Quote Originally Posted by zencentury View Post
I'm 5'2" and weigh about 135. I do have a belly but I would not describe myself as fat. I can't imagine someone my height weighing in the neighborhood of 100 pounds yet describing herself the way you do. You don't need to lose weight. You should build muscle.

I do weight and core training on the stability ball. I rarely use weight machines, most of my lifting is done on the ball and with relatively light weights. You can do this in thirty minutes a day.
It is possible to not weigh a lot and still be overfat, though, based on bodyfat percentage.

I do lift weights - light dumbbells (8-12 lbs. depending on the muscle group) and do weight machines, though lately I've been lucky to get to the gym 1-2 times a week for a lifting session, just barely enough time to maintain. However, another often overlooked factor in differences in weight among people of the same height is bone structure. My wrists are like tiny little bird wrists; I have narrow little hips (the boney part, that is!), etc. I have very slim ankles. I'd wager my wrists are a lot smaller than yours as they are smaller than most women I know.

But I do know that I could use more muscle. It seems hard to put on and maintain muscle in my mid 40s, harder than it used to be. One reason: I suspect my testosterone levels are pretty low (they tend to fall in women around menopause).

Emily