question for short girls

I'm around 5'2 and 135 pounds. I'd like to reach 115. The trouble is that I give up so easily if I don't see instant results. I guess since I don't have a whole lot of weight to lose, it comes off slowly. I'm sure that many of you girls are short like me and perhaps just need to lose 20 pounds or so. I was wondering if you could tell me your experiences with losing weight and how long did it take for you to see results. And how many calories do you eat? I'm always so paranoid that I won't ever be able to lose this weight and I'll stay chunky forever.
Thanks!!!

Tue. Jul 10, 5:10am

I'm also 5"2" and when I'm around 135 I'm rounder than I'd like to be, so I know where you're at. (I'm currently pregnant, so not on the weight-loss track.)
Here are a couple suggestiong that help me stay on track:
1. Concentrate on how you look and how your clothes fit, not on what the scale says.
2. Give yourself little goals (5 lbs. a month is reasonable for me) and then give yourself enough time to reach those goals. 4-5 months is enough time to lose 15-20 pounds.
3. Find or create a really good group here on PT and KEEP LOGGING! As soon as my logging slips, my priorities slip and I'm back up a few pounds.

Good luck!!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 8:59 AM

I'm only 5'1 and I totally know where you're coming from. Its difficult because in this day and age I feel like my appetite is trained to be just a big as everyone elses but the truth is that the smaller you are the less calories you usually need....But then theres the fear of eating too little and slowing your metabolism down! I try to range between 1200 and 1500, but I feel like its the type of food I eat that really matters(which has nothing to do with height but just with personal body type hehe). For me I know its hard to keep myself in check because people are always saying how small I am, so I never feel like I'm some huge person, even if I want my body to be different. It may be harder to notice extra weight, or to notice change when it comes off, but theres no difference between us and anyone else! Keep at it and you will get results!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 9:44 AM

Hmm, I'm 5'2 and 3/4, don't forget the 3/4 LOL! I am actually 137 and think I'm at an ideal weight for me. I'm 38, very muscular, currently wearing a size 5/6. When I was in high school I always hovered around 130-135 and I wore a size 3 and I remember some saying I looked to thin. Since the body slows down and I've had some kids the weight lays differently now but I think I look good and healthy. My point is that even though so many can be the same height we are all built differently and our shapes will be different as well. At my current weight I believe my BMI is 16.4 somewhere around there. I have a lot of muscle mass.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 10:01 AM

Do you have AIM?

I am 5 2" and I know exactlly what you're going through. I am very muscular, and it's tough to go by what the scale says. Check out my profile and log, they are both public, and if you want to chat, let me know on this post and I'll find a way to reach you! :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 10:17 AM

I'm 5'3" and once weighed 135 pounds. I picked up Business Plan for the Body a few summers ago and it totally lit a fire under me. It eliminated any and every excuse I had used to not lose weight. I decided to keep a food journal and shoot for 1200 calories, I focused on strength training (45 minutes with 15 minute cardio as a warm up), and I lost all my weight by the beginning of fall. It took about 3 months. I was in the best shape of my life. I'm back now to lose pregnancy weight. You can do it.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 10:24 AM

do short people lose weight differently than average height or tall people?

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 10:42 AM

No, but shorter people have different caloric requirements and weight guidelines - in general.
I usually try to stick to 1200-1400 a day (I'm 5'2") and exrecise 4-6 times a week.
original poster - no need to be paranoid - you won't be chunky forever if you commit to this. If you keep your goals in mind and stick with it - you will see progress. Your results are completely in your hands!! : )

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 1:44 PM

I am 5'2'' and when I was way fat at 135. I don't know how you guys say you looked thin, I looked nowhere near thin. I am 127 now and I am still not considered anywhere close to "thin". It may be you guys have more muscle? I don't know.

Hang in there OP. I started at 155 lbs and since February have steadily seen results and have no felt deprived at all. Just know that it *will* be worth it when you see the sizes dropping and feeling much better. Give it at least 2 months before you give up.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 2:43 PM

Don't forget to figure in genetics. My SIL is 5'2" and also my best friend is 5'2". SIL comes from a family of women who are very small-framed and petite. She only weighs 100 lbs but isn't at all scary thin-looking. She's fit and toned. (Her mom is 55 years old, 5ft-4" and only weighs 110.) On the other hand, my best friend comes from a family of medium-larger-framed people and has obesity on her dad's side of the family. She looks best, fit and trim, and still looking thin and healthy, at 125-130 lbs. Same height, same age, but a 25-30 lb difference.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 2:51 PM

short girls ...

well, friends, i'm 5'2' and weigh 204. i felt fat when i was a teenager at 115, when i was married at 125, when i was pregnant at 165, etc. in some ways i think feeling fat is a mental thing rather than reality. on the other hand, i've always been pretty sedentary so maybe that contributes to the feeling. i want to lose about 75 pounds - maybe this logging will help.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 2:56 PM

i'm baffled at the notion that "shorter people have different caloric requirements and weight guidelines". i have been studying nutrition for many years and have never heard of or read such. are these ideas really facts or just opinions? i'm very interested to learn more if it's actually factual. thanks!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 3:09 PM

Obviously, shorter people have different caloric requirements and weight guidelines. Just go to your doc's office and look at a height-weight growth chart. At different heights, you should be different weights. A woman, in general, shouldn't be a specific weight. Height, as well as factors such as bone size, body type, and muscle mass, all contribute to what weight is healthy. And yes, as a small woman, you need fewer calories to maintain your body than someone taller. Just like smaller children need less food than bigger children, or like a chihuahua needs less food than a golden retriever!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 4:47 PM

There are several factors to consider when figuring calorie requirements, and the calculators and equations you can use to figure it out are estimates, but it makes sense to me that two people of different heights would have different calorie needs. In their 'ideal weight ranges' shorter and taller people differ, and the more you weigh - the more calories you can consume to maintain that weight. I'm 5'3" and my friend is 5'9", we have similar builds, we do the same exercise, we're the same age, but she can eat more than I can if we want to lose 1lb a week. That's not to say we both can't eat 1200 calories or 1600 calories to lose weight. We can - it's just that it would take me a lot longer to lose weight at 1600 calories than her, and she feels starved at 1200.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 4:47 PM

4:47 chihuahua vs. golden retriever - perfect analogy :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 4:49 PM

I'm 5'1", started PT at 129lbs (so similar to you, just bit shorter). Right now I weigh 113 lbs. At 129 lbs, I didn't like how I looked, but due to my body type, I didn't look horrible - still had a pretty flat stomach, just a bit soft all around, and big thighs/hips. Now at 113 lbs, I don't look skinny, but I do look much more trim. I also went from pants size 6, or sometimes 8, to size 2, or sometimes zero! So, a little bit of weight (16 lbs) can be a lot of clothing sizes!!

My username is jilli10582 - I have before and after pics posted in my profile (though the after was around 120-ish, or a bit below; I need to update it.) So that'll show probably a 10lb loss. Though, the first is in unflattering clothes, and the second in a bikini, so it might be hard to really tell.

I try to eat 1300 cals/day. Some days I go over, some days I don't. When I'm see-sawing like this, I maintain, long-run. When I was strictly sticking to 1300 cals/day, I was losing, but very slowly. It took me well over a year to lose all the weight, and honestly, it'd come off in chunks - 3lbs here, 3lbs there, with loooonnnngggg plateaus in between. Like, if I'd get sick and not eat for 3 days, I'd lose weight, and end up not regaining it. But, through diet alone, I was never losing, really, except at the beginning. And it was maybe a pound a month.

On the other hand, when I was gaining weight, before joining PT, I really wasn't eating badly at all! At least, I thought I was being very healthy. I needed to learn how to eat less calories but be fuller at the same time. That took training myself to see portions as smaller than I used to, and to wait 20 minutes after eating to see if I really needed more. It involved eating foods that were fattier (very counter-intuitive), because they kept me full, whereas simple carbs would be low in cals, but I'd be hungry half an hour later.

You have less cals to work with, and less margin for error. If you don't eat all that healthily now, you'll see results more quickly. If you do eat pretty healthily, it'll take a lot more work to see results, because it'll be a bigger change you'll need to make, or a slower process to get there.

I don't work out much, but I naturally have a pretty good amount of muscle. Working out would probably speed up the process!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 4:58 PM

Your height has nothing to do with the amount of calories you eat. If you take someone 5'2 who is constantly on the go and works out 7x a week and someone, same height, who has an office job and is sedentary they would require completely different caloric intake. The active one could eat more calories then the sedentary one. And you can take 6 different women who are the same height, with different builds who weigh about the same give or take a few pounds and the differences are amazing. The guidelines depend on several factors, height, age and even race. In fact many believe, even a lot of docs, that these guidelines are way to outdated and never took into consideration muscle mass and the way everyone is built differently. I know at 5'2 and 135 pounds, wearing a size 5/6 for me is where I should be. If I weighed 110 I would look like a walking stick not to mention sickly. But someone who is the same height as me, not as muscular and small boned would be fine at 110. No one would ever look at me and say damn she is fat or chubby. In fact I've had gym trainers want to train me for body building.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 5:20 PM

to 5:20pm poster

How can you say "your height has nothing to do with the amount of caloires you eat," and also say "The guidelines depend on several factors, height, age, even race."

If height is one of the factors, then height does have something to do with it.

Also, when I weighed close to 130 lbs, I thought I could lose, max, 5lbs, and if I lost any more I'd look too skinny. So I lost the 5. Guess what? I was noticeably smaller, but still looked like I could lose 5lbs without looking too thin. After losing that 5, same thing. Now I'm down about 15 lbs, and I could still use to lose 5lbs.

This may not be the case for you, but when I weighed more, I did honestly think I'd be too thin at a much lower weight. Looking back, however, I wonder if I was just in denial about how much excess I really carried (and I did carry it well!)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 5:48 PM

obviously height is a factor, but the way shorter people learn to eat healthily is the same. there is no difference in the amount of work that a short person who is overweight has to do compared with a tall person who is overweight. it seems like some think that being short has some set of special rules with respect to achieving a healthy body weight. this is not the case. as a woman who is 5'4'', i have to work the same to burn 300 calories as my friend who is 5'7''. being short doesn't matter. yeah, my "healthy" weight range may be lower, but my routine is no different.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 9:10 AM

No, there's not a different set of rules, it's just, everything is proportionally smaller.

When a woman who is 5'7" goes to a restaurant, and figures by cutting the portion in half, she is then eating the proper amount, if that is in fact true, then the woman who's 5'2" would need to cut the portion into about 1/3 to have the right amount for her.

Maybe the above is too drastic of a difference, and, it does assume that the two have the same body type, fitness level, activity level, etc. But, all else being equal, the 5'2" person needs to eat less than the 5'7" person. All else not being equal, well, is too much to handle analyzing in a little text box.

While someone who's 5'8" may think a 100-cal-pack is a great treat throughout the day, I cannot eat them, because wasting 100 cals on something that isn't filling is not an option. I need all of my food to keep me full. I don't have 100 cals to spare.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:06 AM

metabolism plays more of a part than does height. and how many calories a person burns in a day. if my friend is 5'7'' and eats 1400 calories a day that doesn't in any way mean that, as a person who is 5'4'', i need less calories than that.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:12 AM

No, but, if you had the same body type, same fitness level, same activity level, etc., you, at 5'4" would need less calories than your friend at 5'7".

It's an "assume all else is equal" analysis. We've all agreed that there are other factors that play a part. But, the totally average 5'4" woman needs fewer calories than the totally average 5'7" person. Again, assuming all else is equal.

I just don't understand why everyone has to nit-pick at all of this!!!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:15 AM

sorry that you interpret my quest to understand as nit-picking, but i want to learn if there is something i'm not taking into account.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:24 AM

Go to a nutritionist, get your metabolic rate tested. Don't worry about your height, or your body type, etc. Find out how many cals you need to consume to maintain, and based on that, how many you need to burn/eliminate in order to lose.

If you don't want to be that scientific, experiment on yourself.

Height, muscle mass, metabolic rate, and activity level are the key factors. There may be others, but those are a good start.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:32 AM

or, chat with others and collect opinions based on personal experiences on this thread. i cannot afford a nutritionist so i am seeking out free information. as far as i have always understood it, metabolism is the key factor. gender and height are not that important. it's all about calories in versus calories out. every person will have different caloric requirements, even a group of people who are all the same height and body type differ. i guess the whole topic, as presented for short girls specifically, confuses me. as a short girl myself, i have never taken my height into account. my weight / height proportions are not guided by some generic chart, but are determined by how i look and feel. the same with my weight. numbers are relative but shape and stamina are noticeable.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:56 AM

I don't care what your body type is, unless you are runnng daily marathons, you will not burn as many calories as a 6'4" man.

If it's all about your metabolism, then you need to go get it tested, or else use trial and error. You cannot figure out your metabolism by talking to strangers on a forum. And, if you are eating relatively few calories (say, less than 1400/day), and still not losing weight, then you have a slow metabolism.

Yes, it is calories in vs. calories out. A smaller person needs less calories to maintain their size. If you have an unusually fast metabolism, well, you probably aren't on this site tryng to lose weight. So, yours is either average or slower than average. So no, you don't need more calories than most people your height. Again, unless you are training for a marathon or something similar.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 3:09 PM

you come off as pretty condescending. thanks for nothing.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 3:16 PM

OP here

Wow, I couldn't believe the responses...which then turned into a bit of arguing lol.

Jilli-- actually, we were in that short girls group for several months, but all of a sudden you left. And then later I left since it wasn't too active.

Thanks so much for those who responded! It's good to know you guys have achieved results. I always get scared that the weight won't come off me.

Oh yeah, I sorta disagree with the whole calorie thing. Maybe since I'm only in my early 20s, I can still eat more calories. I could never eat less than 1600 per day. I've always been a big eater...emotional eater as well. Lately, I've been sticking to around 1800 and allowing myself to have 1-2 meals per week were I'm not strict. I hope this works and I'll see results in a few months. I basically wanted responses to see the weight loss experiences of short girls who just have 20 or so to lose. For me, at 135, I'm def chunky-- love handles, gut, extra fat on my thighs, arms, and double chin! I was wondering why one of the responders said that their BMI is 16.4 at 5'2 and 137 cuz my BMI is barely healthy...25 I think.

Thanks!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 8:56 PM

Is the 1800 working for you? Are you losing weight?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 9:11 PM

Well since I started sticking to around 1800, I went down 2 pounds last week. But I'm sure it's water weight since I ate a lot the previous week and plus that time of the month. I've been around 133-137 for awhile now. I'm hoping if I really commit, that I'll see some major results in 10 weeks when I return back for my senior yr in college...even just reaching 125 would be awesome!

Thanks for asking!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10:55 PM

Sounds great - keep it up! Don't completely disregard the issue of calories - ultimately, it is a numbers game and something to consider if you're not seeing the results you desire (assuming you're not shooting to lose more than 1-2 lbs/week.)

BTW - your age is working for you! Out of curiosity, I plugged in numbers to calculate BMR (calories to maintain your weight) and there was about a 100 calorie difference between a 23 y/o and a 37 y/o (height and weight being equal) - yet another benefit of youth :)

Thursday, July 12, 2007, 7:11 AM

I'm 5'3" and it took me 6 grueling months to lose 18 pounds, from 123 to 105. That was at eating an average of 1200 calories a day and not doing any aerobic exercise.

Thursday, July 12, 2007, 10:51 PM

were you doing any kind of exercise?

you can lose weight by cutting calories, but you're not doing anything to get "in shape"

Friday, July 13, 2007, 8:14 AM

It took me a year and a half to lose that much weight! But, I wasn't quite as conscious of my calories, exactly, and aimed for 1300 cals/day. I do walk a lot, but I didn't work out much either.

Friday, July 13, 2007, 11:22 AM

short too

i am 5'2 too and i went on weight watchers and lost 17 pounds in 4 months... that was even with out exercising! i really stuck to it and when i plateaued and could not get the last stubborn five, I took a "day off" from the diet and ate whatever and then got right back on it the next day and it literally jump started my weight loss again! it works!

Friday, July 13, 2007, 12:13 PM

Friday, July 13, 2007, 8:14 AM:

I did 20 minutes of Pilates a day, so my stomach was the only part of my body that was kept firm. I lost so much muscle mass in the other parts. My fat percentage only dropped by about 1.5%.

Friday, July 13, 2007, 1:34 PM

OP here. Well, in terms of exercise, I'm consistent with my cardio and weight training-- in fact I have muscle in my arms and back. The problem is my eating (emotional) and when I don't see results, I give up. I guess that's why I started this thread, to see the progress of short girls' weight loss. But I was reading Bob Green's book today and he pointed out that during the first month or so, your weight will fluctuate even tho you're losing weight..so that's good to know.

Thanks to all those who responded!!

Saturday, July 14, 2007, 3:10 AM

Stick with it OP and you will lose weight. The more consistent you are the more consistently you'll see that weight loss. Every time you have a day or more of eating more than you need to lose weight - it's that much longer it takes to reach a goal. It's like trying to save money, but every weekend you go on a shopping spree - it takes a lot longer to save that way. If you stick with it, you can bang this out pretty quickly (averaging 1-2 pounds per week.)

You can do it!

Saturday, July 14, 2007, 7:34 PM

Wow great analogy! Thanks!

Sunday, July 15, 2007, 12:26 AM

bump

just saw this thread.

I am also 5'2", but at 157lbs. :( I just started my weight loss plan (hate to say diet) about a week ago and lost 3lbs.

Its a slow and steady thing, but I want to get back DOWN to 130. Everyone is shaped differently I guess because at 130 I didn't feel that big. I have always weighed pretty heavy too. I am very pear shaped with the hips and thighs.

How is the weight loss going my fellow shorties? :)

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 12:12 PM

arg, much as I love to hear other people's stories it is rather frustrating, I'm 5'3" and 175lbs, I've kept a strict food diary, sticking under 1600 cals/day for over 4 years and have only gainded weight. The only time i've been as LOW as 130lbs was in high school when I was anorexic (litterally eating under 500 cas/day), I don't want to encourage people stop becoming healthier, but to all of you girls complaining about how you look at 130, know that there are some of us who would give anything to be where you are, you look good!

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 3:40 PM

i hear you 3:40. I am the 12:12 poster. I was at 160 for a while and I am only 5'2" so its hard. You go in stores to find stylish clothes and you wear the biggest size they make. SO depressing. I hope to get back to 130 which is some people's starting weight :(

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 3:45 PM

3:40, I am the starter of this thread. Anyway, perhaps you have a medical problem since you can't seem to lose the weight? You should consult a doctor if you haven't already. Also, I'm at 138, but in no means am I anorexic...even at 130 I was larger than other girls my size. Honestly, I have had many ppl in my life make comments about my weight, calling me fat and that sort of thing. I'm def not a skinny girl. I have a big gut now and I can't just suck it in like before.

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 9:31 PM

Oh yeah and another thing I forgot to point out is that all along, as I have reached my highest of 138 within 5 years, I was a binge eater, eating 3000 calories very often (emotional reasons) so it's not like I was eating 500 or 2,000, which is what I should be eating. Also, my BMI, body fat percentage, and waist size are all at unhealthy levels. I'm not a girl with hips or large breasts, so that's why being in the 130s feels heavy for me. I understand where you're coming from about girls complaining about their weights. I mean I've seen girls on here who really don't need to lose weight from their pics or their stats and I'm thinking "Gee, I wish I were your size."

Friday, August 3, 2007, 2:18 AM

look at a 5ft tall woman at 140lbs and look at a 5ft6 woman of the same weight the taller one is going to appear a lot slimer. shorter women have to eat less because they have to weigh less to look good.
this is only one of many factors, but it is absolutely true.
use the Harris Benedict equation to get an idea of how many calories you should be eating dependent on your height, weight and activity level.
I'm 5ft and 140lbs...to lose around 1lb a week by calorie restriction alone (not considering exercise) I have to eat 1000 calories a day.

Thursday, September 24, 2009, 4:24 AM

I'm 5"7", 16 years old and I weigh around 105 pounds. I used to weigh 126. I would recommend participating in regular exercise for me dancing, walking, running and cycling have worked a treat! I lost around 20 pounds pretty fast due to regular exercise and also gained muscle. As a result of this my stomach, legs and arms are all toned and therefore also make me feel more confident. Therefore I would recommend participating in sports such as the ones that I have listed. I'm not sure how many calories I eat per day, although my diet consists of food such as oat porridge, cereal, fruit & veg, soup. I don't eat unhealthily or excessively. I would recommend eating foods such as cereal for breakfast because they fill you up and leave you feeling fuller for longer (therefore less hungry). Hope this helped, sorry if it didn't! :)

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