How Much Should I Weigh?

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This measurement calculates your height and weight and spits back an ideal range for where you should fall on the chart. This is the standard widely used to classify people as underweight, normal weight, or obese.

“Some experts will suggest that calculating BMI is the best way to figure out if a body weight is ideal,” said Cosmo Radio women's health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., author of The New Mom's Survival Guide. “Others will say it doesn’t take into account the waist to hip ratio and muscle mass, which can add a lot of pounds. One person’s ideal body weight can be completely different from somebody else’s.”

Compute Your BMI

To figure out your BMI, compute your height in inches (So if you’re 5’7, that’s 67 inches) and weigh yourself (say, 140 pounds.) Then, square your height number (67 x 67 = 4489) and divide your weight by that number. (140/4489 = .031) and, finally, multiply that number by 705. For this gal, it’s 21.8. Healthy BMI is recommended to fall between 19 and 24.9. If you’re concerned that you’re outside the ideal BMI range, visit your doctor to get a better assessment of your health (before going all rice cakes and coconut water on us.)

The Five Pound Rule

An old-school way of computing what you should weigh was this rule: Start at 100 pounds and add five pounds for every inch after five feet rule. So if you’re 5’7, you should be roughly 135 pounds. Sheri Leiter, MA, MSW, a weight management expert at the Institute for Health Maintenance, says the Five Pound Rule is a decent barometer, but not the end-all be-all.

Don’t Obsess

We know, easier said than done, but obsessing over a number won’t get you anywhere. Rather than compare yourself to Gwyneth Paltrow, think about your weight as an indicator of your health and consider whether or not you feel strong and healthy instead of weak and tired. If you prefer to step on the scale, check it weekly at most.

Ups and Downs

You know by now that your weight not only fluctuates on a weekly basis, but it can change by a few pounds even within a day. If you weigh yourself monthly, do it mid-menstrual cycle. You tend to retain water during your period, which will result in, you guessed it, water weight.

Use Clothes as a Guide

“You might have made a change in your diet and all of a sudden you’re clothes are fitting differently,” says Vanessa Wissing, RD. “Sometimes the way you feel in your clothes is a better guide than the scale because sometimes you’re just losing inches or getting more toned.” Don’t however, put too much weight (no pun intended) on the size of your clothes.

It’s in the Genes

If you have five aunts who are pear-shaped, chances are you’ll be pear-shaped, too. Rather than resist your natural shape, know which diseases are associated with certain body types (for instance, if you’re apple-shaped and store fat around your belly, you might be more prone to heart disease), and take care of your body accordingly.

It’s Not a Contest

“Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect example,” says Wider. “She’s curvy and voluptuous, she will never be a skinny minnie, and she owns her body.” And that whole big boned, small boned thing? There’s something to it. “You could have a small friend who’s the same height but your frame is bigger,” says Wider. “People are built differently. Your breasts and hip size are different, which doesn’t not necessarily add fat, but it will add weight.”

Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean you’re taking care of your body in the best way. “There’s the whole skinny fat issue,” says Wissing. “Just because you have a healthy BMI doesn’t mean you’re healthy.” Wider suggests exercising for 30 minutes five times a week (whether that’s taking three ten-minute walks from work during the day or breaking a sweat at the gym), eating a well-rounded diet full of fruits and veggies, and making sure you’re physically, emotionally and sexually healthy: “Pay more attention to that than the number on the scale.”