Weight loss for people 5’3 and under
rayraynicole15
Posts: 22 Member
Does anyone find it harder to lose weight being shorter? I am 5’1 and feel like I have a harder time losing weight and if I gain a pound it looks like 5 on me! If anyone has some good weight loss tips or experiences let me know!
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Replies
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I completely sympathize I’m 4”11 and 1 pound gain is very noticeable but I’ve lost 40 pounds and have been maintaining for a year now you can do it it’s hard but very possible16
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Yes it’s not fair haha! If you don’t mind me asking but how many calories do you try to eat during a day?I completely sympathize I’m 4”11 and 1 pound gain is very noticeable but I’ve lost 40 pounds and have been maintaining for a year now you can do it it’s hard but very possible
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I am 5'2" (on a good day) and struggle with how I can see every pound but I'm nearly 20lbs lighter and hardly anyone has mentioned.
My goal is 1450 a day plus half my exercise calories. What about you?4 -
I have my calories set to 1200 but on days that I workout usually around 1400. I weigh 132 right now and going to try to loose 5 lbs before I go on vacation in September!!Stellamom2018 wrote: »I am 5'2" (on a good day) and struggle with how I can see every pound but I'm nearly 20lbs lighter and hardly anyone has mentioned.
My goal is 1450 a day plus half my exercise calories. What about you?
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rayraynicole15 wrote: »
Mfp gives me 1200 calories a day2 -
5'3 and closing in on goal. Now on 1360 to lose 1/2lb per week, but I exercise to get more calories.6
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I am 5'0" and 131. I have lost 14 lbs and everyone is noticing. I have another 15 to go. Yes, every lb counts and so good logging is essential. I am eating 1400 currently. Btw, feel free to add me. I would love some shorty friends.9
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I'm 5'3" and in my 40s. I lost 25 lbs about five years ago eating around 1350 calories plus all my exercise calories (after taking about 5 weeks to figure what they actually are). MFP gave me 1200 but I bumped it up manually. I lost an average of a 1/2 pound a week though the scale didn't reflect it but every 3 weeks or so. With being female and doing mostly weightlifting my water weight hid a lot of the progress on the scale. I made sure to take measurements and photos because the change was much more obvious there.
The best thing I did for myself was to make a habit of weighing everything I could, even pre-packaged items. With so small a deficit, those discrepancies on food labels can have a significant effect on a weekly deficit. I also watched my weekly calories instead of just daily ones so I could balance over calorie days with under calorie ones. It gives a lot more flexibility in allowing me to work in higher calorie foods that I really enjoy.15 -
Definitely harder. Your body uses less calories, there’s a lot less wiggle room for cheats and bad days unless you want to lose all progress lol, you also burn less with exercise since there is less of you to move. It’s totally possible but takes real dedication I’ve found...11
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I'm barely 5'4" (idk if that counts) but I can relate! Unless it's water weight, everything is super noticable. Also, we burn less metabolically speaking and which can make weight gain easier if we aren't careful. It is still very possible to lose it. I have lost 80 pounds but unfortunately I gain some of it back due to stressful period and overeating. So don't lose hope cause of your height! (:3
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Short people lose weight the same way as everyone else - by creating a sustained calorie deficit over time. And being petite is not an automatic low calorie sentence for weight loss.
I’m 5’2, and lost most of my weight, ~35 lbs, eating b/w 1600-1900 cals total. I’m currently maintaining at around 118 for the last few years with a TDEE of around 2100-2200.25 -
1200 is what mfp gave me as well. I do great through out the day and workout out 5 days a week but after dinner things start to go downhill and I binge. Idk how to control it ☹️ but it messes up my progress and I keep fluctuating between a couple ounces that keep me from losing another lb .rayraynicole15 wrote: »
Mfp gives me 1200 calories a day
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Angielosingitagain wrote: »I'm barely 5'4" (idk if that counts) but I can relate! Unless it's water weight, everything is super noticable. Also, we burn less metabolically speaking and which can make weight gain easier if we aren't careful. It is still very possible to lose it. I have lost 80 pounds but unfortunately I gain some of it back due to stressful period and overeating. So don't lose hope cause of your height! (:
That is amazing you have lost 80 lbs! That is such an accomplishment!! Thank you for sharing that with me! It definitely discourages me seeing taller people who weigh the same as me who are so skinny! Idk if you know this but is it better to eat high protein and low carb? Cause that’s what I have been doing but I don’t wanna over do it with protein and gain weight3 -
That is awesome I can’t wait to lose the weight so I can start maintaining. What are some things you did in the beginning to help you get on the right track??WinoGelato wrote: »Short people lose weight the same way as everyone else - by creating a sustained calorie deficit over time. And being petite is not an automatic low calorie sentence for weight loss.
I’m 5’2, and lost most of my weight, ~35 lbs, eating b/w 1600-1900 cals total. I’m currently maintaining at around 118 for the last few years with a TDEE of around 2100-2200.
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rayraynicole15 wrote: »
1200 is what mfp gave me as well. I do great through out the day and workout out 5 days a week but after dinner things start to go downhill and I binge. Idk how to control it ☹️ but it messes up my progress and I keep fluctuating between a couple ounces that keep me from losing another lb .rayraynicole15 wrote: »
Mfp gives me 1200 calories a day
MFP provides a goal based on your stats and the rate of loss that you chose. 1200 is the lowest target for women and usually isn’t necessary unless someone is extremely petite and extremely Sedentary. If you chose too aggressive of a goal (ie 1-2 lbs/week when you have less than 20 lbs to lose) or chose Sedentary when in fact you average more than 6000 steps per day, MFP is going to give you the lowest target. Additionally, that target is a net goal, meaning if you do work out you’re meant to eat those calories back.
Maybe choosing such an aggressive target is sabotaging you if it’s not sustainable and you binge. Maybe consider raising it to a higher, but more sustainable level to ensure adherence.15 -
auzziecawth wrote: »Definitely harder. Your body uses less calories, there’s a lot less wiggle room for cheats and bad days unless you want to lose all progress lol, you also burn less with exercise since there is less of you to move. It’s totally possible but takes real dedication I’ve found...
Ugh it definitely does and is very discouraging. I’m still new to trying to figure out this whole fitness thing. I struggle a lot with the nutrition part idk what kind of diet I should be eating! I try to do higher protein and low carb but idk if that’s the way to go.1 -
I hope you reach your goal very soon!!estherdragonbat wrote: »5'3 and closing in on goal. Now on 1360 to lose 1/2lb per week, but I exercise to get more calories.
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rayraynicole15 wrote: »
That is awesome I can’t wait to lose the weight so I can start maintaining. What are some things you did in the beginning to help you get on the right track??WinoGelato wrote: »Short people lose weight the same way as everyone else - by creating a sustained calorie deficit over time. And being petite is not an automatic low calorie sentence for weight loss.
I’m 5’2, and lost most of my weight, ~35 lbs, eating b/w 1600-1900 cals total. I’m currently maintaining at around 118 for the last few years with a TDEE of around 2100-2200.
Set a reasonable goal appropriate for your activity and the amount of weight you have to lose.
Log everything you eat as accurately and honesty as possible ideally using a food scale.
Don’t demonize or unnecessarily restrict any food - any food can be a part of an overall balanced diet in moderation.
Understand your numbers - I have a FitBit and find it very helpful to estimate my calorie burn.
Be patient.
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Congrats on losing 25 lbs! That’s amazing! I do weightlifting as well, I do resistance 2x a week and cardio 2x a week. Water weight is a big one for me, I feel like all I do is drink water like a fish trying to counteract it lol. And that’s a great idea, I need to get better about weighing things and not just go by the labels. I find that I usually always finish the day under my calorie goal. I know that isn’t good but I’m so afraid of going over it and I weigh myself everyday sometimes more than once to see how I’m doing and it makes me crazy some times 🙄I'm 5'3" and in my 40s. I lost 25 lbs about five years ago eating around 1350 calories plus all my exercise calories (after taking about 5 weeks to figure what they actually are). MFP gave me 1200 but I bumped it up manually. I lost an average of a 1/2 pound a week though the scale didn't reflect it but every 3 weeks or so. With being female and doing mostly weightlifting my water weight hid a lot of the progress on the scale. I made sure to take measurements and photos because the change was much more obvious there.
The best thing I did for myself was to make a habit of weighing everything I could, even pre-packaged items. With so small a deficit, those discrepancies on food labels can have a significant effect on a weekly deficit. I also watched my weekly calories instead of just daily ones so I could balance over calorie days with under calorie ones. It gives a lot more flexibility in allowing me to work in higher calorie foods that I really enjoy.
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I am 5'0" and 131. I have lost 14 lbs and everyone is noticing. I have another 15 to go. Yes, every lb counts and so good logging is essential. I am eating 1400 currently. Btw, feel free to add me. I would love some shorty friends.
That is so great!! Mfp gave me 1200 and on days I work out I eat around 1400. What are some things you did in the beginnng to help you lose the weight ?1 -
rayraynicole15 wrote: »
1200 is what mfp gave me as well. I do great through out the day and workout out 5 days a week but after dinner things start to go downhill and I binge. Idk how to control it ☹️ but it messes up my progress and I keep fluctuating between a couple ounces that keep me from losing another lb .rayraynicole15 wrote: »
Mfp gives me 1200 calories a day
You could b telling my story lol except I work out 3 days a week but I just try to leave enough calories for snacking at night 😀0 -
I have never been taller than 5'3, so I wouldn't know! Seriously, it's the same for everybody, your calorie need is in proportion to your size and activity level. Stop looking for tips, or at least learn the basics first. The basics are so simple it hurts - eat less, move more. Letting go of all the noise was a gamechanger for me, after struggling with my weight for more than 20 years, I've maintained a healthy weight for over 4 years.14
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I'm 5'1, and while every kilo we gain is more noticeable, it goes both ways. When I lose even the tiniest bit of weight, it's quickly noticeable.6
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Heyy 4'11 and your right you notice every little pound when your short. I've just gotten over a back injury and put 7lbs that I had recently lost. To me it looks like I've put on even more.
The best thing I found was to drink lots of water and everything in moderation. I did this last week and lost 4lbs without really dieting and exercising.2 -
I'm 5ft 2 and down 160lb
I have my rate of loss set to 1lb a week and for this I get to eat around 1650 before exercise calories
So long as I weigh and log my food accurately I have no problems6 -
I'm 5'2" and started out at 155lb, I think the weight came off quickly in the beginning when there was more to lose. As I got smaller it got more difficult and was taking longer, but it was still coming off. I'm at 123lb today and am in maintenance. I just had to be more careful logging since I didn't have much wiggle room, I was only having 1200c a day + eating back some exercise calories. Overall I don't think my height made it any harder to lose weight, but I do think it's a lot more noticeable gaining/losing just a small amount on a smaller frame like mine.5
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There's been discussion here before about whether or not being shorter and smaller translates into a smaller appetite that corresponds with your decreased calorie needs vs someone who is say, 6'4 and 200 pounds. Personally, I don't think it does. And socially, food is definitely not scaled for us! (At least not in the US, land of huge portions).
That said, we lose weight just like anyone else - via calorie deficit. Do I get jealous when I see someone who has a maintenance level of 3k calories because they're larger and more active than I am? Absolutely! But I deal with it.9 -
rayraynicole15 wrote: »
That is amazing you have lost 80 lbs! That is such an accomplishment!! Thank you for sharing that with me! It definitely discourages me seeing taller people who weigh the same as me who are so skinny! Idk if you know this but is it better to eat high protein and low carb? Cause that’s what I have been doing but I don’t wanna over do it with protein and gain weight
This is my experience, but I feel full faster and longer if I do a low carb and high protein diet. If you are working out, you should be fine without over doing it. If you think about our organs are muscles and we also have the muscles we know about. So we need a sustainable amount of protein whether you are working out or not. Unless it is insane amount, I wouldn't worry too much. If you have some source of protein each meal or snack you should be fine. (:
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Also 5’3’’ and lost about 29 pounds in all (20 pounds came off once I really dedicated myself -took one year). Eat less and move more worked for me! I used MFP to track food and got a general sense of my calorie intake, but didn’t weigh or measure. The biggest thing that helped is eliminating my daily beer/wine and swapping high calorie carbs for low cal options like zoodles for noodles, light English muffins for bagels, low carb wraps for bread. Also cutting out most snacking helped. I also ran 3-4 miles a few times a week so I could have some treats and extra wine. I am maintaining in a similar manner. I just use my weight to tell me if I need to cut back for a while rather than counting calories.3
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I'm in my 50s, 5'2 ish and maintaining at 113 for almost 2 years.
I lost ~23 lbs pretty steadily at .5 lb / week. I basically ate according to my FitBit burn -- so to lose, I ate 200-500 below my daily total burn.
What helped me was my FitBit (keeps me aware & active), weighing my food, and weighing in/recording weight every day to see the trends. My FitBit also helped me see that merely staying active throughout the day can contribute way more to my calorie burn than any intentional exercise I do.
Now in maintenance, I'm doing the same things except I eat pretty much what my FitBit says I burn in a day.
I did/do not restrict any foods, but I do eat a ton of veggies (because I love them).5
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