Weight Loss for short people! Any tips?

Elizabloob

Hi! I'm 4"11', 22yrs old, and weight 113lbs. I know I am in the "normal" bmi range but feel that I could loose about 10lbs.

The hard part is that because I'm shorter, I feel my calorie intake is already at the lowest level (1200) available on MFP. Thus making it difficult to actually lose weight.

Am I being delusional about the need for a smaller intake? Should I aim for a lower calorie intake or just wait it out?

Pawsforme

I'm 4'10", 53 years old and hypothyroid (although well medicated for that). Once my thyroid was medicated I had no trouble at all losing on 1200 calories a day. But I'm relatively active. I currently weigh 111 and according to my FitBit my average TDEE over the past week was 1731. Which I believe is quite accurate.

What do you mean by "wait it out?" How long have you been consuming 1200 calories a day? Are you weighing and logging accurately? Those last two are routine questions, but really -- I think with already being within the normal BMI range and wanting to drive it even lower you'll need to accept that weight loss will be slow.

LBuehrle8

Elizabloob wrote: »

Hi! I'm 4"11', 22yrs old, and weight 113lbs. I know I am in the "normal" bmi range but feel that I could loose about 10lbs.

The hard part is that because I'm shorter, I feel my calorie intake is already at the lowest level (1200) available on MFP. Thus making it difficult to actually lose weight.

Am I being delusional about the need for a smaller intake? Should I aim for a lower calorie intake or just wait it out?

Patience is super important when you're short. Being so little and not having much to lose in the first place is going to make weight loss very slow. I'd set MFP to lose at the rate of .5 lbs and go from there. But I think the most important thing is going to be patience.

malibu927

With ten pounds to lose, you shouldn't be aiming for more than half a pound a week. If you aren't reaching that loss over 4-6 weeks, then you'll need to tighten up your logging.

ellovely

I'm 5'1" and 115#. I had a metabolic issue that runs in my family show up (alongside a personal health incident)-- I shot up from 98# over a year without change to my diet or exercise regime and panicked. I know I am not overweight, but I have been struggling to get it back down. I am avoiding metabolic medications for another few years as long as I can (I know some people disagree with that choice.) I don't like taking medications. However, I feel that vitamins and supplements can be beneficial. I upped my work out regime and have been taking magnesium (for energy ATP conversion, fat conversion assisted), a Vitamin B (B2, B12, etc) supplement and take fiber and feel they have both been helping tremendously. My weight has stayed pretty even-keel, but my muscle mass to fat ratio has changed considerably.
I'm in the same boat- I feel awful dropping below 1400 calories, especially 1200. I have issues where I have a great few days and lose it over the weekend.
Try a few vitamins and make sure you get your fiber intake (a lot don't). There are great brands out there that dissolve completely and you don't even taste it. (I hate taking things.) I think Benefiber or Beneful is one of them. They have to-go flavoring packs.

My suggestion is take some vitamins and fiber, up your cardio, and try to stick closer to 1400 while working out. Its miserable eating less, especially socially. Eat healthy carbs, don't cut them out they fuel your brain.

I think I would lose more literal weight if I didn't do as much weight lifting as I do. But I'll take the fat to muscle conversion. Now time for some more cardio. I think 105# I would be happy with.

Elizabloob

thanks for all your replys!!

erialcelyob

I am 5"4, bit taller but still I find being small makes it so much trickier because you do have to be a lot stricter, especially the last 10lbs that I'm on

shortntall1

Same here..Im 5ft2 and have 10 more to go...its draaagggiinnnggg...

mirrim52

I am 5'0" and 112 lbs. I am on my last few lbs until my goal, and it is slow, not because of the size, but because I have gotten lazy in my logging :P

I am quite active, and can lose on 1700 calories (total, not net). If you want to eat more, move more Plan on losing 0.5 lbs a week averaged out over time. It seems so slow, but the good thing is with being short, even 5-10 lbs can make a visible difference. I look much smaller now than I did at 122 lbs, and this last 5 lbs should cover the rest of my belly fat.

farmerpam1

Almost 5' here, a lot older than you though. I find it hard to live on 1200, but I do a lot of cardio and weight lifting and get to eat more! I'm close to what I think would be goal, slow and steady wins the race.

middlehaitch

I am another petite one. 5'1.
I went from 130-105 lbs 6+years ago and now maintain between 100-105 lbs.

1200 cal plus eating back a portion of your exercise cals will do it, but do it slowly.
Move as much as you can during your daily activity. March in place chopping veg, squats while waiting for the microwave, planks and push-ups during commercials, lunge on the way back from the bathroom. Anything to burn a few more calories.
MFP counts sedentary as the equivalent 5000 steps a day, so if you are desk bound try some of the above.
I worked out that I burn about 200 cals per hour of exercise so are back between 175-125 of them. The lower feedback was when I reached 110lbs.

You may like to look at lifting weights, it will help reshape your body and give you a slightly higher BMR for your weight.

Don't lower your intake, move more.

Cheers, h.

AnneWalker2

another tiny one here. at 53, i stand almost 5'1". my normal weight is about 95. but i ballooned up to 118 last year. i got it down to 109, but i need to get back to where i should be. i do about 800 calories and about 30 minutes of cardio every morning. i walk 3-5 miles daily, more on weekends.
my thyroid went from dangerously hyper to dangerously hypo. i also do loads of thermogenic herbs ~ ginger, cinnamon and cayenne, along with tonalin and vitamin d. i have early stage osteo and i take synthroid and a migraine med prn.
if anyone has any ideas of how i can kick these 15 lbs, i'm all ears.

middlehaitch

@Elizabloob please don't follow @AnneWalker2's diet. It is VLCD and should only be followed with a doctors supervision.

@AnneWalker2 you have medical conditions that may be hindering your progress. Have your doctor reassess your medication and labs, then refer you to a professional who can construct a healthy diet for your particular needs.
No one should be eating 800 cals and exercising unless supervised.

My post above was how I lost weight when 54. I am 62 now.

Cheers, h.

AnneWalker2

yeah. i just had a thyroid scan done. they always indicate that i'm at a perfect rate. my doctor doesn't get that i shouldn't weigh as much as i do. she thinks it's normal!

i'm a retired dancer, and i have an excellent grasp of my situation. i just wondered if anyone else had hit this midlife plateau and how they dealt with it. i really need to get beyond this.

middlehaitch

I feel for you @AnneWalker2. Weight loss is so slow at our size. I am happy at 100-105. A little lighter and I would have to work at it, though I have dropped that low occasionally.
Being an ex dancer you probably had a good muscle mass and BMR to go with it.
Eat at a reasonable level and keep active is all I can say.

Did your doc check you for diabetes 2?
If you are menopausal ( I was at your age) and are carrying fat in your abdomen, it may be worth checking. The increase in visceral fat due to the increase in testosterone can predispose one to it. Just a thought as that can slow weight loss if not treated.

Cheers, h.

AnneWalker2

i'm not diabetic. just frustrated at working so hard for minimal results. i do loads of protein, with greens and fresh fruit. and i mix the cardio with barre work. i hope to get back to the studio within the next six months or so.
i have some injuries (stress fractures, tendonitis etc) that hinder exercise, but i work through them.
i really hesitate to see family or old friends as fat as i am. it totally sucks.

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Tinalovesfoods

I'm close to 5 feet. I want to get into donating blood and I can't under 110 pounds. So I'm not trying to go beneath ~108 (extra water and a big breakfast should do it) but right now I'm 118 or so and can't seem to get the scale to budge much further which bothers me. I think I'll start cutting out my late night snacks and just going to sleep and eat salads as my last meal instead of fruit and see what happens. I also walk around @2.5mph-3.5mph at work for 7.5hrs 5 days a week and weight train 3 consecutive days. Maybe someone could look at my diary and see what I could tweak?