height and current body fat number over to the fat2fit calculators and used the goal weight calculator to find my goal weight.

    Good luck, by the way great job, you look great already.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member

    HUH? 145 to 160 is what i would say for a female at 5'10"!

    I think they responded with this number before realizing the OP was male
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Rule of thumb for women is: at 5' weigh 100lbs give or take 5lbs, for every inch over 5' add 5 lbs...so at 5'10" you should be around 145-150lbs...

    Now you need to consider your frame size...large frmae add in up to another 10lbs, meddium frame 5lbs and small frame 0 lbs...to determin your frame size, measure your wrist...more than 6" is large, 6" medium and under 6" small...

    So if you are a large frame at 5"10 you should weigh about 150-160lbs...

    I think you need to be a weight that is "doable" for you, but in my opinion, 221lbs for a 5"10" woman is still heavy...


    But what's the rule of thumb for a man? See picture

    ETA - I don't know the answer, but i'd be curious, my bf is in the same situation...same height and everything.

    The rule of thumb for a man is 106 at 5' and add 6lbs/inch, so at 5'10 that would be 172. If you have a larger frame 10% higher, so 172 to 189.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I am just taller than you 5'11 and my lean mass is 190....I would get your BF tested and we could help more with ideal weight.
  • According to his company Health screening, my husband is supposed to weigh 170 ibs. at 6 foot height. I can tell you right now, he looks like a skinny scrawny weakling at that weight. He got down to that weight after basic training, and all the running around that he was doing. At 185 lbs. he looks good, fit and trim, at 195 he has a slight belly.

    He right now weighs 190, and is watching his weight. He asked me if he should get down to the 170. I told him no. 185 is his look good, feel good weight. I don't like scrawny skinny look on men. It is not attractive.

    You need to take a good look at your body, and think about that.
  • crazylikefox
    crazylikefox Posts: 100
    You should always weigh more than your woman does.
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    BMI is if you are only worried about your "weight". Most guys want muscle, women ususally want a certain number on the scale. So now that you are close, stop making the scale your main resource. Look at body fat%. Do you now want to work on muscle tone and shape? My husband is considered obese on the BMI scale, but his body fat % is very low, he's all muscle. My trainer competes and has 18% body fat and is considered obese on the BMI chart.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Well, first, as someone titled thier thread recently, BMI=BS. It's ridiculously low for men. I am an inch shorter than you and weigh 200. Take a look at my pictures, I'm not doing bad. I could stand to lose 10 to 15 lbs of fat and gain 5lbs of muscle. I wouldn't use BMI as an indicator ever.

    You've done an awesome job with your weight loss. At this point my focus would be on body recomposition and my goals would be body fat and lean mass related and not weight related. fwiw
  • glittersoul
    glittersoul Posts: 666 Member
    bmi doesn't take into account your body fat %... You should go by what you think is healthy for you.