SO hard to lose when petite

TedStout

Sounds like a lot of folks have gone through the same thing. I am now 4 days of zero movement at all, except a very slight uptick. I am trying to increase my calories to see how that works. The last two months have been great for losing fat and overall weight, but I think the advice folks are giving here is sound. The last 10 are hard to lose. Will see how it goes and take the long view. Good luck!!!!

Lleldiranne

I am petite! 5'0 and currently 127, trying to get to around 120, but I'm more concerned about body fat getting below 22% than the scale right now (and even a bit flexible there, that may be a bit extreme for my age)

You need to eat more! Online calculators place my BMR around 1300, too. I eat 1600 and lose slowly (which is how I want it). Your BMR, as others have said, is the minimum you need. It's what your body burns if you lie in bed all day long. I don't know about you, but I have too much to do for that! I exercise around 200 minutes a week, plus I have life to live - kids, job, friends, etc. At 500 calories a day you are going to burn yourself out, miss out on vital micro- and macro-nutrients, and possibly do damage to your internal organs, especially your heart. Find out your TDEE, then subtract 300-500 calories from that (I would go with the smaller, since you're so close to goal. It gets harder to lose, and a smaller deficit will help you transition into maintenance). Eat!!


Edit - I just saw your replies about 500 cals being your reduction from BMR, not total calories. Still, it isn't enough. Like I said, your BMR is your minimum, if you did nothing at all. Since you work out a lot, you definitely need more than 800 calories or so a day!

GamerLady

I think this is so hard for us petite girls that are trying to lose weight to grasp and believe that using weights is not going to make us look bigger. That adding weights to our exercise is just better and WILL make you smaller with muscles. :drinker: (If that makes sense)
The harsh truth is that the scale will probably show a higher number than you want, but you have to understand the difference between fat vs. muscles.
If I was you and if you have some weight to lose, don’t look too much at the scale us a measuring tape and smaller pants.
And also, if you aren't losing weight you have to look in to what you are eating. To little calories with good exercise don't = weight lose. (for some, but if you are trying and it's not happening for you, than you are not one of them)
Question to you: if you would fit in to a smaller pants size than you have now and the scale would maybe say 4 losing. lbs more. Over which one would you be happy about?
Add me if you want

Thank you for your reply.
I'm in a size 5 atm, and that's as low as I want to go, I don't want to lose anymore. I was at 156lbs a year and half ago. I've always been small and really had it pretty easy time losing weight after a child. I just did it slowing and safely this time. 118lbs-125lbs is where I'm use to being, and I'm in that range atm. Eating 1600-1800 calories a day has had me maintaining my weight well. Just when I added the weights it started going up, that's what was concerning me.

delekium

bump

J3ss1caD

I'm 5'1 and was having trouble losing weight when I was only eating 1200 calories. MY BMR is 1148 and for a "sedentary" lifestyle I should be consuming atleast 1484 calories. (we have this thing at work called a BOD POD that calculated this for me).
Eating 1200 calories and working out 6 days a week had my body feeling some kind of way.. and I was stuck at this weight. Once I bumped my calorie intake up.. to 1484 (going off of sedentary even though I'm not) I started to see some more changes and the weight coming off.

Perhaps you're eating too few of calories??? I know for me I starting getting REALLY bad hunger pains.. hence why I figured my body was starting to go into starvation mode and I needed to increase my calorie intake.

skinnyinnotime

You're eating 500 cals a day? That's just madness, you need more than that, a baby has more than that in milk.

It's no harder to lose weight if you're petite!!

GamerLady

You can tone without bulking by using light weight with high repetitions. Work the muscle to fatigue. Be sure to stretch the area worked afterwards to release the lactic acid from the muscle to speed recovery and prevent soreness.

Thanks!

jcperkns

I hit my target goal weight finally after I switched my exercise routine up, guess my body just got use to my routine. I then switched to weights like a lot suggested and gained 5 lbs in 3 days, eating the same 1600 calories a day I had been and eating clean as usual... ugh...guess it's back to cardio to lose those 5lbs back again.

When you start weights its normal for you to see a jump on the scale. It's just your muscles holding on to water. It will eventually go away. Two months of strength training did more for my body than six months of cardio.

I'll take your word for it and give it a few weeks then. I hope I don't gain 10-15lbs just from switching to weights. I don't wan't heavy muscle, just toning.

In order to gain muscle mass, you have to be eating at a surplus. Since you are not weights are just going to make you tighter and more lean. Muscle burns fat!! Good luck!!!

justjenny

Bump

GamerLady

In order to gain muscle mass, you have to be eating at a surplus. Since you are not weights are just going to make you tighter and more lean. Muscle burns fat!! Good luck!!!

Thanks, that's all I'm looking for, I don't really care for bulk, lean is great.

hannahjay1994

I'm 5ft and 114ibs, I've always wanted to loose weight but the only time I managed it was through very unhealthy and extreme dieting, which of course I couldn't keep up forever and Ire gained. It is super difficult, we burn less when we move and exercise but I can eat just as much as any tall lady and the calorie intake is the same :')

Menelaus35

Anyone other petites out there trying to lose those last ten pounds? So frustrating to try to lose even a pound a week. With a BMR as low as 1300, I have to limit my calorie intake 500 per day if I want to lose only a pound a week. Hungry and constantly exercising with little results. Not very motivating

I think this all the time. Thanks for posting. You are in inspiration

quellybelly

That's definitely me! 5'3" and trying to shed at least 10 more pounds before the summer!