Posted September 25th, 2008 by smartElder
Let’s say you need to lose some pounds (kilos if you fair from a metric country). How much do you need to lose? What should you goal be? You ask, “What is my optimal weight?”
Your optimal weight is a function of your gender and height, and “frame size”. Your frame size is calculated by doing the following:
- Find the ball on the tip of your elbow.
- Find the two prominent bones on either side of that ball. (The tingly area of your “funny bone” will be between the ball and one of those bones.
- Measure the distance between the two prominent bones. That is your elbow measurement.
Now that you know your elbow measurement, refer to this chart for your “frame size”. The chart lists all the measurements for medium frame size. If your elbow measurement is smaller than the range on the chart for your height, you are considered small frame. If your elbow measurement is bigger than the range on the chart for your height, you are considered large frame. Note that I have the chart in Imperial (U.S.) and Metric units. Switch between the two by toggling the link below the chart.
| Elbow Measurements for Medium Frame |
| Women |
Men |
| Height |
Elbow Measurement |
Height |
Elbow Measurement |
| 4′10″-4′11″ |
2-1/4″ to 2-1/2″ |
5′2″ - 5′3″ |
2-1/2″ to 2-7/8″ |
| 5′0″ - 5′3″ |
2-1/4″ to 2-1/2″ |
5′4″ - 5′7″ |
2-5/8″ to 2-7/8″ |
| 5′4″ - 5′7″ |
2-3/8″ to 2-5/8″ |
5′8″ - 5′11″ |
2-3/4″ to 3″ |
| 5/8″ - 5′11″ |
2-3/8″ to 2-5/8″ |
6′0″ - 6′3″ |
2-3/4″ to 3-1/8″ |
| 6′0″ |
2-1/2″ to 2-3/4″ |
6′4″ |
2-7/8″ to 3-1/4″ |
Metric Units
| Elbow Measurements for Medium Frame (cm) |
| Women |
Men |
| Height |
Elbow Measurement |
Height |
Elbow Measurement |
| 147.32 - 149.86 |
5.71 - 6.35 |
157.48 - 160.02 |
6.35 - 7.30 |
| 152.40 - 160.02 |
5.71 - 6.35 |
162.56 - 170.18 |
6.67 - 7.30 |
| 162.56 - 170.18 |
6.03 - 6.67 |
172.72 - 180.34 |
6.98 - 7.62 |
| 172.72 - 180.34 |
6.03 - 6.67 |
182.88 - 190.50 |
6.98 - 7.94 |
| 182.88 |
6.35 - 6.98 |
193.04 |
7.30 - 8.25 |
Imperial Units
Now that you know your frame size, find your ideal weight in the chart below:
| Ideal Body Weight (lbs) |
| Women |
Men |
| Height |
Small Frame |
Medium Frame |
Large Frame |
| 4′10″ |
102-111 |
109-121 |
118-131 |
| 4′11″ |
103-113 |
111-123 |
120-134 |
| 5′0″ |
104-115 |
113-126 |
122-137 |
| 5′1″ |
106-118 |
115-129 |
125-140 |
| 5′2″ |
108-121 |
118-132 |
128-143 |
| 5′3″ |
111-124 |
121-135 |
131-147 |
| 5′4″ |
114-127 |
124-138 |
134-151 |
| 5′5″ |
117-130 |
127-141 |
137-155 |
| 5′6″ |
120-133 |
130-144 |
140-159 |
| 5′7″ |
123-136 |
133-147 |
143-163 |
| 5′8″ |
126-139 |
136-150 |
146-167 |
| 5′9″ |
129-142 |
139-153 |
149-170 |
| 5′10″ |
132-145 |
142-156 |
152-173 |
| 5′11″ |
135-148 |
145-159 |
155-176 |
| 6′0″ |
138-151 |
148-162 |
158-179 |
| 6′1″ |
141-154 |
151-165 |
161-182 |
| 6′2″ |
144-157 |
154-168 |
164-185 |
| 6′3″ |
147-160 |
157-171 |
167-188 |
| 6′4″ |
150-163 |
160-174 |
170-191 |
| 6′5″ |
153-166 |
163-177 |
173-194 |
| 6′6″ |
156-169 |
166-180 |
176-197 |
| 6′7″ |
159-172 |
169-183 |
179-200 |
| 6′8″ |
162-175 |
172-186 |
182-203 |
| 6′9″ |
165-178 |
175-189 |
185-206 |
| 6′10″ |
168-181 |
178-192 |
188-209 |
|
| Height |
Small Frame |
Medium Frame |
Large Frame |
| 4′10″ |
120-126 |
123-133 |
130-138 |
| 4′11″ |
122-128 |
125-135 |
132-141 |
| 5′0″ |
124-130 |
127-137 |
134-144 |
| 5′1″ |
126-132 |
129-139 |
136-147 |
| 5′2″ |
128-134 |
131-141 |
138-150 |
| 5′3″ |
130-136 |
133-143 |
140-153 |
| 5′4″ |
132-138 |
135-145 |
142-156 |
| 5′5″ |
134-140 |
137-148 |
144-160 |
| 5′6″ |
136-142 |
139-151 |
146-164 |
| 5′7″ |
138-145 |
142-154 |
149-168 |
| 5′8″ |
140-148 |
145-157 |
152-172 |
| 5′9″ |
142-151 |
148-160 |
155-176 |
| 5′10″ |
144-154 |
151-163 |
158-180 |
| 5′11″ |
146-157 |
154-166 |
161-184 |
| 6′0″ |
149-160 |
157-170 |
164-188 |
| 6′1″ |
152-164 |
160-174 |
168-192 |
| 6′2″ |
155-168 |
164-178 |
172-197 |
| 6′3″ |
158-172 |
167-182 |
176-202 |
| 6′4″ |
162-176 |
171-187 |
181-207 |
| 6′5″ |
165-180 |
175-191 |
185-211 |
| 6′6″ |
168-184 |
179-195 |
189-215 |
| 6′7″ |
171-188 |
183-199 |
193-219 |
| 6′8″ |
174-192 |
187-203 |
197-223 |
| 6′9″ |
177-196 |
191-207 |
201-227 |
| 6′10″ |
180-200 |
195-211 |
205-231 |
|
For women, heights 4′10″ through 6′0″ were taken from the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables based on ages 25-59 with the lowest mortality rate, 3 pounds of clothing, and 1″ for shoes. Remaining heights were extrapolated. For men, heights 5′2″ through 6′4″ were taken from the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables based on ages 25-59 with the lowest mortality rate, 5 pounds of clothing, and 1″ for shoes. Remaining heights were extrapolated.
Metric Units
| Ideal Body Weight (kg) |
| Women |
Men |
| Height (cm) |
Small Frame |
Medium Frame |
Large Frame |
| 147 |
46.5-50.5 |
49.5-55 |
53.5-59.5 |
| 150 |
46.5-51.5 |
50.5-56 |
54.5-61 |
| 152 |
47-52 |
51.5-57 |
55.5-62 |
| 155 |
48-53.5 |
52-58.5 |
56.5-63.5 |
| 157 |
49-55 |
53.5-60 |
58-65 |
| 160 |
50.5-56 |
55-61 |
59.5-66.5 |
| 163 |
51.5-57.5 |
56-62.5 |
61-68.5 |
| 165 |
53-59 |
57.5-64 |
62-70.5 |
| 168 |
54.5-60.5 |
59-65.5 |
63.5-72 |
| 170 |
56-61.5 |
60.5-66.5 |
65-74 |
| 173 |
57-63 |
61.5-68 |
66-75.5 |
| 175 |
58.5-64.5 |
63-69.5 |
67.5-77 |
| 178 |
60-66 |
64.5-71 |
69-78.5 |
| 180 |
61-67 |
66-72 |
70.5-80 |
| 183 |
62.5-68.5 |
67-73.5 |
71.5-81 |
| 185 |
64-70 |
68.5-75 |
73-82.5 |
| 188 |
65.5-71 |
70-76 |
74.5-84 |
| 191 |
66.5-72.5 |
71-77.5 |
75.5-85.5 |
| 193 |
68-74 |
72.5-79 |
77-86.5 |
| 196 |
69.5-75.5 |
74-80.5 |
78.5-88 |
| 198 |
71-76.5 |
75.5-81.5 |
80-89.5 |
| 201 |
72-78 |
76.5-83 |
81-90.5 |
| 203 |
73.5-79.5 |
78-84.5 |
82.5-92 |
| 206 |
75-80.5 |
79.5-85.5 |
84-93.5 |
| 208 |
76-82 |
80.5-87 |
85.5-95 |
|
| Height (cm) |
Small Frame |
Medium Frame |
Large Frame |
| 147 |
54.5-57 |
56-60.5 |
59-62.5 |
| 150 |
55.5-58 |
56.5-61 |
60-64 |
| 152 |
56-59 |
57.5-62 |
61-65.5 |
| 155 |
57-60 |
58.5-63 |
61.5-66.5 |
| 157 |
58-61 |
59.5-64 |
62.5-68 |
| 160 |
59-61.5 |
60.5-65 |
63.5-69.5 |
| 163 |
60-62.5 |
61-66 |
64.5-71 |
| 165 |
61-63.5 |
62-67 |
65.5-72.5 |
| 168 |
61.5-64.5 |
63-68.5 |
66-74.5 |
| 170 |
62.5-66 |
64.5-70 |
67.5-76 |
| 173 |
63.5-67 |
66-71 |
69-78 |
| 175 |
64.5-68.5 |
67-72.5 |
70.5-80 |
| 178 |
65.5-70 |
68.5-74 |
71.5-81.5 |
| 180 |
66-71 |
70-75.5 |
73-83.5 |
| 183 |
67.5-72.5 |
71-77 |
74.5-85.5 |
| 185 |
69-74.5 |
72.5-79 |
76-87 |
| 188 |
70.5-76 |
74.5-80.5 |
78-89.5 |
| 191 |
71.5-78 |
75.5-82.5 |
80-91.5 |
| 193 |
73.5-80 |
77.5-85 |
82-94 |
| 196 |
75-81.5 |
79.5-86.5 |
84-95.5 |
| 198 |
76-83.5 |
81-88.5 |
85.5-97.5 |
| 201 |
77.5-85.5 |
83-90.5 |
87.5-99.5 |
| 203 |
79-87 |
85-92 |
89.5-101 |
| 206 |
80.5-89 |
86.5-94 |
91-103 |
| 208 |
81.5-90.5 |
88.5-95.5 |
93-105 |
|
For women, heights 4′10″ through 6′0″ were taken from the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables based on ages 25-59 with the lowest mortality rate, 3 pounds of clothing, and 1″ for shoes. Remaining heights were extrapolated. For men, heights 5′2″ through 6′4″ were taken from the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables based on ages 25-59 with the lowest mortality rate, 5 pounds of clothing, and 1″ for shoes. Remaining heights were extrapolated.
Imperial Units
Now that you know your optimal weight, you can check out my post about how much weight you should lose per week.
Note that everyone is different. Your optimal weight is somewhere in the range I’ve provided for you. As you get in that range, you will get a feel for where your perfect weight is. Even when you are at your perfect weight, you will fluctuate up and down about 5 lbs. Don’t worry! This is normal.
Tags: Optimal Weight
