How Much Should I Weigh? Here is the Simple Answer

If you suspect that you have put on some weight, the first thing that comes to your mind is: how much should I weigh? This is also a natural question if you have been overweight or obese for many years and have finally decided to get back in shape.

BMI and ideal weight

There can be different methods to arrive at how much you should weigh. The most commonly used method is based on BMI. There are different Body Mass Index Ranges which determine if you are in ideal weight category or overweight. Simply if your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, then you are in normal weight range. Anything above this range means you are overweight and anything under this would imply that you are underweight.

This brings us to the question that how you can calculate your BMI? Just click here to know about BMI calculation methods. If you would want a quicker answer, then look at this ideal weight chart.

However, BMI method is not fool proof. There are limitations to this method of finding ideal weight like sex, muscle percentage in the body and body frame size.

Renowned nutritionist Kery Glassman proposes a simpler formula to quickly determine ideal weight for a woman. Here is the formula:

Start with 100 pounds (ca. 45 kg) of weight for 5 feet (ca. 152 cm) height. And for every inch of additional height, add 5 pounds (2.27 kg). Now add and subtract 10 percent of this number to account for gender, genetics, muscle mass etc. This will give you the ideal weight range for your height. Here is a sample calculation for someone whose height is 5 feet  and 7 inches: 

For 5 feet = 100 pounds (ca. 45 kg)
for additional 7 inches = 7x5 = 35 pounds (ca. 16 kg)
Total = 135 pounds (ca. 61 kg)
lower limit = 135x.9= 121.5 pounds (ca. 55 kg)
Upper limit= 135X1.1= 148.5 pounds (ca. 67 kg)

So, for a 5 fit 7 inches female, the ideal weight range is 121.5 to 148.5 pounds. 

However, both above methods do not account for exceptional cases. For example, people who are unusually tall (thin frame) or who have short height may not find the calculation of their ideal weight as accurate.

Especially BMI method does not consider the age factor. It is known that older people and females have higher body fat percentage. Therefore, BMI calculations might be misleading. Similarly, athletes have more muscle, which weighs more than fat. In their cases a weight higher than their suggested ideal weight may be perfectly healthy.

Waist to hip ratio

Another good indication of how much you should weigh is waist to hip ratio. You just measure your waist and divide it with measurement of your hips. In case of females, healthy waist to hip ratio should be in the range of 0.81 to 0.85. For males this range is 0.96 to 1.0. The slight variation considers that women are genetically predisposed to store more fat in the hips. Here is a sample calculation:

let's assume a female has a waist size of 36 and a hip measurement of 38. 
Waist to hip ratio = 36/38 = 0.95 

This means that she is in the Overweight category. 

Waist to height ratio

Another answer to the question of how much should I weight is waist to height ratio. You take your waist measurement and divide it by your height, both numbers in inches. Generally speaking, a number less than .50 is considered healthy weight. Here is an example calculation for a female with a height of 5 feet and 7 inches and a waist of 35:

Height = 67 inches
waist= 35 inches
Waist to Height ratio = 35/67 = 0.55 

This ratio is above 0.50, therefore, her weight is not in the ideal range. 

When you are trying to figure out how much you should weight, first point to start is generally BMI. However, you try any of the above methods. And if you find yourself in the overweight category, it is time to manage your weight.

Weight by height chart