To feel annoyed that I can never really indulge in food? I'm short!

[MidwifeyForLifey]

Somewhat lighthearted

I'm quite short, so my personal calorie allowance is very low if I don't want to put on weight!

What an absolute pile of tosh. I'm 11 pounds overweight, I was 13 pounds overweight recently. I've lost weighted easily by going by the calculated amount of calories I should be having, and sticking to those.

I log everything in Fitness Pal. It's fairly easy in theory. But bores me to tears.

Being short means I can't ever be slim unless I eat like a bird.

Anyone else?

Exercise (that I can fit in whilst looking after small DC), isn't really worth all that much calories burning wise in the end, is it?

It is!

My problem is I get into a decent routine, eat more then stop exercising but don’t reduce food intake 🤣

I hear you all! I’m 5’2 and have to eat like a bird. I’m only about 4lbs over what I want to be, but those few pounds make such a difference, all in my tummy. If I do try lose it I have to eat such a small amount I’m starving and feel v faint.

High cholesterol is generally genetic @Mamabear12 and it's not so much that what you eat might cause high cholesterol, but your bodies reaction to certain foods which triggers problems.

Some people with high cholesterol could live on crap and be totally fine. Some could eat a burger and fries for the first time in 6 months and have a heart attack. Both have 'high cholesterol' but are not affected the same.

In my family it's genetic and not diet triggered. We can eat like rabbits and still have levels of 8/9. Mine is currently sitting around 4 I think.

I'm 5"9', and have been losing weight - I find a real pounding at the gym allows me to pig out properly once a month whilst still losing weight if that helps?

Just exercise. I'm 164cm and eat bloody everything but also walk everywhere. I'm a size 8.

I’m short (5’2”) and have always been thin (size 4-6, still can wear clothes from my twenties although I am nearing 50).

I have never dieted, counted calories or weighed myself. I eat what I feel like eating and don’t deny myself anything, but I eat small amounts and am satisfied with that. I don’t find eating large quantities of food to be pleasurable and stop eating when my body says I have had enough.

I also love to exercise and run at least 30 miles a week plus dog walks.

Oh god OP I feel your pain!! I'm 39 and used to run/ go for walks/ cycles, go all in playing with the kids( go on the trampoline, play football, chasing) and now my knees and back are going and so I've had to keep it to swimming ( which I can't very often cos of cost) and walking. So I've changed my diet as much as possible and now if I even look at sugar ( and I love bread, cereals, fizzy drinks, sweets and chocolate), I start putting on weight and my skin goes red for days. I have it! OP!( may be light hearted but it's still shit!!!)

Ps the Just exercise people, some people don't love exercise and you need to do a Serious amount for it to do much, I was running 5k a few times a week, walking two hours a day and playing too, if you go on a treadmill and see how much you actually burn through running it's depressing!!!

Plus I have a 'sedentary' job so I'm totally screwed.

Me too, until recently. Yet I've not noticed a weight change and I eat less through lack of time

Calorie burning measurement on machines is an art not a science.

I would run 2 times a week and do weights based cardio 1/2 times a week. That was enough to keep me slim and eat loads.

Me too. It would be almost impossible for me to under eat as my bmr is about 2 calories a day I become ball shaped really easily. The only upside is that when I do lose weight, it shows maybe more than it does on a taller person.

I don't mind. At least when I am skinny I get to be tiny. Tall people never have that no matter how much they diet.

Me I'm 4ft 11 and worked very hard to shift 3 stones to where I am now. There is no where to hide it when your short. I do run but according to my watch I only burn around 68cals a mile! That's not even a biscuit.

I don't think exercise does barely anything. I think it's what you eat. I agree with the 80-20 rule: it's 80% food, 20% exercise. Even if you ran and ran it makes minimal difference. You just have to eat less, even less, if you are small.

Try being an ex anorexic - my metabolism is buggered - I eat one small meal a day and run a lot (half marathon or more in my longer run each week) 5'6 and still only have to look at food to put weight on.

I don't think exercise does barely anything.

Isn't this what people say who don't like/want to exercise? I trained hard today and burnt off an extra 1500 calories (above what I'd use on a 'normal' day) Meant I could enjoy some chocolate after dinner and still be on track to lose weight. Admittedly I did do quite a lot of exercise - 1 hour's weight training, 40 mins HIIT, 2 hours walking and 25 mins cycling.

Me too. I’m not short but I seriously buggered my metabolism by starving myself through my 20 s. My slim 80 ear old chair dwelling mother eats more than me

I am short and slim. I don’t eat like a bird... I just eat until I am satisfied.

Isn't this what people say who don't like/want to exercise?

There’s a saying that you can’t outrun your fork. It took you four hours to burn that amount; it might only take twenty minutes to undo it all with a large bar (or two) of chocolate! Exercise for health reasons (including mental health) but it won’t do anything on weight loss for the average person.

But why would you even want to eat one large bar of chocolate? If it is the flavour and mouthfeel of chocolate you crave, that satisfaction would be satisfied with a couple pieces - after that, there is a diminishing taste satisfaction (so says several psychological studies).

No, exercise in itself is not a way of losing weight, but it is essential to keep weight off and for good general mental and physical health.

The effects of exercise are cumulative, you don’t see results all at once. you start sleeping better. Your muscle tone improves and you can go faster. Everyday tasks become easier and you have more energy. Then your mindset starts to change—instead of thinking “I can have that chai latte because I’ve done 5k” you think “I’m not going to waste my 5k on a stupid chai latte “

So no, you can’t outrun a bad diet but exercise definitely helps.

Am 5’1” & also can eat next to nothing if I want to stay slim. Exercise keeps me toned so I look less flabby even when I could lose a few.

You can eat what you like (within reason) if you exercise a lot. While you can't outrun a bad diet, you can certainly have the odd outrageously decadent dessert without feeling guilty about it.

why would you even want to eat one large bar of chocolate?

Why indeed? I just can’t imagine. I tend to find a small shaving of a chocolate chip does the job perfectly well. Or simply wafting a chocolate bar under my nose.

I’m 5ft. I’m overweight and trying to lose 1.5 stones more - I’ve lost 7lb so far with MFP and I’ve had at least one “cheat” day per week (not deliberately per se, just because life, and cake, happens!)
It’s taken me 2 months to lose 7lb. But I’m enjoying life and food! I stick to my cal count wherever I can, I don’t “cheat” unless there’s a reason I decide is worthy, and if I want to indulge in that day I do!

I’d love a faster weight loss but I’m not prepared to give up nice food forever. I had dominos last week and still lost 0,5lb 🙂

Oh and I regularly exercise too. But I don’t count those calories to eat them. It just makes me feel better!