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

[stressy1]

I’m quite small, 5'1, and it’s honestly a bit of a shock when you realise how little your body actually needs. When you look into it, your “normal” is already quite limited compared to someone taller and then menopause comes along and seems to shrink it even further.

I am surrounded by people eating what looks like totally reasonable amounts. I join in and think I am eating normally, but over time the weight creeps up.
It doesn’t feel like overeating at all, that’s the frustrating part but it is for my height.

There is so little margin for error. A couple of small extras, a snack, a drink and I have tipped over. Meanwhile taller people seem to have so much more flexibility without even thinking about it.

Anyone else found this?

Indeed. I'm done weights all my life and spent 15+ years plus being two stone overweight with good muscle tone up to the age of 50. Now I'm just trying to stay slimmer and lighter (BMI 25 instead of 28/29) with good muscle tone. I don't want to be bulky, I've done bulky and it puts too much strain in my heart and joints at 50+!

I’m 5’4. I skip breakfast. Not every day as sometimes I’m starving. If I have breakfast I’ll skip lunch, or just have a snack. If I have both all the time, then I’m consistently about 20 pounds overweight. I should move more but I’m a teacher so not sedentary, and totally exhausted when I get home.

OP I feel your pain. Five feet and an apple shape here 😱

Same here, other than slightly shorter than you so my maintenance/cutting calories are slightly lower.

Yes, I'm 5 foot and if I eat more than 1200 calories regularly, I start to gain weight, and I walk the dog 2 hours a day and do some sort of structured exercise every day! I'm constantly hungry, and it's miserable.

I no longer eat breakfast.

I eat a salad for lunch, with some cheese, 30g nuts and yoghurt.

Evening: salad again, small bowl of something like stew, 1/2 slice of toast and fruit

Going over this even slightly means immediate weight gain.

I walk a minimum of 10k steps a day, weight training 4 times a week, generally on the go a lot of the time.

You are right to look after your joints. If I do a split squat I can’t get up again. I just want to be a good bmi with no bingo wings and without a saggy bottom. Harder than it sounds lol.

When I was trying to lose baby weight, I ate grapefruit before breakfast. I read it speeds up your metabolism and you use more calories. I could tell the days I had it that I was hungrier sooner after breakfast than the days I didn’t have any. You could try it before your lunch on days you want an extra snack?

Speak for yourself. Not everyone has space or time or energy for 40 mins of exercise everyday.

I tried this years ago. It didn't work for me but thank you.

Same height as me, and now menopause has been and gone. I need to eat like a bloody mouse to stop myself gaining.
So now I have no biscuits, crisps or other snacks foods available to me. Even eating a meal too late in the day seems to cause weight gain. So have to plan out my food and I never feel hungry.
I used to eat like horse as a youngster and never gain an ounce.

In that case I can only offer sympathy! I found it really hard when I was restricting calories to get my weight down. I did cut out some unnecessary calories - started drinking herbal tea which cut out milk calories over the day. Sugar in tea and coffee all adds up too. Buttered bread really sparingly. Started eating bread rolls instead of sandwiches with 2 pieces of bread which was less calories for the bread, plus less filling required etc. But you’re right, us shorties are always going to put on weight if we eat the same as others. Life isn’t fair!

My mini Shetland feels the same way OP 😆

It’s truly amazing how little the “little guys” need.

I don’t mean to sound patronising but I’m sure the advice is we shouldn’t be eating less than 1,200 calories a day or it creates knock on problems. Have you done a TDEE calculation?

I was actually thinking this the other day. It’s so easy to become overweight if you are short. And people don’t seem to realise a tall person can be a size 8 and look very slim, but a short person can be a size 8 and look chubby. I think the amount of calories for me to maintain is about 1200, and that is with a lot of walking too. If I eat the recommended amounts for a woman (2000 cals a day) I gain weight. It’s depressing as I lost lots of weight but I’ve put most of it back on again by eating what others would see as a ‘normal’ diet.

not patronising at all.
I’ve no idea what that is, so no I’ve not done one. I’m just going on when clothes start to get tight etc

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

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.

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.

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 🙄

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

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

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

Is 5ft4 the average height

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.