Are you short and looking for motivation to lose weight?

Come join this group and lets provide one another with motivation to get through the challenges of being short and overweight.

Link

Wed. Apr 25, 3:30pm

how short are we talking? under 5'5??

Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 4:47 PM

The team description says under 5'1"

Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 6:28 PM

maybe someone should start a group for 5'5" - 5'1"

Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 11:15 PM

Lol, the average height for a woman is 5'4"! Calling 5'5" "short" is funny to me! Of course, I'm 5'1", so, 5'5" towers over me!!

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 12:28 PM

I think 5'5" is average!

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 12:50 PM

Either way; so, 5'5" is either average, or an inch above average.

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 2:42 PM

In the US, the average adult of any race, ages 22-74, for females, is 5' 4", for males is 5' 9.4"; the average caucasian woman is 5' 4.6", man is 5' 10.1"

It differs by country. There is a chart here:

Link

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 2:48 PM

OP

When I created the team, I put 5'1"; however, if you're under 5'4" and want to join, that's fine w/ me. I think short people have a different set of challenges - like having to do more work to walk a mile, etc. It would be nice if we could get together online and offer support to get through those challenges.

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 3:58 PM

what special challenges do short women face?

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 5:56 PM

20 lbs on a 5'7'' frame is relatively unnoticeable. 20 lbs on a 5'1" frame is very noticeable... and of course things on a high shelf are difficult to reach... going 4 mph on a treadmill either has to be with a very stretched stride or 'regular' steps in fast motion: both exhausting... can't see the parade etc if ANYBODY is in front of you...I could go on and on but surely you get the picture. the only disadvantage I see with being tall is sometimes bumping ones head...

Friday, April 27, 2007, 8:30 AM

I see the disadvantages with shortness, esp. the relevant ones about a mile requiring more strides and the difference in how weight looks on the body. So don't take this as an argument, but rather just a mild response to the comment about bumping one's head. :^ ) Which does happen.

Other disadvantages, relevant to weight:
The loss of the first five pounds isn't as noticeable or as motivating.
There's more area for pounds to "hide," so that sometimes your weight gets away from you.
Some fitness machines have too short a stride (esp. inexpensive ellipticals and stairsteppers).
You have to walk further for the same workout (this is the flip side of a short woman having to do more work to walk a mile).

Disadvantages not relevant to weight loss:
You feel squashed in a Corolla.
Everyone asks you to do the high stuff.
Some theatrical venues feel pretty cramped.
You tend to feel obligated to stand at the back of the crowd, but then you can't really see the parade either.
You can NEVER find ankle-length skirts, and pants that actually are long enough cost a lot of money. You want to buy inexpensive everyday clothing, but the clothing makers seem to think that as one gets heavier one also gets shorter, so that all the shirts stop at a very unflattering point and the pants are all short-waisted and hit above your ankle.

I'm 5' 8" and the second shortest woman in my family. Mom's 5' 9" and the sister just older than me is 5' 10". Her husband is 6' 7" and my brother is 6' 4".
Tall has its problems. OTOH...I wouldn't change it and if I wanted anything it would be to be a couple of inches taller... :^ )

Friday, April 27, 2007, 10:14 AM

Short has some advantages too - I'm short and wouldn't change it for anything! When I was dating (I'm married now), I liked that I had my pick of guys (not that dating someone shorter than you is a problem, but, there is that stigma.) I can always hem clothes; it's hard to let them out (though, it is annoying that even Petite pants are ALWAYS too long and need to be altered!) Mini skirts don't look as skanky b/c they come to at least mid-thigh if not almost to the knee.

But, in terms of weight loss, short girls have a lot in common, b/c you need to eat even fewer calories to maintain your size (b/c you're smaller); can't eat like my friends who are 5'8"! Some exercise is just harder. Lots of stuff. And, now that I'm almost at my goal size (I'm 5'1" and about 113 lbs), I'm already in a size 2 or sometimes 0, though I'm definitely not approaching "skinny" yet, and I need to stop my weight loss journey just b/c if I get any smaller, buying clothes will be a huge challenge! I think I'd look best at around 105 lbs, but I'm afraid I couldn't shop at normal stores then! Weird how clothing size inflation messes things up for some of us!

Friday, April 27, 2007, 1:12 PM

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