Short ladies and diet

hendrijm

Hi! I'm wondering what ladies that are shorter than 5'1 are eating through the week to maintain or get to a weight less than 130. I've stalled and I'm around tall people who can probably eat more than me to lose weight. I'm 5'0. Any help would be great. I exercise five days a week between 30-45 minutes. My schedule is packed this semester and I can't easily exercise more, but I can adjust my food.

girlinahat

this is me basically. I'm five foot, currently 128lbs down from 147lbs (and have crept up over the summer). I'm aiming for something around 115, but fitting into smaller clothes and removing the fat from around my muscles would suit more than the scale.

Most of my weight loss and changes to my figure have come from taking up running – started with c25k and am now training for my second half marathon. Before that I did limited amounts of consistent exercise aside from walking and hiking.

But it’s taken a long time. Probably about a year to get down, and then I’ve lapsed on the exercise over the summer. Whilst exercise ISN’T necessary to lose weight, it BECOMES necessary when you are short like us and like food. So the more I exercise the more I can eat. I run three times a week at least – a couple of 40 minute runs and a long run of up to 2 hours. I also do dance classes, and lift weights. I don’t believe that you need spend 2 hours in the gym every day so you are probably doing enough exercise, assuming it is quality exercise. Mixing strength-based and cardio is good. And exercise should be enjoyable. If it’s a chore I won’t do it.

I have aimed for a NET average – there are days (such as the day after a long run) where I eat everything going, and other days I eat less. My sedentary maintenance is around 1500 calories, so if I exercise and keep my average below that, I should lose weight, even if it is slow. I personally am happy with a slow weightloss – it means I don’t restrict myself, and am more likely to stick to it long-term.

I naturally prefer eating lots of vegetables and proteins, and have never been much of a junk food fan. My weakness is beer, so if I could just stop drinking beer I’d lose faster!! I tend not to snack – so I’ll eat at mealtimes until I feel satisfied but not stuffed, and not think I need snack later on – after all, the next meal isn’t THAT long away. I reach mealtimes happy to be eating but not starving, and plenty of protein and good fats helps with that. I’m not low carb, but I find the less starchy carbs (grains, potatoes, breads) I eat the better, for some reason they tend to make me feel still hungry.

It’s very possible to lose, it just can be slow. My targets are generally non-scale related – can I fit into that dress without my belly sticking out? Can I run up that hill without having to walk halfway up? Those are achievable goals whereas the number on the scale and the way it fluctuates daily can be frustrating

timtam163

I'm 5' and currently stalled at 120 lbs. My maintenance is 1490; to lose is really hard as I get ravenous on 1200 and it's still not a 1 lb a week deficit. But I aim for like a 100-300 calorie deficit. My biggest tip is to cook some really easy recipes at home, something of the one-pot-meal variety. I keep canned beans and frozen veggies at home, which helps me whip up quick pasta or rice dishes with protein and fiber. I definitely eat processed foods, but making stuff at home makes it really easy to control fat and sugar intake. Fat in particular is my nemesis macro, since I eat a lot of peanut butter, which makes it hard to stay within my calorie goals; I try to balance it by eating other lower fat meals and by reducing my peanut butter helpings. (@girlinahat says her weakness is beer; mine is peanut butter! ) And as you've noticed, yes tall people can definitely eat more than short people. It's just one of those unfair facts of life. Finding ways to reduce portion size is key; it makes me feel like because I'm short my "dieting" is more obvious, which I hate but what can ya do. I also stopped drinking (for multiple reasons) and it's helped me stay within my calorie goals.

I haven't been over 130 in about a year. I can't seam to break the 120 plateau (my goal is 115 but if I'm honest I'd like to see 110). Still, right now I'm focusing on maintenance by doing the above things: eating in when possible, watching fat intake, watching portions, and reducing alcohol.

It sounds like you're doing great with consistent exercise; I don't think you need to do more to lose weight. Like they say, you can't out-train a bad diet. Keep logging and see where you're suck. I don't know what weight you're at, so if you're within a healthy BMI range you might want to focus on recomp instead of weight loss. Also are you lifting at all? Maintaining muscle helps keep your lean body weight from dropping, which will help you burn more calories in the long run, plus it's beneficial overall. If you're stuck doing cardio only, it might be worth trying some strength training. It'll keep you from getting into a rut too.

Feel free to add me, and ask any questions you want! I'm a busy grad student as well, so I feel you on the student life thing. Plus obviously the height thing.

achagpar

I'm in the same boat as you, @girlinahat and @timtam163 I'm 5' 1 and 3/4" (yup very proud of that extra 3/4"!) -- started at 147.2 lbs April 24. Now 128.2. Goal is 125. It's just slow sometimes... I figure it's because we can't get as much of a deficit while still eating at least 1200 cal which is the least allowed. So, while I have stayed the same weight for a while, I'm learning to be patient and to celebrate my new good habits. I go to the gym at least 5 times a week; do mostly cardio (I love Zumba) but have recently added in weights. I gave up Diet Coke and on most days get 8 glasses of water in (yesterday was a notable exception). I eat much more cleanly now -- less processed foods, chips, ice cream etc; learned how to cook some pretty quick basic meals that are yummy and healthy. And I try to relax, enjoy life and get enough sleep (still working on this!). So while I'm not at goal yet, I'm happy with my journey and the good habits I've amassed. I fit better into clothes, get more compliments etc -- so I figure, slow and steady can still win the race. Be patient. The last few lbs are the hardest. But with your good habits, you'll get there. We've got this!

Ironandwine69

Those tall people!! Ugh..