You've stood there. Most of us have. You’re looking down at those glowing digital numbers on the bathroom scale, wondering if they’re "right" for your height. If you're 5'6", you’re actually a bit taller than the average American woman, who usually clocks in around 5'4". That extra two inches changes the math quite a bit. But honestly, if you're searching for what should a 5'6 woman weigh, you’ve probably realized that the internet gives you a massive, confusing range that doesn't account for your actual life.
Weight is weird. It’s a mix of bone density, muscle mass, water retention, and—yes—fat. But the scale can't tell the difference between a gallon of water and five pounds of lean muscle. That’s why a "healthy" weight for one woman might look totally different on another, even if they both shop in the same "Long" inseam section at the mall.
The Standard Answer (and Why It's Flawed)
If you ask a doctor or a standard online calculator, they’re going to point you straight toward the Body Mass Index (BMI). For a woman who is 5'6", the "normal" weight range is typically cited as 115 to 154 pounds.
That is a huge gap. Thirty-nine pounds, to be exact.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered the "healthy" zone. If you drop below 115, you're technically underweight. If you tick past 155, you’re in the "overweight" category. But here’s the thing: BMI was never meant to be a diagnostic tool for individuals. It was 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" for social research.
BMI doesn’t know if you’re a marathon runner with legs like tree trunks or someone who hasn't lifted a grocery bag in three years. It doesn't know your race, your age, or your waist-to-hip ratio. For many women, especially those with athletic builds or higher bone density, the 115-154 pound range feels restrictive and, frankly, unrealistic.
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Frame Size Matters More Than You Think
Ever heard someone say they’re "big-boned"? People usually say it as a joke, but it’s a real medical concept. Your skeletal structure plays a massive role in where your weight naturally settles.
There’s a simple way to check this. You wrap your thumb and middle finger around your opposite wrist, right where those bony bits stick out. If your fingers overlap, you have a small frame. If they just touch, you’re medium. If they don’t meet at all? You’ve got a large frame.
- Small Frame: If you’re 5'6" with a small frame, you might feel best at the lower end of that range, maybe 120-130 pounds.
- Medium Frame: This is where most people fall, usually landing between 130 and 145 pounds.
- Large Frame: If you have broader shoulders and wider hips, 150 or even 160 pounds might be perfectly healthy for you.
When you try to force a large-framed body into a small-frame weight category, you’re fighting biology. It’s exhausting. It’s also usually unsustainable.
Muscle vs. Fat: The Density Debate
Let's talk about the "fit" look. You’ve seen the photos on Instagram where a woman weighs 140 pounds in the "before" and 150 pounds in the "after," but she looks leaner and tighter in the second photo. That’s because muscle is much denser than fat.
A pound of muscle takes up way less space than a pound of fat. If you’re a 5'6" woman who lifts weights or does CrossFit, you might weigh 160 pounds and wear a size 6. Meanwhile, someone else at the same height who doesn't exercise might weigh 140 pounds and wear a size 10.
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This is why the question of what should a 5'6 woman weigh is so tricky. The number is just data. It isn't a grade on your health. Dr. Nick Trefethen from Oxford University actually proposed a "New BMI" formula a few years ago because he realized the old version penalizes taller people. Since you're 5'6", the old formula might actually make you seem "heavier" than you really are relative to your height.
Beyond the Scale: What Actually Predicts Health?
If we aren't obsessing over the scale, what should we look at? Science is moving toward better markers.
- Waist-to-Height Ratio: This is a big one. Take a piece of string, measure your height, then fold that string in half. Does it fit around your waist? If your waist circumference is less than half your height, your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes drops significantly. For you, that means keeping your waist under 33 inches.
- Energy Levels: Do you wake up feeling like a zombie? Or do you have the energy to get through your day? If you’re at a "perfect" weight of 125 pounds but you’re constantly dizzy and tired, that weight isn't healthy for you.
- Blood Markers: Your "real" weight is reflected in your blood pressure, your A1C (blood sugar), and your cholesterol levels. A woman weighing 170 pounds with perfect blood work is often healthier than a woman weighing 115 pounds who is pre-diabetic.
The Role of Age and Life Stages
Your ideal weight at 22 is probably not your ideal weight at 52.
Perimenopause and menopause change how a woman's body distributes weight. Estrogen levels drop, and the body often responds by holding onto visceral fat around the midsection. It’s frustrating. It’s also very common. For women in their 50s and 60s, carrying a few extra pounds can actually be protective against osteoporosis and certain types of fractures.
The medical community is starting to acknowledge the "obesity paradox" in older adults—where having a slightly higher BMI (in the 25-27 range) is actually linked to longer life expectancy than being "thin."
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Real-World Examples
Think about Serena Williams. She’s roughly 5'9", so a bit taller than you, but her "playing weight" was often reported around 155-160 pounds. On paper, she was borderline "overweight" by BMI standards. In reality? She was one of the greatest athletes on the planet.
Or look at a typical runway model. Many are 5'9" and weigh 115 pounds. That is a BMI of 17. For most women, that weight is biologically impossible to maintain without severe calorie restriction, which leads to hair loss, loss of menstrual cycles, and bone thinning.
If you are 5'6" and your weight has hovered around 150 pounds for a decade, your body has likely found its "set point." This is the weight your body naturally wants to maintain. Fighting your set point usually results in the "yo-yo" dieting effect that wrecks your metabolism.
Actionable Steps for Finding Your Healthy Range
Stop chasing a "magic" number you saw in a magazine. Instead, try these steps to figure out where your body actually thrives.
- Ditch the daily weigh-in. Weight fluctuates by 3-5 pounds a day just based on salt and hormones. If you must weigh yourself, do it once a week at most.
- Track your measurements. Use a soft tape measure for your waist, hips, and thighs. If your clothes fit better but the scale isn't moving, you're losing fat and gaining muscle. That’s a win.
- Check your strength. Can you carry your own luggage? Can you do a push-up? Focus on what your 5'6" frame can do rather than how much gravity pulls on it.
- Consult a Pro. Ask your doctor for a DEXA scan if you’re really curious. It’s the gold standard for measuring body composition. It will tell you exactly how much of your weight is bone, muscle, and fat.
- Listen to your hunger. If you have to starve yourself to stay at 130 pounds, your body is telling you that 130 is too low.
Basically, the "best" weight for you is the lowest weight you can maintain while still living a full, happy life that includes the occasional pizza night and plenty of energy for the things you love. Don't let a 200-year-old math equation tell you who you are.
Focus on how you feel when you wake up in the morning. If you’re strong, your blood work is clean, and you’re eating enough to fuel your brain, you’ve probably already found your answer. Your body isn't a math problem to be solved; it's a vehicle for your life. Treat it like one.