Trying to determine my "ideal" weight.

I'm just over 5'8" and 164 lbs. Not to sound cliche, but I am larger boned and I don't see myself looking anything but wafey if I drop down to 135 lbs like some of my smaller framed friends who share the same height. Can anyone suggest a website or info that would help me determine what I am supposed to weigh for my body type? I know I must also take into account things like Body Mass Index, etc, which I am also clueless about how to determine. Thanks!

Thu. Jun 30, 10:32am

You can find your Body Mass Index using an online calculator. Here's one: http://www.nutritiondata.com/calories-burned.

Another good indicator is % body fat. This can be found using these caliper things - some gyms/trainers can do it for you - or using a density tester that involves getting suspended in a pool of water. The density tester is something you'd find at a nutrition center or hospital or something like that. I think that test is more accurate, but it's also considerably more involved. Percent body fat takes your body type into account much more than the BMI because the BMI says nothing about how much muscle or fat you have or if you have big bones or anything. But it doesn't take into account metabolism, lifestyle, etc, which are also important (just much harder to measure).

I think the concept of ideal weight is very tricky...there probably isn't one ideal weight for each person. For example, if you are a serious marathoner, you're looking for a much lower body weight than someone who is built exactly the same as you but just wants to be healthy and fit her clothes. I think we often (I know I'm definitely guilty, at least) latch on to this fixed number - the ideal weight. But it's probably much more like a healthy weight range rather than the the exact number, and it can't be found on some weight vs. height chart - those are just guidelines and can't be personalized very easily.

So. I'd say talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about what is a healthy weight for you to be aiming for. He or she will probably be able to measure your % body fat for you, and together you'll be able to figure out what is right for you - not based on some chart or the BMI, but based on you and your lifestyle.

I attached the URL for a pretty interesting article discussing this. It might be able to give you a good starting point.

Link

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 1:19 PM

I just want to say that I feel your pain. I have HUGE bones. You can't put your fingers all the way around my wrist. I'm 5'9" and weigh about the same as you but people are always shocked when I tell them that. Then I have them feel my bones, lol. But I know what you mean, there's no way I could weigh 135 and feel healthy. I'm shooting for a more realistic goal.

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 3:03 PM

I'm exactly in the same position (weight and height) as the above poster. I don't think you can determine an ideal weight if you have no idea since everyone's make up is so different. Instead you should determine and ideal dress size. I'm a size 10, I've been an 8 before and I was really happy so that's my ideal weight. Once I got there, I realized my ideal weight is 152-156, I was a perfect size 8.

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 3:49 PM

Well that doesnt alway work. When I first startes (5'4" and 175 pounds) I thought I wanted to be a size 7. Well I am now I am 135 and a size 4 and still not quite happy. But being realistic helps, and not asking for other's opinion. I know when I was 150 pounds and said I wanted to lose 20 pounds people would tell me "no, you will be too skinny," but thats not always how it works. I say just excercise and eat right for the purpose of being healthy. You will lose weight and feel great, and when you are happy with your weight loss add that ice cream back in :) Frankly from the inof you provided, it sounds like to me that you probably dont really even need to lose any weight. But once again we are always harsher on ourselves that others.

Sunday, July 3, 2005, 10:01 AM

Finding ideal weight

Really the body fat testing is the best way. if you get a good testing done - the water tank is the "gold standard" although it's kind of annoying. Once you do that, you can tell how much of you is bone, muscle, etc. To that add the % of body fat that is appropriate for your age & sex (20-22% probably?) That should give you a really good idea of what you should weigh

Friday, June 22, 2007, 8:15 AM

I couldn't fit my fingers around my wrist until I lost 20 pounds! Had nothing to do with my bones, but with my extra weight!!

Friday, June 22, 2007, 9:06 AM

weight

It's not necessary to guess how much weight you wish to reduce (or acquire). In order to have that magic number in your brain that inspires you to eat good and exercise hard, slope game there is a formula to help you determine your goal weight more exactly.

Saturday, December 3, 2022, 12:08 AM

Updated Equations for Ideal Weight wordle
Weight in pounds = 5 x BMI + (BMI divided by 5) x (Height in inches minus 60)
Weight in kilograms = 2.2 x BMI + (3.5 x BMI) x (Height in meters minus 1.5)

Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 6:24 PM

The majority of gartic phone calculation techniques only consider weight and height, hence measurements of muscle and frame size are frequently omitted.

Thursday, February 2, 2023, 11:50 PM

great

IBW is not a perfect measurement, as should be noted. It doesn't take into account how much muscle and how much body fat a person has. As a result, tall, fit athletes may be categorized as overweight snake io based on their IBW. Because of this, the IBW should be seen as an imperfect metric that does not necessarily represent health or the weight a person is striving to obtain; you can be above or below your "IBW" and still be in excellent condition.

Monday, February 13, 2023, 6:16 PM

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