You’re standing in the bathroom, staring down at those glowing digital numbers. If you're 5'7", you might have been told that 140 pounds is your "sweet spot." Or maybe you saw a chart at the doctor's office that made you feel like you were failing a test you didn't even know you were taking. Honestly, the question of what should a 5'7 woman weigh is one of the most loaded queries in the health world. It's not just about a number. It's about bone density, muscle mass, and how your jeans actually fit when you’re sitting down.
Standard charts are often relics. They don't account for the fact that you might be a former college athlete with heavy legs or someone with a delicate frame who feels sluggish at the "ideal" weight. The medical community relies heavily on Body Mass Index (BMI), but even the creator of the BMI, Adolphe Quetelet, admitted it was never meant to measure individual health. It was a statistical tool for populations.
Let's get real for a second. A woman who is 5'7" and weighs 165 pounds but lifts weights three times a week often looks and feels "healthier" than someone the same height at 130 pounds who has very little muscle tone. One is metabolically active; the other might be facing "skinny fat" syndrome, which carries its own set of cardiovascular risks.
The BMI Myth and the 5'7" Reality
If we look at the standard BMI scale, a 5'7" woman is considered "normal weight" between 118 and 159 pounds.
That is a massive 41-pound range.
Think about that. You could lose the weight of a medium-sized dog and still be in the same medical category. This is why the question of what should a 5'7 woman weigh is so frustratingly vague. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is the target. But here is what they don't tell you: where that weight sits matters more than the total sum.
Dr. Margaret Ashwell, a prominent nutritionist and former government science director in the UK, has spent years arguing that we should be measuring waist-to-height ratio instead of just weight. For a 5'7" woman (67 inches), your waist should ideally be less than 33.5 inches. This is a much better predictor of visceral fat—the dangerous stuff that wraps around your organs—than the scale will ever be.
Frame Size: The Variable Nobody Mentions
Have you ever tried on a bracelet that was too tight, even though you were at your thinnest? That’s your frame size. It’s a real thing.
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The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company popularized "Ideal Weight" tables back in the 1940s, and they actually divided women into small, medium, and large frames. To find yours, you can do the elbow breadth test or the wrist measurement. If you have a large frame, you might naturally carry 10 to 15 pounds more than a small-framed woman of the same height, and your heart, lungs, and joints are perfectly equipped to handle it.
Why Muscle Changes the Equation
Muscle is dense. It’s like gold versus feathers. A pound of muscle occupies about 15% to 20% less space than a pound of fat.
If you’re a 5'7" woman who loves CrossFit or heavy gardening, you’re likely going to weigh more. And that’s a good thing. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, author of Forever Strong, argues that muscle is the "organ of longevity." Having more muscle mass at 5'7" means you have a higher basal metabolic rate. You burn more calories just sitting and watching Netflix. You have better glucose disposal. You’re less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
So, if you weigh 170 pounds but your body fat percentage is 22%, you are likely in better health than a 140-pound woman with 32% body fat.
The Danger of the "Underweight" Trap
At 5'7", dropping below 118 pounds puts you in the underweight category. This isn't just a cosmetic issue. It's a biological one.
When your body fat drops too low, your endocrine system starts to shut down. Estrogen production tanks. This can lead to amenorrhea (loss of period) and, eventually, osteopenia or osteoporosis. Your bones need a certain amount of weight-bearing stress to stay strong. Being "too light" at a tall height like 5'7" can actually make your bones more brittle as you age.
What the Science Actually Says About Longevity
Interestingly, some studies suggest that being in the "overweight" BMI category might actually be protective as we get older. This is known as the "obesity paradox." Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has shown that individuals with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 (which for a 5'7" woman is 160 to 191 pounds) often have a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the "ideal" or "underweight" categories, particularly as they age past 65.
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This doesn't mean you should aim for weight gain, but it should take the pressure off if you're hovering at 165 pounds and feeling great.
Bioelectrical Impedance and DEXA Scans
If you really want to know if your weight is "right," stop looking at the scale and look at your body composition.
- DEXA Scan: This is the gold standard. It uses low-level X-rays to see exactly how much fat, bone, and muscle you have. It’s incredibly accurate.
- Smart Scales: These use bioelectrical impedance. They aren't 100% accurate, but they're good for tracking trends over time.
- The Mirror Test: Kinda old school, but how do you feel? Do you have energy? Is your skin clear? Are you sleeping?
Common Misconceptions About 5'7" Weight
People think 125 pounds is "model weight." Sure, for a runway model who is 5'11". For a 5'7" woman, 125 is on the very low end of healthy.
Another big one: "I should weigh what I weighed in high school."
Nope.
Your body changes. Your hips widen. Your bone density increases (hopefully). Your brain actually weighs more. Expecting a 40-year-old woman to weigh what she did at 17 is like expecting a 2026 SUV to weigh the same as a bicycle. It’s just a different machine.
How to Find Your Personal "Healthy" Weight
Instead of chasing a specific number, try looking at these markers:
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- Blood Pressure: Is it consistently around 120/80?
- Blood Sugar: Is your fasting glucose under 100 mg/dL?
- Lipid Profile: How are your HDL and LDL levels?
- Energy Levels: Can you climb two flights of stairs without needing a minute?
- Sleep Quality: Are you getting 7-9 hours of restorative sleep?
If these markers are good, your weight is likely exactly where it needs to be, whether that's 135 or 165 pounds.
Actionable Steps for the 5'7" Woman
Stop weighing yourself every morning. It’s a recipe for neurosis. Your weight can fluctuate by 3 to 5 pounds in a single day based on salt intake, hormones, and even how much water you drank before bed.
Track your waist circumference. Grab a tape measure. Wrap it around your natural waist (usually just above the belly button). If you’re under 33 inches, you’re likely in a very good spot regardless of what the scale says.
Focus on protein. Aim for about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your target weight. This helps preserve the muscle you have and keeps you satiated.
Prioritize strength training. Since 5'7" is a relatively tall height for a woman, you have a longer lever system. This is great for deadlifts and squats. Building muscle will do more for your "look" and your health than any juice cleanse ever could.
Check your labs. Once a year, get a full metabolic panel. If your markers are healthy, tell the scale to take a hike.
The "ideal" weight for a 5'7" woman isn't a single point on a line. It’s a range. It’s a feeling. It’s the ability to live your life without being obsessed with a piece of plastic on the bathroom floor. If you're eating whole foods, moving your body, and managing your stress, your body will eventually settle into its "set point"—the weight it wants to be to keep you alive and thriving for a long time.
Next Steps for Your Health Journey
To move beyond the scale, start by measuring your waist-to-height ratio this week. If it is below 0.5, celebrate that your internal health is likely in a great place. Next, schedule a basic blood panel to check your metabolic health markers like A1C and cholesterol, which provide a much more accurate picture of your well-being than a BMI chart ever could. Finally, shift your fitness focus from "weight loss" to "strength gain" by adding two days of resistance training to your routine to support your bone density and metabolism.