Really short girls (5"2 and under) tips and motivation!

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  • peg_online
    peg_online Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm only 4'9", current weight is 116lbs. My goal is 100lbs. I have a desk job and find it difficult to stay active. I have only recently started with MFP, and I'm finding that 1200 calories is plenty of food for the day, even too much if my Fitbit steps give me extra calories. Does anyone else feel they are eating TOO MUCH to actually lose weight when following the default recommendations?
  • Raevynne
    Raevynne Posts: 146 Member
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    I'm just shy of 5'2" & currently 127lbs. I also have a desk job. I hear you loud & clear!
  • lbc31girl
    lbc31girl Posts: 1 Member
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    I can relate! I'm 5'1 and wanting to lose 20lbs. My struggle was going to happy hour with coworkers. They are much taller so a beer or a glass of wine is nothing to them. That made me gain weight.
    I'm finally serious about no more drinking during the week... Starting to see results :smile:
  • plami_9209
    plami_9209 Posts: 67 Member
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    Hi, I`m 5′1″ and my current weight is 61 kg (134 lb), I used to be 70 kg when I started MFP and I`ve lost the weight only eating about 1200 calories, I don`t think I`m loosing slowly, about 0.5 kg a week. Even though most women try to lose weight fast( I`ve done it before, no good comes after), I think it`s better to lose slowly because you maintain a lot easier. I lost my 9 kg for about 6 mounths, though I was in MFP for a year, but after the 6th month I stopped counting and started eating whatever junk food I wanted, and I didn`t gain any back. Just started again, because I really want to drop to at least 55kg to look better. Good luck to all
  • pvju
    pvju Posts: 115 Member
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    I'm about 5'3" and I have exactly the same issue! I eat about 1000 calories to lose give or take. Like others have said, I can lose at 1200 - but it's very little. 1400 is about maintenance for me. If I ate 1700 calories a day - I'd be right back where I started in no time. I'm not super active but I do work out a few times or more a week, but other than that my life is pretty sedentary, which may explain my low calorie needs. There are desk jobs and there are desk jobs - mine I'm not up and down at all - I'm down all day ;)
  • Skinnybetcher
    Skinnybetcher Posts: 17 Member
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    I would advise you not to eat only 1200 calories. This is not really a sustainable number. Instead, aim for 1500 at a minimum I'd say. Just make sure to add in some light-moderate exercise too. And if you're still hungry after 1500, eat more! A good rule of thumb is make sure you get two servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. You can use that towards your calories, but it will also make you feel much more full - so you won't feel the need to over consume. :P
  • Lillyloooo
    Lillyloooo Posts: 174 Member
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    4ft 11 here
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
    edited April 2016
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    There are seasons and times when I am content with the lower calorie restrictions of being 5ft nothing tall...and times when it is frustrating being so short. (Especially with 5'11 DH).

    I do get envious when other MFPers talk about how many snacks they get to eat. I'd have to be super careful with my other meals to have room for 200-300 calories in snacks daily. Some days I can if I only have 300-400 cal lunches and dinners - but throw in a 600 calorie dinner and I'm at my daily limit. There are many days I skip snacks and I am even cautious with fruit intake.

    When I started in January, I originally set myself to sedentary, losing 1 lb a week, starting at 154 lbs. Naturally I got the default 1200. I have discovered I am not as sedentary as I think and was losing an average of 1.5-2 lbs a week. I have stalled for the last month due to vacation and binging. I am now 137 lbs and updated my settings to "lightly active". That gave me a whopping 1230 calories!

    Anyway, I do find I burn more than that and have not figured out my sweet spot. Eating only 1200 + half my exercise calories left me fatigued and cranky. I have found eating all my exercise calories gives me the extra cals I need while still losing weight (at a fast 1.2-1.5 lbs a week).I do spend at least 1-2+ hrs a day on cooking and housework that I don't log so my guess is this is what is bumping up my calorie needs.

    I think 1250-1300 + all my exercise calories is likely my sweet spot but for the next 3 weeks, I will try 1230 + all exercise cals and see what my trends are.
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
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    5'2 here. I'm eating about 1400-1500 calories a day and the weight is coming off pretty fast. Of course, this could have something to do with the fact I'm 157 lbs (down from my original 165 less than two months ago) and I've been doing Zumba 4 days a week. Any fellow shorties, feel free to add me!
  • Hollie704
    Hollie704 Posts: 59 Member
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    I'm 4'11", and I was able to lose 40 pounds after having my first child eating 1800 calories a day and cutting calories as I lost weight until I was around 1600 calories plus strength training and running. I started back on MyFitnessPal about two months ago a few months after having had my second child, and began tracking calories again and eating 1800 calories a day, strength training three days a week, doing HIIT twice a week and a long run once a week. I am losing weight and inches and am just 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. For me, eating at a slight deficit is perfect, it allows me to lose weight while fueling my workouts and helping me increase my strength.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 798 Member
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    Hey fellow short girls!! I'm 33, 5'0-5'1 depending on who's measuring;) SW 148 CW 139 GW~112? I eat about 1100-1200/day and ride my stationary bike for an hr a day usually 6 days/wk and rarely dip into my exercise cals and I've lost 9 lbs in 45 days...id like to lose faster but I'm good with that loss if it continues:)
  • amy_ross86
    amy_ross86 Posts: 38 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I'm 5'2 on a good day. I've had terrible eating habits off and on my whole life. Skipping breakfast, snacking on anything I came across, eating fast food for lunch and over indulging at dinner to the point of being sleepy and feeling like crap. I've managed to lose 40 pounds over the last 5 years by trying to be cautious of what I eat and to be honest drinking less beer
  • amy_ross86
    amy_ross86 Posts: 38 Member
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    My whole post won't post! Anyways. I stick to 1200 calories a day and feel like I'm actually eating more and making better choices. 3 fulfilling meals with at least 2 high fiber snacks. I eat breakfast daily now and hula hoop with a fitness hoop for muscle toning
  • TooShortForThisWeight
    TooShortForThisWeight Posts: 91 Member
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    I am 4ft 11in and eat 1200 or so. I rarely go over that. I started at 187 and down to 171 5 weeks later. I am a planet fitness member and I love the arc trainer and battle ropes.
  • yetti100
    yetti100 Posts: 7 Member
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    elaineamj wrote: »
    There are seasons and times when I am content with the lower calorie restrictions of being 5ft nothing tall...and times when it is frustrating being so short. (Especially with 5'11 DH).

    I do get envious when other MFPers talk about how many snacks they get to eat. I'd have to be super careful with my other meals to have room for 200-300 calories in snacks daily. Some days I can if I only have 300-400 cal lunches and dinners - but throw in a 600 calorie dinner and I'm at my daily limit. There are many days I skip snacks and I am even cautious with fruit intake.

    When I started in January, I originally set myself to sedentary, losing 1 lb a week, starting at 154 lbs. Naturally I got the default 1200. I have discovered I am not as sedentary as I think and was losing an average of 1.5-2 lbs a week. I have stalled for the last month due to vacation and binging. I am now 137 lbs and updated my settings to "lightly active". That gave me a whopping 1230 calories!

    Anyway, I do find I burn more than that and have not figured out my sweet spot. Eating only 1200 + half my exercise calories left me fatigued and cranky. I have found eating all my exercise calories gives me the extra cals I need while still losing weight (at a fast 1.2-1.5 lbs a week).I do spend at least 1-2+ hrs a day on cooking and housework that I don't log so my guess is this is what is bumping up my calorie needs.

    I think 1250-1300 + all my exercise calories is likely my sweet spot but for the next 3 weeks, I will try 1230 + all exercise cals and see what my trends are.

  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    Great job on the weight loss! I'm 4'11 and I would like to eventually get down to 115 lbs. I currently weigh 125 and the scales don't seem to be budging much lately as I'm so close to goal now. I started out at 150 and lost 25 lbs so far. I lost the weight in two months time and ate around 1100-1200 calories per day and walked on the treadmill 3-4x per week. I was using Weight Watchers where I had to track my food and stay within a certain amount of points per day.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    cnjg420 wrote: »
    Hi I'm 4"11 and find I'm losing weight at 1000 calories a day my current weight is 93lbs add me and we can do this together

    Seriously? I'm 4'11 and that is a very low weight. I have a small frame so on the weight scale it is recommended I not go below 97 lbs which I would never try to even attempt. Why are you still trying to lose weight? :(
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Also for what it's worth I started out as one of those people thinking I had to eat 1200 or I wouldn't lose. I started reading on the forums about people who were eating more than that and still losing, so I increased my calorie goal to 1400, then 1500 (net, eating back exercise cals) and was still losing. I got more active, got a FitBit, and realized that I could increase even more and lose an appropriate 0.5 lb/week (at that point I only had 15 lbs to lose). I lost the 30 lbs I set out to lose eating 1600-1900 cals per day and am maintaining that loss with a TDEE of 2200 according to my FitBit.

    I'm 5'2, 120 lbs, 41 female with a desk job. So being a petite female does not automatically mean that a person has to eat 1200 cals or less in order to lose.

    I am so glad that when I first signed up for MFP I didn't have any preconceived ideas about height and weight loss. I lost weight eating around 1600-1700 calories. I maintain my weight around 2000 calories a day. I am 5'0". I weigh 100ish pounds and am 41 years old. I am not sedentary - but am not crazy active.

    I think that activity level plays a much larger role in calories than a couple of inches.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    perkymommy wrote: »
    cnjg420 wrote: »
    Hi I'm 4"11 and find I'm losing weight at 1000 calories a day my current weight is 93lbs add me and we can do this together

    Seriously? I'm 4'11 and that is a very low weight. I have a small frame so on the weight scale it is recommended I not go below 97 lbs which I would never try to even attempt. Why are you still trying to lose weight? :(

    @perkymommy, there is small framed and there is smaaaallll framed. LOL. She (and I) probably fall into the latter category. I spent most of my life at 95lbs at 5'2", so I could definitely see someone 4'11" being around 85-90. You also have to count boobage. Some women carry 10+lbs in their boobs alone, where as those that are genetically slender, usually don't have much. My profile pic is at 99lbs.

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