Petite framed women 5'5" and under friends wanted!

mikaylag89
mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 25 years old and 5'5" with a petite frame. My CW is 136.4 and my GW is between 125 and 130. I am a size 6 in jeans and I used to be between a size 2 and 4 about 3 years ago when I was between 125 and 130 lbs. I currently do not have a problem with gaining weight, I'm always maintaining. The problem is I find it very difficult to lose any amount of fat and tone my muscles properly if I only burn around 300 calories per workout. I honestly do not have any motivation to work out, so I probably would see results if I kept up with it. It's very easy to notice any weight gain in petite frames and it's very difficult to get the scale moving down. I feel like I have to workout extra hard in order to see results. I would like some suggestions on exercises to do. How many calories do you burn per workout? How long did it take for you to see results? Thank you! :smile:
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Replies

  • milksibling
    milksibling Posts: 33
    5'4" girl here! I was 108 lbs, size 0/2 all my life until last year, when I hit 124 lbs. But I was always a "skinny fat" size 0/2. Now I'm trying to gain some muscle and burn fat.
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    I know what you mean about skinny-fat! People have always referred to me as "tiny" and in the past I didn't really see how small I was until I gained a little weight which I attribute to the normal aging process lol. People still see me as tiny, but I notice a lot more on my body than other people. I just feel like petite women are cursed with having to work out harder than average sized women to achieve the results that we want. Such is life, I guess!
  • Tight_Fit
    Tight_Fit Posts: 453
    Feel free to add. 5'3 here. High weight was 240 lbs. CW:155. Don't plan on losing anymore.
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    What kind of workouts are you doing?? If you are trying to "tone" your muscles, hit the weights. Build strength and reshape your body. Plenty of the women around here can give you better pointers than I can, but if you aren't lifting heavy, start.
  • marmymn
    marmymn Posts: 2 Member
    Hi, I'm 5'2" and was 123 lbs, and 30% fat, wearing size 6. I had tried everything trying to lose fat and trim down. I had a food allergy test done and found out I am sensitive to wheat and especially yeast (bread). I cut wheat out of my diet (no bread, no pasta, no pizza, but I do eat rice and potatoes for carbs) and my weight went down and fat fell off my body. I am now 98lbs. and 19% fat. size 0 - 2 and it took about 3 months.
  • CandaceG514
    CandaceG514 Posts: 24 Member
    I love Jillian Michaels workouts. You get great results in a 30 minute workout and it is nothing you can't stick to for 30 minutes. I started with 30 Day Shred, then did Ripped in 30, and am now doing the 90 day program Body Revolution. You can do the first level of a lot of her workouts on youtube for free to see if you want to buy the dvds, which are not expensive anyway. The calorie burn is probably around 200 - 300 depending on how much effort you put in but I have seen great results with it.

    Edited to add that her workouts are weights and cardio which I also love. So, you can increase your weights as you get stronger to make for a harder workout. :)
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    I was doing weights about 3 years ago but then I was in a car accident and haven't been back in the gym since. I do mostly workout videos. Good advice! I will try to get back into lifting again. Thanks!
  • TwinMamma09
    TwinMamma09 Posts: 140
    I'm 5'4 and the biggest thing that helps that skinny fat is lifting weights and training heavy. Cardio will only get you so far but to develop that lean toned look, you need to build muscle. To do that you have to lift heavy. It is not something that happens over night but it is a process. I think many of you would benefit from that.
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    I love Jillian Michaels workouts. You get great results in a 30 minute workout and it is nothing you can't stick to for 30 minutes. I started with 30 Day Shred, then did Ripped in 30, and am now doing the 90 day program Body Revolution. You can do the first level of a lot of her workouts on youtube for free to see if you want to buy the dvds, which are not expensive anyway. The calorie burn is probably around 200 - 300 depending on how much effort you put in but I have seen great results with it.

    Thanks! I have Jillian's Yoga Meltdown but I have since gotten bored with that one. Do you like the DVDs of hers that you're doing? I may have to check those out :smile:
  • rachelg145
    rachelg145 Posts: 185 Member
    Try walking on an incline on the treadmill for 40 minutes to an hour. Get some good music, warm up for 10-15 minutes around 9 or 10% incline and from there vary your speed and incline throughout the workout from 10% up to 15% based on the song speed, etc. Slower on the higher incline, faster as you get lower. I stay between speeds of 3 and 3.8 usually. And DO NOT hold on to anything at all....not even a little - pump your arms or keep them at your side or you don't get the full workout. This is a ball kicker and it's what all the fitness models do to lose fat not muscle before competitions at my gym so you know it works.

    Once I changed my workouts to include this twice a week or more in lieu of other stuff I started dropping pounds. Now my muscles are looking way more cut and my face thinner.

    I am 5'5 although athletic, not petite, and I get so much crap from my underactive, overweight friends who are loaded with excuses about taking care of myself that nobody has even noticed that I've lost 12 pounds, which is a lot when you are close to goal like I am. I feel great and just got out an old album from 10 years ago - getting very close!

    Almost forgot, you will burn over 500 calories doing this for an hour - and will sweat a lot ;)
  • Left4Good
    Left4Good Posts: 304
    Hello ^_^ 5'4 and 20 years old here. Yoga helps me alot. I hear alot that Yoga doesn't help you lose weight but i'm proof it does, that's all i do and jogging.
  • Kixshots
    Kixshots Posts: 74 Member
    I'm 5''5 and have a very small frame (and pear shaped) !!! :D it's actually annoying because I have to get to quite a low weight to appear slim xD
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    Try walking on an incline on the treadmill for 40 minutes to an hour. Get some good music, warm up for 10-15 minutes around 9 or 10% incline and from there vary your speed and incline throughout the workout from 10% up to 15% based on the song speed, etc. Slower on the higher incline, faster as you get lower. I stay between speeds of 3 and 3.8 usually. And DO NOT hold on to anything at all....not even a little - pump your arms or keep them at your side or you don't get the full workout. This is a ball kicker and it's what all the fitness models do to lose fat not muscle before competitions at my gym so you know it works.

    Once I changed my workouts to include this twice a week or more in lieu of other stuff I started dropping pounds. Now my muscles are looking way more cut and my face thinner.

    I am 5'5 although athletic, not petite, and I get so much crap from my underactive, overweight friends who are loaded with excuses about taking care of myself that nobody has even noticed that I've lost 12 pounds, which is a lot when you are close to goal like I am. I feel great and just got out an old album from 10 years ago - getting very close!

    Almost forgot, you will burn over 500 calories doing this for an hour - and will sweat a lot ;)

    Thank you so much! Great advice!! :happy:
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    5''2 currently between 118/120 and cannot stop eating, but I workout to make up for it. My workouts are anywhere from 1-2 hours all weight lifting with 30 secs of cardio intervals in between and burn over 500 cals per workout depending on how hard I push myself.
  • CandaceG514
    CandaceG514 Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks! I have Jillian's Yoga Meltdown but I have since gotten bored with that one. Do you like the DVDs of hers that you're doing? I may have to check those out :smile:

    I really do! I also edited the other post to add that it is weights and cardio so you can increase your weights as you get stronger which makes for a harder workout. I also did the level 1 of Six Week Six Pack on Youtube and I really liked that one as well. I think I am going to buy it next or redo Body Revolution. When I did 30 Day Shred last summer, I was a good bit bigger than you, around 165 or 170, I think, but I lost 4 inches in just my waist.
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    Hello ^_^ 5'4 and 20 years old here. Yoga helps me alot. I hear alot that Yoga doesn't help you lose weight but i'm proof it does, that's all i do and jogging.

    I love yoga, but I don't think it burns enough calories for me to see results. I need to do power yoga or hot yoga to see results! How long does your yoga workouts last? Thanks!!
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
    I know what you mean about skinny-fat! People have always referred to me as "tiny" and in the past I didn't really see how small I was until I gained a little weight which I attribute to the normal aging process lol. People still see me as tiny, but I notice a lot more on my body than other people. I just feel like petite women are cursed with having to work out harder than average sized women to achieve the results that we want. Such is life, I guess!

    HI. I am 5"2" . My SW was 142. and every extra lb looked so fat on me! I joined MFP in Sept 2013. I am now down to 120 lbs. but hope to lose 5 more lbs to be where I was 8 yrs ago. I gained the weight because of mindless eating and laziness - I was a couch potato. Now I am more conscious of what I eat and I try to do moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day. So far its worked for me. If you would like support and can give some back, feel free to add me as friend.;)
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    Try mountain climbers, burpees, squat jumps at 30 sec intervals in between each set of weights
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
    Hello ^_^ 5'4 and 20 years old here. Yoga helps me alot. I hear alot that Yoga doesn't help you lose weight but i'm proof it does, that's all i do and jogging.
    I am not into intense exercises either. I find that Yoga and PIlates work for me too :) along with walking.
  • hilly510
    hilly510 Posts: 46 Member
    Hi there! I'm 5'4" and I've always held a lot of muscle while being a small frame (I can touch my pinky and thumb together when I wrap them around my wrist). My goal weight is about 125 lbs. I've been doing cardio 2-3 times a week for about 30 minutes and StringLifts 5x5 three times a week.
  • SamiSamiBoBlammy
    SamiSamiBoBlammy Posts: 868 Member
    You can add me! I'm 5'1"... CW 125

    I don't really have a goal weight (although I've gained 10lbs in the past year) I'm more interested in my fat pants staying fat pants :)
  • milksibling
    milksibling Posts: 33
    I love Jillian Michaels workouts. You get great results in a 30 minute workout and it is nothing you can't stick to for 30 minutes. I started with 30 Day Shred, then did Ripped in 30, and am now doing the 90 day program Body Revolution. You can do the first level of a lot of her workouts on youtube for free to see if you want to buy the dvds, which are not expensive anyway. The calorie burn is probably around 200 - 300 depending on how much effort you put in but I have seen great results with it.

    Thanks! I have Jillian's Yoga Meltdown but I have since gotten bored with that one. Do you like the DVDs of hers that you're doing? I may have to check those out :smile:

    I just started the 30 day shred! Not sure where you are in strength, but I still struggle with a push up.
    I think it's kind of fun, although my boyfriend likes to tease me.

    Look forward to trying No More Trouble Zones, too!
  • jessfuller23
    jessfuller23 Posts: 7 Member
    You can add me! I'm 24 & 5'4". My highest weight was 182 & I'm currently down to 177. My weight gradually increased over the past 2 years, but before that I had always been comfortable around 135, so that's what I'm trying to get back to.

    As far as toning up & getting some muscle definition....I recently completed the ChaLean Extreme program & it was awesome! I only lost about 2 pounds during it, but noticed a huge increase in my strength, it helped my endurance & I finally started to see some definition in my arms & legs. So I would definitely give that program a try! :smile:
  • marianneread
    marianneread Posts: 21 Member
    I'm 4'10" and at goal weight. I don't want to lose any more, but do want to add muscle and get rid of fat. I understand the "skinny fat" issue as I can't get rid of the weight on my thighs! I'm currently inactive due to back problems but I when I'm exercising I like to burn 200-300 calories in a cardio workout 4-5 times a week and incorporate weight/resistance training at least twice a week. I think intervals of high/low are good fat burning cardio and I like walking, aerobics, kickboxing, elliptical, and the bike. I get easily bored doing the same thing.

    Adding this thread for the ideas as it will be a challenge building up my strength and getting into some heavier (for me) weights when I am healthy.

    Good luck petite ladies!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    We are almost exactly the same size!
  • mikaylag89
    mikaylag89 Posts: 8 Member
    We are almost exactly the same size!

    That's awesome! We will be able to help each other lol. This is freaky, but I just looked at your profile and you're a legal secretary in New York? I'm a legal assistant in York, PA! :laugh:
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    I'm 5'5", and maintaining, but whenever I've needed to lose weight in the past, it takes a long time. Tops I'd lose is 2 pounds a month.
    My favorite thing I've found is the fitbit. I wear it and aim for 10,000 steps a day. If I hit that goal, then I don't feel like I HAVE to work out, if I don't feel like it. It s a great motivator to keep me moving during the day.
    I have been trying since January to work out with weights 2-3 times a week because more muscle means less loss of bone density in later years. I know you're young and not thinking of that, but I'm over 40, so health is actually a bigger concern for me than six-pack abs. I'm just starting to detect some tightening and muscle definition in the last week, so keep in mind that with strength training, you might not see results right away.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    I'm 5'4 and the biggest thing that helps that skinny fat is lifting weights and training heavy. Cardio will only get you so far but to develop that lean toned look, you need to build muscle. To do that you have to lift heavy. It is not something that happens over night but it is a process. I think many of you would benefit from that.

    I definitely need to do this.I just find the thought of it daunting although i know once i've done it once i'll be fine.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    I am 5'5", 128lbs, pear shaped :) I feel happy with my muscle tone, although due to my build, my legs will never be as toned as I'd like... That aside, I spent the last 3 months doing hot yoga, 30 Day Shred, running, and other misc body weight type exercises (squats, lunges, etc). I've gotten good results and only burn 200-300 cal per workout. I think the trick is to just push really hard. I also work out 6-7 days a week, even if it's a 20 minute jog. I make sure I get SOMETHING in.
  • pennyks88
    pennyks88 Posts: 167 Member
    I'm 5'2", 136 pounds. I used to be super tiny for years (95 pounds) and I don't want to be that small again! I'd like to be 115-125. I totally understand the skinny-fat thing. I used to never work out or anything and I was just naturally small. Anyone can feel free to add me!

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