5'3 around 140lbs- need some advice!:D

cet1689
cet1689 Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone,

I'm 24 years old,5'3 and around 140 pounds. I have a curvy figure so I don't necessarily look overweight. I had the privilege of growing up with a somewhat high metabolism- I ate pretty much everything I wanted and did little to no exercise (besides playing JV field hockey in highschool). To the point where my friends were annoyed with me for still looking good. But now that I'm in my mid twenties its starting to catch up with me - I still look ok and wear a bikini in the summer and all that but I really want to lose ..probably 10 pounds would be ideal.

Anyway my point is I am starting to make changes - I am cutting down on soda, (my vice) and I got a gym membership. I already feel stronger. I've been trying to incorporate healthy foods into my diet ( i kind of think most veggies are yucky but im forcing myself)

I'm just wondering if theres anyone whos been in a similar situation...5'3 135-145 pounds who has successfully lost 10 or more pounds and kept it off. I need to know HOW YOU DID IT! I need motivation!(Because I LOVEE food haha.)

Thank you so much, xo

Replies

  • valerie0021
    valerie0021 Posts: 15 Member
    I'm 5'3 at exactly 140 now. This is my second time back on MFP and I lost a good 10 lbs last time. I have a fast metabolism but I eat complete crap. I hate exercise and at 23 my body is the same as when I was 18. Here are some things that really helped me last time.

    1. Before you start making changes, plug everything into your food diary that you would normally eat. You may cry when you see how many calories you would eat, but just knowing how bad it was before makes any little thing you do look a million times better.

    2. Eat AT LEAST 1600 calories. You may want to try doing 1200 but you will feel like crap. It's not enough food. You won't lose as much weight and you will be a crazy beotch. Been there done that.

    3. I loved soda. I was a soda addict. I have relapsed from it many times. If you're in the same boat, cut out one soda a day for a week. ( I would drink 3-4 a day ) Then the following week cut back another one. Basically this applies for anything too sugary or caffeinated.

    4. Write down everything you eat as you are eating it. When I think I'm starving, I take a few bites of food and then plug everything in that I plan to eat. I look at it while I eat and halfway through the meal I ask myself am I still hungry. Most of the time I am, but on the off occasion that I'm not I can wrap up the leftovers for lunch and save whatever calories for tomorrow.

    Those 4 tips made me lose 10 lbs in 5 or 6 weeks. I didn't change the quality of the food I ate just cutting out soda and ate smaller portions. Honestly, looking at the actual calories that you put in your body while your doing it can change everything. I didn't exercise. I wasn't unhappy while doing it. (Side note: If you are exercising DO NOT go by the scale. You will be sad when you aren't losing weight. Take a picture every week or just poke and pull on your fat, whatever helps you to see the physical changes in your body.)

    Just be conscious of HOW MUCH you are eating. That's the best advice. Best of luck!!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Your BMI is in the healthy range right now (barely). Focus on body composition. There is no need to say you need to lose (insert random number here) pounds. Log what you eat, exercise, lower your body fat percentage and increase your lean mass.
  • cet1689
    cet1689 Posts: 5 Member
    thank you!
  • lj5109
    lj5109 Posts: 81 Member
    The "normal" range for 5'3 is between 111 and 141 lbs. You're not overweight.
  • titus21114
    titus21114 Posts: 13 Member
    The "normal" range for 5'3 is between 111 and 141 lbs. You're not overweight.

    Everyone has their place where they feel comfortable. I was thinking the same thing. I'm 5'3" and if I weighed 140 I would think I was the hottest thing ever! I wish you best of luck on getting to that place where you feel most comfortable.
  • Emmie112
    Emmie112 Posts: 121 Member
    I'm struggling with the same problem... Until I was 25 I was always between 115-120 pounds and around 20% body fat. I was very active playing sports and I was able to eat whatever I wanted. I survived on bar food through out university and I only ate wings, burgers and fries and never touched a vegetable if it wasn't a condiment. But when I started working, I stopped working out as often and ate the same and I gained 30 pounds in a few years. I've made a couple of small changes to my diet and and in the past year I've lost over 20 pounds and I'm down to 127 pounds.

    I started eating chicken or steak salads for lunch. At the beginning I had it once a week. I thought I couldn't get through the day on just a salad and snacks. But I learned that it's easy and now I have salads couple times a week and if I'm going out for dinner. I still order whatever I want for dinner and I'll watch my portion size. And I feel better knowing I had a balanced day and I didn't over do it.

    I hope this helps! Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to view my diary.
  • thatgirljess
    thatgirljess Posts: 1
    It's so nice to see someone in a similar situation as myself seeking some advice on slimming down. I'm also 24, 5'3, and weigh a bit over 140. I have yo-yoed all over the scale. Between the ages of 20-24, I was at 90 lbs at my lightest and 175 at my heaviest. I have tried all kinds of crazy fad diets that were NOT healthy. I have finally accepted that the only way to reach a healthy weight is to make healthy decisions. So, I joined a gym and started tracking my food intake. I didn't realize how badly I was eating until I started looking at my food diary. I have started replacing mindless snacking with carrots and celery. I workout 5 days a week and have definitely noticed that I'm getting stronger. I weighed myself this morning and was immediately disheartened when I saw that I had actually put on a couple pounds. As I got dressed though, I realized my jeans were just a bit looser than they were a couple weeks ago. It's hard to not get discouraged by the number on the scale, but knowing that muscle weighs more than fat is important for me to keep in mind. After all, my jeans don't lie.
  • cet1689
    cet1689 Posts: 5 Member
    thank you so much, sounds exactly like me haha .. I think I just need to stay motivated, like you said jeans dont lie and I already feel stronger just from going to the gym
  • cet1689
    cet1689 Posts: 5 Member
    I understand that I'm not "overweight" but I know my body and I know that I'm not happy at this size. I don't have an unhealthy outlook, I know that I've been eating bad food and its starting to show. My clothes are tighter and I look "soft" in photos when I used to have a much leaner body. I don't want to keep eating crap and then wake up one day at an even bigger size. I appreciate everyones comments!
  • TwinkieDong
    TwinkieDong Posts: 1,564 Member
    I can only base this comment on your profile pic. From what I can see there should be no self consciousness. I think you are absolutely great looking, short, and curvy? what more could a man want?
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    That's where I started (although I'm 5'4") and I've been maintaining at around 118 pounds for almost a year.

    I had to count my calories meticulously (weighing and measuring everything) because when you're not big to begin with, your margin of error is smaller because you don't burn as many calories in a day as a larger person. That's really all it came down to...really diligent adherence to my daily goals and keeping my goal pretty low. It sucked while I was doing it, but it was a couple months of hunger and then a slow return to eating a more reasonable amount. It worked for me because I didn't want to get too discouraged with it taking forever.

    I picked up running, too. I run 5k a couple times a week now and it's not a lot, but it's better than nothing, which is what I was doing before.
  • softncudly
    softncudly Posts: 722 Member
    I understand that I'm not "overweight" but I know my body and I know that I'm not happy at this size. I don't have an unhealthy outlook, I know that I've been eating bad food and its starting to show. My clothes are tighter and I look "soft" in photos when I used to have a much leaner body. I don't want to keep eating crap and then wake up one day at an even bigger size. I appreciate everyones comments!

    It's good that you are catching this now. (I wish I had nipped it in the bud sooner rather than later.) At times I can be a bit of a snacker. (I've stocked up on healthy snacks (fruits/cheese/almonds/chocolate fiber one brownies. I even bought a cheap air popcorn popper from Target, because I love popcorn...) Don't know if that helps much. Be encouraged.:flowerforyou:

    "you-can-do-it-.gif"
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    I'm 5'3, I used to sit around 120lbs but a lifestyle change got me to 165lbs. I'm currently 150lbs and working down toward I think 132lbs but I'm hoping to get onto heavier weightlifting so my goal waivers.
  • abickford82
    abickford82 Posts: 207
    The "normal" range for 5'3 is between 111 and 141 lbs. You're not overweight.

    She's still at the high end of it...she's probably not comfortable or maybe even have a higher body fat percentage which makes her look bigger.

    OP, I am 5'4 and 146lbs. and on that "higher" side of healthy weight bracket but I've been making better choices to get my body fat percentage down, and focusing on a better diet. Watch what you eat, and lift heavy. :)
  • SummerRain43
    SummerRain43 Posts: 358
    feel free to add me for motivation if you like....I've been here a long time just with different name.....I'm 43....I started this weight loss journey when I was going on 42....I am 5'3" as well and I got down to about 118lb at my lowest....from 172lb.....I started lifting weights and I've crept back up to 130 currently....like you, I'm just trying to get down about 10lb or so....you look great but I understand what you mean about soft spots etc....it's very frustrating....I know you can do it, though.....:)

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