You're standing on the scale. You look down at the digital numbers flickering under your feet and then you immediately pull up a search tab to ask: how much should I weight at 5 7? It’s a classic question. Honestly, it’s one of the most common things people ask their doctors or the internet because 5'7" (170 cm) is that "middle ground" height where weight can look vastly different on two different people.
Here is the thing.
The "ideal" number isn't a single point on a line. It’s a range. If you look at the standard Body Mass Index (BMI) charts—which, let's be real, have some serious flaws—the healthy range for someone who is 5'7" typically falls between 118 and 159 pounds. That is a massive 41-pound gap. Why? Because your bones, your muscle, and even where you store your fat matter way more than the total number.
Decoding the 5 7 Weight Range
When you ask how much should I weight at 5 7, you're usually looking for a target. But if you are a 5'7" athlete with high bone density and significant muscle mass, 165 pounds might look lean and fit. Meanwhile, someone else with the same height and weight who doesn't exercise might carry higher risks for metabolic issues.
The CDC and the World Health Organization use BMI as a screening tool because it's easy. It’s just math: weight divided by height squared. For a 5'7" individual, a BMI of 18.5 starts at about 118 pounds. On the upper end, a BMI of 24.9 lands you at 159 pounds.
But BMI is kind of a blunt instrument.
It was actually created in the 1830s by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. He wasn't even a doctor! He was a statistician trying to find the "average man." He specifically stated it shouldn't be used to judge individual health, yet here we are nearly 200 years later using it as a gold standard.
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Why Muscle Changes Everything
Muscle is denser than fat. You've heard that a million times, right? But think about what that actually looks like. A cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat. This means a 5'7" person who lifts weights regularly might weigh 165 pounds but wear a smaller pant size than a sedentary person who weighs 150 pounds.
Doctors like Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, who specializes in obesity medicine, often point out that "metabolic health" is the real goal. If your blood pressure is good, your blood sugar is stable, and you feel energetic, that number on the scale is secondary.
The Difference Between Men and Women at 5 7
Gender plays a role too, mostly because of body composition and hormonal profiles. Generally, men have higher bone density and more muscle mass. A 5'7" man might feel his best at the higher end of that 118–159 pound range—perhaps around 150 to 155 pounds.
Women, on the other hand, naturally carry more essential body fat for reproductive health. For a 5'7" woman, a "comfortable" weight might be anywhere from 130 to 145 pounds. But again, these are just averages.
Age is another factor people ignore.
As we get older, we lose muscle (sarcopenia) and our bones can get thinner. Interestingly, some research, like the "obesity paradox" studies published in journals like The Lancet, suggests that carrying a few extra pounds as you enter your 60s or 70s might actually be protective against frailty and certain diseases. Being "underweight" at 5'7" when you're 75 is often riskier than being slightly "overweight" by BMI standards.
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Frame Size: The Forgotten Variable
Have you ever looked at your wrists? It sounds weird, but frame size is a real thing. Some people are "small-boned," while others have broad shoulders and heavy skeletal structures.
To find your frame size, you can wrap your thumb and middle finger around your opposite wrist.
- If they overlap: Small frame.
- If they just touch: Medium frame.
- If there's a gap: Large frame.
If you have a large frame and you're 5'7", trying to hit 125 pounds might be physically exhausting and potentially unhealthy. You’re literally fighting your anatomy. Someone with a large frame at this height might naturally sit at 155–160 pounds and be perfectly healthy.
Beyond the Scale: What to Track Instead
If the scale is a liar (or at least a very poor truth-teller), how do you know if your weight is right?
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio: This is a much better predictor of heart disease than BMI. Take a tape measure. Measure your waist at the narrowest point and your hips at the widest. Divide the waist by the hip. For men, a ratio below 0.90 is great. For women, below 0.85 is the target.
- Waist-to-Height Ratio: Your waist circumference should ideally be less than half your height. At 5'7" (67 inches), your waist should stay under 33.5 inches.
- Energy Levels: Can you walk up two flights of stairs without feeling like you need a nap?
- Blood Markers: Your A1C, HDL/LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides tell a much deeper story than a bathroom scale ever could.
The Mental Toll of the "Ideal Weight"
We are bombarded with images of 5'7" models who weigh 110 pounds. That is technically underweight. It’s important to realize that Hollywood "fit" and medically "healthy" are rarely the same thing.
When you obsess over how much should I weight at 5 7, you might fall into the trap of "weight cycling" or yo-yo dieting. Research from the University of Minnesota shows that weight cycling can actually increase your risk of cardiovascular disease more than just staying at a stable, slightly higher weight.
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It is better to be 165 pounds and consistent than to bounce between 140 and 180 every two years.
Surprising Facts About Body Fat Distribution
Not all fat is created equal. You've got subcutaneous fat (the stuff you can pinch) and visceral fat (the stuff wrapped around your organs).
A 5'7" person could be "thin" but have high levels of visceral fat—this is sometimes called "skinny fat" or metabolically obese normal weight (MONW). This is why a person who looks "perfect" at 135 pounds might actually have worse health markers than a muscular person at 170 pounds.
Actionable Steps for Finding Your Personal Best
Instead of chasing a magic number, focus on these shifts:
- Prioritize Protein: Aim for about 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your target weight. This helps preserve muscle while you lose fat.
- Strength Train: Lift things. Twice a week. It improves bone density and metabolic rate, making that 5'7" frame more resilient.
- Measure Progress Differently: Use a "goal outfit" instead of a scale. How do those jeans feel?
- Check Your Sleep: If you’re sleeping less than 7 hours, your hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) go haywire. No amount of "ideal weight" math will fix a broken metabolism caused by exhaustion.
- Consult a Pro: If you're really worried, ask a doctor for a DEXA scan. It’s the gold standard for seeing exactly how much of your weight is bone, muscle, and fat.
The bottom line is that the answer to how much should I weight at 5 7 is basically "the weight at which your body functions optimally without you having to starve yourself or obsess over every calorie." For most, that lands somewhere between 130 and 160 pounds, but your specific sweet spot is yours to discover through how you feel, not just what the floor tells you.
Focus on adding healthy habits—like more fiber and daily movement—rather than just subtracting pounds. When you fix the internal environment, the external number usually takes care of itself.