You’re standing on the scale. Maybe you’ve just come from a doctor's appointment where they highlighted your BMI in yellow, or perhaps you're just curious if that number staring back at you matches up with what "science" says it should be. If you're 5'7", you're actually taller than about 90% of women in the United States. That height gives you a lot of leeway, but it also makes standard weight charts feel a bit confusing.
Weight is weird. It’s a single data point that people treat like a moral compass. But honestly, if you ask five different experts how much a 5'7" female should weigh, you're going to get five different answers, ranging from strict clinical ranges to "whatever makes you feel fast and strong."
The Clinical Answer: BMI and the Hamwi Formula
Let’s get the "official" stuff out of the way first because that’s usually what pops up on those colorful charts in the waiting room. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the "normal" BMI range for someone who is 5'7" (or 67 inches) is roughly 121 to 158 pounds.
That's a massive gap. Thirty-seven pounds!
Within that range, your BMI stays between 18.5 and 24.9. Doctors like this range because it’s statistically linked to lower risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Then there’s the Hamwi Formula, an old-school method used by many dietitians to find "Ideal Body Weight" (IBW). It starts with 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and adds 5 pounds for every inch over that. For a 5'7" woman, that calculation (100 + (7 x 5)) lands right at 135 pounds.
But here's the kicker: the Hamwi formula was invented in 1964. It doesn't know if you have the bone structure of a bird or a Viking. It doesn't care if you've been hitting the squat rack for three years or if you've never picked up a dumbbell in your life.
Why Your "Frame Size" Actually Matters
You've probably heard people say they’re "big-boned" to explain away a higher number on the scale. While it sounds like an excuse, there is actually real medical validity to the concept of frame size. A 5'7" woman with a small frame will look and feel very different at 145 pounds than a woman with a large frame at that same weight.
👉 See also: My eye keeps twitching for days: When to ignore it and when to actually worry
How do you even check this? A common trick used by clinical nutritionists involves measuring your wrist circumference. If your wrist is less than 6.25 inches, you’re likely a small frame. Over 6.5 inches? You’re a large frame.
For a large-framed woman, being at the bottom of the "ideal" range (like 125 pounds) might actually be physically unsustainable or even unhealthy. You might lose your period, feel constantly cold, or deal with brain fog. On the flip side, a small-framed woman at 155 pounds might carry significantly more visceral fat—the "hidden" fat around organs—than her larger-boned counterpart at the same weight. It’s all relative.
Muscle vs. Fat: The Density Dilemma
Muscle is dense. It’s heavy. It’s also metabolically active.
Imagine two 5'7" women. Both weigh 165 pounds. On paper, they are both technically "overweight" by BMI standards.
Woman A is a distance runner with a dedicated strength training routine. She has low body fat and visible muscle definition. Woman B is sedentary and has a high body fat percentage. Woman A's 165 pounds is mostly functional tissue that protects her joints and keeps her metabolism humming. Woman B's 165 pounds might be putting strain on her cardiovascular system.
This is why the scale is a liar.
✨ Don't miss: Ingestion of hydrogen peroxide: Why a common household hack is actually dangerous
If you’re active, you need to look at body composition rather than just the total mass. Methods like DEXA scans or even simple hydrostatic weighing provide a much clearer picture. For women, a healthy body fat percentage generally sits between 21% and 32%. If you’re at 24% body fat and weigh 160 pounds at 5'7", you are likely in much better metabolic health than someone who weighs 130 pounds but has 33% body fat (often called "skinny fat").
The Age Factor
We need to talk about the "menopause transition" and aging in general. As women age, especially heading into their 40s and 50s, hormones like estrogen start to dip. This often leads to a shift in where weight is carried—usually moving from the hips to the abdomen.
Research, including studies published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, suggests that for older adults, being on the slightly "higher" end of the BMI scale (around 25 to 27) might actually be protective. It provides a "nutritional reserve" in case of illness and can even help prevent osteoporosis. If you're 55 and 5'7", trying to force your body down to your 22-year-old weight of 128 pounds might actually do more harm than good for your long-term bone density.
Common Misconceptions About the 5'7" Silhouette
People often assume that being "tall-ish" means you can eat whatever you want. While it’s true that your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is naturally higher than someone who is 5'2", it’s not a free pass.
A typical 5'7" woman who is moderately active might have a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) of around 2,000 to 2,200 calories. That's enough for decent-sized meals, but it’s easy to overshoot if you're relying on processed foods.
Another myth? That there is one "magic" weight where you will finally have a flat stomach. For many 5'7" women, the stomach is the last place to lose fat due to genetics. Chasing a number on the scale to fix a specific body part usually leads to frustration. You might hit 125 pounds and still feel "soft" if you haven't built the underlying muscle.
🔗 Read more: Why the EMS 20/20 Podcast is the Best Training You’re Not Getting in School
Real-World Examples
Let’s look at some real context.
- The Athlete: Many professional WNBA players or elite volleyball players who stand around 5'7" to 5'9" weigh well over 160 pounds. They are lean, powerful, and incredibly healthy.
- The "Average" Reality: According to the CDC, the average weight for an American woman is about 170 pounds. Given that 5'7" is taller than average, many healthy, active women in this height bracket naturally gravitate toward the 150–165 pound range.
- The Distance Runner: A competitive marathoner who is 5'7" might weigh 120–130 pounds. This is functional for their sport, but it requires careful nutritional management to avoid RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
Beyond the Scale: Health Markers to Watch
If the scale isn't the best tool, what is? Honestly, you're better off looking at these:
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Take a tape measure. Measure the smallest part of your waist and the widest part of your hips. Divide the waist by the hip. For women, a ratio of 0.80 or lower is generally considered a sign of good metabolic health.
- Blood Pressure and Lipids: If your BP is 115/75 and your HDL (good cholesterol) is high, your "extra" 10 pounds might not be an issue at all.
- Energy Levels: Can you climb two flights of stairs without gasping for air? Do you have enough energy to get through your workday without three cups of coffee in the afternoon?
- Sleep Quality: Weight and sleep are a two-way street. Being significantly overweight can lead to apnea, but being underweight can cause insomnia due to elevated cortisol.
Stop Chasing a Ghost
There’s this "ghost" weight many women have in their heads—the weight they were on their wedding day, or in college, or before they had kids. But your body at 35 or 50 is a different biological machine than it was at 19.
Trying to force a 5'7" frame into a weight that requires semi-starvation is a losing game. It wrecks your relationship with food and usually leads to weight cycling (yo-yo dieting), which is actually harder on your heart than just staying at a stable, slightly higher weight.
Focus on "Weight Neutral" goals for a bit. See how your body reacts when you prioritize 30 grams of protein per meal and lifting weights three times a week. Often, your body will find its own "set point"—a weight it naturally wants to maintain when you're eating well and moving often. For many 5'7" women, that set point is somewhere between 140 and 160 pounds.
Actionable Steps to Finding Your Healthy Range
Instead of fixating on a single number, use a tiered approach to evaluate where you stand.
- Get a Baseline: Use a smart scale or a tailor’s tape to track trends over time, but don't live by the daily fluctuations. Water weight can shift a 5'7" woman's weight by 3–5 pounds in a single day based on salt intake or menstrual cycle stage.
- Prioritize Strength: Aim for at least two days of resistance training. This ensures that the weight you do carry is functional muscle, which supports your joints as you age.
- Check Your Waist: If your waist circumference is under 35 inches, your risk for obesity-related chronic diseases is significantly lower, regardless of what the total scale says.
- Consult a Pro: If you’re genuinely worried, ask a doctor for a metabolic panel. If your fasted glucose and A1C are in the healthy range, give yourself permission to stop stressing about those last five pounds.
Health isn't a destination at a specific poundage. It's the ability to live your life without your body being the thing that holds you back. If you're 5'7" and 165 pounds but you can hike five miles and your bloodwork is perfect, you're winning. If you're 125 pounds but lose your hair and feel exhausted, the "ideal" weight chart has failed you.