Anonymous wrote:OP here! I am so swamped I forgot about this thread!

this is good food for thought--

so I don't drink milk, only almond or coconut milk in lattes

OP - are you getting your lattes at Starbucks or another coffee shop? The calories in unsweetened coconut/almond milk are about half of what they typically serve you in a coffee shop which is usually sweetened with extra sugars.

I'm 5'2"and in order to maintain goal weight, I don't need very many calories at all. I build muscle very quickly, so if I work out, I bulk up (I know most people say this doesn't happen, but it does to me, I'm short and strong, like a stump)

to the people saying that the dieters are setting a bad example for the kids, phooey. My daughter has my exact same build, so I feel like it's my obligation to teach her about OUR body, not some other person's body who writes for Women's health. Sometimes fasting is a great thing to do, watching calories and intake is a way to stay healthy, eating portions that are right for other people is not right for us (we are SMALL). We don't need to eat as other people to stay healthy, we need lots of water and protein, any sugar will become a mood swing, and the only thing that will make our legs longer or our knees slimmer is a hallucination.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2" as well, right now 120, trying to get back to 114. It's tough. I do best if I cut out sugar, wheat (all grains is better), and eat a high fat, low carb diet.

Also, I love love love fasting. It seems to kick start a nice weight loss for me. If you can do a 24-48 hour fast, then commit to a low carb diet ... you'll lose the weight.

Not OP but do you just not eat anything?

Yeah, I just don't eat anything. I drink water and herbal tea. Black tea or coffee is fine if you need the caffeine.

For me, I find it easier to not eat than to stop eating. Once my mouth gets going my body wants more more more. Being on the smaller side, cutting calories is difficult, because my calorie limit is already low (and yes, I work out. And yes, I work out fasted.)

There are the occasional bouts of hunger, but only like 1-2x/day. And they go away about after 10 minutes. I like the added benefits of fasting that my GI track never hurts.

But it is difficult to find time to do it with family -- my husband and kids are not keen on the fact usually that I'm not eating. My kids don't notice, but my husband does. So only when he isn't coming home for dinner do I plan a fast. ... like after dinner the night before (e.g. Sunday night) before I'll stop eating, and then not eat at work and when DH doesn't come home for dinner (e.g. Monday dinner) and then start eating again mid-day or dinner time the following day (Tuesday).

Obviously, you wouldn't do this that often.

It sounds like an eating disorder honestly.. That isn't a healthy example for your kids.

Anonymous wrote:Do it before menopause! I was 104 pounds, 5'2" my entire adult life, til age 44. Then I ballooned to 124 in one year and have never lost. I am now up to 129 at age 57.

I work out every day and eat a healthy vegetarian diet. No alcohol. Nothing works. I have accepted that I am very healthy (not on any meds!) but I will never be thin again.

Same exact thing happened with my sister and female cousins. We look at each other and say WTF?!

For what it's worth 5'2 and 129 is still fine! I bet you look way better than you feel.

Mom who doesn’t eat- your kids notice.

For me, at that height, the difference in maintaining vs gaining is 1 Tablespoon of margarine/butter.

I’m exactly in the same boat as you. 5’2, 138lbs. This is my heaviest ever. I’m 49 and even though I eat so carefully — it seems like any slip up, causes weight gain. Tracking my calories and weight watchers hasn’t worked so I’m not sure what to do anymore...

OP, I'm 5'1" and now down to 116. I doubt I'll get back to 108, but I'm 47, not 27, and I have a large frame. Still, I had put on 10 lbs last 2 years....lost it very slowly by cutting out meals , deciding to really see if I was hungry, more probiotics, less eating out, and I added in a lot of walking (I do cardio and weights but a lot of those usually make me hungry). For me, skipping meals was easier than eating low calorie meals all the time, I was eating lunch out but try to bring it, and eat lighly at night, with no snacking unless I'm truly starving. I also had a lot of weird gut issues, now improved. Following a gut healthy diet also, I believe, aided weight loss. But it's true as a small woman my caloric needs are 1500 or so to maintain, less to lose(and no 2# a week if you're small,) so you have to choose wisely which means grabbing a muffin or getting take out isn't something you can do regularly.i doesn't a few weeks weighing and measuring food to get a sense of what 1500 calories is...that being said, I eat everything. Small quantities of sugar, meat, breads, pasta etc but I don't cut anything out 100%

OP here! I am so swamped I forgot about this thread!

this is good food for thought--

so I don't drink milk, only almond or coconut milk in lattes

I am going to have to be strict about calorie count and I hear you all about the carbs. I actually don't process gluten well or certain foods in General, so part of it is getting back to a diet where I am not eating foods that give me gross GI issues.

I have a massive massive career making deadline in December, so I am trying to buckle down for that but I am going to break and see about joining a gym with childcare so I can go a few times a week. Part of me thinks once my massive deadline passes, my stress level will drop substantially in addition to the workload.

I am happy to see this advice and commiseration!

Anonymous wrote:These weights make me feel terrible. I’m 4’11 about 125lbs and I don’t looke overweight at all. I’m actually pretty petite If I get under 115lbs I look sickly. I wear a size 4(some things I’m a 2)

Don't let somebody else's weight make you feel bad. You are not overweight at all. Why get fussed about a number when clearly you are in shape???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2" as well, right now 120, trying to get back to 114. It's tough. I do best if I cut out sugar, wheat (all grains is better), and eat a high fat, low carb diet.

Also, I love love love fasting. It seems to kick start a nice weight loss for me. If you can do a 24-48 hour fast, then commit to a low carb diet ... you'll lose the weight.

Not OP but do you just not eat anything?

Yeah, I just don't eat anything. I drink water and herbal tea. Black tea or coffee is fine if you need the caffeine.

For me, I find it easier to not eat than to stop eating. Once my mouth gets going my body wants more more more. Being on the smaller side, cutting calories is difficult, because my calorie limit is already low (and yes, I work out. And yes, I work out fasted.)

There are the occasional bouts of hunger, but only like 1-2x/day. And they go away about after 10 minutes. I like the added benefits of fasting that my GI track never hurts.

But it is difficult to find time to do it with family -- my husband and kids are not keen on the fact usually that I'm not eating. My kids don't notice, but my husband does. So only when he isn't coming home for dinner do I plan a fast. ... like after dinner the night before (e.g. Sunday night) before I'll stop eating, and then not eat at work and when DH doesn't come home for dinner (e.g. Monday dinner) and then start eating again mid-day or dinner time the following day (Tuesday).

Obviously, you wouldn't do this that often.

These weights make me feel terrible. I’m 4’11 about 125lbs and I don’t looke overweight at all. I’m actually pretty petite If I get under 115lbs I look sickly. I wear a size 4(some things I’m a 2)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At your height, you probably need to cut out all sugar, alcohol and most dairy. Try cream instead in your coffee.

Cream is dairy?

Did you see the work most?

I'm 5'4'', small frame, hover between 110-115, usually around 112-113. I run semi-seriously recreationally, and I find that if I run ~40-50+ miles per week plus some strength training with heavy weights, I can eat what the world is set up to eat (2000-2500+ calories per day--don't rigorously count but that's what it works out to approximately). This is what I typically run when I am training for something. If I am injured or tapering or just taking a break from training, I really only need 1500-1800 calories a day or less to maintain, depending if I'm walking or doing some light running or other exercise. I have a somewhat active job that involves some walking.

Yes, it really takes that much exercise as a petite woman to make a dent in calories. A two mile walk for me burns maybe 100 calories for me, and I wouldn't even think about how your activity levels affect your food intake needs unless you are doing heavy cardio averaging at least an hour a day. If you don't exercise that much, or just lightly exercise for health, then as a small woman your caloric needs are just really tiny. I don't exercise that much for health or just to be able to eat food or whatever, and understand that other people have different priorities in their lives--it's a hobby/passion of mine. But when I started getting into training for distance running, it really was eye opening just how much exercise is needed to really needed before you really make a dent in the amount of calories you need to eat.

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2" as well, right now 120, trying to get back to 114. It's tough. I do best if I cut out sugar, wheat (all grains is better), and eat a high fat, low carb diet.

Also, I love love love fasting. It seems to kick start a nice weight loss for me. If you can do a 24-48 hour fast, then commit to a low carb diet ... you'll lose the weight.

Not OP but do you just not eat anything?