Ia it harder for shorter people to lose weight?

julie14401
julie14401 Posts: 4
edited December 26 in Health and Weight Loss
For all those short females out there, do you ever feel like you are at a disadvantage with regard to weight loss/maintenance? All of us enjoy eating and I feel like it is so unfair that other people get to eat so much more just because they are taller or because they are male. I am 5' 1 and weigh about 100 pounds. If I am sedentary, I can eat about 1500 calories per day to maintain my weight. But, a 130 pound 5' 9 sedentary male who would have the same bmi as me at that weight can eat 2000 calories per day to maintain his weight.I feel like taller people have an easier time because they have more calories to work with.

Another thing to consider: We are all faced with the same portion sizes in restaurants. If a taller person finishes his/her meal at a restaurant, maybe that person overate by 300 calories for that meal. A person who is my height would have overate by maybe 600 calories for that meal. Those extra calories all add up. Shorter people need more self control to stop eating long before everyone else.

Replies

  • 1234567kate9
    1234567kate9 Posts: 87
    I don't really think you necessarily have to have more willpower. I mean, you feel full earlier so you stop earlier, but it's not like we can just eat as much as we want, we have to stop too. I'm sure there's equal difficulties for both
  • julie14401
    julie14401 Posts: 4
    I don't really think you necessarily have to have more willpower. I mean, you feel full earlier so you stop earlier, but it's not like we can just eat as much as we want, we have to stop too. I'm sure there's equal difficulties for both

    That's a good point but, we all eat when we aren't hungry simply because it is pleasurable to eat. All I'm saying is, short people aren't able to get as much enjoyment out of food because they can't eat as much and as often as taller people without gaining weight.
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
    We do have to watch our portion sizes. Same for men vs. women. A lot of women gain weight thinking they can eat what their husbands do.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    sorry, i dont understand the point of this thread. is it an excuse to being overweight simply because you're short?

    everyone has to consistently eat within their total daily energy expenditure or they gain weight. i personally think you should approach this thinking about what YOU need to do and eat in order o gain weight instead of trying to play the grass is always leaner
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    I personally don't believe that height relates to ability to lose weight. It has significantly more to do with willpower and desire to make permanent changes in life. Short individuals may have less space to store fat or muscle, but that doesn't mean we can't be successful at losing weight.
  • Carlya87
    Carlya87 Posts: 19 Member
    You´re right it sucks! we just need to know when to stop! and not eat as much as our bf and husbands!
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I'm 5'1" and I enjoy eating very much. I don't think my height stops me at all. I eat exactly what I want within my caloric limits. I exercise everyday so I can eat what I want. I lost steadily albeit slowly cause I'm now only a couple of pounds away from my ultimate goal. I don't eat fast food and other real crap but I do eat well and I'm always satisfied at the end of my meal.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    For all those short females out there, do you ever feel like you are at a disadvantage with regard to weight loss/maintenance? All of us enjoy eating and I feel like it is so unfair that other people get to eat so much more just because they are taller or because they are male. I am 5' 1 and weigh about 100 pounds. If I am sedentary, I can eat about 1500 calories per day to maintain my weight. But, a 130 pound 5' 9 sedentary male who would have the same bmi as me at that weight can eat 2000 calories per day to maintain his weight.I feel like taller people have an easier time because they have more calories to work with.

    Another thing to consider: We are all faced with the same portion sizes in restaurants. If a taller person finishes his/her meal at a restaurant, maybe that person overate by 300 calories for that meal. A person who is my height would have overate by maybe 600 calories for that meal. Those extra calories all add up. Shorter people need more self control to stop eating long before everyone else.
    Did you ever think that smaller people also have smaller stomachs? Sorry, but this comes off as whining IMO. You're dealt the card you're dealt and being jealous of other peoples' physical differences isn't changing what you should be doing for yourself.
    I have a friend in a wheel chair who lost over a hundred pounds with no real exercise (obviously). I'm betting it would have been easier if she had her legs.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • celia4711
    celia4711 Posts: 15
    certainly not. everyone is made the same, regardless of their height. weight might be more obvious on a petite frame, but no. nice try.
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
    Well I don't feel at a disadvantage having to eat less, because I think I get full quicker than taller people. In terms of weightloss it tends to mean that you will lose the same amount of weight slower than someone taller, but that weightloss will most likely look more significant on you than a taller person.

    It's swings and roundabouts.

    However I have noticed that some of the gym equipment isn't very accommodating for shorties which is annoying, but I imagine someone reeeealllyy tall would have the same problem!
  • BernardPumpkin
    BernardPumpkin Posts: 86
    only thing tall ppl have iz that they can gain 10 poundz an not look fat, but a short person can gain 10 an look chubby ):
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I don't think it's harder, but each pound matters more. This is both annoying and very much awesome. It's annoying because if you're overweight, it shows a lot more than if you were tall. However, each pound that you lose is far more noticeable, and you'll get more physical results on less pounds lost than taller people. Heck, I had people noticing my weight loss at only 10 pounds lost! I'm 5'1'', btw.
  • keatsgeckos
    keatsgeckos Posts: 15
    I don't think it's harder to lose weight at 5' 2", but being smaller for me means watching portion sizes and total calories. The 1200 calories a day minimum is too high for me to lose weight on. However, that said it may be different for someone else. (However, if you try out those BMI caluculators online, you'll see that no matter what height you put in below about 5' 3", 1200 is the minimum calorie requirements per day.) To figure out my daily calorie requirement I experimented until I found the right number where I was not gaining weight. I now calorie cycle: 2 lower calorie days followed by a higher calorie day. I have also learned to appreciate smaller weight losses per week. For example, I'm not likely to drop 2-3 pounds in one week. I'm consistently dropping 1/2 a pound to a pound and some weeks none. However, combined with daily exercise I am am making good progress. Overall, I'd say I subscribe to the principle of smaller body = smaller portions.
  • babykitty2013
    babykitty2013 Posts: 17
    sorry, i dont understand the point of this thread. is it an excuse to being overweight simply because you're short?

    everyone has to consistently eat within their total daily energy expenditure or they gain weight. i personally think you should approach this thinking about what YOU need to do and eat in order o gain weight instead of trying to play the grass is always leaner

    I completely agree with you! Although I am only 5'2, I blame my weight on my bad eating habits and not my height. Sure it would be nice to be taller and thinner, but that's not always the case. So I believe it depends on the person and how they treat their body. I'm trying to follow the verse that says "Your body is a temple." How you treat your body is going to give you the results you either want or don't want. Your height isn't your choice, but how you choose to treat your body is :-)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    I'm sure that this can easily be argued by NFL linemen who are over 6 feet in height and weight close to 300lbs and over. In fact for many retiring NFL linemen, weight gain is the biggest issue after football.

    A tall thin person uses more calories in a day that a short thin person. Same if they were both overweight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bonitacash08
    bonitacash08 Posts: 378 Member
    The reason tall people can eat more is because being taller causes them to use up more energy. So to keep up with that, just exercise more!

    In all physical reality, our short bodies don't need as much fuel as theirs do. Like others stated above, everyone has to watch their portion sizes and make good food and exercise choices. I think it's all the same, relatively speaking.
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