You're 5'8". In the world of average heights, you’re basically a giant among women, or at least you feel like one when you're standing in a crowd. But being "tall-ish" comes with a weird set of baggage when you step on a scale. Most of the generic advice out there is built for women who are 5'4". When you look at a weight chart, you might see a number that looks huge to your shorter friends but is actually perfectly lean for your frame. Honestly, the conversation around weight for 5'8 female is usually stripped of all the nuance that actually matters, like bone density, muscle mass, and where you actually carry your fat.
Stop obsessing over the "125 lbs" ideal you see in magazines.
If a 5'8" woman weighed 125 pounds, her Body Mass Index (BMI) would be 19. That’s right on the edge of being underweight. For many women with this height, staying at that weight requires an unsustainable level of restriction. It’s not just about the number; it’s about how that mass is distributed across a longer skeleton.
The BMI Myth and Why It’s Kinda Trash for Tall Women
The Body Mass Index was invented by a Belgian mathematician named Adolphe Quetelet in the 1830s. He wasn't a doctor. He wasn't a nutritionist. He was a stats guy trying to define the "average man." Because BMI only accounts for height and weight, it often fails people on the ends of the spectrum. If you’re a 5'8" woman with a decent amount of muscle from lifting weights or just living an active life, the BMI might label you "overweight" even if your waist-to-hip ratio is perfect.
The standard healthy BMI range for a woman who is 5'8" is generally cited as 122 to 164 pounds.
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That’s a massive 42-pound gap.
Why is it so wide? Because "healthy" looks different if you have a "small" frame versus a "large" frame. You can check your frame size by wrapping 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? Large frame. A woman with a large frame is going to naturally and healthily sit at the higher end of that 160s range, and trying to force her body down to 130 is basically a recipe for hormonal disaster and hair loss.
What Real Bodies Look Like at 5'8"
Let’s look at some real-world context. Take professional athletes. A 5'8" CrossFit athlete might weigh 165 pounds and have visible abs. Meanwhile, a 5'8" runway model might weigh 115 pounds and struggle with bone density issues. Then you have the "average" person.
Most health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), use these metrics because they are easy to track at scale, but they don't tell the story of your visceral fat—the stuff that actually causes heart disease.
The Role of Muscle Mass
Muscle is dense. It takes up less space than fat but weighs a lot more. If you start a strength training program, you might find that your clothes fit better even though the scale hasn't moved an inch. Or worse, the scale goes up. This is the "5'8" paradox." Because you have longer limbs, you have more "real estate" to store muscle. A five-pound gain of muscle on a 5'2" woman looks like a total transformation; on you, it might just make your legs look slightly more toned.
Don't let the scale gaslight you.
If you’re chasing a specific weight for 5'8 female because you think it’s the "magic number" for looking good, you're probably chasing a ghost. Focus on your waist circumference. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests that for women, a waist circumference of over 35 inches is a higher risk factor for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, regardless of what the total weight says.
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The Hormonal Reality of Being "Too Lean"
There is a dark side to the quest for a low number.
When tall women try to maintain a weight at the very bottom of the "healthy" range, they often run into the Female Athlete Triad or RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Your body needs a certain amount of fat to produce estrogen. If your body fat percentage drops too low—even if you're technically within your BMI—your period might stop. This is called amenorrhea.
It’s not a "convenience." It’s your bones literally thinning out because you don't have enough estrogen to protect them.
Beyond the Scale: What Should You Actually Track?
If the scale is a liars' club, what should you actually look at?
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- Waist-to-Height Ratio: This is gaining a lot of traction in the medical community. The goal is to keep your waist circumference less than half your height. For a 5'8" woman (68 inches), your waist should ideally be under 34 inches.
- Energy Levels: If you’re at your "goal weight" but you need four coffees to survive the afternoon, your weight is probably too low or your nutrition is garbage.
- Strength Gains: Are you getting stronger? Can you carry your groceries or hike a trail without feeling like your heart is going to explode?
- Blood Markers: Honestly, your A1C and lipid panel tell a much more accurate story about your health than a piece of plastic on your bathroom floor ever will.
The Mid-Life Shift
Weight doesn't stay static. As you move into your 30s, 40s, and 50s, your body composition changes. Perimenopause often brings "the spread." Even if you're eating the same things you did at 22, your body might decide it wants to sit at 155 instead of 140. This is partly due to shifting hormones and a natural decline in muscle mass (sarcopenia).
Instead of fighting it with 1,200-calorie diets, the answer is almost always more protein and more heavy lifting.
Practical Steps for Finding Your "Happy Weight"
Forget the charts for a second. Finding your actual healthy weight for 5'8 female involves a bit of trial and error and a lot of honesty.
- Stop the 1200-calorie madness. A woman of your height has a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) than shorter women. You literally burn more calories just existing. Eating like a toddler will only tank your metabolism. Most active 5'8" women need at least 2,000–2,200 calories just to maintain their weight.
- Prioritize Protein. Aim for about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your ideal weight. This protects your muscle and keeps you full.
- Check your "Weight Set Point." This is the weight your body naturally returns to when you’re eating intuitively and moving regularly. For many 5'8" women, this is somewhere between 145 and 160 pounds. If you have to starve yourself to stay below 140, 140 is not your healthy weight.
- Get a DEXA scan. If you’re really curious, stop guessing. A DEXA scan will tell you exactly how much of your weight is bone, muscle, and fat. It’s the gold standard for a reason.
- Throw the scale away for a month. Seriously. Use a measuring tape or just see how your favorite jeans feel. The mental freedom is worth more than the data point.
The reality is that "5'8"" is a powerful height. You have the frame to be strong, athletic, and capable. Don't shrink yourself to fit into a standardized chart that was never designed for your specific biology. Focus on how you feel in your skin, your strength in the gym, and your health markers at the doctor's office. Everything else is just noise.
Your Action Plan
Start by calculating your waist-to-height ratio today. It takes thirty seconds and provides more health insight than a week of weighing yourself. Next, shift your focus from "losing weight" to "gaining capability." If you can squat your body weight or walk five miles without pain, you’re likely exactly where you need to be. If you're still worried about the numbers, consult with a registered dietitian who specializes in body composition rather than just weight loss. They can help you find a sustainable "forever weight" that doesn't require living on steamed broccoli and sadness.