Well, that chart is still out there! This site says to first calculate your BMI, and then find your ideal weight. Ideal Body Weight - Heartstrong
They were born in the teens and '20s and ranged from 4’10" to 5’1". my grandmother was usually 80# and though quite thin, she would have had to exercise to add muscle to be bigger & that wasn’t happening.
I definitely recall my generation making fun of that auntie as being a weirdo, thankfully never internalizing her obsession. I don’t know if her own daughters and granddaughters did, I know that of her kids she had favorites and the not favorites are totally messed up. 
I will say on that chart, the ideal weight for me = me in my most perfect year, not working, but working out every day, did body fat testing at the gym and was told I was 12.8% body fat. That could have been real, my tiny Momma was worried I was anorexic-I was not, just bored in a new town so enjoying the fitness trend of the time, and was right where that chart says to be.
I will say, I know a very slender Asian woman, 5’2" 100# who is having trouble getting life insurance as they say her build it too slight, so some where the charts have changed.
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Working my way through the Maintenance Phase podcasts (yes, running again)I learned another new phrase: normative discontent. It was applied to that habit/custom some women have of ritually complaining about their bodies. One woman says “my thighs are so fat” and another replies “you look fine; have you seen my cellulite?”
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It just occurred to me that we women are so adept - almost expert - at self-criticism. We can all instantly say that our butt is too big or our arms are flabby or our thighs are wobbly or our abdomen is pouchy (or, in my case, all of the above!) …
but have y’all tried to say something complimentary about yourself just as quickly?
I just tried it.
I can’t.
Oh wait! I like my ankles. They’re quite small and remind me of an Arabian’s fetlocks. I have well-turned-out, slender ankles.
Phew. That was not easy.
Generally speaking, I find that we’re pretty pathetic when it comes to thinking good thoughts about ourselves.
Just an observation.
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My D is 5’2” and about 97#. She has chronic health issues and struggles to consume sufficient protein.
I would say undue focus on weight and height are unhealthy. Strength and stamina are so important. D would love more of both.
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My best points: I have a nice back and delicate hands ;). And my small bustline that was a bit of a disappointment at a young age is now very much appreciated. Also my aging 59 year old body enables me to run 5k (3 miles)… or even 10k on a good day.
Over past few years I have lost 20 pounds. Interestingly I’m a bit more critical of my body now because I pay more attention. When busy with work and parenting, it was easy for me to just ignore my figure (except when shopping for MOB dress).
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I’ll be honest, I feel like if I post anything on this thread complimentary to myself it will be seen as a “competitive health” brag. There’s something wrong too that people who are MODERATELY into taking care of themselves health wise - and enjoying the process - are chastised on this particular thread.
It is also super sad to me if someone here has difficulty finding a trait about themselves (physically) they do not like. We are all imperfect. I want to live a life that I am aware of those imperfections but also strive to improve somewhere and do my best to build my person up, in SOME ways, not ALL ways.
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I had heard that 5’/100 lb rule slightly differently. The way it was posted (5 lbs for each inch over 5’)was if you had a medium frame. If you were small-boned, it was only 4 lbs for each inch over 5’, and if you were large-boned, it was 6 lbs for each inch over 5’. No idea where I learned/heard that.
I am pretty happy with my overall physique/size/build. However, I am not happy with gravity - on my body or face - lol!
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Well, I’ll be the outlier here: I am generally happy with my body.
(I wish I had taken better care of my teeth when I was younger, but here we are. That’s not what we’re talking about anyway.)
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When I went to the dentist this week he said something interesting to me (he’s a younger dentist)
After he checked my teeth - which are imperfect look wise (not the most successful orthodontia decades ago) but fine health wise , he said “ are you satisfied with the way your teeth look?” When I responded yes he said “great, then you’re set to go!” If I had said no I imagine he might have given me an Invisalign talk or something - but he didn’t do that first - he let
My comfort with my vanity be the most important thing.
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I wish eating foods that are not processed and natural veggies fish, lean meats and fish and healthy oils were the solution for me. But I always ate that way. But I was 75 pounds overweight. Typical meal then : 10 oz of salmon, 2 cups of brown steamed rice, normal potion of veggies…some chocolate . I ate like that the vast majority with a restaurant meal with pasta or a steak maybe twice a month. I just didn’t like my body and finally decided to do something about it. I learned that for me Portion size control of anything other than veggies is the only way for me and I have to eat huge quantities of veggies to not feel hungry all the time. I lost 80 pounds 3 years ago by cutting portion sizes except for very low calorie foods which I eat in massive quantities. I can’t eat grains because a normal potion leaves me ravenous. I eat a HUGE salad every night now ( well 6 days a week) with a small quantity of lean protein and good fat homemade salad dressing. Oh and I still eat the chocolate! One day a week we go out or order in and I order something like pasta or red meat and eat a half portion. And I cannot eat before noon or I am hungry the rest of the day. All of my labs went from worrisome to “ perfect”.
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That’s the “rule” I recall also. I think the version I read was (don’t laugh!) in a Montgomery Ward “Wendy Ward” book used in their classes for young teens. Some friends and I did the classes, then worked as junior/junior petite models both at MW and at several other stores during high school, many decades ago.
Shockingly, given my current size, I was told I needed to gain a few pounds. I refused since I was very sensitive about my thighs and stomach. That was due to an older boy I’d had a crush on (he was 16) who had criticized my appearance in a bikini because my stomach wasn’t concave. I lived in beach town and how one looked in a bikini was extremely important. 
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<< I lived in beach town and how one looked in a bikini was extremely important.>>
Me too. It was brutal. Plus, Farrah Fawcett posters everywhere. Sigh.
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I lived in Honolulu. Don’t think my HS BF nor any of the guys I dated ever saw me in swimwear. I mostly wore unflattering, too big, baggy clothes. I didn’t really like showing off my figure (even though o actually had a good one—teen self consciousness). My BF didn’t mind and I had no trouble being buddies with most males.
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Never heard of it either, but lo and behold, it’s spot on. Go figure.
And you had to measure around your wrist to determine your build, right? I remember when the tables went to ranges of weights by build. And now that is what the BMI show, ranges of BMI measurements in the different classifications (underweight, normal, overweight, etc.).
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Yes, you’re right. I had forgotten that bit until you wrote it.
My husband’s BMI went up only because he lost a little height due to an aging spine.
How does that make sense?
I somehow got taller so that helped my BMI. 
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Good job, ML!
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