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What Should I Weigh?

What should I weigh? This is a question most of us have asked ourselves at some point in life.

Figuring out what weight is optimal for us isn't as simple as it may seem at first. By "optimal" we mean that you need to find that weight at which you both feel good and look good.

One of the easiest ways to determine what weight you should be at is by following the Body Mass Index (BMI).

The Body Mass Index is a widely used diagnostic tool used to estimate a person's healthy body weight based on height. It categorizes individuals into four categories: normal, underweight, overweight and obese.

What Should I Weigh? - Body Mass Index Calculator (BMI)

To calculate your BMI and answer the question of "what should I weigh?" take a look at our BMI calculator below.

You can figure out your optimal weight in 3 simple steps:

Slide the first toggle (arrow) along the scale until you set your height.
Slide the second toggle along the scale until you set it to your current weight.
Read the third scale's BMI value.

Once you read the third value you can look at the interpretation chart to see whether you are over or underweight (or just fine as you are currently).

What Should I Weigh? - Body Mass Index Calculator

--------Interpretation Chart--------
BMI	Meaning
less than 19	Underweight
19 to 25	Normal weight
25 to 30	Overweight
30 to 35	Obesity 1
35 to 40	Obesity 2
more than 40	Obesity 3

What Should I Weigh? - The Main Shortcoming of the BMI

Now that you have used the BMI calculator to determine where you are in terms of healthy bodyweight and what you should weigh, we need to mention the main critisicm of the BMI.

Namely, the BMI fails to take into account lean body mass. Therefore, a healthy and muscular person with low body fat can be classified as obese according to the BMI formula.

Therefore, if you're into fitness and bodybuilding, a better indicator of what you should weigh would be taking into consideration your weight based on your measured percentage of body fat.

What Should I Weigh - Conclusions

Using the BMI should be only for general purposes. In other words, use it as a general guideline and take it with a grain of salt. Thus, when you are thinking about what you should weigh, it's also a good idea to consider other factors such as how you look, how you feel, how your clothes fit you etc.

The BMI calculator is not the be-all-and-end-all of methods to determine ideal weight.

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