mintchip01

I don't really mind being only 5'3" but what drives me crazy is that I should eat much less than someone who is taller and/or male. My husband is always pressuring me, telling me that I eat as much as I do even though I'm shorter.

Anyway, it's hard for me to understand how I could possible get all of the vitamins and minerals I need if I'm consuming 1400-1700 calories per day (and that's a rather generous calorie amount for a diet)? I mean, even a glass of skim milk has 90 calories, and chicken breast has 250+

Can you guys offer any advice about portion control? I have about 15 pounds to lose.

cjohnson728

I hear you! I am 5'2", and my maintenance calories are therefore a lot lower than most. One thing that helps is regular exercise and also strength training, because muscle burns calories than fat. I get ticked about it every once in a while, but there is no changing height and it is the sad truth that the older you get and the smaller you are, the fewer calories you burn, but the exercise and body composition can help mitigate it.

Try exploring FtDay for some options on calories; they might be lower than you think. 4 oz. of chicken breast is 180 calories (if cooked without breading and fat). Start weighing things so you get an idea of how much a certain weight looks like on your plate. When you have fewer calories to use, all your food choices need to be good and nutritious; there is less room to splurge.

I take a multivitamin and don't worry too much about the individual vitamins and minerals, but some days getting the protein-fat-carbs to balance out okay plus get the recommended fiber is challenging on relatively few calories. It takes practice but you will get it!

Saskiasrhythmbeads

I hear you too. I'm 5'3, and currently 164 pounds. I do the 1400 calory intake a day, and it goes fast. But ...I agree that exercize helps a lot.

ChibiSub

I'm 4'11 and when I was down to 120, it was really hard. To get most of my vitamins and minerals, I take multivitamins before I went to sleep since iron can be hard on the stomach. I weigh my food at home to make sure I'm not taking too much in. Exercising helps a lot and give you a little more room on the calorie intake amount.

Rubystars

What I always thought was really frustrating was that appetite doesn't necessarily correlate to height. You can have the same appetite as a 6'5" man but be a 5'5" woman. You would think nature would at least be kind enough to produce less hunger in a smaller person.