to think it’s a bit depressing how little you can eat when you’re short?

Similar height. And used to weigh 7.5 - 8 stone. Pregnancy pushed me up to 10. Now menopausal im around 10 stone.

I remember doing weight watchers years ago with exh. H could have 18 points. A peach was 2 points. It wasn’t sustainable for me so I stopped.

To not gain weight I stay around 1200 cals. Really difficult.

Yes because everyone's appetites are entirely proportional to their size and we only eat according to appetite and nothing else which is why everyone is the ideal weight for their height and obesity is a myth 🙄

YABU because the larger plates for taller people fill them up the same amount so you are both just as hungry

and you are cheaper to run

It doesn't have to be if you find a privately owned basic one, and it does the same job as the big trendy companies. Plus you'll be supporting a local business. I go to a men's 'bodybuilder' type gym. Costs me £20 a month and it is open 24 hours.
It does the job.

Yep- another petite lady who has had to accept that I really don’t need many calories so weight loss means very very little food.

Yes, I'm a 5"1 office worker with 6"2 manual worker boyfriend. I've taken to reminding him that olive oil is the enemy of the small woman and so is butter, as he tries to glug 100mls of it in the pan and garnishes the dish with another 50ml. Quite jealous of his ability to eat a 6 pack of 300 calorie chocolate cookies to no effect as that's more than my daily allowance 😭(he isn't fat, crazy active job).

I think it’s not just the calorie intake, it’s how obvious weight gain is. The margin for me (5’3) is very small and a little extra weight seems to change my body shape very quickly. So depressing

Those calculations are rubbish. A TDEE calculator says I need 1800 to maintain. My Fitbit shows that I have burned an average of 1500 calories a day for the past month. I’d gain massively if I ate 1800 a day!

Of course it’s not ideal to eat 1000 calories a day, but for those of us with a slow metabolism it’s the only way to lose weight.

If it’s any consolation to anyone, my DP (who’s also quite short for a man - 5ft 6) was a food hoover until recently when he had to stop doing weights. Now he’s crying over portion sizes along with me. Obviously I’m supportive but inwardly a bit smug. Turns out those deadlifts are magic calorie burners!

Incredibly hard, disabled, five feet and menopausal, can’t exercise , can’t lose weight healthily

Yep. Im not very short at 5'5 but I can still eat very little and gain so easily. I find intermittent fasting effective. I dont eat breakfast anymore and have late lunch. I am no longer hungry at all until then. Its such a pain..

On average heights google says

The average height for women in the UK is approximately 5ft 3.5in to 5ft 4.5in (roughly 162cm–164cm). Data from 2024 indicates a mean height of 162.1cm (just under 5'4") in England, while other sources place the UK average slightly higher at 5'4.5" or 163.94cm.

Interesting, I would have thought average was taller. People make endless comments about how short I am, but then I am only 4ft 11.

That's actually quite short, I thought it was about 5ft5 at the turn of the century!

No. It's 5ft3.5. I was being generous!

😂😂😂

I’m 4ft 11 and weighed around 9st before having kids in my early 30s. Could eat pretty much what I wanted and drop a few pounds just by cutting out snacks & skipping breakfast.

After DC2 was born, aged 36, my weight had crept up due to pregnancy to around 10st. I tried really hard to shift the extra once he was around 6 months old but it stubbornly stayed put. I had to really drop my calories which I could only sustain for a few weeks at a time as it was miserable.
I put a few more lbs on during Covid and was almost 10st 7lb. Tried again to lose weight by dropping my cals to around 1000 a day. Again I Lost and gained the same 3 or 4lbs over 6 months.

Eventually ended up going on Mounjaro and lost a stone and a half which I’ve maintained for 6 months. It’s really hard though. I only eat 1300 cals a day. It’s like being on a diet all the time!

No. I’m
5’ 2.5”, 49, post menopausal, weigh 54kg and usually eat around 2000 calories a day. Mainly carbs. I love carbs! I am rarely still though and have a high tdee. If I was sedentary it might be a different story. I have quite good muscle mass. Chunky calves from all the walking. My frame is probably medium and I’m broad across the back. Peri and menopause itself thankfully didn’t affect me. My mum was the same and has weighed around 8st 7lb most of her life. She’s 86 now, sedentary due to a disability and weighs the same. Genetic probably. Or luck. Get yourself more active if you can and you might see a difference.

Is 5ft4 the average height

Genetics and metabolism can also play a part. I'm quite short, eat a lot but have a fairly fast metabolism.

On the plus side, you have a biological advantage in a famine…

Omg it’s so true. All these videos saying never eat less than 1500- dream world for me.

Well it’s either/or really isn’t it? Two people doing the same amount of exercise, the shorter one will have to eat less 🙄

I’m 5ft 1 and accidentally lost weight through stress last year. I’ve stayed the same weight at 49kgs, the lowest I’ve been since my 20s. I don’t eat breakfast and mainly eat low carb, high protein. I would say I maintain my weight on about 1200 cals. I’m in my 60s and have not been too active recently. I’ve just joined a gym as I need to do some strength training. I know how important this is at my age.

Sorry but this is a really patronising comment. Just because it's simple to say doesn't mean it's simple to do. And height absolutely is relevant because it means a much lower calorie limit than we expect (eg what we see in adverts, what fits on a standard plate, what is served in restaurants) and because weight shows up very easily on a small frame.

Nope, height has nothing to do with it. As long as you are burning more than you are eating and in a calorie deficit.