Weigh-in on ideal weight
 

Okay as my stats say I'm 5ft 2 at the moment and 129. That puts me in the healthy weight range. HOWEVER I have a very very petite frame. I want to get down to 103. I recently found out that would actually be very very slightly underweight. Would this apply to someone who has a tiny frame? I've been debating this with a few of my friends and it's been inconclusive.

So what's your "ideal weight"? And how did you choose this? Or are you going not off the scale but on body fat composition or are you simply trying to become healthier and not focus on the scale?

I am 5'2 as well and I think for our height it says 130-135 is ok but my goal is 120. I am honestly not sure what 103 would be like on a 5'2 frame as it seems awfully small to me BUUUUT I am larger and even when I was a normal weight I have large breast, wide hips all that, so I am assuming I have a larger frame. I also am striving that when I get to a healthier weight that I will weight lift and practice light muscle building so we will see how that works and ultimately I just want to be healthy again. Also, if you want to go off of BMI which some people love and others hate, for 5'2 a "normal BMI" range is 102-136 so you would be be normal at 102, just lower.

Have you talked to your dr about it?

It's a very individual thing. The BMI-based categories were designed to cover every single person in the world, and while they do a nice job at helping you look at large populations, they don't really tell you what YOU should weigh. Many athletes are "overweight" and some are even "obese" because they have so much muscle. And some naturally skinny people can't get out of "underweight" even if they try.

Paleo guru Robb Wolf always says that you can tell whether something is working for you based on how you "look, feel, and perform." So if you think you'd look/feel/perform better at 103, go for it! You can always (healthily!) gain some weight back if it turns out you were wrong.

My goal-weight-choosing story: I'm the same height as you, 5'2", and I've got a smallish frame. The first time I lost weight I picked my goal weight kinda randomly, because I've been overweight since I was a kid. I picked 120, and when I got down there, I wasn't happy yet. But then I regained almost all of what I lost. :p

This time around I've got A LOT more muscle than I did back then, and my goal is to build even more of it (check out Zuzana on http://bodyrock.tv, I would loooove to look like her). Based on the previous weight loss attempt, my estimate is that I could get very lean at 115 lb. But I don't really know for sure, so I'll just be flexible, and stop when my body looks how I want it to look.

My "ideal weight" is about 128-132. So ... 130 :D

HOWEVER, I can still be very healthy as low as 120. Anything below that, IMPO, I would be way too thin. My "stats", as per the weight calculators I've used on the internet, give me a 114-140 lb healthy weight. I'm 5'3 1/2" and have a small to medium frame. I am using 140 as my goal weight, mainly because 6 years ago I was down to 138 (135 was my goal) and I looked/felt fantastic.

My main goal is to be HEALTHY. :carrot:
2nd goal: to feel good in my clothes, :cp:
and 3rdly, to look good. :cloud9:

However, I could be happy at 145. But I would LOVE-LOVE-LOVE to be 130. Once I reach 140, I may (or may not... haven't decided yet!) opt to continue to try for 135. Or maybe even 130. :^: It will most likely depend on how I feel at 140, and how I look. :cb: :yay:

I think all guidelines can be taken with a grain of salt. I think the healthy BMI range for our height is 101-136, so by that measure you'd be fine. But what if it said 104? Would those three lbs really throw you over the edge into malnutrition? I don't see how.

That said, where did the 103 number come from? How do you know it will be the right weight for you? Since you're still 20+ pounds away from that goal, why not just work toward it, keeping in mind that you may, at some point along the line, decide that you're already there?

AshleighAO- Thanks for responding! And thanks for the range... no unfortunately I don't really have a doctor right now. I don't have the money to go for questions and checkups. Only if I'm truly ill will I be able to go. DX So unfortunately it doesn't seem to be an option at the moment....

Mayness- I think maybe being flexible like you would be a better idea. Like see what I'm happy with when I get there.

Beach Patrol- Aiming for a range seems like a good idea! Thanks :-) Hehehe I think I'm going to borrow your goals as a guideline.

zoodoo613- "I think all guidelines can be taken with a grain of salt. I think the healthy BMI range for our height is 101-136, so by that measure you'd be fine. But what if it said 104? Would those three lbs really throw you over the edge into malnutrition? I don't see how." I guess your right. It's a minute difference and the guidelines won't always work with all people.

"That said, where did the 103 number come from? How do you know it will be the right weight for you?"

Okay some 3-4 yrs ago I was 108lbs. I was relatively happy. I felt pretty good but I felt that I needed to lose 5lbs. Nothing major. But a few things happened and everything got kinda thrown to the side. I've definitively changed- both physically and mentally so I'm not sure if that's what I should be aiming for. Hmm... I think I'm going to go with everybody's advice and just kinda start going for a number and see how I look and feel when I get there and re-evaluate my goals and such.

Thanks everyone! (> ^.^)>

I'm 5'2 and have been all kinds of weights, lol. My goal is 125 b/c that's the highest weight I felt content with being in the past. When I get to that goal I will probably lower it. I have a smallish frame and I felt I looked the best at 110-115. The lowest I've been was 107 and didn't feel "too skinny", so 103 for you would probably be fine if you're tiny. It's so individual though. Get to 115 or 110 and see how you feel there! Don't get too caught up in the 'guidelines'.

Hmmm....Im 5 ft 4 and I like being 130. After that Im too small for my comfort. Im 26 now and I dont want to look like a teenager. Im already short. I chose my ideal weight based on how Im able to be while Im 130. But I would love to be 125 and muscle. Im 140 now and look 130. But I want to be 125-130 because of how my abs look.

I'm pretty much in line with RJ. I am 5'1" (possibly 5'2") and my goal is 124. That is my high school graduation weight and I think 8 more pounds off of what I have going on now will be ideal. I'd actually be happy at 129 but I would really like to have a 5 pound buffer. But really, I want to be in a comfortable size 6 so whatever weight will keep me there I'd be happy with. A couple months ago I spent a ton of money on size 8's and I am currently saving for my size 6 wardrobe. I just can't afford 4's. Maybe next year! :D

I think I would look AMAZING at 130, but I'm about four inches taller than you. I agree with the general consensus though, that you should just take it as you go. Focusing on a potentially bogus or even unachievable/unenjoyable number might cause disappointment as you're nearing maintenance, like a feeling of not having measured up to your own expectations. You should find where you feel comfortable, at this time in your life, and I'm sure you're the only one who really knows where that is. 103 is tiny though, so I think giving yourself some elbow room to decide what's best for you now is ideal. Good luck!

I have a very small frame. I remember from my skinny days what looks good on me and what doesn't.

92 lbs - way too skinny - yucko
102 lbs - I look a little gaunt in my driver's license picture and I remember my legs being sticks.
110 - Pretty much perfect if I didn't have the slight pooch at the time - Granted this was in my early 20's and I ate whatever I want at the time.

I should have added the reason I set my goal at 115. I was happy with the way I looked at 110 lbs but I want to have better muscle tone than I had then. I've also had three kids since then and have more hips. :)

Here's a pic of me at 5'2 and 110 lbs.

Thats makes much more sense lol. If you like 115 then get there. Im a 00 at 115. I look terrible :( I cant stand being that skinny. I look awful. My head looks very large as well lol.

I have no numerical goal. I have no idea what I'll look like at 170, 165, 160 - weights I haven't been at since I was a teenager 20 years ago. I'll have to decide when I get there. I figure I'll know when to stop losing weight because either I'll be happy with the way I look, or going lower will be more work than I am able or willing to do.

I was overweight until I was about seventeen, and I'm twenty now. I am technically clinically healthy, so basically, right now, I'm just polishing myself up. :) I was 135 at one point, and I remember that although I felt amazing, I wanted to lose another five pounds or so. I put my goal weight at 125 after consulting BMI scales. I know it's not a tell-all, but I'm in your shoes - no room to go to a doctor for something like this. And I figure, as long as I stay in the general range of healthy, that's awesome. And I have in mind that I can always stop if I feel like it's enough, as my body has certainly changed even over the last year. (My boobs grew a lot, so even 135 may look a lot different now than it did then!)

I think 103 could be a great weight for you. I'm small-framed too (yes, I'm tall, but like, thin structure), so I know what you mean about carrying weight differently than others. And as others said - aim for that, but stop if you feel good. :)

Ditto! I've mentioned before that our stats & goals are basically the same.


To the OP: Your "ideal" depends on you and what you are willing to do to sustain your goal weight. I'm only 5 ft. 3, and my goal weight of 140 is probably a lot higher than the goal weight for some folks my height. However, I've decided that I'm not willing to go any lower because, frankly, it would involve too much sacrifice. I want to be able to eat in a calorie range that is a bit higher, and I don't want to kill myself working out. Heck, if I get to 150 and look & feel good, I may end up staying there. I think you have to weigh the importance of reaching your goal weight (and all that comes with that) and what you'll have to do to sustain it.


ETA: I also think age plays a big factor in determining one's goal weight. It's not only that your metabolism gets lower as you age (making it necessary to lower calories to stay at the same weight), but after a certain age, being thin can make you look older. I find that as I've aged (I'm in my early 40's), my face has gotten thinner. So, when I lose weight, it gets even thinner, which makes me look older---not something I aspire to. What's that old saying: After a certain age, you have to choose between your *ss or your face! I'm settling for a happy medium.

I having asked this myself over the years the same question! And, I finally started asking myself -

Can you maintain this weight?
How much work will it take to stay at this ideal weight? You know...exercise!
What was the weight you achieved and felt good?

My public health nurse mom used to give off the old government guidelines: 100 pounds for 5', and 5 pounds for each inch after that.

At 6'3", that would put me at 175. The weights you guys are talking about, 103 to 120, sound like starvation rates, but anything under 160 sounds that way to me!!! :P

I remember this information also. Geezzzzzzzzzzzzz, If I ever got down to the 130 pounds, for 5'6", I think I would look deathly ill. I am going for a more realistic weight this time.

I thought the same thing, that I would look ill at 5'6" and 130 lbs., but I am 4 lbs. away from that, and I think I look ok. Not great, but I can live with it. I weighed 125 when I graduated from high school almost 30 yrs. ago. For years people told me, "don't ever expect to get back to that weight". Now I wonder, why not? I'm not interested in working my way down to 125, but honestly I think 130 would be just fine, for me.

I don't know. My mom is very skinny, she's 5'8'' (like me) and weighs about 120-125 lbs. I would love to have her slender legs, but a bit more a**, boobs and muscle in general. So I would like to be at 135 someday but it depends. If my thighs shrink a few inches when I'm at 140 I'm good with that. And as long as I can maintain it with a normal diet and exercise!

Was about to start same thread.Very interesting feedback.Looks like "wait and see" is the way I'll go. My last reasonable weight was 144 at 29 y-o and 5'8''.That was 19 years ago(my son's age..) and now I'm 5'7'' and after loosing 31lbs, weight 157. I'm shooting for 150 and have a medium frame.I guess I don't like the uncertainty..but I'm sure I'll get over it! :stars:

How are you losing the weight? Are you lifting/doing lots of interval training? I ask because you can look VERY different at the same weight if you are lifting vs. not lifting. It's something you might want to consider too.

I'm a big fan of wait and see. I picked my goal weight because it would make an even 100lb weight loss and it was my weight at high school. I was very active then and was quite happy about my weight. I'm lifting more now, though, so I might be happy sooner, who knows?

BTW, looking here: http://calculators.hpathy.com/body-weight.asp for your height and frame it seems like 103 would be appropriate. I was surprised. I thought I had a smaller frame (couldn't remember my wrist measurement correctly before). It turns out I have a large one and that explains why 140 worked so well for me (according to that 143lbs is my idea weight ;) ).

My goal was 125-130 pounds, which is the ideal weight for being five foot two. However, I have several people tell me "NO!" That that was way way to skinny that I should go for 150 and see how that look and felt and if I felt like I needed more, to go for more.

I can sorts see their point. I have large muscled thighs, a heck of a badonkadonk and god graced me with ample cleavage. So 125 might look way way our of proportion. I would really just be happy to be rid of my belly pouch and flabby arms.

I'm going to agree with anyone who said that it's just best to take it as it goes once you get to the healthy range.

Just bear in mind that you can look a lot different based on your level of fitness because muscle weighs a lot per square inch.

I was thinking the same thing...wii fit says that I should weigh somewhere around that, but I cannot even imagine. I have a huge frame...I've NEVER been able to wear a woman's wristwatch or bracelet, even before weight was an issue.

167 is my number so far...just a number that is stuck in my head. We'll see if that turns out to be my final goal. Who knows, maybe I'll get there and decide 130 is attainable after all...

this is me too. My main goal is to be completely out of having to wear plus sized clothing. I'm top heavy (goblet shaped) with a big differential between my top and bottom half- right now, it's 2X tops and misses 18s, just getting into 16s now. So I may end up something like a 14 on top and an 8 on the bottom? But I have absolutely no idea what weight that would be! So I'm not bothering with a final goal at this point, I'm doing 10% at a time, and then when I've tackled that 4 times, I can still figuring out a bit more realistically how much more I need to lose.

so, to the OP, I'm with the people who say just work towards a number, but figure out whether you've gotten to where you want to be along the way.

I have no idea what my ideal weight is. I set my goal weight based on what my sister, who has a similar body type to mine, weighs. Maybe I will decide to go lower once I hit my goal, but then again, maybe not.

The BMI range for me is 104-140, a pretty broad range if you ask me. So broad I consider it almost useless. I know I want to be within the healthy weight range. Beyond that I am going to go with how I feel, look, and what I am capable of fitness wise in the end. I want to be able to RUN with joy and abandon. When I can do that, I'll be pretty well satisfied :)

I'm five feet tall (on the nose!) and according to my doctor, a healthy weight range for me is anywhere from 102-128 pounds. I have a large frame so my goal weight is 125, which will give me a BMI of 23 (that's at the high end of the BMI scale, but I'm okay with that.) As others have said, BMI is just one indicator of the suitability of an "ideal weight" -- you should also take into account your body fat percentage as well as your waist-to-hip ratio.

Thanks for the calculator runningfromfat. I better start stretching so I can be an inch taller ;)

I had a lot of different goals about my weight since I started. Right now the weight loss has slowed and I am not willing to cut my calories more... although I am increasing my exercise. We are measuring my goal by my body fat percentage. This is very interesting information to watch. My trainer at the gym does the calculation.

I'm the same height as you and at 165 I still have the stupid belly pouch. It gets smaller but it's not completely gone yet! :(

I think sometimes your ideal weight chooses you; your loss just naturally slows down. At least that's been my experience,lol. I don't pay too much attention to the charts because even though I'm somewhat tall, I have a small frame so everyone's different.

I feel right at home in this thread with all of the 5'2" people on here.

Well, I weighed 98 pounds when I graduated high school. Too thin, really. I weighed 105 the year after, and it looked good, but I can't imagine being that weight now. I have a medium frame, so I think 130 would be all right on me. I'll just have to wait and see, though.

You know, this is one of those times that never weighing yourself through high school comes back to bite you. I weighed 172 my senior year of high school, so I am now at my lowest known weight. (Wow... Feels weird!) I can comfortably wear a size 10, and I know that I wore an 8 my senior year of high school and a 6 my freshmen year of high school. Even though I get excited when the scale goes down once a week, I've gotten to the point that I really don't care what the scale says. It could stay at the same number it's at now. As long as I get into a size 8, I don't really care. The optimist in me says mayyyyybe I could try to get down to a size 6, but I really don't know what that would look like. I like the see-as-you-go approach. :)

My "healthy weight range", as described by Weight Watchers (the plan I'm following) is anywhere from 102-128 pounds. I have a large frame (supposedly) so I figured 128 would be a good weight for me (although I did not officially set a goal weight with WW.)

Then I went to my doctor to get her opinion (because, after all, she IS a doctor.) She did a bunch of measurements and advised me that in order to have both a healthy BMI *and* a healthy body fat percentage, the "ideal" weight for me at my height (5 feet) is 125 pounds. So I was pretty close, but I still felt much more comfortable once I had spoken to my doctor.

I think "ideal" weight has a ton to do with frame, body type, and muscle. Height is only a small factor.

I am 5' (and 1/4" on a good day lol), and I have a small frame. Even after two kids, I don't have much in terms of hips/butt.

I weighed about 104 (give or take) in college, and that was a good weight for me, so that's my current goal. BUT I also have a lot more muscle now. I can do boy push-ups now, and I could never have even thought about doing them back when I was younger (I was skinny-fat). Also, I'm 37 now! So I realize that my college weight may very well not be appropriate now. So 104 is the number I have for goal, but I am keeping an open mind. If I get down to 110 or 107 and look/feel good, I will stop before I sacrifice muscle just to see a lower number on the scale.

I picked my goal weight because that's how much I weighed when I was ten. Yeah, kind of not good...It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad. lol Anyway, it's 15 pounds over the normal BMI but I've got a large frame. I come from a long line of large people.

I am 31 now and have not been under 150 since I was a teen... I have a new body now since I have had a breast reduction and 2 kids so I put 149... I have NO clue what 149 will look like but I am sure am excited to see!!! I am 201 right now so this week sometime I should break into the 100's which I guess is step 1 to 149!