Being a 5'11" woman feels like a superpower sometimes. You can reach the top shelf without a stool, and you probably have a natural "command" of any room you walk into. But when it comes to the scale? Honestly, it's a mess.
Most weight charts you see online are designed for people of "average" height. When you're knocking on the door of six feet tall, the standard rules kinda stop making sense. You aren't just a "larger version" of a 5'4" woman. Your bone density, your limb length, and your organ size are all scaled differently.
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So, how much should a 5 11 female weigh? If you ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they’ll point you straight to the Body Mass Index (BMI).
For a woman who is 5'11", the "healthy" BMI range—which is a 18.5 to 24.9 score—falls between 136 and 178 pounds.
That's a 42-pound gap. It’s huge.
The BMI Problem for Tall Women
The BMI is a math equation. It’s your weight divided by your height squared. It doesn't know if you’re a marathon runner with lean legs or a powerlifter with a 300-pound squat.
I’ve talked to plenty of women at this height who feel "huge" because the scale says 180, even though they’re wearing a size 10 and look incredibly fit. On the flip side, some women feel "weak" at 140 pounds because their frame is too large to support such a low weight comfortably.
Nick Tiller, a researcher in exercise science, often notes that BMI is a population tool. It’s for looking at a million people at once, not for looking at you in the mirror.
If you have a "large frame"—meaning your elbows and wrists are wider than average—your "ideal" weight is naturally going to sit at the higher end of that 170-180 range.
What do the experts actually say?
Aside from the CDC, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company used to produce "Height and Weight Tables" based on mortality data. They broke it down by frame size:
- Small Frame: 144–154 lbs
- Medium Frame: 151–163 lbs
- Large Frame: 159–179 lbs
See the difference? Your skeleton literally dictates how much "meat" you can carry before it impacts your health. If you're 5'11" with a small frame, 145 pounds might look and feel perfect. If you're 5'11" with a broad athletic build, 145 pounds might make you look gaunt and feel exhausted.
Muscle vs. Fat: The 5'11" Reality
Weight is a liar.
Seriously. Muscle is much denser than fat. A 5'11" female athlete weighing 185 pounds often has a lower body fat percentage than a sedentary woman of the same height who weighs 160 pounds.
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests looking at body fat percentage instead of the scale. For women, a "fitness" range is 21% to 24% body fat. An "athletic" range is 14% to 20%.
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If you’re tall, you have more surface area. You have longer muscles. This means you can often carry more absolute weight without looking "heavy."
A quick frame check
You can actually test your frame size right now. Wrap your thumb and middle finger around your opposite wrist.
- If they overlap: You likely have a small frame.
- If they just touch: You’re medium.
- If there’s a gap: You’re large-framed.
This isn't high-level lab science, but it’s a better starting point than a generic chart.
Why the "Ideal" Number Changes with Age
As we get older, our bodies go through something called sarcopenia—a fancy word for losing muscle.
A 22-year-old at 5'11" might feel amazing at 150 pounds. But as that same woman hits her 50s, her bone density might shift, and her metabolism slows down. Experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have actually found that for older adults, being slightly "overweight" on the BMI scale (like 25-27) is actually linked to better health outcomes and lower mortality.
Basically, having a little extra "padding" as you age protects your bones if you fall.
Real Examples from the Real World
Let's look at some "famous" 5'11" women to see how varied this is.
Taylor Swift is roughly 5'11". She has a very slender, "willowy" frame. While her exact weight isn't public (and shouldn't be your business), she clearly sits on the lower end of the healthy BMI range.
Then look at an athlete like Candace Parker. She’s taller, but in that same "tall woman" category. Her weight is much higher because of the sheer volume of muscle required to play professional basketball.
Both are "healthy," but their scales would show very different numbers.
How to Find Your Own "Best" Weight
If you're obsessing over the number 150 or 160, stop.
Instead, ask yourself these three questions:
1. How are your energy levels? If you’re eating "clean" and staying at 140 lbs but you’re too tired to climb stairs, you’re likely underweight for your specific biology.
2. How do your clothes fit? Tall women can often swing 10 pounds in either direction without changing a dress size. If your waist-to-hip ratio is healthy (usually under 0.85 for women), your weight is likely fine.
3. What do your blood markers say? Your LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and A1C matter infinitely more than the number on the bathroom scale.
Actionable Steps for the Tall Woman
Forget the 120-pound goal. It’s not for you. It’s for someone 7 inches shorter than you.
- Prioritize Protein: Tall bodies need more fuel to maintain those long muscle chains. Aim for at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of your "goal" weight.
- Focus on Strength: Being 5'11" puts extra leverage on your joints. Building muscle around your knees and back is crucial for long-term mobility.
- Measure your waist: Take a tape measure. Wrap it around your natural waist (just above the belly button). If it's under 35 inches, your risk for obesity-related diseases is significantly lower, regardless of what the scale says.
- Throw away the "standard" charts: Use a calculator that specifically accounts for frame size or body fat percentage.
If you are 5'11" and weigh 175 pounds, and you feel strong, sleep well, and have steady energy, you are likely exactly where you need to be. Don't let a chart designed in the 1940s tell you otherwise.
The most important "weight" is the one you can maintain while actually enjoying your life. Eat the steak, lift the weights, and appreciate the view from up there.