Is 8st too little for someone around 5ft 2?

[Youdoyou12]

Settle a debate. Do you think 8st is too little when you are 5ft 2ish? Size 8 clothing are perfect or a little loose. Age 41. Two kids. I know there’s no rules,it’s not me saying that there is but I need to hear opinions on this.

Yeah I think it depends! I am 5ft 2 and look best at 9-9.5 stone.

I had a friend of the same height who was slightly under 8 stone and she didn’t look any thinner than I was at 8.5/9 stone despite there been almost a stone difference. Whereas because I am naturally quite muscly with good bone density I looked too thin when I was under 8.5 stone and certainly at 8 stone I looked very twiggy.

If you look at BMI weight guidance 8 stone is towards the lower limit of what is a healthy weight range.

So it means you cannot afford to lose more than a few pounds without becoming underweight.

So strictly speaking yes it can be okay in terms of health and the way it looks but again - it really depends on the individual and their overall body composition.

No

I’m 5’3 and 8.5 stone. I think I look and feel fine, so your weight sounds fine for your height.

However, I regularly get told (mostly by overweight women) that I’m “too thin” and faux concern about not losing any more. I don’t want to or plan to lose any more, and find maintaining easy enough.

My weight crept up to 10 stone for a while a few years ago, and it felt too heavy for me.

I am the same! My Mum, my grandmother and my DD all have very small frames. We don’t look skinny, just petite.

I think women under a certain age tend to be more aware of the importance of body composition, but for many women that grew up influenced by “health” and fashion trends of the 90s and earlier they may not really think about things like body fat and bone density.

I was 8st at 5’2 when I was a teenager and early 20s, and it looked perfectly lovely. After two children and now in my 50s and weight training I’m 9.5st. But whatever works for your frame really.

Actually apparently healthy weight for 5ft2 is between 7stone 4 and 9 stone 10 - so 8 stone isn’t quite so close to the lower range as I thought.

I’m 5ft 1 and 7.5 stone. I have a tiny frame, my whole family are the same (even my siblings who are much taller), my DM is 93 and only just a size 10!

I am an endurance runner though. I also weight train twice a week. I eat loads, really loads - and it’s really good food too. But lots of refined carbs too specifically for the running as I burn them off. I was this size before I started running though (but active)

I’m not massively concerned about my weight, or body size - it’s the health of my body that matters to me. If I can be like my DM at 93 and be completely independent and living a full life , then my body is one I’m grateful for!

Wow. She didn’t even say it was her.

Perfectly fine, I was less than 8 stone when I got pregnant with no.2 and I’m 6+ inches taller.

I'm envious. I'm 5ft 3 and until mid 30s was 7 stone 12. Small build so that was in healthy weight range and very close to supposed ideal weight of 8 stone 1. Trust me. You're just right.

True enough.

hmm..I’d didn’t read it like that. I assumed someone -either the OP or their friend - is 8 stone and the worry is they may be underweight so they’ve come on for reassurance they’re not too skinny.

When I was 8 stone I had some hysterical relatives claiming I was on the verge of an ED 😣😆tbf I did look super scrawny but the funny thing is I was eating 3 meals plus snacks every day. The only changes I had made was I walked - a lot and cut out red meat.

Good luck with your weight loss, I am taller than you but I was 13 stone at one point which put me into obese BMI so I know it’s not easy. The shorter you are the more harder it can be too lose weight, since we need to eat so little to be in a calorie deficit unless we are burning lots through exercise.

Come on, get that chip off your shoulder. It’s not about you.

It's absolutely galling though, it really is, to read posts like OP's. Seems to be radio silence from her now though.

Thank you everyone, yeah it is me. I had my family (mum, aunt and sister) come to my home to do an “intervention” because they thought I was too thin I have lost 2stone through a lot of hard works. Some of the things they said were “you are a grown woman it’s ridiculous” “you have two kids now so you can’t be this small, own the fact you have had them” I’m actually just so disappointed in them. I’m not to small or skinny at all imo.

Why?

I said I am 8st 4lb and I have a big layer of fat. And I do. There’s nothing galling about that, it’s the truth. It’s not meant to hurt anyone else. How you feel about yourself is up to you but that’s my reality, and I’d look better with another half a stone off. Everyone is different. Some people carry the weight well, some of us don’t.

Yes I guessed it was something like this. As I said upthread I had hysteria about ED from relatives when I lost a stone off my usual weight.

As I also said before Op it really depends on the individual. I was too thin at 8 stone and I’m 5ft 2. My legs looked like sticks.

My friend of the same height looked absolutely fine at less than 8 stone.

Your family may have valid concerns, they may not.

No one on this thread can tell you that. Go see a doctor and consider getting a body analysis scan if you can’t afford say a DEXA. That will tell you things like body fat, body water and bone density.

No my legs don’t look like sticks my dh agrees he would tell me the truth. He thinks I look healthy and slimmed down but not too thin at all

Sounds good to me!

Depends on how much muscle you have

Are they bigger, are they jeakous as that’s some mean comments, why can’t you be that slim if you’ve had kids? What do they mean own it?

as said I’m taller and my bmi a smidge lower than yours and I certainly don’t look thin. I look slim, yes, but not thin.

Why on earth would she go and see a doctor. She’s a healthy weight.

Fair enough.

Well in that case it could be that your family are just not used to you at that weight so they’re over-reacting. Your weight may well be absolutely perfect for your size and frame!

But I or anyone on this thread can’t tell you that for sure either way.