Appropreate weight for my height and age?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm starting to log my food and make some goals for myself, but am having a bit of trouble trying to decide what I should realistically aim for. I'm a 5'7" 38 y/o Female.

I'm not working at this time, so am spending most of the day at the computer, but I do try to get at least 15-30 minutes of walking or swimming in each day. Summer in the desert isn't very conducive to outdoor sports, but I try to walk early in the day, or about an hour after sunset.

Any suggestions on what weight I should be aiming for? I'm also interested in opinions for what my calorie deficit should be for a steady & safe loss, and if there's a macro nutrient ratio that works well, or if it is just the overall cal count that matters.

I'm thinking about joining something like Weight Watchers because I think face to face accountability would help me, at least in the beginning. All comments welcome and appreciated.

Thanks

I am 5' 10" and I have been told I should weigh 179 lbs

Hi there,
You might start with a BMI calculation. FitDay will do it for you when you enter you current height, gender and weight. BMI has its pros and cons, for example if you are very athletic with lots of muscle mass it tends to put you in a less healthy catagory than is appropriate. Or if you are very fine boned the upper end of the "healthy" catagory may still be too much weight for a slight frame. But it is a good place to start, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. Age also plays a role, especially if you are female. Muscle and fat ratios tend to change as we approach menopause.

Why don't you start there and let us know if you have questions... that's what we are here for :)

hi
this is my first time at dieting and i am on a combination diet .Its working for me i dont mix starch with protien look at slimmercise you can do on line also food focus will tell you how many cals you need to eat for your height and weigth

Thanks for the suggestions, I haven't heard of either of these sites(?) or programs(?)...I'll look into them though.

Your percentage of bodyfat can be measured with calipers. It is possible to be "fat-skinny", in other words, be underweight, but carrying fat rather than lean muscle tissue.