Petite support for losing a few pounds/getting to our 'happy' size

[ACuppaAlwaysHelps]

Hi all. Following on from the thread that @SprayPaint started yesterday, a few of us (@Waiting9 @Horriblehistoree @FaceofSpades) seemed keen to have a thread to support each other in reaching our weight loss/body shape/fitness/health goals.

All petites are welcome on this thread, but it seemed like it would be particularly helpful to have a corner of Mumsnet for those of us who are petite/small framed and officially a 'healthy weight' but know we feel/look better a few pounds lighter (which would still be within a healthy weight/not underweight).

Maybe we can share goals, progress, struggles, things that are working, etc.? It would also be lovely to hear from any petites who are at a 'happy weight' and what you are doing to be successful.

Someone (maybe @FaceofSpades?) posted some helpful thoughts on the thread yesterday.

Please share how you all think this thread could be helpful.

Feel free to share as much or little as you like. Height, current weight, goal weight or other body measurements, nutrition, calories, exercise, NSV, etc.

@ACuppaAlwaysHelps That looked helpful but I didn't want to pay to use it 😅

Thank you for the suggestions @Loseing and @ACuppaAlwaysHelps , I think I picked up the wrong flavour too; I thought I'd enjoy the salted caramel but it's too strong (a little sickly). I'm going to try and either finish it somehow (maybe mixing it in yoghurts, porridge) or give it to someone 😂

I've been visiting family since beginning of week, and won't be heading home until next week, a little worried what the scale will show as I haven't worked out either. I did use the scale DM has, but I don't think it's accurate (I'm always 3 or 4 pounds lighter compared to my home one). It is analogue and the one I own is digital. Having said that I have an old analogue one that shows my weight 7 pounds lighter than the digital one 🤷🏽‍♀️

@ACuppaAlwaysHelps I did subscribe for a month, it is good but I've stopped calorie counting as such for a while. I try intermittent fasting most of the time, and also trying to be mindful of portion sizes, number of snacks.
Many years ago I used MyFitnessPal , I did lose about 3 stones (after dc1) with its help. It was always set to 1200 calories, I alway went over by at least 200/300; however I didn't stress too much as I used to work out a lot and felt I had leeway to go over.

@ItIsAlwaysSwingsAndRoundabouts in this situation I find it helpful to think that it will have an effect, but I can minimise the effect by not going too crazy and then get right back to reversing it once I'm home. If I accept it I can relax a bit and it makes it easier to carry on losing long-term.

@Swearwolf I think I do need to think like that. I don't want to constantly worry, but I don't want to feel like I can't enjoy myself here and there too.
Once home, I'll get back into the swing of things and hopefully any gain will go down again!

Until dc2 I never had this issue, or maybe I had a smaller appetite and didn't realise; and not so much of an emotional eater, but hitting 40 and it's a whole other story 😂

@ItIsAlwaysSwingsAndRoundabouts I was 40 this year too and it hit me really hard! Play the long game and you will be alright.

I'll probably be joining this, but not starting until end of January, I hate starting in the middle of midwinter. Since hitting my mid 40s I've accepted I basically have to try to drop about stone at some point each year; I'm 5ft 1, probably about 10 stone right now. Used to be 8stone through my 20s but not bothered about ever hitting that again. I have a hip joint problem that means it's a good idea to not let myself put too much weight on but I don't like being on a diet all the time so I just accept I put a stone on over half the year and lose it over another half!

DH's cousin was recommending Slimming World, so might look into that. 5:2 is my go-to and works OK for me, but very slowly, I did do 3 months on 1200cals a day a few years ago which worked but I found that really tedious.

How's everyone doing? Has anyone got any particular plans for trying to lose these few pounds in the new year? And/or - has anyone had success since we started this thread and got any tips to share with us?

I'm looking forwards to homemade vegetable soups next week 😋

Where I've had a Christmas win is keeping up with exercise. I had my usual December mental lull where I eased off and just fitted where it suited me, and now my interest has perked up a bit. Back on to a HM training plan for Feb now.

I don't go crazy on Christmas food. Relaxed and enjoy it, definitely. But I'm rarely inclined to stuff myself and tend to balance out with lighter meals in between. I definitely drink more alcohol too (generally a light drinker), but it's more a drink this night and a drink that night. I don't have a need to do Dry January because I'll probably have one or two drinks across the month anyway.

When the weather warms up and salad season restarts, I find it much easier to adjust my diet. I'd say "salad season" is roughly BST time.

I’ve set myself a goal of getting under 9 stone in six weeks which is 4lbs to lose…not sure it’s going to happen. I have been tracking for a few days and I think I have worked out that 1400 is maintenance for me (2000 cals a day for a woman ok average, ha ha ha 😩😩😩).

Realistically I need to eat 1200 or less consistently to lose which I find extremely hard, even with intermittent fasting and not having breakfast. This is the downside of being short! I really don’t think my appetite is any less than my taller friends yet I can’t eat anything like the same amount. Plan to weigh on Fridays as weekends where I am most likely to slip up so that is probably the most accurate day to weigh.

I'm 12 stone 2 lbs and want to get down to 9 stone. Making a start today.

I'd love to join please. I'm 5ft and haven't dared stand on the scales yet. I'm around 9 stone and would love to get to 8 but I can never get below 8'6.

I'm down 2lbs. Thank god.

Upped my running, halved my dinner size, eliminated wine and joy

This is painful

6ft DH drives me round the bend. Recently we did a bike ride with the DCs, and went to the gym later. I also ran 10km that day. I burned a grand total of 100 cals more through exercise that day, despite the substantial run. He burned more overall coz existing.
He does lift more overall, but on some exercises there's not a huge gap in what we lift. Yet my watch picks up barely any active calories through weight lifting.

My general habits are decent. I don't want to be a "teeny tiny, oh I simply mustn't" type of eater!

Last time I had that I lost half a stone in four days.

I wouldn't recommend this method for weight loss though!

Hope you feel better soon, it's truly awful feeling like that.

Hi! Going to join if that's ok, I've put on a bit more than usual over Christmas and want to lose a little. My diet has been 50% quality street recently so I can't be surprised!
Today I've tracked my calories and while it's still higher than it needs to be to lose weight (around 1900) I have not eaten a single crisp/chocolate/mince pie, which feels like progress! If I can get into the habit of eating nutritious food and filling up at meal times hopefully that'll set me up to tweak portion sizes later. It's the snacking habit that I need to break!

I had lost nearly half a stone 9st 4 to 8st 11 but have put 3lbs back on over Christmas. Most of it Maltesers, Christmas Cake and Cheese!
Next week it is back to Yoghurt, Omelette, Fish, rice and vegetables.

I’ve made the sad decision to go sugar free for January. I think going cold Turkey on chocolate is the only way I will manage to stop that little snacking habit which I think is holding back my progress. Anyone want to join me?!

I’m going to weigh in tomorrow morning….

I was wary about weight gain whilst staying with family. I did decide that I needed to enjoy the break, so ate more than I would at home (but didn't go totally overboard). I usually do strength workouts at home, couldn't do those as didn't have any weights so used the treadmill here and there (about 40 mins brisk walk).
Weighed myself yesterday morning, and to my utter surprise I'm down 2lbs! I had been stuck at 8stone 11 for a what felt like an age, now down to 8stone 9.
I think it's made me realise I've probably been too restrictive and need to loosen up a little 🤷🏽‍♀️

Ideally I want to get as close as possible to 8stone mark as I can.

I also popped into sports direct and picked up some new dumbbells; but have managed to catch what feels like Covid again, so guessing won't be working out anytime soon!

Hope you feel better soon @ItIsAlwaysSwingsAndRoundabouts ! I do think that even if you hadn't lost, or had gained a little, that it's important to accept the social benefit of shared meals/events. Doing so mindfully is valuable

@Lowin2024 I'm trying to 'displace' my chocolate habit by eating more filling meals, but I don't think I could mentally cope with a sugar free month. You have more determination than me!

I'm still eating too much and drinking too often, but I'm back on the exercise so not feeling too bad. Once the kids are back at school next week I'll get properly back to normal.

My yoga teacher does a feb daily yoga thing and I think this year I'm going to sign up, get super strong and slim down a little.

snap! Same height and similar weight range. Feel best at 8st 7/8lb and agree a couple of pounds makes a huge difference. It’s really hard to lose and I find I have to be more and more careful with age :(

As usual I overindulged over Christmas and have definitely gained. I don't think I've gained as much as last year because my coat still fits. It's my useful marker for knowing when I've overdone it.

My running hasn't been on top form either due to a lack of time but I have so many races booked this year so as of now my training is properly on. The longer ones like half marathons will be the undoing of my diet because of how many carbs I need to consume during them. Seems impossible to do well at running and lose weight!

I've definately gained a few pounds over Christmas! I'm around 9stone5 now! Happy weight is around 8stone7. Xmas snacks almost all gone so I will ration out the chocs as little daily treats from tomorrow and get back into eating normally instead of eating constantly! I'll be calorie counting aiming for 1300 a day. Friday is weigh day and Saturday is treat day where I won't count calories but will be mindful

I've just weighed myself and I am 0.7kg up - I think I can reverse this in the next couple of weeks and get back on track. All the good alcohol is gone, and although I have two boxes of chocolates still I haven't opened them yet and don't intend to. Not sure what I'll do with them. One lovely roast dinner tonight and then we are back to normal routine, and I can't wait.

I totally agree with your comment about the social aspect of eating. So much of the lovely times and things in our lives involve food and over the years I’ve tried some ridiculously restrictive faddy diets which just don’t work long term. It’s just too miserable to not join in.
I have thought in the past I have disordered eating and am very mindful of the fact that both of my parents were vastly overweight and suffered from weight induced illnesses. I don’t think I do have an issue with or an obsession to be thin, I just want to enhance my chances of old age good as possible health!
I’ve got down to 9 st 4 lb this morning and can do up my favourite winter coat without it feeling like I’m encased in a sausage skin! Just shows how a small amount of extra weight can alter our shape so much when we are so short!
Mindful eating is always my aim in recent years. As a short person mindless eating makes me gain weight quickly and my knees hurt more at the top end of 9 stone.
My long term aim is to stop snacking, cut out biscuits with every cup of tea, only eat chocolate and crisps( my downfall) on the odd occasion but eat the same main meal as my husband does every day but a smaller portion.
Im still not convinced that giving up sugar ( the extra stuff I mean like chocolate) for a couple of months means you’ve got used to not having it and that you won’t ever need it again! Last night my husband was being his usual controlled self and having his 2 daily chocolates after tea. Sitting next to me on the sofa I caught the whiff of chocolate as he opened the tub and could have very easily stuffed 7 in my mouth one after the other - I think it’s akin to an actual addiction.
Good eating everyone! My next target is 9st 2 lb and to be able to fit into a favourite pair of smart black trousers.