Being short is shit

[noyoucanthavethelastbiscuit]

Over the course of a long time, I've come to discover that at 5'2, my calorie allowance to maintain is no more than 1400.

More than that, and I put on bloody weight

To lose weight, I have to eat 1200 or less. Ideally less to see a steady loss of 1lb a week

I am just 25. It's so frustrating. Anyone else have this issue?

When I lifted weights, I was fine eating 1700 calories and could maintain on that. No such luck if only doing exercises such as lots of walking and vigorous cleaning etc. No time for much else sadly at the moment

Being short is shit, isn't it?

For clarification, I am now 10 stone 1lb. I'd like to get to 9 stone 6. I'd be happy around that mark so nearly there

But through obvious trial and error, it's clear my calorie deficit is so low

Sorry should also add, 11 months ago I weighed 13 stone 6

I feel your pain. Especially as I'm fast approaching 40 nothing seems to work anymore other than weight lifting and keeping fun a tight hold on my calories. It also doesn't help that at this height, also 5'2 even putting on a couple of pounds is really noticeable which i don't think it is if you are tall. I feel taller people have more room to to gain a few without it really noticing.

I can agree as at 5 foot 0inches
I feel ok in my skin, could do with loosing half a stone currently 9st 3 (I think) I don't own scales

My problem is more bloating, god I feel like a balloon every month.

I am quite active and have been for most of my life except my teens, now 37.

Currently doing karate and nightly press ups, was adding sit ups in too for a while but slacked off.

I don't mind my legs except at the very top my cycling shorts roll up to crotch level and will never stay on my upper thighs.

Generally happy though and I think
Short is 'cute'

Yep at 9st and 5' I'm overweight and look it. Apple shaped and my waist is a solid size 12.

1400 calories is not much and less than half what my tall DH can eat. I have to keep busy in the evenings to prevent snacking. Just as well I can't face food until lunchtime.

@jellybe sorry to hear it, it really is rubbish. And what's more it'll get worse the older I get which is natural for every woman, but my goodness what a pain in the arse. My H can eat 2000 and he's in deficit comfortably, losing around 2lb a week if not more. But he's 6'3...

Another friend I have is 5'7 and she can eat more calories by quite a lot. I feel as if my short stature is geared towards eating like a little bird 🕊️

I was actually having a chat with a former work colleague a while ago and she was super strict with calories but said it was depressing how little she could actually get away with how she was almost 60, when only 10 years previously it was that bit easier, and as a younger woman she could get away with a lot more

Op I’m the same I’m 5 ft 4. I have lost weight in the past but it’s so hard to live a low calorie lifestyle and it’s a myth on food packaging that we need 2000 to 2500 (men) calories a day.

at one point I was about 9 stone and felt amazing but then covid happened and a child with school refusal and I’m about 13 stone now. I know I can do it but it takes forever.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this but it's not just food packaging stating women can have 2000 cals as a reference - it's also on loads of fitness related content and stuff like that

It's really frustrating because I ended up being over 13 stone and I usually ate quite a bit less than 2000 calories (I did a trial run of logging all the stuff I was eating without changing the diet and it was an eye opener). Although I can't blame marketing really, but I definitely didn't realise just how little I needed to get use to eating

@stealthninjamum solidarity to you I hope the school situation gets easier as time goes by. I am a carer to my disabled son and it's so stressful, I really did enjoy food I suppose when I had nothing else to look forward to and out of stress

I look like a baking potato.

I hear you. I'm 5'0 and overweight. Around 9 stone 7 I think, but I don't get weighed often, it's too depressing.
My main gripe is that nothing - absolutely nothing, looks good on me. I look at clothes on websites and think, 'oh, that looks nice,' and then I read that the model is 5'11" and wearing size 10.
It's never going to work, is it?

You made a post about this yesterday as well??

Yep. Hear you too. I’m five feet two. I weigh 8 stone 10. Size ten. It’s all in the legs. I have fat thighs and a pudgy arse. Hate being short .

It is shit. It is very easy to have an overweight BMI if you are short. I am also 5'2, and my BMI was classed as overweight even though I was a size 8-10 at the time.

I lost weight to be a healthy BMI, dropped down to a size 6 and everyone thought I was ill.

Thank you @noyoucanthavethelastbiscuit thank you and solidarity back to you!

We’re applying for an ehcp at the moment so hopefully the school situation will improve but it’s so hard to see your child distressed and too anxious to leave the house.

I think the 2000 cals a day myth is particularly bad as you could go to a restaurant and easily eat a 900 cal meal with a glass of wine and that’s your calories for the day yet you wrongly assume you can still have a modest lunch and breakfast to meet 2000 calories.

There is quite a bit of science on how to lose weight/fat as a petite. April Whitney (channel AprilVWhitney) on YouTube explains it quite well - why petites only should do 200kcal deficit and how to "bulk" (increase muscle mass) on maintenance calories. There is enough useful content in her videos to grasp the concept, I never got around to buy any of her eBooks but had good results.

Obviously we haven't met but thicker thighs are suppose to be really attractive, my legs are really muscly for some reason unknown to me and I do like them, but it means I cannot buy normal wellies and I can forget boots they never fit my calves

If it's any further consolation, gaining fat mostly around the bum and below is suppose to be better for you than the tummy as it's bad for your heart I think

@stealthninjamum once the EHCP is in place, things will improve much more as it's a legally binding document. So glad you're on the way to it as some councils are weirdly trying to make it harder for children with less obvious disabilities now. Then complain if they're not in school. Meanwhile when my severely disabled child was starting school age, they had no funds to place him in a special school further away with space! And then tried telling me he can only attend proper mainstream 2 days a week for 3 hours

So I'm 5ft 1inch and my maintenance calorie intake was 1200 at 45 - obviously I was starving to death on 1200 so was 5 stone overweight gained VERY gradually over 20 years

Had surgery to remove part of my stomach and 3 years later am that 5 stone less

However now my maintenance weight is about 1000-1200 - the difference is that I'm NOT starving at 1200

But I would still have to eat under 1000 to lose weight now and would go back to being hungry

So I'm going to put up with being a (bit) fat 🤷‍♀️

Feel so much better without that 5 stone and am very happy to not be hungry on 1000-1200 calories

Ooo same. I was never a fat child but had a load of muscle from sports like gymnastics and dancing. I remember the wii fit telling me I was fat when I was 11! I say fat explicitly because if made a huge deal of making my wii character pop like a balloon for dramatic effect after the weigh in

I think I look quite 'gaunt' actually even now I'm 10 stone... all weight mostly carried down below so top half is now really thin. Gone from a D cup to a B cup that's becoming too big

I am trying to be the healthiest me for health reasons. I personally think my figure looks best at about 10.5 stone

I would kill to be around 9 stone ( I’m 5ft 2” & not exactly sure of my weight but it’s at least 15 stone!) I need to quit drinking & get exercising! Had huge physical problems over the last few years so even walking has been challenging.

I'm 5' 2.5" (to be precise) and have lost nearly 2.5stone eating between 1500-1750 calories a day. I started at the upper end of that and reduced down. I haven't found that being short has affected things. BMI is now 21. I'm pretty active though. It makes no sense that someone who is heavier needs less calories because they use more just to exist than a lighter person. My tdee goes up if I adjust my weight to higher numbers. I'm 46 and have been perimenopausal for about 6 years too. Maybe I'm missing something.

Sorry you've had a tough time with your weight - I don't like alcohol so don't drink, but my downfall has always been sweet stuff

@AutisticLegoLover because you are taller than most of us posting and more active than most of posting your "maintenance calories" can be higher. Also the foods you eat make a difference too.

Also some people have a higher metabolic rate. All these little things can make a difference.

I only get really hungry when I'm tried, guess what it's sugar cravings to combat that rather than true hunger. Sometimes it's comfort eating to enjoy flavour and texture.

Join in solidarity. I'm 5ft. I have to eat so little to maintain