Being short sucks for dieting

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  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
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    @majigurl

    My curiosity is piqued. How tall are you?
  • missyfitz1
    missyfitz1 Posts: 93 Member
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    I eat a lot of half portions in restaurants. I remember looking at restaurant menus and freaking about about the totals, until I realized that I don't need that much food most of the time. When I will eat the other half later I will take it home, but sometimes I won't, and it gets wasted. Yes, I did learn growing up that it's a sin to waste food. But if I eat it all, it's still wasted and will show up as fat on my body! I would prefer it in the trash can!
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    flumi_f wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    The only reason being short sucks is the inability to reach the top shelf without climbing on the counters.
    So much this!! I've lost count of the times I've had to climb up the shelves at the supermarket to reach something!!

    Climbing on the counter strenghtens arms and core and probably burns a half a cal per climb B) Thus climb away fellow shorties!

    LOL, you guys are cracking me up :)

    I don't climb the shelves at the store, but I am mighty tempted sometimes when things are on the top shelf.

    The clerk will ask if you found everything ok, and I will answer to myself, yeah, but I couldn't reach it.

    Haha I have ZERO shame in asking strangers in the aisle to grab things for me off the top shelf!
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    flumi_f wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    The only reason being short sucks is the inability to reach the top shelf without climbing on the counters.
    So much this!! I've lost count of the times I've had to climb up the shelves at the supermarket to reach something!!

    Climbing on the counter strengthens arms and core and probably burns a half a cal per climb B) Thus climb away fellow shorties!

    Time to create an exercise database entry for "shelf-climbing, supermarket, 2 tiers"? :smiley:

    I quite like the 'not able to reach the top shelf' problem. I take it as an opportunity to ask the next good looking tall guy who wanders by for help. I have been known to loiter for a good five minutes while waiting for someone to turn up! Men seem to like being asked as there's usually a lot of smiling involved. It makes them feel ... useful or something? (Or it could be a pitying smile? lol)

    Side note, I'm 5'4" and I wouldn't like to be shorter, so shorties, ye have my sympathy for your low cal woes.

  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
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    That's when you start lifting to get muscles. Then you feed the muscles! More food, yay!
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    oolou wrote: »
    flumi_f wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    The only reason being short sucks is the inability to reach the top shelf without climbing on the counters.
    So much this!! I've lost count of the times I've had to climb up the shelves at the supermarket to reach something!!

    Climbing on the counter strengthens arms and core and probably burns a half a cal per climb B) Thus climb away fellow shorties!

    Time to create an exercise database entry for "shelf-climbing, supermarket, 2 tiers"? :smiley:

    I quite like the 'not able to reach the top shelf' problem. I take it as an opportunity to ask the next good looking tall guy who wanders by for help. I have been known to loiter for a good five minutes while waiting for someone to turn up! Men seem to like being asked as there's usually a lot of smiling involved. It makes them feel ... useful or something? (Or it could be a pitying smile? lol)

    Side note, I'm 5'4" and I wouldn't like to be shorter, so shorties, ye have my sympathy for your low cal woes.

    Works with spiders too!
  • mrsnazario1219
    mrsnazario1219 Posts: 173 Member
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    5'2 here and my biggest problem has always been my sweet tooth, not regular food. Nobody mentioned the sweet tooth. I don't need to eat a huge portion of cake to add on 500 cals to my goal. Even now that I'm losing I still eat close to 400-500 cals a night on just sweets. That's almost half of my cal goal. I baked a lot and ate everything I baked. I'm not talking half a batch of cookies, I'm talking 3-4 of them and that's it, I'm over. Sweets have always been my undoing and it doesn't take much.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Yeah it kinda sucks, but these are the cards you are dealt. I used to whine about it until some of my MFP friends told me to shut up and actually do cardio if I want to eat more (and yes I still love them dearly). I chose to shut up and not do cardio because it's not worth it (that's how much I hate cardio).

    I am literally RELEARNING how to eat, for my smaller self. It is difficult. I would like 2500 calories per day, or at least 2000-2200. I can have 1800. Period.
  • Lefty1290
    Lefty1290 Posts: 551 Member
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    I'm 5'0". I'm always gonna wish I was taller so I could eat more. lol
    5'2 here and my biggest problem has always been my sweet tooth, not regular food. Nobody mentioned the sweet tooth. I don't need to eat a huge portion of cake to add on 500 cals to my goal. Even now that I'm losing I still eat close to 400-500 cals a night on just sweets. That's almost half of my cal goal. I baked a lot and ate everything I baked. I'm not talking half a batch of cookies, I'm talking 3-4 of them and that's it, I'm over. Sweets have always been my undoing and it doesn't take much.

    Yep. Sweets are my downfall, too. I am learning to be satisfied with less thanks to a low carb, high fat diet. I love my low carb brownies, chocolate peanut butter fat bombs, and "cookie dough" bites. I just try my best to fit them within my calorie goal.

  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    I will forever be jealous of people who are taller than me, but I have come to just accept that this is how Im gonna have to live my life if I wanna maintain my weight. (I'm 5'1). Im not gonna be able to eat as much as everyone I know. I wont burn as many calories doing what they do, and I'm gonna probably have to say no to things that I enjoy a lot if I dont wanna walk around hungry all day. Its a sacrifice you make. If its important enough to you, you will do what it takes.
  • weemsdm
    weemsdm Posts: 12 Member
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    Not really your height that matters for TDEE, it's your weight (and activity, of course). Just plugged in 120 pounds at 5'7" and 120 pounds at 5'0" into a few BMR calculators, and the difference was 10-30 calories. Activity calories will also be about the same at the same weight.

    I'm 5'7" 120 lbs and maintain on 2000-2200 calories per day because I'm active, not because I'm tall. I run about 10 miles a week and do weight/resistance work 4 x/wk, average about 13000-14000 steps per day (including the running). If I was sedentary, maintenance would be 1400-1500.
  • Karihappy
    Karihappy Posts: 116 Member
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    samgamgee wrote: »
    For me (5 ft 4) the problems start when I try to eat as much as my 6 ft tall partner, haha! Now that has been a recipe for disaster xD

    Truth! I followed a similar recipe for ten years and 60lbs before I woke up to it...

    I'm with you! I gained 65 pounds in my first 10 years of marriage, eating what hubby did!!! Finally got my act together, and I've lost over 30 pounds since last August. :)

    5229779.png

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I"m 5"8 and my TDEE at sedentary is around 1952 calories but is way more than that due to exercise. If I was 5" and sedentary my TDEE would be 1666.
    Exercise is the key, if you are able of course. Just walking gives me plenty of extra calories to make dieting more bearable.
    My 5"2 daughter can pack away twice the amount of food I can!! My 5"11 husband eats way less than me.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    I'm not short, but I totally get it. So little wiggle room. When going out to eat for taller people is easier, it can be a whole day's worth of food for a short person. But that doesn't mean the food will leave them unhungry all day. I may be 5' 6" but I still wish I were either 6' 0" or addicted to exercise with a physical job!!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    ^^^ Yeah I think most everyone wishes they could eat more no matter what their height, especially without having to work for each extra calorie...
  • KorvapuustiPossu
    KorvapuustiPossu Posts: 434 Member
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    I'm 5'2 and 139 lbs. I'm currently on a 1200 calorie diet and I don't seem to have problems with that. I've lost steady 1.1-1.2 lbs/week since I started (7 weeks ago). I always eat very little anyway and the only reason I packed a couple extra pounds was snacking. So now that I weigh my snacks I find it simple to pack some snacks or chocolate in my everyday. :) I do not crave any food in general (exception at period time lol) so I have to admit it is easier for me. I do however like food and it's exciting for me to plan my meals to satisfy my nutritional needs. I could see myself living like this in general, I'm not hungry or lacking anything (I feel like I'm actually eating more since I'm eating more real food and less snacks), so I think when I reach my goal at 120-125 I will have no problem maintaining - as long as I keep my snacks weighed :D
  • clhoward6
    clhoward6 Posts: 53 Member
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    I bet Localgrr really regrets starting this thread. Some of you get the need for us to have a moan and whine a bit and have joined in and some of you just choose to use this thread to effectively tell us we're awful people for having a bit of light hearted whingeing about how hard it is to lose weight. That goes for everyone btw not just short people.

    I've spent a lot of time of these boards over the last few weeks since starting my serious attempt at sorting out my weight. There's a lot of good advice and some really lovely people. But there is also a lot of self righteous, loving the sound of their own voice, preachy, judgemental, sense of humour left with the weight, *kitten* hats on these boards.

    If when you preview a reply you are writing to someone it reads like you are going to make them feel bad about themselves then re-write it with a bit of empathy. Everyone has their own struggles and I for one do not respond well to being told I am stupid/making excuses/worthless. You are not my drill sergeant you are supposed to be supportive. End of rant.
  • emmaprocopiou
    emmaprocopiou Posts: 246 Member
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    I posted right at the beginning of this thread that yeah it sucks to be small but, personally got over it accepted I have to eat little blah blah blah.

    Well found out after husband measured me I've lost an inch ( or more likely was never 5ft) and am now just 4'11"
  • localgrr
    localgrr Posts: 99 Member
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    clhoward6 wrote: »
    I bet Localgrr really regrets starting this thread. Some of you get the need for us to have a moan and whine a bit and have joined in and some of you just choose to use this thread to effectively tell us we're awful people for having a bit of light hearted whingeing about how hard it is to lose weight. That goes for everyone btw not just short people.

    Haha not at all but OMG I had no idea what a nerve this would strike!! I'm pretty new to MFP and the community vibe here is overwhelming. This is the closest a thread has come to trolling though... of course I realise we all have our different struggles short or tall
    clhoward6 wrote: »
    If when you preview a reply you are writing to someone it reads like you are going to make them feel bad about themselves then re-write it with a bit of empathy.
    Brava, brava. I think "just exercise more" or "just eat less" is kinda implied, remember you all started somewhere...
  • katej37
    katej37 Posts: 56 Member
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    I hate being 5ft - a couple of extra inches would make a big difference to my motorbike choice, clothes choices, being able to reach the top shelf etc etc. I hate looking like a weeble more though hence the quest to lose weight. I love food so it has to fit in. Hell if I want a big mac I would eat it, likewise meals out but I would seriously have to cut back elsewhere to cover it. My biggest peeve is the packaging - average calories for a woman 2000 per day RDA. Well thats fine if you are an average height lady but so many of us are not. MFP won't let me go below 1200, my TDEE is 1742 (using scoobys calculator) its a struggle sometimes as we all have days where we are hungrier (yesterday I could have eaten my own arm!)
    Its coming off slowly - 20lbs down so far since the end of September last year. Lost just over 10% of my total bodyweight and my next goal is 15% and I'm hoping for that by Easter. 5.1lbs to go lol.