Ideal Weight Calculator

Figuring Out Your "Ideal" Weight (Whatever That Means)

So there's this thing called "ideal body weight" that doctors and fitness people talk about. Basically, it's supposed to be the weight that's healthiest for someone your height and gender. But honestly? It's more like an educated guess than some magic number.

How They Come Up With These Numbers

There are a few different ways people calculate this stuff. The Devine formula is probably the most common one - some doctor came up with it back in the day for figuring out medication doses, and somehow it stuck around for weight goals too. Then there's the Robinson and Miller formulas that try to be a bit more accurate.
All of them work pretty much the same way - they look at your height and whether you're male or female, then spit out a number. Men and women have different formulas because we're built differently (shocking, I know).

Why Bother Knowing This?

Look, having a ballpark number can be helpful. Maybe you're trying to lose weight and want to know if your goal makes sense. Maybe you're curious where you stand compared to what's considered "normal." Or maybe your doctor mentioned it and you want to understand what they were talking about.
It can give you a starting point for setting goals that aren't completely unrealistic. Better than picking some random number because that's what you weighed in high school.

Here's the Thing Though

These formulas were made decades ago using data from people who were mostly white and of average build. If you're really tall, really short, have a lot of muscle, or just come from different genetics, these numbers might be completely wrong for you.
A bodybuilder and a couch potato can both be 6 feet tall, but their "ideal" weights are going to be totally different. Same goes for someone who's naturally built like a linebacker versus someone who's naturally lean.
Plus, being healthy involves way more than just what the scale says. How you feel, your energy levels, whether you can climb stairs without getting winded - that stuff matters more than hitting some arbitrary number.

Bottom Line

Use this as a rough guide if you want, but don't obsess over it. Your body knows what weight feels right better than some old formula does. And if you're serious about health goals, talk to someone who can look at the whole picture, not just your height and gender.