How Much Should You Weigh?

As with all goals, it helps to have a specific target in sight when trying to lose weight so you know exactly how much you need to lose and then, if desired, figure out how many weeks, months, years, decades of your life it might take to get rid of alllllllllllllllllllll those pounds.

So, ummmmm, how much should you weigh?

Well, below is where you should find a fancy height and weight chart that you could just figure out your ideal weight from, but that chart obviously isn’t there.

Why?

Ummmmm, because I knew you’d be furious at me for making it so convenient for you when not only do you love math but you also know the value of working things out yourself. So knowing the special place you have in your heart for complex math equations, I didn’t want to deprive you of the pleasure of figuring it out by hand.¹I also have a word count to meet for SEO purposes, people!!!

Enjoy!

IDEAL BODY FAT PERCENTAGE

All you have to do is find out your current body fat percentage.²DEXA scans, hydrostatic weighing, and air-displacement plethysmography produce the most accurate measurements. If you don’t have access to these tools, then get a rough approximation of where you are with calipers or a bioelectric impedance monitor. A good old-fashioned tape measure also does the job. Once you have that information, refer to the table below for your ideal body fat percentage and then perform a series of calculations with the accompanying formula.³Note on the chart that women have a higher body fat percentage than men. That’s because they’re not as efficient at burning calories thanks to having less lean muscle mass. Further compounding matters, women also carry around more fat for stupid reproductive needs. You know, stupid shit like ovulation, fetal development, and the creation of ass and titties large enough for men to overlook their owner’s shitty personality long enough to possibly procreate with them.

Table: Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart

FORMULA
Lean Body Weight ÷ (1 − Target Body Fat Percentage) = Target Body Weight

EXAMPLE:
A woman wants to lose weight to enter a women’s physique competition, possibly in the figure division.⁴She obviously needs validation because there’s no other reason why someone would enter one of those things! Oh, to prove something to themselves?, you say. Ha!!! She currently weighs 140 lbs and her very inaccurate bathroom scale gives a reading of 30 percent body fat, making her 42 lbs of fat and 98 lbs of lean tissue.⁵(Body Weight × Body Fat Percentage) = Total Fat Weight
(140 lbs × 0.3) = Total Fat Weight
(140 lbs × 0.3) = 42 lbs of Total Fat

(Body Weight – Total Fat Weight) = Lean Body Mass
(140 lbs – 42 lbs) = Lean Body Mass
(140 lbs – 42 lbs) = 98 lbs of Lean Body Mass She’s in the middle of creating a SMART weight loss goal and is on the “measurable” part of the process but doesn’t know the amount of weight she should work towards. To enter the show and be competitive, she knows she needs to be at least 10 to 13 percent body fat. So after doing the calculation, she finds out that she needs to weigh 109 to 113 lbs.⁶[Lean Body Weight ÷ (1 − Target Body Fat Percentage)] = Target Body Weight
[98 lbs ÷ (1 − .10)] = Target Body Weight
[98 lbs ÷ (1 − .10)] = 109 lbs

[Lean Body Weight ÷ (1 − Target Body Fat Percentage)] = Target Body Weight
[98 lbs ÷ (1 − .13)] = Target Body Weight
[98 lbs ÷ (1 − .13)] = 113 lbs That means she needs to lose 27 to 31 lbs to reach an essential fat level of 10 to 13 percent.⁷[Current Weight − Ideal Weight] = Weight to Lose
[140 lbs − 113 lbs] = Weight to Lose
[140 lbs − 113 lbs] = 27 lbs to Lose

[Current Weight − Ideal Weight] = Weight to Lose
[140 lbs − 109 lbs] = Weight to Lose
[140 lbs − 109 lbs] = 31 lbs to Lose

Ideal Body Weight

Can’t afford even a tape measure to find out your body fat percentage? Or maybe you just can’t be bothered to? In that case, you’ll be happy to hear there’s an alternative method to finding out the amount of weight you should work toward that has nothing to do with body fat percentage. Interested? It involves math too, so of course you’re interested!

How Much A Woman Should Weigh
Start with 100 lbs for the first five feet of your height and add 5 lbs for every additional inch.

FORMULA
[100 lbs + (5 lbs × Height in)] = Weight lbs

EXAMPLE:
A woman who’s 5’5” and currently weighs 234 lbs wants to lose weight to raise the odds of conceiving and, if lucky enough to become pregnant, lower the risk of miscarriage and birth defects.⁸While there’s nothing wrong with that goal, she probably could’ve came up with a better one because, you know, FUCK KIDS!!! She’s in the middle of creating a SMART weight loss goal and is on the “measurable” part of the process but doesn’t know the amount of weight she should work towards. After doing the calculation, she finds out that a woman her height should weigh 125 lbs.⁹[100 lbs + (5 lbs × Height in)] = Weight lbs
[100 lbs + (5 lbs × 5 in)] = Weight lbs
[100 lbs + (5 lbs × 5 in)] = 125 lbs That means she needs to lose 109 lbs.¹⁰[Current Weight − Ideal Weight] = Weight to Lose
[234 lbs − 125 lbs] = Weight to Lose
[234 lbs − 125 lbs] = 109 lbs to Lose

How Much A Man Should Weigh
Start with 106 lbs for the first five feet of your height and add 6 lbs for every additional inch.

FORMULA
[106 lbs + (6 lbs × Height in)] = Weight lbs

EXAMPLE:
A man who’s 6’2” and currently weighs 230 lbs just got out of a long-term relationship and wants to lose weight to get back into the dating scene and start having tons of casual sex to make up for lost time.¹¹First, he should’ve never gotten into a committed relationship. Second, when has being in a committed relationship ever stopped anyone from having tons of casual sex?!?! He’s in the middle of creating a SMART weight loss goal and is on the “measurable” part of the process but doesn’t know the amount of weight he should work towards. After doing the calculation, he finds out that a man his height should weigh 190 lbs.¹²[106 lbs + (6 lbs × Height in)] = Weight lbs
[106 lbs + (6 lbs × 14 in)] = Weight lbs
[106 lbs + (6 lbs × 14 in)] = 190 lbs

Remember, there are 12 inches in 1 foot. So because he’s 6’2”, there are a total of 14 inches over five feet that 6 lbs have to be added to in the formula! That means he needs to lose 40 lbs.¹³[Current Weight − Ideal Weight] = Weight to Lose
[230 lbs − 190 lbs] = Weight to Lose
[230 lbs − 190 lbs] = 40 lbs to Lose

NOTE (A): How much you should weigh should be within a 10 lbs range above or below the figure arrived at with either formula. So someone who should weigh 175 lbs has an acceptable range of 165 to 185 lbs.

NOTE (B): Ideal weight calculations are inherently inaccurate because your amount of bone, muscle, and fat aren’t taken into account. As an illustration, bodybuilders, athletes, and people who work out regularly may weigh more than the average person but be considered overweight according to ideal weight calculations when they’re actually in perfect shape. Another thing not taken into account is your body frame and how well you carry your weight. For these reasons, your ideal body weight should only serve as a reference.

Glossary: bodybuilder, calories, fat, goal, muscle, work out

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Monster Longe

Monster Longe is a personal trainer in San Diego. He has been lifting weights for +25 years and training clients in the gym and online for about half of that time. When not working with clients or making content that's easy to read, understand, and apply to everyday life, he enjoys long walks and leaving buildings crushed and entire city blocks decimated in his wake.

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