How Much Should I Weigh? Healthy Weight Ranges by Height

There is no single ideal weight for everyone of the same height. A BMI-based chart can estimate a broad healthy-weight range for most adults, but it cannot account for muscle mass, fat distribution, frame, health history, or how sustainable a particular weight is for you.

People often search “How much should I weigh?” hoping for one reassuring number. Human bodies are better understood as a range with context—not a narrow line everyone must stand on.

The most common way to estimate a healthy weight range

For most U.S. adults, the CDC labels BMI 18.5 through 24.9 as the healthy-weight range. You can calculate the corresponding weight at a given height:

Lower end = 18.5 × height² in meters

Upper end = 24.9 × height² in meters

For a person who is 5 feet 7 inches (about 1.70 m):

Lower end: 18.5 × 1.70² ≈ 53.5 kg (118 lb)
Upper end: 24.9 × 1.70² ≈ 72.0 kg (159 lb)

This creates a range—not a requirement that every 5-foot-7 adult aim for its midpoint.

Healthy weight chart by height

The table below uses BMI 18.5–24.9 and is intended only as an initial reference for typical nonpregnant adults.

Height	Approximate BMI healthy-weight range
5’0” (152 cm)	95–127 lb (43–58 kg)
5’2” (157 cm)	101–136 lb (46–62 kg)
5’4” (163 cm)	110–145 lb (50–66 kg)
5’6” (168 cm)	115–154 lb (52–70 kg)
5’8” (173 cm)	122–164 lb (55–74 kg)
5’10” (178 cm)	129–174 lb (59–79 kg)
6’0” (183 cm)	136–184 lb (62–83 kg)
6’2” (188 cm)	144–194 lb (65–88 kg)
6’4” (193 cm)	152–205 lb (69–93 kg)

Rounding and height conversion can produce small differences from another calculator. The table is not a weight-loss prescription. Athletes, muscular people, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with a condition affecting weight or body composition need more individualized context.

For the formula and category limitations, see what BMI means and how to calculate it.

What about “ideal body weight” formulas?

Several formulas—such as the Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi equations—estimate “ideal body weight” from height and, often, sex. Some were developed for clinical purposes such as medication dosing, not to define the body weight at which every person will look or feel best.

Different formulas can give different answers for the same person. That disagreement is useful information: the result is an estimate created by a model, not a biological destination.

If an online calculator gives you one precise ideal-weight number, read it as a rough reference—not an instruction.

Why can healthy weights differ so much at one height?

Muscle and fat contribute differently to shape

Two people can weigh exactly the same while having very different amounts of muscle and fat. The scale does not identify what makes up those pounds or kilograms.

Body frames and proportions vary

Shoulder width, pelvis structure, limb length, and body proportions affect appearance and clothing size. People do not become the same shape when their BMI matches.

Age and life stage matter

The weight that felt easy and strong at 25 may not be the most sustainable goal decades later. Pregnancy, postpartum recovery, injury, menopause, illness, and aging all change what the body needs.

Health is not produced by weight alone

Blood pressure, glucose, lipids, waist size, strength, mobility, sleep, and mental well-being provide information a weight chart cannot.

“Healthy weight” and “goal weight” are not identical

A healthy-weight category is a population-screening range. A personal goal weight includes your priorities and circumstances.

For one person, a useful target may mean running without knee pain, stable lab results, and eating without constant restriction. For another, it may mean adding muscle and strength, which could increase weight.

A sustainable target should consider:

Medical history and clinical results
Waist size and fat distribution
Muscle mass, strength, and physical function
Energy, sleep, recovery, and menstrual health
The physical and emotional cost of maintaining it

If a number requires chronic hunger, compulsive exercise, or continual self-criticism, it is unlikely to be an ideal weight in any meaningful sense.

What should you track besides weight?

Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio

Waist size provides context about abdominal fat distribution. Waist-to-height ratio adjusts waist circumference for height, although it still cannot directly measure visceral fat.

Body-fat percentage estimates

Body-fat percentage attempts to distinguish fat from other mass. Home scales and equations carry error, so use a consistent method and focus on longer trends.

Body measurements and clothing fit

The same body weight can come with a smaller waist, larger shoulders, or differently fitting clothes. Circumference gives shape to a scale number.

Strength, fitness, and daily life

Your ability to train, climb stairs, recover, sleep, and live with steady energy matters to whether a weight works for you.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a different ideal weight for women and men?

Standard adult BMI categories use the same cutoffs, while some ideal-weight formulas include sex. Average body composition differs, but neither approach can determine one correct personal weight.

How much above or below ideal weight is okay?

Instead of creating a tolerance around one formula result, use a broad screening range and add waist size, body composition, health markers, and your circumstances.

Is BMI accurate for muscular people?

BMI can classify a muscular person as overweight because it does not distinguish muscle from fat. Waist circumference, body-composition assessment, performance, and clinical markers add needed context.

Why do I look heavier even though my weight is in the healthy range?

Appearance depends on muscle, body-fat percentage, fat distribution, posture, proportions, clothing, and perception. A BMI category cannot promise a particular look.

Do I need to lose weight if I am above the chart?

Not solely because of a chart. Consider waist size, medical results, habits, function, and professional advice. Focus on the health or performance outcome you actually want to change.

A useful range is better than a magic number

Weight can be one part of your body record without becoming its identity.

Contura places weight beside waist, chest, hip, arm, and leg measurements and creates comparable 3D bodies. You can see where you sit relative to a formula—and also see meaningful changes that happen when the scale stays the same.

Explore Contura on the App Store