How to lose weight/maintain weight if you are really petite (like 4'11)??

wannabethinnnn
wannabethinnnn Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I was wondering whether it is even possible for petite women to lose weight at all? At 4'11 and 18 years old, my BMR is easily 1070-1213 kcal (depending on the website that gave me the estimate).

In order for "healthy weight loss" to occur, one must ensure a calorie deficit of 500 kcal. But for short women like me, that would mean 600 kcal a day?? :open_mouth:

I would really appreciate any advice on how petite woman can maintain or lose weight without having to starve themselves all the time or exercise excessively.

Thanks! :smile:

P.S. This is a really important question to me because my pursuit of weight loss in the past led to Anorexia Nervosa. I have since recovered and regained all the weight and more (after putting my family through 2 years of hell) but am still gaining at 1 lb per week on a diet of 1500 kcal per day. I truly want to lead a normal healthy life without swinging to either end of the spectrum (either severely underweight or overweight), but my low BMR (which has been further lowered by my ED) is making it impossible for me to maintain my healthy BMI.

Replies

  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    edited October 2014
    The only advice I can give in this is that 1,200kcal a day is the absolute bare minimum for a woman.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
    You eat a deficit from your TDEE, not BMR. So it really depends on how active you are on a daily basis. I'm 5'1" and my BRM is ~1200, TDEE ~ 1700 without exercise (lightly active). I eat ~1500 to lose, more with exercise. Granted, I'm large framed and slightly taller than you. I wouldn't recommend eating below 1200, even at your height, and make sure to weigh all solids and measure liquids for accuracy.

    However, you're a former anorexic. Are you under a doctor's supervision for losing weight? If not, you might want to look into it to prevent any kind of relapse.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    It will be slower for you to lose weight, is all. Not fair, but it is what happens. I am short and am 46 years old which means my metabolism is in the sh*tter lol. Be certain to go for walks and stuff like that to burn calories daily without killing yourself in the gym. Just walk an hour a day. That's a couple hundred calories more you burn.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Can you be more specific on your stats? How much do you weigh?
  • wannabethinnnn
    wannabethinnnn Posts: 5
    Okay my stats are:
    1. 40 kg (BMI about 18.3) but I am STILL GAINING at a rate of 1 lb per week
    2. Before my ED, I used to be only 37 kg but I was healthy and still had my periods and ate normally (didn't count calories at the time T_T). My family is extremely thin genetically, my mom and younger sister are both 5'1 and 38 kg.
    3. I have gained about 30 lbs in 5 months since recovering.

    Now I can't stop gaining weight and I look bloated and flabby (i.e. "skinny fat"). My mom is beginning to make comments about my appearance (like she did before I had the ed).

    My psychiatrist did not encourage me to lose weight (of course he wouldn't haha) but he did advice me to "go easy with the weight gain" (I am quoting him verbatim) after he weighed me this August but since then I have gained 3 kg.

    I don't want to relapse because I have really really important reasons for recovering. However, I can't stand this existence of "partially-starving" myself all the time just to maintain my weight.

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