Petite support thread... continued

[BogRollBOGOF]

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.

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.

Ugh I’ve thoroughly fallen off the wagon and need to get back on. I got another cold and have just binged on sugar since, and neglected exercise. I’ve also been working long hours. Tomorrow is a new day!

I’ve not checked the thread because there is not much to report. My weight is stable at around 49.5 kilo. My scales also tell me that I have lost 0.1% of visceral fat, I wonder how it knows which one is which?

I’m exhausted, returned to work pt and the baby is still breastfeeding at night so every morning I feel like sleeping with my head in the breakfast bowl is a tempting option.

Exhaustion, colds, baby keeping you away are all going to scupper a diet. Its so hard. My graph for 2026 just keeps showing an increasing line not a decrease. I need to get a handle. But again, exhaustion, health, stress are not helping at all.

Yeah I’m hoping with the longer days coming back it will all get easier soon for us all.

It’s been a pretty disastrous start to 2026 for me too. I haven’t managed to get to the exact weight I was on the 20th Dec (when I reached my lowest weight of 54kgs) I was back up at 55.7kgs last week which really made me feel like shit tbh.

Anyway, I’ve been really trying the last few days and trying to stick to 1000 cals a day, alongside 20 hour fasts in order to try and shift the gained weight and get back to 54kgs. Once I’ve done that, onwards I push to 52kgs which is my next ‘goal’

I was 60kgs in August last year which is the most I’ve ever weighed, it’s literally taken me 6 months to lose 6kgs 😭 It’s so hard and such a bloody slog!

Best of luck to all this week!

I feel for you @Iloveleaveinconditioner I am very similar, except it took me a year to loose that 6kg and I am back up to 57kg since Christmas.

As you say, such a bloody slog.

I'm in resignation mode. This cold, damp/ wet perma-gloom is not helpful for optimal food choices.

Has anyone done a service like Hello Fresh? After yet another underwhelming attempt at serving a healthy dinner to whingy, picky teenagers, I'm tempted to delegate the thinking out to Hello Fresh for me and DH, and serve the DCs beige and peas/ sweetcorn. They're happy to live on oven chips but my waistline isn't!

I'm sucessful in staving off the annual increase, trend but really can't seem to get ahead on sustainable losses on a sensible lifestyle, and that little bit of surplus weight just makes me feel sluggish when I move. My lifestyle is already good and there isn't much space to change it.

Hi @BogRollBOGOF I’ve not used anything like Hello Fresh, so no help there, I’m afraid. I think they often do discounts on your first box, so you might be able to try it for a week to see if it helps/is worth the money? How old are teen DC? Can they help meal plan or will they just suggest beige oven food?

Well done on not seeing a gain. But I understand the frustration in not being able to lose, especially when we already eat well/exercise, etc. Surely Spring must be round the corner?!

I realised I’ve not checked-in here for ages. After being really pleased with myself that I maintained my weight over Christmas and New Year, I’ve crept back up to 8st9 over the past few weeks. I’ve no idea why, but it really does make a difference. I find when I’m around 8st5, I feel/look ‘ok’ and around 8st is the weight I’m happiest at. Having said that I’m not too worried about the number on the scales and would settle for any number if my body composition changed/I could lose my tummy fat. Like you @BogRollBOGOF it’s hard to know how to achieve this - I walk lots, do Caroline Girvan weights workouts, track my calories on Nutracheck, eat high fibre and protein, etc.

The DCs are flipping annoying:
"I'm hungry!"
"Eat something then"
"There's nothing there"

"I'm going to the supermarket; any special requests?"
Tumbleweed

They do get through copious amounts of rice pudding, custard, chocolate oat biscuits and bananas, but seem unable to suggest anything else 🙄

Can you tell that I've hit the luteal phase? 😂

I’m a petite lurker (was looking to join this thread but had some health issues that had put exercise on the back burner for a couple of weeks.) But I do Hello Fresh and have fussy eaters @BogRollBOGOF .

I do three portions for 2 adults and 2 young children and find it quite easy to adapt most of them. Eg keep a third of the noodles back and not add the sauce. Don’t marinade on if the chicken breasts etc. I might add peas and sweetcorn to theirs as an alternative veg. But I find it generally helpful for not having to meal plan or shop and can usually get away with a child friendly version.

I have one fussy eater and one not and still manage to make something at the right flavour / spice level for us all.

Just checking in with nothing positive to say to ensure I stay on the thread and it keeps moving.

I am getting bigger not smaller. Just ate a packet of crisps, and apple and two Ferrero Rocher after my big cheesy pasta lunch.

I need to sleep more, that would help.

@BogRollBOGOF mine eat biscuits, lots of biscuits, mini cheddars, flapjacks, mini cheeses, hummus with bread sticks and mini cucumbers. That's it. Not really any real food but would eat that little lot all day long.

Or toast, I think if I stopped cooking tomorrow my entire family would just eat toast three meals a day for the remainder of their lives.

My 15 year old does not eat toast 😱😱😱

Except in the specific form of ham and cheese toasties.

He doesn't do bread either.

He's a pain in the bum!

Oh God that's difficult, mine would have expired on Daddy days if they didn't eat toast 😂

Though a love the ham and cheese toasty does demonstrate exceedingly good taste.

I’m checking in, nothing new to report, I’m maintaining my weight.

I also have one fussy eater but I’ve never really given DC beige/kids food - the whole family gets the same meal. When they were little they got their own version without salt and spices of course, but in general the same dish. It worked for us because they eat everything, the fussy one complains but knows that there are no alternatives. It also backfired spectacularly because every time we eat out they don’t want to pick anything from the kids menu although one is still under 12.

They normally have had the same as us and ate well when they were young, but DS1 has dropped a food here and there over the years, and being autistic, it's difficult to get him back into things he went off. If he's hungry, his mood goes downhill quicker than a bobsleigh team.

Some of it is things like not liking foods mixed together/ touching. Easier in the summer, but rules out a lot of simple, healthy winter foods like stews. Ironically one of his favourites is sprouts, but that's not the easiest for a weekday dinner on busy evenings.

I've not been on this thread for a while, I've lost 2kg since Christmas, which for me means I've lost my extra Christmas weight so though I'm happy with it it's not much change overall!
I did so by having flu/covid or similar which isn't great, though as I've got my appetite back I'm really trying to keep to the smaller portions/more fruit and veg. I was definitely over eating before, so I'm really hoping I can keep eating like this as my activity levels increase.

I admire anyone doing this with kids at home. I'm in control over my own shopping, with a very chill DP who is happy to eat whatever I cook (and doesn't over eat, he eats less than I do) and I still find it hard!

Checking in. I’ve lost just under 1kg since I first joined the thread. Can’t really see or feel the difference yet tbh, but I’m exercising 3 times a week and have improved food choices for about 50 per cent of meals and I’m noticing I have better sleep and more consistent energy.

Ugh this is so relatable

Welcome back to those who haven’t been here for a while. It’s lovely to read everyone’s updates - progress, frustrations, just hanging on and everything else!

Has anyone found anything that helps with tummy fat or is it just a case of getting to a lower weight? I’m 8st9 today (5ft2). I got down to 8st5 around Christmas, didn’t gain any weight over Christmas and to be honest, not quite sure how/why I’ve gained over the past few weeks.

I’m feeling pretty rubbish this evening. Every extra pound is on my tummy. I really look like I am much bigger. I’ve not wanted to cut my calories too low as I want this to be sustainable for life plus I walk lots and do Caroline Girvan weights workouts, so want to fuel my body in a sensible way. But is the only answer for me to really cut my calories? Is anyone else a similar height/weight/BMI to me and do you also have lots of tummy fat or do you have any tips?

@CherryBlossom2025 unfortunately if your body stores fat on your belly, the only way to reduce it is to lose more weight, and as you say it might not be sustainable. You can't choose in which order you lose weight from different parts of your body, and for a lot of people, the belly is the last place to lose from (myself included!)
That said, you can change your overall shape through strength training and building muscle elsewhere. Im naturally am a bit of an apple shape, with small shoulders and hips, and my waist looks comparatively smaller as strength training has made made my upper back and shoulders a bit wider. It's subtle, but I can see the difference in photos.

Thank you @Proteinpudding Yes, I’m Apple shape - tummy fat, large chest but small frame (tiny wrists/ankles and thin arms/legs).

I’ll keep going with the Caroline Girvan weights workouts. Or does anyone have a better suggestion for home strength workouts?!

I have heard about CG a lot though haven't done her programmes, my understanding is that her 'Iron' series is the only one that is really about strength and building muscle, the others are more about calorie burn. As a general rule to build muscle you need to be lifting heavy (for you) weight, and rest in between sets. If you are working continuously, like a circuit, then the weight is too light and it will give you benefits of endurance/stamina/cardio but that's a different thing.
I've used an app called 'stronger by the day' which sets new programmes usually around every 3 months, and has the option to choose a home gym version, so dumbbells and bodyweight. There is a monthly charge for it though. I have friends who are enjoying an app called Ladder (has video classes to follow) and one called hevy (simpler/cheaper, has programme options) though I haven't used them personally!

The other thing I forgot to point out though is you would at least need to be at maintenance level with your calories, if not a little bit higher - it's rarely possible to lose weight and build muscle at the same time. I know that can be daunting if you've been dieting for a while, but gradually increasing (eg adding a hundred calories a day to your allowance, trying it for two weeks then upping again) can help to feel in control of it, and to see what amount works for you.

The good news is that if you can add a bit of muscle, you'll have some wriggle room with your calorie allowance in future!

Thank you so much @Proteinpudding That’s all really helpful. I’ll have a look at the apps you’ve suggested.

I use caroline girvan, i've been following her programs since last june. They work for me, I can feel a lot of muscle. I gave up heavy lifting at the gym as I kept getting injured even though it was in small group PT sessions.

I am heavier than you (bmi 24) but I don't really carry it on my belly, I have an hourglass shape and my legs are always very big. If I lose weight, it just drains from my upper body and my lower body stays heavy. It's just genetics, I guess, not much we can do to fight them. I'd have loved to have shapely legs but they have always been tree trunks!

I started a new job and I'm trying to sell my house so I am managing to keep the exercise up but the calorie counting has massively fallen by the wayside. I haven't weighed myself in a while so not sure what the damage is.