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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I always figure 100 pounds for 5' and then 5 pounds for each additional inch, or at least that's a good average for a medium frame.[/quote]

I am 5’6” and that would be 130 for me. I am currently 145 and my lean mass is about 113 pounds of that (22% bodyfat). If I managed to keep all of it dieting down to 130, I would be only 13% bodyfat which is extremely low and unhealthy for a female. People call me skinny when I am at 140. So it all depends on your frame size and how much muscle you carry. 130 could be fine for some but definitely not for me.
My advice for OP would be to focus on bodyfat percentage rather than weight. 20-25% is a good target for a female.[/quote]

Sounds good in theory, but there isn’t a way to accurately know your body fat percentage that is simple, easy, free.  Or is there?[/quote]

DEXA is the preferred method, it is not free though. I would also not waste time and money on the bodyfat measuring scales. They are extremely inaccurate. You can also estimate bodyfat through measurements of waist vs. other body parts. It wont be as accurate as DEXA though which is quite accessible in the DMV. The cheapest I found was at the Bodymass gym in Arlington.[/quote]

I don’t think a DEXA scan is a realistic for most people to be getting on a semi-regular basis to track body fat. Be real [/quote]

Dp. Seriously. Just take an objective look at yourself, naked, in front of a mirror. I'm 5'7, currently 145, fighting weight (where I look and feel my best) is 135. When I look at my body, I see my stomach is doughy, I have love handles/muffin top and my arms, legs and butt are jiggly. I've been doing as others at dcum have preached: living with extra weight so that I can enjoy the pleasure of eating crap and a lot of it. Problem is, I don't like what I see in the mirror, especially because I know how great I look and feel 10 pounds lighter. Team bmi, team goal weight, team you don't need dexa to tell you to clean up your diet and exercise more.[/quote]

I was not claiming you NEED DEXA. I was just answering what is the most accurate way to obtain your bodyfat percentage if you care enough to know. Looking in the mirror is fine but many skinny looking people would be surprised that their BF percentage is actually fairly high as they carry close to no muscle. Target body weight, which I actually also have, is easier to determine when you know what your starting body composition actually is. [/quote]

But you (or someone) said ideal body weight should be based on body fat percentage.  Given this is only accurately resulted through a DEXA scan, I don’t think this is very helpful.  Im not in DC, but I’m in a decent size city, and as far as I know, the only DEXA scans being done are ordered by Drs for bone density.  Probably bigger cities have them like you said, but still, it is something you have to make an appointment for, pay for, and drive to.  Maybe OP can do this.  But if not, just look in the mirror.  Do you have good
muscle tone, definition, mass? How soft are you? BMI? That is just as good for the general purpose of average people [/quote]

I agree with the visual assessment but that by itself won’t help you determine what a good goal weight is. Which is why I would not focus on it. You can just continue with visual assessments and measurements once you have determined what it is that you need to do, I.e. gain muscle, lose fat or both. I would still claim though that DEXA is an excellent tool if you have access to it to assess true progress because sometimes you just need a reality check. For example I was trying to gain muscle for 6 months last year. I did a DEXA at the beginning and at the end. I was busting my behind in the gym, all my lifts went up, I thought I was seeing new muscle. And you know what my DEXA told me? That my entire almost 10lbs increase in weight was fat. I am just quite lucky that my fat distributes fairly evenly and I was still able to wear the same clothes. Sometimes we just refuse to see the reality in the mirror. That is why I prefer hard reliable data. But of course I understand that it is not feasible for everyone, and in that case measurements, scale weight and visual assessment can work as a second best.
 [/quote]

Funny that this is your conclusion as opposed to, say, maybe the DEXA was inaccurate or poorly calibrated. Monitoring your body like that is not normal behavior and is certainly not necessary for health. [/quote]

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