Opinion call on height/ weight
Hey guys, I don't usually post on the Men's forum but I do come by now and then for reading and absorbing what I can from other's experiences.
I really need the perspective of men for determining my goal weight though. Surgeon says 156lbs. I feel that is too high a weight for me being only 5ft 5in tall. I was thinking more like 135lbs. But, my ideas on height weight proportion are admittedly distorted after all these years of obesity. I have looked at charts and such but I want real opinions from real people here.
So, what do you guys think? What would a normal weight range be for 5'5 on a guy?
Sorry, I can't help you there but will say my goal is much higher than what the charts say. I am 6'0" and they said I should be around 185lb. For my build and muscle mass that is just not practical and I would not like to be that light. I set a goal around 230lb for me and now that I am 255 I am thinking that a weight around 220 would be a better fit. This goal is not set in stone, make an educated decision and reevaluate as you go. Good luck on your journy.
Highest Weight 06/2011 = 370
Weight at Surgery 04/11/2012 = 328.8
Goal Weight = 230
Two words come to mind...body frame. I was a high school football player (lineman). Of course I thought I was a large frame. My nutritionist said I was a medium frame...I laughed at him. Sure enough, he was right. You could be a small frame (muscle and bone structure). If I were you I would work toward 156 and see how you look a that time. If you are gaining muscle mass from exercise or lifting, readjust as needed. At 156 you should see how much excess skin you have (the younger the man and the lighter the weight to start off with, the lesser the amount of skin). As long as you do not drop below 2% body fat (excluding skin) you should be OK.
Thank you Cabin. Body frame is an excellent point. I am very short but, I really don't know what my body frame is in terms of small, medium or large. I vaguely remember weighing 150 when I was in high school and know that at that time, that weight was a bit excessive for me but, my body has changed a lot in 18 years, so , we shall see. Thanks for the feedback.
Pervious posts are all good points for you to consider. I haven't had plastic surgery & probably never will but I estimate that I have about 25 lbs of excess skin. I base this on a guy in my support group who had plastics 3 yrs post-op; who is about my height (5'11"), body type (medium frame), and starting pre-op weight of 378 lbs; and who had 25 lbs of skin removed. So, you need to take that into consideration.
I set my goal weight 10 lbs lower than my surgeon did - 190 vs. 200. I'm 3+ yrs post-op & have never met either but I'm happy where I am - healthy, active, & feeling great. Since I'm very active (exercise 5 days/wk 1-1.5 hrs/day), I'm more concerned with my body fat - currently 20.1% (healthy for men age 40-59 is 11 to 22%).
Good luck!
Mike
HW: 392 lbs SW: 377.5 lbs
CW: 215 lbs GW: 190 lbs
Thanks Mike. You mentioned age near the end of the post and I believe that is a factor that I really need to consider. I'm not a young buck anymore and I don't know that my body will be or feel comfortable at 135 in my mid thirties. I really appreciate the response and I think I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing with my eating plan and exercise and see where the chips fall.
If you use a BMI calculator the highest you can weigh at 5'5" and be in the "normal" range is 149. At 150 you are just edging into the "overweight" category .. Keep in mind this is still way below obese, or morbidly obese. I agree with the above comments. just follow your plan and see where you body takes you. I believe that if you follow the plan, your body will eventually find it's resting goal weight. Hopefully because you are younger, you won't have a lot of extra skin. According to the BMI chart I'm in the overweight category at 170ish. (and 5'9") but I'm actually quite bony now, and I too figure my extra saggy skin accounts for some of the weight that I still carry. It's a little early for you to start worrying about goal weights. Enjoy this period of rapid weight loss and see where it takes you. Even when you think you are done loosing, you may still continue to loose (albeit slowly) for the next year.
J