Slow loss for mod ovrwt (40 lb) short people? (5'2")

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feefie04
feefie04 Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Not really disappointed in my loss or anything, but I was wondering if anyone feels like (or has noticed) that short people with a moderate amount of weight to lose generally lose it slower than the taller people or ones with larger goals? I'm talking mostly about people doing 1 lb a week, with proper caloric intakes, etc.

Just kind of wondering. I put on the weight over 3 years so I don't expect it to come off fast. So far I've seen 6 lbs loss since I started 4 weeks ago, but I have not begun exercise yet, so that is only on change of diet, so I feel like it is working.

Curious on the experiences of the short people! Should I really see 4-6 more pounds come off this next 4 weeks? It seems like a lot to hope for!
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Replies

  • tamba01
    tamba01 Posts: 110 Member
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    Yes, I'm 5'2" also. I lose weight at a slow rate too. I think that it's because with people that are taller or heavier seem to lose weight faster is because they have more to lose. What I mean is if you weigh 140 and you lose 2% of your body weight that is only 2.8 lbs Someone that is 300 and loses 2% body weight, that is 6 lbs. So percentage wise it is the same but actual weight is more. I hope this makes sense.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Think of it this way, if a 300 lbs person and a 175 lbs person were both losing 1% of their bodyweight per week, the larger person would be going "faster" (3lbs per week vs. 1.75), but not really faster in the absolute sense.
  • ermand
    ermand Posts: 54 Member
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    also you must remember the taller you are the higher your bmr is. Personally im 6'6 and its incredibly easy to create a calorie deficit.
  • tamba01
    tamba01 Posts: 110 Member
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    I am 5'2" and lost 40 lbs. 1-2 lbs a week the whole way. There were a few weeks that I wouldn"t lose any and I think that is ok because I looked at it as my body just had to adjust to it's new weight.
  • feefie04
    feefie04 Posts: 67 Member
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    Think of it this way, if a 300 lbs person and a 175 lbs person were both losing 1% of their bodyweight per week, the larger person would be going "faster" (3lbs per week vs. 1.75), but not really faster in the absolute sense.

    I understand that someone with 200 lb to lose vs someone with 10 lb to lose will lose faster... but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking about a tall person with 40 lb to lose vs a short person with 40 lb to lose.

    I'm feeling a little unsure about the fact that I may be down 10 lbs in two months... a whole 10 lbs?? That seems like magic to me and all I am doing is eating better... lol. I'm just asking if it would be normal for a lil shorty like me to look at a slower loss as still a success (say, 6 lbs in 2 months).

    Or, am I asking the totally wrong question? Should I be more concerned with a plateau for the next 4 weeks if I DON'T lose 5 pounds by then?

    I think too much sometimes, sorry!
  • KIMBAILEYWILLIAMSON
    KIMBAILEYWILLIAMSON Posts: 258 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and lost 2 lbs a week in the beginning but I had alot of weight to lose. I'm am closer to my goal now (10 or less lbs to lose) and the scale is moving very slow.



    "I'm feeling a little unsure about the fact that I may be down 10 lbs in two months... a whole 10 lbs?? That seems like magic to me and all I am doing is eating better... lol. I'm just asking if it would be normal for a lil shorty like me to look at a slower loss as still a success (say, 6 lbs in 2 months). "


    YES that would still be a success, I would call it anyway because that's what I am going through right now.
  • sunnsand201
    sunnsand201 Posts: 12 Member
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    Great topic!! Thank you!! Yes, I am 5' 2" also and I am "curvey" but tend to carry more of my excess weight in my hips, butt, & thighs. Being so short my lower half is def large & in charge! I have always lost weight at a slow rate & exercise like a mad lady! Please know I feel your pain & sympathize with our "short syndrome"... (: Remember, we're not short; we're Fun Size! :) Have a great day!
  • feefie04
    feefie04 Posts: 67 Member
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    I am 5'2" and lost 40 lbs. 1-2 lbs a week the whole way. There were a few weeks that I wouldn"t lose any and I think that is ok because I looked at it as my body just had to adjust to it's new weight.

    Yeah I have been seeing the loss come off in spurts, rather than every week I think... but I don't weigh myself regularly really. I'm not really concerned *when* it comes off, as long as it does :).
  • tamba01
    tamba01 Posts: 110 Member
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    lol, I think too much too. I am 5'2" and stated above about the 1-2 lbs a week. I was unsure at first too about the rate I should lose. I decided that I wouldn't think of it that way, that I would just ask myself every night before I went to bed " did I go the most I could today to lose weight" and as long as the answer was yes, then I didn't worry about the rate of loss anymore.
  • feefie04
    feefie04 Posts: 67 Member
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    lol, I think too much too. I am 5'2" and stated above about the 1-2 lbs a week. I was unsure at first too about the rate I should lose. I decided that I wouldn't think of it that way, that I would just ask myself every night before I went to bed " did I go the most I could today to lose weight" and as long as the answer was yes, then I didn't worry about the rate of loss anymore.

    Yeah, I actually have to be conscious to *hit* my calorie goal for the day sometimes, because the things I eat end up not being very calorie dense, even though I feel satisfied. I guess I technically could not hit the goal (and be around 1200 as opposed to 1500) but I feel like I need to stick with the goal in order to succeed.
  • docdrd
    docdrd Posts: 174 Member
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    So you asked, so this is somewhat solicited advice :-) I think you should NOT worry about the speed at which it comes off. Your goal should be to lose the weight in a healthy manner that is SUSTAINABLE!!! I don't think taller people at the same weight as short people lose weight faster. I think it shows faster on them because they have it spread out over a bigger surface area, but the rate at which people lose is generally dictated by diet, exercise and metabolism.

    I think losing more than a pound a week, as you have done thus far, is AWESOME!!! You should be proud and hope that it continues, but not be frustrated if you plateau (like I have) as long as you are doing the right (ie healthy) things. Sorry to preach at you but hope this was helpful. Cheers!
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    I lose about a 1 lb a week and i'm 5'2. I started with a lot of weight to lose and I was losing about 2 lbs a week.. now that I have less to lose I still lose about 1 lb a week. It is totally doable but you are going to want to workout and you are going to want to pay attention to nutrition.
  • healtheworld
    healtheworld Posts: 4
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    I am 5' 2" and was once 40lbs overweight, i've gone from 154lbs to 116lbs and it took me 2 years of lots of ups and downs to get here! So yes I do think it comes off more slowly, plus being small shows the weight alot more and I think it makes it alot harder to see progress.
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
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    As a short girl who only started out slightly (25 lbs) overweight, I lost 5 lbs/month and was perfectly happy with that.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    The results of a shorter person losing 1 pound per week is also much more dramatic, as far as looks, than a larger taller person.

    Too much to fast can put a lot of stress on the body. How much is too much will depend on the size of the person and how much extra they have to lose.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    I wouldn't call 1 lb a week "slow". I've lost 4 lbs in 10 weeks, am 5'4" and have plenty to lose. I figure I am losing about 0.5 lbs a week, but since it is not linear I don't always "see" the loss right away. I find it tough to stay motivated, so I just try to focus on non-scale goals, and ways to work on being healthier, or macronutrient goals. I have been taking measurements as well and while getting some progress there, that is in general slow too.
  • evereadysmile
    evereadysmile Posts: 137
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    I'm 5'3" w 40lbs to lose (at the start). I lost about 10 in 4 months just eating better, then I added moderate cardio in and lost another 14 in about 4 months and since then, with 15ish left to go, I have gained 2 and lost 1lb in about 5 weeks. I've read some good stuff on plateauing etc. but really I think I'm going to have to anticipate slow loss from here on out. I've been careful about what I eat and I've been exercising regularly. I did up my calories a little about a month ago, mostly because 1200 was just too hard for me to stick too, even eating exercise calories back, so I'm not going to worry for a couple more weeks. But yeah, slow, and a little disheartening sometimes. I get really exhausted by all the posts about how eating 1200 or 1300 calories is the problem with slowed weightloss and how everyone's eating 1700-1800 and still losing. I feel sort of cheated by my body at this point that I can't eat that much and lose. But I'm strength building and working toward lifting heavy, so maybe someday.
  • Windi38
    Windi38 Posts: 164 Member
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    I'm just under 5'2" and have about 40 pounds to lose as well. It's not coming off fast, that's for sure! hahaha. When I first started, I had 55 to lose, and was on phentermine and was tracking calories and riding my bike like a mad woman. I lost 30 pounds in 4 months, but after stopping the diet pill, and pretty much stopping calorie counting and exercising, I gained 20 back.

    I joined a gym mid september, I'm tracking calories and exercising again (although not biking as much because there isn't a convenient, safe place to ride anymore), and I went down 3.5 pounds in 4 weeks. Not as good as I hoped, but it's progress. And honest progress at that!

    I found out a couple of months ago, I have hypothyroidism, so I'm dealing with that as well. Taking all that into consideration (being shorter, no diet pill this time, and hypothyroidism) I am choosing to be happy with about a pound a week off. I'm hoping like crazy though that this next month will be better. My doctor assured me that for anyone who has just started the lifestyle change, and has a slower metabolism, it's GOING to take at least 6 weeks before the body 'let's go' and allows you to lose weight. It's just a fact. So I'm banking on that! That this is the month I'll see better results. I'd be thrilled with 2 pounds a week this month. *fingers crossed* But, if it's only 1 pound a week, I'll still be happy. In the end, it'll all come off, and it took years to put it all on! :))
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and the first 15 pounds seemed to have fallen off of me. I changed my diet and exercise quite a bit. Now, it's going much slower since I'm working to lose the last 10 pounds.

    ETA: I lost my 19 pounds eating 1600 calories a day and now I'm eating 1800 a day and still losing.
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 756 Member
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    I felt that way in the beginning, but not now. I'm 5ft and i've lost 75 pounds.. 45 of that since May of this year. My progress picked up when I started to jog. Then I added Insanity to that and I've been consistenly dropping inches. The scale weight I'm not even worried about anymore. Current 184-186, down from 260. You just have to put more effort into it. Push your limits. Your body isn't going to lose like you want if you just put forward a moderate effort.

    I encourage you to take photos, like everyday! I have instagram, so I'm always snapping shots and already see a difference from when I opened the account 5 weeks ago! Sometimes pics are the only way you see the change, when comparing them side by side. Since you see yourself everyday you don't notice when small changes happen!

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