I go by body fat and work backwards. It changes as I work out so I periodically reassess. I try to aim for between 20-25% body fat (I do like to eat!). At 5'3 I have 103 pounds of lean which means there is NO way I could go by the 100 lbs + 5 lbs for every inch - I haven't weight that since college as a size zero! It really really depends on your build. I was 124 for my wedding and I was really skinny. I shoot for around 132 -135 - at that height I wore a 4 and could still eat what I wanted. Still working on getting back to that post baby/turning 40 though...

Anonymous wrote:none of this is relevant without height.

i'm 5'7, very athletic and my ideal is about 150. i know, gasp! but i'm a 6-8 at that weight and am proportional so it suits me. any lower is too hard to maintain.

It's also irrelevant without body composition. I am 5'11 and am pretty good in terms of body fat when I am 190. I couldn't get to 155 without losing a lot of muscle and perhaps also an arm.

Anonymous wrote:I lost a bunch of weight at one point and the "ideal weight" was obvious--down to a certain point, I felt and looked better and stronger. But once I got to the "ideal" point, any time I dropped below it, people would ask if I was sick. It was the line between "fit/trim" and "too thin".

It is probably coincidence, but for me it was right around 120-122, and I am 5'4", so in line with the rule of thumb cited above.

This. I'd start looking gaunt. I'd start losing weight in my face and people would express concern. I also got sick more often.

I'm 5'9", and 140-145 is where I usually sit with minimal effort. I can work to get down to 135, but below that, I don't look or feel as good. So, I guess that's the rule of thumb as well. (100 pounds + 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet).

(12:54 here - I'm 5'8")

none of this is relevant without height.

i'm 5'7, very athletic and my ideal is about 150. i know, gasp! but i'm a 6-8 at that weight and am proportional so it suits me. any lower is too hard to maintain.

I'm one of the 140-ish posters. I got below that weight the first time I marathon trained - down to about 135. For me, that was apparently too skinny. People kept telling me to eat a sandwich. My arms got really veiny. Meanwhile I was eating close to 3,000 calories a day.

I kind of miss those days - my over-40 (post-kid) metabolism doesn't let me eat 3,000 without gaining anymore! And I'm nowhere near 135.