Being vertically challenged
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Being vertically challenged
This is just my little rant about the difficulties of dieting as a "petite" woman. I'm 4'11' and small-boned, so my body hardly needs any calories to maintain itself, and guess where the extras go? Yep, the gut and the butt, every time. I'm not exactly sure how many calories I need, but I know I've gained weight on 1 not-really-excessive meal a day, plus admitedly a lot of candy munching (my greatest downfall, I don't eat fried foods, salty snacks or restaurant food, fast or slow, nor am I a huge portions person). So while I think 3-squares-a-day on N days is rational and good for most people, I can't afford 3 meals a day, calorie wise. I'm still trying to decide if I need to stick with 1 meal a day, or if getting a grip on the sweets will "buy" me enough calories to reintroduce a second meal (I eat dinner now, but was a daily breakfast eater all my life till I started trying to lose weight). But it's also tough for me cause I have CP, can't walk, and therefore have limited opportunities to burn calories by activity. Anyone else here with difficulties cause of height and/or disability?
This quote kinda sums up what I'd like my life to be-"It's mostly a music show, with lots of talk and laughter in between."-Mike Douglas
Hey, MarieDe! I'm actually happy to find someone else who's in a similar situation as I am--I've ALWAYS had a hard time with dieting, because I'm already fairly healthy, and I'm very short like you.
I'm 149 cm (which is about 4'10.5") and ~115 lbs, which doesn't sound like much when I tell people, but it's all concentrated on my tummy. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't get alot of saturated fat in my diet like most people, but my problem is also that I LOVE candy. I think it sabotages all of our other good eating habits so that we still have a hard time to lose.
While I can't relate to the disability part (but I want to say that I admire your efforts to remain relatively healthy regarding weight in spite of your limited mobility), I'm pretty busy with my schedule (I'm a dietitian, believe it or not, at a very small retirement community, so I work almost every day around-the-clock, as I even live here in my own housing unit at the facility), so I hardly ever have time to go out and exercise. I make an effort to take stairs and walk wherever I go if a car can be avoided (I average about 45-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week), yet still I have this stomach fat. It's very annoying and slightly discouraging.
I've been dieting for the last 5 years to get rid of these pesky ~10 pounds, but I've hovered between 112 and 118 the entire time. I'm seriously ready to stop dieting and actually implement some changes in my habits--which is why I'm turning to the No S Diet.
We'll see how it goes, though. I'm taking it that you're planning on giving this diet a shot, too. Hopefully as two petite women, we'll still see some major loss even though our BMR is much smaller compared to our normal-height counterparts. So, even though we're at a disadvantage, I think we should be okay if we just stick to the diet and try it out. We may not see as drastic weight loss as more heavy-set or much taller people, but hopefully we'll see some.
Sorry for the lengthy reply--just wanted to let you know that I'm with you, so don't feel like you're all alone at this!
~Ekkekko
I'm 149 cm (which is about 4'10.5") and ~115 lbs, which doesn't sound like much when I tell people, but it's all concentrated on my tummy. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't get alot of saturated fat in my diet like most people, but my problem is also that I LOVE candy. I think it sabotages all of our other good eating habits so that we still have a hard time to lose.
While I can't relate to the disability part (but I want to say that I admire your efforts to remain relatively healthy regarding weight in spite of your limited mobility), I'm pretty busy with my schedule (I'm a dietitian, believe it or not, at a very small retirement community, so I work almost every day around-the-clock, as I even live here in my own housing unit at the facility), so I hardly ever have time to go out and exercise. I make an effort to take stairs and walk wherever I go if a car can be avoided (I average about 45-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week), yet still I have this stomach fat. It's very annoying and slightly discouraging.
I've been dieting for the last 5 years to get rid of these pesky ~10 pounds, but I've hovered between 112 and 118 the entire time. I'm seriously ready to stop dieting and actually implement some changes in my habits--which is why I'm turning to the No S Diet.
We'll see how it goes, though. I'm taking it that you're planning on giving this diet a shot, too. Hopefully as two petite women, we'll still see some major loss even though our BMR is much smaller compared to our normal-height counterparts. So, even though we're at a disadvantage, I think we should be okay if we just stick to the diet and try it out. We may not see as drastic weight loss as more heavy-set or much taller people, but hopefully we'll see some.
Sorry for the lengthy reply--just wanted to let you know that I'm with you, so don't feel like you're all alone at this!
~Ekkekko
I'm with you ladies. I'm 5"3 and small boned. It really is difficult to get the weight off, especially when it's vanity weight. I'm a size 8, but would like to get to a size 6 . We're in this together.
Denise
restart No S on 4/1 at 132#
goal is 120-123# doing vanilla NoS with Eat Stop Eat on Monday.
restart No S on 4/1 at 132#
goal is 120-123# doing vanilla NoS with Eat Stop Eat on Monday.
MarieDe -- I don't know how much and what kind of candy you're eating (or sweet cereals and sweet drinks as you mention in your other post), but I'm willing to be you're getting more than 200-300 calories daily from them. If you can cut that consumption you can add at least one other meal -- breakfast or brunch or lunch.
I'm 5'3" and generally only eat two meals daily. The first meal is lunch and it usually is a bowl of a broth-based soup with beans and vegetables. There might be a salad or more raw vegetables and a piece of fruit. The second meal is a "normal" dinner.
You say you're unable to walk, but I'm wondering how much you're able to move your arms. You could do some resistance training or just arm circles, etc That may not burn as many calories as walking or running, but it does burn some calories.
I'm 5'3" and generally only eat two meals daily. The first meal is lunch and it usually is a bowl of a broth-based soup with beans and vegetables. There might be a salad or more raw vegetables and a piece of fruit. The second meal is a "normal" dinner.
You say you're unable to walk, but I'm wondering how much you're able to move your arms. You could do some resistance training or just arm circles, etc That may not burn as many calories as walking or running, but it does burn some calories.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
-
BrightAngel
- Posts: 2093
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:22 pm
- Location: Central California
- Contact:
-
sophiasapientia
- Posts: 919
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:09 am
- Location: Michigan
Hi there,
I'm just under 5'3" and vertically challenged.
In terms of staying active with a disability, I think it is a matter of working within your limitations and just doing the best you can. My DH has Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative neurological condition. He was an avid biker and runner until his condition worsened. At this point he is still mobile but just doing everyday movement takes him far more energy and effort than it does for an average person without a disability. He stays as active as he can and he sometimes is up to joining us for family walks/nordic walking or going on the treadmill at a slow place. It seems to be enough at this point. It is very important that he doesn't overdo it.
If you haven't already, you may want to speak with your doctor(s) to see what, if anything, they recommend in terms of activity. A Nu Step machine, "Sit & Be Fit" workouts and water aerobic workouts geared for folks with disabilities are all options that we've looked into for DH and are keeping in mind for the future.
I'm just under 5'3"
and vertically challenged. In terms of staying active with a disability, I think it is a matter of working within your limitations and just doing the best you can. My DH has Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative neurological condition. He was an avid biker and runner until his condition worsened. At this point he is still mobile but just doing everyday movement takes him far more energy and effort than it does for an average person without a disability. He stays as active as he can and he sometimes is up to joining us for family walks/nordic walking or going on the treadmill at a slow place. It seems to be enough at this point. It is very important that he doesn't overdo it.
If you haven't already, you may want to speak with your doctor(s) to see what, if anything, they recommend in terms of activity. A Nu Step machine, "Sit & Be Fit" workouts and water aerobic workouts geared for folks with disabilities are all options that we've looked into for DH and are keeping in mind for the future.
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs
Count me in, too. 5' 2 1/2" and hovering at 133. I'm another small boned woman and just hit 50. I need to concentrate on smaller portions and not letting my S days turn into free-for-alls!
I'm seriously thinking about going back to the old WW exchange system and using my S days for my Starbucks raspberry mochas and that's all. I also need to get more active.
Hopefully all of your comments and support will help! Small women of the world, unite!!
I'm seriously thinking about going back to the old WW exchange system and using my S days for my Starbucks raspberry mochas and that's all. I also need to get more active.
Hopefully all of your comments and support will help! Small women of the world, unite!!
Hi - I guess 5' 7'' for a man is outside "vertically challenged" but I read with interest about the small appetite - and then the candy
Just yesterday I eat only 2 meals for the first time - and I suspect I know why. I drink a lot of tea and coffee in a day, have been using sweeteners for years, but thought maybe I should switch back to sugar after reading Reinhard's views on the subject - and lo and behold - suddenly I don't have the appetite for 3 meals.
It wouldn't be so bad but sugar is just empty calories, in excess leading to diabetes, insulin resistance and other problems. Real food, on the other hand, has vitamins and minerals, fibre and enzymes, all sorts of superior life-enhancing goodies.
I have to re-think my drinks/sweeteners/sugar issues - sugar's bad, but I'm so used to it, so fond of it - do we need to think of it as the dietary equivalent of crack cocaine to get a handle on it?
Easy to see why the "no sweets" rule is there, and, if you are small, you have even less leeway to eat garbage.
Just yesterday I eat only 2 meals for the first time - and I suspect I know why. I drink a lot of tea and coffee in a day, have been using sweeteners for years, but thought maybe I should switch back to sugar after reading Reinhard's views on the subject - and lo and behold - suddenly I don't have the appetite for 3 meals.
It wouldn't be so bad but sugar is just empty calories, in excess leading to diabetes, insulin resistance and other problems. Real food, on the other hand, has vitamins and minerals, fibre and enzymes, all sorts of superior life-enhancing goodies.
I have to re-think my drinks/sweeteners/sugar issues - sugar's bad, but I'm so used to it, so fond of it - do we need to think of it as the dietary equivalent of crack cocaine to get a handle on it?
Easy to see why the "no sweets" rule is there, and, if you are small, you have even less leeway to eat garbage.
Well, remember, it's "no sweets," not "no sugar." I'm not so sure that sugar is all that evil. Yes, it's empty calories. I think it might be kind of like salt. Probably what we use on our cereal and in our drinks isn't that bad. It's all the unnecessary sugar that is added to the foods we buy. Not too long ago I picked up a package of sausage at the grocery. One of the ingredients was sugar. Sugar in sausage? I suspect that, much like HFCS, many of the sugars that are added to foods are even more refined than table sugar and enter the blood stream with even less effort.Graham wrote:Hi - I guess 5' 7'' for a man is outside "vertically challenged" but I read with interest about the small appetite - and then the candy
Just yesterday I eat only 2 meals for the first time - and I suspect I know why. I drink a lot of tea and coffee in a day, have been using sweeteners for years, but thought maybe I should switch back to sugar after reading Reinhard's views on the subject - and lo and behold - suddenly I don't have the appetite for 3 meals.
It wouldn't be so bad but sugar is just empty calories, in excess leading to diabetes, insulin resistance and other problems. Real food, on the other hand, has vitamins and minerals, fibre and enzymes, all sorts of superior life-enhancing goodies.
I have to re-think my drinks/sweeteners/sugar issues - sugar's bad, but I'm so used to it, so fond of it - do we need to think of it as the dietary equivalent of crack cocaine to get a handle on it?
Easy to see why the "no sweets" rule is there, and, if you are small, you have even less leeway to eat garbage.
Fat, salt and sugar are the dietary evil triumvirate. I'm not at all sure that what we use at home in our cooking and eating are the issue. It's all the modified stuff that is added to our food and that we may not be aware of or even taste in the food products. I don't think what we use at home and what is used in factory-produced foods are created equally (though I do think that there are some fats we shouldn't use at all).
My major beverages are black coffee, unsweetened iced tea and water and I have the same problem with being able to consume 3 meals. Sugar may not be the issue. I'm a small woman and I just can't consume the same volume of food and liquids as someone who is bigger and not have it affect my ability to eat and/or drink more.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
Interesting discussion here.
One thing I'm puzzled over: what has size to do with eating 3 meals a day? Surely, all you have to do is make each meal small enough?
I do see that the smaller you are, the less calories you need and the more impact even small quantities of sweets (aka candy) have on your appetite for food, but the 3 meals a day thing is about frequency rather than quantity isn't it?
My issues with sugar stem from personal concerns - I have wondered more than once in my life whether I might be diabetic or pre-diabetic, though tests never show a problem - yet my energy levels often dip and the sugar in my hot drinks would be the major source for me if I didn't use sweeteners - I don't eat much processed food.
Well, it's Saturday. I think I really will be eating sweets and biscuits today, but I'll have a shot at a real breakfast first.
One thing I'm puzzled over: what has size to do with eating 3 meals a day? Surely, all you have to do is make each meal small enough?
I do see that the smaller you are, the less calories you need and the more impact even small quantities of sweets (aka candy) have on your appetite for food, but the 3 meals a day thing is about frequency rather than quantity isn't it?
My issues with sugar stem from personal concerns - I have wondered more than once in my life whether I might be diabetic or pre-diabetic, though tests never show a problem - yet my energy levels often dip and the sugar in my hot drinks would be the major source for me if I didn't use sweeteners - I don't eat much processed food.
Well, it's Saturday. I think I really will be eating sweets and biscuits today, but I'll have a shot at a real breakfast first.