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Old 05-09-2008, 10:46 AM   #1  
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Default Healthy weight seems weird to me

I have visited several sites regarding what my healthy weight should be. According to weight watchers website, someone who is 5'5'' should be about 138. It seems so small to me and I'm actually planning on the 160 range, although another site said anywhere between 136-150. How am i supposed to know?? grrrrrrr
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:16 AM   #2  
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Yeah, I think those calculators are interesting, but need to be taken with a grain of salt. We need to decide what's right for us. I don't really know what weight will be right for me. Right now my goal is 160. Then I will decide what to do next. Lose another 5 or 10? Or maybe focus on maintaining there. We'll see!
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:16 AM   #3  
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healthy weight is different for everyone - it depends on a number of factors, including your frame size, amount of muscle, etc.
160 might be a good place for you to have as a goal, and then decide where you feel from there. You don't need to make any choices about where YOU are comfortable yet.
at 5'4" I am *supposed* to weigh between 115-145lbs.
I can see 145 on my frame, and MAYBE as low as 130, but 115?
I have wide shoulders, a medium to large bone structure, and a very athletic build. at my smallest ever, i was around 135 and i probably could have lost some #s then, but bodies change.. that was over 10 years ago and i'm more fit, more muscular, and measurement-wise smaller now than i was then.
I'm happy where I am, at about 30 pounds "overweight" and at this point i'm concentrating on toning up and losing the "jiggle"... i think that at 150 i will be where i want to be. that's still outside of my "normal" range, but those weight charts are really just a guide.
consider this.. I have two friends who are about the same height and weight as I am. One has a very large, muscular build, is incredibly fit, runs marathons, etc. she actually appears to be several inches taller than she really is. She wears a size 4/6. I'm somewhere in between both of them in terms of fitness and build, I wear a size 8/10. Our other friend has a smaller build, appears very petite, but the same weight on her looks heavy, she isn't in shape, and wears a size 14/16. There isn't more than a 5lb/one inch difference either way in any of us.
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:20 AM   #4  
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I totally agree with karmuz they tell me that I should be 148. I said hells no. that sounds sickly scary. I decided 160-165 will work nicely. Once I get there I'll re evaluate, but then you're just talking the last 5 or so pounds.
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:31 AM   #5  
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indeed at 144 i still feel 140 will be too heavy for my structure...
i dont know what to do when i get there....
my aims always been a size UK12....
im a perfect UK12 top, but not bottom....

its bizarre these chartts....
ive been looking at them a lot lately to help me decide what to do....
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:34 AM   #6  
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I think with goal weights... you should set one that you're comfortable with NOW and then tweak as you get there, that's why there are wide ranges.

I'm 5'2" and weight charts I've looked at are ALL over for me.. anywhere from 111-138. Big range with most charts.

I lost 90 pounds in 2003- I started at 215.5. When I looked at those charts, I couldn't believe they wanted be to be so low LOL.. my goal was 125 and it just seemed so small to me.. but I THINK it's because I was 200+ pounds and was never average weight, so any number in that range sounded SO low. I went down to 124.

As you can see from my ticker, my goal is actually lower now!!! Because I hit the 124 years ago, and think I could have lost a chunk more and I still would have looked healthy, I have a very small frame under this fat. Now THAT number (115) sounds sooo low to me.. but that's the same thing that happened to me the first time around. I'm sure I'll get there and look healthy, and wonderful.

That's why I think it's good to make a goal you're comfortable with NOW.. and if you're happy there when you get there- stay! And on the opposite end, when you get there.. you might feel like you can lose a little more at that point, and want to lose more. Nothing is set in stone!
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Old 05-09-2008, 11:42 AM   #7  
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I know! It is hard to know what is best. According to freedieting.com I should be 112-116 lbs, but that seems lower than I can imagine myself being, even though I have a really small frame. I guess I echo everyone else in saying to take online calculators with a grain of salt, and if you get to a weight that feels healthy and feels right, it probably is. I know that when I get below 130 and have been exercising regularly and eating well, it feels like a healthy place to be, and I don't feel a need to lose 15 more lbs!
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Old 05-09-2008, 12:50 PM   #8  
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According to BMI, at 5'5", your healthy weight range is 111-149. If you're more than 20 pounds outside this range, it is really impossible to tell what your body would look like in this range yet. You might look phenominal and not want to drop any more wieght at all at 160, or you might decide that you still have a few problem areas that you still want to work on.

I am 5'6", and my "normal" weight range by BMI is 115-154. I have a medium to large frame wtih a very large (36F) chest, so i always thought the high end of that would make me look really thin, and i shouldn't go under 150. I planned to gte to 146 so that i could gain a few pounds back in the beginning of learning to maintian without freaking out. Now, i'm at 157.6, and i can't imagine being totally happy anytime soon...i have so much flab that doesn't seem to vanish with toning and exercise, so i'm going to aim for 146 first, but then eventually try to get down to 138, somewhere i never thoguht i'd look good. Keeping short term goals and re-evaluating is a really healthy thing to do. Just remember to include the opinions of those really close to you, because your body often changes quicker than your mind, and what you see in the mirror isn't always the truth-- quite often when we lose weight we still see a heavier image of ourselves because that's what we're used to.
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Old 05-09-2008, 01:18 PM   #9  
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My goal weight is above my healthy weight range. If I am in my "healthy" weight range, I look kind of gaunt and sickly. I stop feeling strong. So I'm coming to accept that for me, an "overweight" BMI and a healthy body fat percentage is an OK goal.

Charts are one thing, but no one fits perfectly into these little pre-defined boxes, so take them with the attitude that they are generalizations, not hard-and-fast rules.
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Old 05-09-2008, 01:42 PM   #10  
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I think these types of things give you a rough idea of what to aim for... but once I get closer to goal I'm going to put more emphasis on body fat % adn waist-to-hip ratio.
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Old 05-09-2008, 01:42 PM   #11  
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I'm 5' 5.5" and I've been 125 lbs, 230 lbs and everything in between. At 125 I looked ill and everyone was concerned for me. I have a rather large frame and I carry a lot of muscle in my legs. I've landed at 150 and I'm comfortable here. I could probably lose 10 lbs and still look and feel healthy, but I don't think I ever want to be below 140 again.

Those charts are not always practical. You need to take into account muscle mass, bone structure, and body fat. I think BMI is completely wrong in some of instances. I would look at all these "tools" as just generalizations and not complete truth. I would agree that it probably best to reevaluate your goal as you get closer and if you are happy at 160, then you don't need to lose more. You can always lose more later if you decide you want to.
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Old 05-09-2008, 02:00 PM   #12  
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Yeah those calculators are more generalization, but everyone is different.

I'm 5'7" and right now about 142lb. Been 165 and looked a bit bigger. Been 135 at the end of last year, and looked EXACTLY the same as 150. If you looked at the top half of me, you'd think I was in shape. Then take a look at the bottom half, and you'd think I was nearing 170. Being pear shaped really does suck because I've seen absolutely no different on the bottom half of me which makes me think I'm not loosing any weight/inches at all and it's been over two months now.

I had first set my goal to 120. Then I bumped it down to 115. Bumped it back to 120, and finally 125. I just want to be in the 120s, because I haven't been there in my adult life (last time I was in the 120s was...oh geez, definitely elementary school). I definitely do not have a small frame, but 140 does not look right on me. I am not sure how much a 20lb difference will make as a 10lb difference doesn't do anything, but hopefully it's enough to be where I want to be. I'm hoping the last 10lb will be all thigh/butt/lower tummy (my problem areas). A girl can dream.
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Old 05-09-2008, 02:13 PM   #13  
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I've noticed the same thing! I'm 5'9", and my "ideal" weight on more than one site was 130-150. I set my goal for 160, but really focused more on my BMI calculations. 160 put me in the healthy range.

I reached 160 last week, but thought about losing more in the weeks leading up to that goal. I reset my goal for 150 because it'll be an even healthier BMI, and I just feel like I've got some more to lose before I'm done. I may change my mind with another five pounds or so, but we'll see. I don't plan to dip below 150.
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Old 05-09-2008, 02:34 PM   #14  
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I'm currently near the top of the "normal" BMI range and although I think my upper body looks great and my calves are okay, my thighs are still pretty chunky to my eye. I set my goal at 140 back in January (when I was 165) but I've said all along that I'd reevalute once I get below 150. Honestly, as I approach that point, my opinion varies widely day to day. Some days I think the high 140's would suit me just fine -- I'd hate to lose my curves! -- other days, I think I could reach 140 and still have areas that I'd want leaner.

Most of the calculators that give a single number, rather than a range, put my ideal weight somewhere in the 130s. I think my face and collarbones would look mighty thin at that weight, since I've always had a lot of muscle.
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Old 05-09-2008, 04:36 PM   #15  
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I feel so much better knowing im not crazy!! I really was worried that I'm just not wanting to be fit or something. I have a twin sister and we were always pretty heavy. She lost her weight and ended up going from 250 to 130 in about a year. She looked like a skeleton to me and everyone told me I was just sooo jealous. But I'm just wanting to look more normal, I'm not saying I need to look like Halle Berry or something.

I'm sure when (not if) I hit maybe 160 if I feel like I need to keep going, then I will try to, but for the longest I've have that number in my head and it sounded so right to me. my doctor told me it would be a healthy weight for me. ****, anything is compared to what I was 3 years ago. 265. I felt awful. Guess this is all part of the process. I'm getting there slowly but surely!
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