What's a good weight for 5'4"?

[Olivetti]

I'm not going to say what I am, because I don't want people being kind I genuinely want S&Bers views on what is a nice weight for my height. My frame is small/medium and I have natural (i.e. before fat!) boobs and hips. Thanks!

Its true, its all about body composition.

Its better to weigh 65kg (10 stone 3) if you have 50kg lean mass (bone and muscle etc) and 15 kg fat, as it means your body fat percentage is 23% which is pretty good and you will then have a basal metabolic rate of approximately 1620 calories a day (that's before any exercise - that's what your body just needs at rest in a day to survive) - add your exercise both structured and incidental (just dashing around etc) and you could maintain that weight eating quite well.

Yet if you weigh 9 stone 6 (60kg) yet only have a lean mass of 45kg and still have 15kg fat on you, your fat will be more "obvious" because there's more of it in relation to the rest of you, it will wobble more etc, and you will have a much lesser basal metabolic rate and have to work much harder and eat much less to maintain this "lighter but fatter" body.

Its all about body composition

About 9 1/2 stone is right for me but I can only get there if I cut out almost all carbs and booze. Have noticed my shape has changed post DS, I'm quite hippy whereas before I always had slim hips/bottom and carried weight on my tummy. I am still bf'ing though and have another stone at least to lose.

I'm 5'3" and weighed 8 stone 5 pre pregnancy. Now dd is 13 months and I weigh 9 stone 4. Everyone says I look a lot better now with a bit more weight on me. But I have that awful mum tum which is probably as good as it's going to get and i no longer go in at the waist, and I have much fatter legs and hips! It seems as though my shape has changed for good but I think if I got to 8 stone 12 ish I'd look better.

I wish I was 9 stone 10. I'm currently 12 stone and desperatly trying to loose weight to no avail - my user name says it all. Bloody thyroid hate the bastard thing

I'm 5.4 and currently weigh 10 St 5
I look best at about 9st but have just had baby 8 weeks ago hence the larger size!
Am still only a size 10/12 though so don't feel too much rushed too lose the excess, will wait till I stop bf'ing (as always hungry at the mo!)

I am 5'4'' and my Wii fit tells me my ideal weight is 9 stone 3lb. I am about 10 stone 3lb, just within my OK range. I am about a size 12. I have fallen out of the habit of exercising and am trying to get back into it but I doubt I will ever be 9 stone 3lb again!!

Yes about 9 stone.

But how have I missed that Showy has had a baby!! Congratulations.

I am 5 foot 4 and weigh about 8.5 stone I think. Had a phase where I went up to 10.5 stone and that definitely was too much for me. Would probably look OK down to about 8 stone but think I am OK at the moment. Plus I am riding my bike a lot more now so maybe even getting a little bit fitter

The NHS BMI calculator helps tell you where you should be BMI

But I do think it is different for everyone. I'm 5'4 too and when I was 65kg (so about 10 stone) I had Dcup boobs, flat stomach, and generally slim everywhere. The photos of when I was 55kg I looked borderline painfully thin. I think a lot is how your body distributes your weight which BMI calculators don't really help with.

NHS BMI is great for "health screening" - i.e if your BMI says you are healthy, you probably are, and if it says you are not, you might not be.

For aesthetics it can do you wrong. At your "definitely healthy" weight it can have you looking like near-death and at your "might not be healthy" weight it can have you looking radiant.

It really is all about body composition but BMI assumes various averages and liklihoods in relation to this factor based on statistics and probability.

I would also say if your NHS BMI has you somewhere in the middle or upper end of healthy then you probably are not only healthy but also looking fine. But there are some exceptions and its not always athletes or black people.

Thank you MrsCampbellBlack. No idea how you missed me running on about the baby.

Thanks for this, I know i'm overweight 5'4" 11 stone and 49yrs, post menapause so even though it wont be easy ,you lot are my inspiration. I'll drop a stone.

I would say about 8-9 stone - I'm 5'2" and 8st seems a nice weight for me.

I agree it depends on your build and body composition, and the ideal weight is not necessarily the same for two people of the same height. Depends on personal taste as well as to what weight you think looks best.

I would say 8 and a half stone MAX.

Oh crap, so so so sorry, I didn't read all of thread I should say that I have always been thin so struggle to think of being anything other than

I think if the weight is still around your waist, then lowering carbs is the way to go, rather than any other kind of diet. I find that bread and pasta make me bloated and shows immediately around my middle.

When I got married, 2 years ago, my waist was 27.5 inches. It's almost 1 year since baby, and my waist is 30 inches

This thread has really inspired me to lose some weight!

I'm about 5' 3.5" and weigh about 9.5 stone (a bit less on a good day!). I would really like to lose half a stone and be just under 9 stone.

Any tips for losing half a stone and keeping it off? Other than eating less obviously! Do I really have to cut out/cut down on carbs?

Im exactly 5 4" and weigh 10 stone 7 at the minute which I feel is heavy BMI 25.2. I think it all depends on your shape my friend has a much smaller waist than me and weighs the same but is all thighs and bum so I think as long as you can look in the mirror and be happy it doesnt matter what the scales say. When I met DH I weighed 8 st 8 lbs and looked slim all over yet everyone said I looked my best around the time I got married and I weighed 9 st 5lb then as was exercising alot more I had more muscle tone.

If your just looking at loosing a few inches off your waist you may be better just doing toning exercises.

I'm 5ft 4 and measured 38-28-38 at 11.5 stone - large build. So I'd say that actually it depends on build and everyone is different.

For me personally I wouldn't want to be any less than 11 stone

I was 8.5 stone once and looked gaunt and bony... 10st is slim rather than curvy for me. 9st is skinny for me.

This really is quite inspiring as I am much nearer 11stone but after a while it becomes quite normal. Time to get that excess stone off and then see where I go from there. Post 40 though I think a few extra pounds (and a mean a few) can help you look a bit better!