You've probably spent way too much time staring at those dusty old charts in your doctor's office. You know the ones. They look like they were printed in 1974 and suggest that every person of a certain height should fit into a tiny, rigid box. If you’re a 5 6 woman, you’ve likely been told your "perfect" number is somewhere around 130 pounds.
But let’s be real for a second.
Standardized charts are basically the "fast fashion" of medical advice. They’re meant to fit everyone in a general sense, which means they don’t actually fit anyone perfectly. Health is messy. It's about bone density, where you carry your fat, and how much muscle you’re rocking when you hit the gym. Honestly, the ideal weight for a 5 6 woman isn't a single digit; it's a range that accounts for the fact that a marathon runner and a powerlifter have completely different bodies, even if they're the same height.
The BMI trap and why it’s kinda failing us
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most common tool used to determine if you're "healthy." For a woman who stands 5'6" (about 167.6 cm), the "normal" BMI range falls between 18.5 and 24.9. In actual pounds, that translates to roughly 115 to 154 pounds.
That’s a huge gap. Nearly 40 pounds!
The problem is that BMI was never actually meant to be a diagnostic tool for individuals. It was created by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician—not a doctor—in the mid-19th century to study populations. It doesn't know the difference between five pounds of jiggly fat and five pounds of dense, metabolic-boosting muscle. If you’ve got a "thick" frame or a lot of athletic build, BMI might label you as overweight even if your body fat percentage is incredibly low.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have often pointed out that BMI can't see "skinny fat" either. You could be 125 pounds at 5'6" and be technically "healthy" by the scale, but if you have very little muscle and high visceral fat (the stuff around your organs), you might be at higher risk for metabolic issues than a 160-pound woman who lifts weights three times a week.
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Frame size is the variable nobody talks about
Have you ever tried on a bracelet that was way too small, even though you’re thin? That’s your frame size. It’s a real physiological factor that dictates where your weight "should" sit.
Traditional health metrics, like the Hamwi method, try to account for this. The basic formula for a woman starts at 100 pounds for the first five feet and adds five pounds for every inch after that. For a 5 6 woman, that gets you to 130 pounds. But—and this is a big "but"—experts suggest adding or subtracting 10% based on your frame.
If you have a small frame, 117 to 125 pounds might feel natural. If you have a large frame, 143 to 155 pounds is likely where your body wants to be. To check yours, wrap your thumb and middle finger around your wrist. If they overlap, you’ve likely got a small frame. If they just touch, you’re medium. If there’s a gap? You’re large-boned. It’s a simple trick, but it explains why your best friend can weigh 15 pounds more than you at the same height and look exactly the same.
What the "New Science" says about longevity
Recent studies have thrown a wrench into the "thinner is better" narrative. Interestingly, some research, including a massive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that people in the "overweight" BMI category (25 to 29.9) actually had a lower risk of mortality than those in the "normal" or "underweight" categories as they aged.
Why? Resilience.
As we get older, having a little extra padding can be protective against bone density loss and provide a "reserve" if you get sick. For a 5 6 woman, this means that being 160 or 165 pounds might actually be better for your long-term health than struggling to stay at 120.
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Muscle mass: The great weight inflator
Muscle is dense. It’s compact. It’s also heavy.
If you start a strength training program, you might see the scale go up while your jeans get looser. This is the ultimate "mind game" of weight loss. Because muscle takes up about 15% to 20% less space than fat, your "ideal" weight might actually be higher than you think. A 5 6 woman who is lean and muscular at 150 pounds will often look "thinner" and more toned than a woman who is 135 pounds with very little muscle tone.
We also have to look at Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR).
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that for women, a WHR of 0.85 or less is a much better indicator of health than the scale. It measures where you store your fat. Fat stored around the middle (the "apple" shape) is linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Fat stored on the hips and thighs (the "pear" shape) is actually metabolically protective in many cases.
Beyond the scale: Bio-markers that actually matter
If you want to stop obsessing over the ideal weight for a 5 6 woman, you need better metrics. Start looking at these instead:
- Blood Pressure: Ideally 120/80 or lower.
- Resting Heart Rate: A sign of cardiovascular fitness (usually between 60-100 bpm, though athletes are lower).
- Fast Glucose: How your body handles sugar.
- Energy Levels: If you’re at your "goal weight" but you're too exhausted to climb stairs, that weight isn't ideal for you.
- Menstrual Cycle: For pre-menopausal women, an irregular or missing period is a huge red flag that your weight might be too low or your stress levels (often from over-exercising) are too high.
Real-world examples of the 5 6 range
Let's look at three hypothetical women, all 5'6".
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Example A: Sarah is a long-distance runner. She has a small frame and weighs 122 pounds. Her BMI is 19.7. She feels great, eats plenty, and her periods are regular. For her, this is an ideal weight.
Example B: Mia is a "cross-fitter." She has a medium-to-large frame and weighs 158 pounds. According to BMI, she is technically "overweight" (25.5). However, her body fat percentage is 22%, and she has a high amount of muscle mass. She is metabolically very healthy.
Example C: Jenna weighs 135 pounds, which sounds "perfect." But she doesn't exercise, smokes, and carries all her weight in her midsection. Her waist circumference is 36 inches. Despite being a "normal" weight, she is at a higher risk for health complications than Mia.
The psychological toll of the "Perfect Number"
Honestly, the obsession with a specific number can be ruinous. Many women get stuck in a cycle of "weight cycling" or yo-yo dieting, trying to hit a number they haven't seen since high school. This is actually harder on your heart than just staying at a slightly higher, stable weight.
Dr. Linda Bacon, author of Health at Every Size, argues that our bodies have a "set point." This is a weight range—usually a 10-to-15-pound span—where your body functions optimally without you having to starve yourself. If you’re constantly hungry, irritable, and obsessed with food to maintain a certain weight, you’ve likely dropped below your natural set point.
Practical steps to find your own healthy range
Stop chasing a ghost. If you want to find your version of "ideal," follow these steps:
- Get a DEXA scan or use skinfold calipers: Find out your body fat percentage. For women, a healthy range is typically 21% to 32%. This is a much better goal than a scale weight.
- Measure your waist: Keep it under 35 inches. This is the "danger zone" for visceral fat regardless of your height.
- Track your performance: Can you lift more than last month? Can you walk further? Physical capability is a better "ideal" than a dress size.
- Listen to your hunger: If you are eating whole foods and moving your body, and your weight stabilizes at 145 pounds, that is probably where you are meant to be.
- Consult a professional who looks at the whole picture: Find a doctor or a registered dietitian who talks about "metabolic health" and "body composition" rather than just pointing at a BMI chart.
The bottom line? The ideal weight for a 5 6 woman is the weight at which you feel your most vibrant, your labs look good, and you can live your life without being a slave to a kitchen scale. For some, that’s 125. For others, it’s 155. Both can be perfectly healthy.
Focus on the inputs—sleep, movement, protein, and stress management—and let the output (the weight) take care of itself. Your body is a complex biological machine, not a math equation. Treat it like one.