Short people: does excess weight look different on us?

[PresidentBarklett]

Aware that's a really stupid title, with a lot if variables, but genuinely struggled to word it. I know it's all about context but here is my query:

I'm 5'3 and I've lost nearly 5 stone on MJ, taking me down to 11 st 12 and a size 14/16, depending on the shop. I have about 3ish stone to go till my self imposed target (still haven't quite decided where that will be as its off the edge of the map - never been below 11 stone as an adult).

People have noticed my weight loss, which is nice. However, I'm still objectively fat - by BMI (29.8 at last count) and by eye - less so, but still very noticeably overweight. This is fine, happy to keep going.

However, it feels like my chance to look 'slim' is ticking away with every lb I lose. Its not my primary motivation (that would be my family history of heart disease) but I would hope to look slim after all this. However, gauging how my body has changed due to a 5st loss, I'm not sure how much more visible change I could expect with the 3st loss hopefully still to come. Googling what a 3 st loss looks like it... looks like a lot less than what I would hope to achieve.

I guess I'm just very much hoping that on shorter bodies a few lbs can make a bigger difference as I just don't see how 3st could effect the changes I would hope for. I'm not asking for the body of a 20 year old or a model. Im come from robust peasant stock amd thats fine. I cant think of a way to phrase this without sounding shallow but, yknow, I would like to look objectively slim.

Any experience of the visual difference 3 stone can make to a shorter body?

Someone who has a busy job and raising a family is probably not sedantry. The advice to move is not just about formal exercise. All movement counts including housework, gardening, playing with the kids etc.

The TDEE calculator that I used, posted above - used their own definition of ‘sedentary’ as ‘desk/office job with no formal structured cardio exercise x3 / week’ to calculate my calories for maintenance and weight loss.

We all know that it’s max 80/20 in terms of diet/exercise for weight loss - as they say you can’t out-run a bad diet. I am not interested in getting it wrong - by doing the hard work of cal def and ‘assuming’ I fall into the next category up ‘light exercise’ which is structured cardio x3 week to find out I have not lost anything or even gained at the end of the week.

I think the image quality here will be awful, but once the images have been reviewed that's 3 stone of weight loss on a 5' 4" person. I am actually now basically the weight it sounds like you've got down to, and am pretty content I don't need to lose any more weight so I would be amazed if you could lose another 3 (now 2) stone and not be slim, but I guess it will vary from person to person.

BMI is still 28 so I guess I'll just keep going and see what happens. Thank you, that's very reassuring. And you look wonderful!

I am really glad I ended up taking photos at various points because it's been quite reassuring that there is a difference because it hasn't really felt much different weight loss wise.

My BMI is about 26.5 and I weigh 11 stone so I guess the extra inch in height makes more of a difference than I imagine as well.

Turns out I'm actually 5"2 rather than 5"3, which I only discovered when I had to prove my height to my pharmacy! So it's actually an extra 2 inches.

Totally agree on the importance of photos.

I too think this is a great thread and enjoyed reading it.

Facts are facts and if you are smaller even a few lbs can't be carried as well, hidden so easily as say a lady who is tall 5'10 or 5'11.

I'm very small, with an hourglass boobs, waist and hips. I weighed 9 stone practically my whole life, for 25+ years from aged 15 to 40, post having 2dc. I put on weight over the years and find the constant having to deal with it, to have to even think about it tiresome, and wearing. So easy to put on, To lose is so hard. To maintain is even harder.

I've lost a bit recently but the constant battle is wearisome.

I'm still sure the way we live now, like Dr Van Tull, with more processed foods, bioplastics etc doesn't help. The graph of weight gain from 70's onwards is rapid, when companies such as ... eg say Kelloggs persuaded us that processed plant remains from another processing system was a good breakfast.
We previously lived in war times of scarcity and famine. Now we are in abundance.

Anyway many face the same challenges, but it's simply a fact that if you are smaller it's increased because you simply don't need as much, and don't carry it as well.