The FastDay Forum

My TDEE is disappointingly low too Wendy. And.... Yes to huge meals in America. I always eat up to be polite but this year I made a conscious effort to stop eating when I felt full. More stayed on the plate than got eaten and I only gained 1lb in 2 weeks. Very happy about that because I ate and drank whatever I liked but just not ALL of it!

Any space for another shorty?

I'm 4' 10.75" (or 4' 9" if I stand on my right leg rather than my left) so I'm not sure if that makes me shorter or taller than you wendyjane

I'm a big build though so TDEE is much higher than might be expected, probably 1500 ish (the whole dreer story was recently dissected on my log).

Read something recently (sorry, can't remember where) that the TDEE calculators are systemically 'wrong' for the very short. So us shorties are probably best working out our TDEEs empirically!

[Debs]

Blimey, this did have an undetectable extension charm applied to the tent while I was asleep!! (Yes, I too love Harry Potter!!).
My TDEE ranges between 1582 and 1802 depending on what type of exercise I put in, which at the moment, TBH, isn't a lot.
Does anyone else here have trouble calculating meals for calories? We make a lot of curries, stews, home made thin pizza and it is always a struggle to work out the calorie content, as I don't measure anything.

I think I'll let you be taller @FatDog, so I can continue to hold the shortest-forum-member record.

As far as calculating calories goes, @Debs, I don't think it is possible to even come really close when you are cooking from scratch. I've been using the calorie counter on Fat Secret (what a stupid site name!) and it's terrible. The exact same food can have widely different calorie counts listed. So even if you did measure everything, it just wouldn't work well.

And the TDEE calculators depend on knowing your activity level, @FatDog, and I don't have a regular exercise routine yet I'm still fairly active. So I don't know if I am a low or medium active person...

In conclusion, though I have been counting calories - or trying to - on fast days, I think I will try during maintenance to keep an awareness of what I'm eating, and not count at all, not even on fast days. I'm pretty sure I know what 3-400 calories looks like.

[janeg]

Room for another wee one? I'm 152cms.
It is cosy in here!
Re portion sizes- same here in the sandpit. Massive and the constant encouragement to add things ...
Americano coffee please
Syrup in that ma'am?
No thank you, just black coffee?
Milk in it ma.am?
No thank you black coffee...
What about chips with that?
No, just the coffee please
Cake ma.am?
It gets weary. Same when buying bread being encouraged to get cake...
My latest weakes ness is gelato. It happened in Singapore on holiday and I could get a lovely wee cup of it. They don't do that size here and the smallest size here is the giant size in Singapore.
Aaaaargrgrgrrgh!
But I was quite tall in Singapore

I am 5' 3" and always struggle with jeans. I normally get standard length and alter them. The guidelines say I should be between 8st 7lb and 9st 7lb and I am currently 11st 5lbs. I am comfortable at 10st 7lb.
I have always said I am not over weight I am just under tall.
No idea what my TDEE is!

[janeg]

Haha bobshouse! I just need to be 4 inches taller to fit my waist!

Room for another wee one? I'm 152cms.
It is cosy in here!
Re portion sizes- same here in the sandpit. Massive and the constant encouragement to add things ...
Americano coffee please
Syrup in that ma'am?
No thank you, just black coffee?
Milk in it ma.am?
No thank you black coffee...
What about chips with that?
No, just the coffee please
Cake ma.am?
It gets weary. Same when buying bread being encouraged to get cake...
My latest weakes ness is gelato. It happened in Singapore on holiday and I could get a lovely wee cup of it. They don't do that size here and the smallest size here is the giant size in Singapore.
Aaaaargrgrgrrgh!
But I was quite tall in Singapore

Yes, I couldn't agree more.

We have a nice shop nearby where I can get an honest to goodness small gelato. And it's really good too. In some places I order a kid's size.

And speaking of kids, one of the perks of being a really small person is sometimes buying kid's clothes. Much cheaper. Usually I look for outerwear - like a down vest I've had for years, bought in a kid's size. My hips, however, will never be child sized.

I am short with big boobs so you can imagine either the tops are wayyyyy too big or they are too tight. I tried a top today which was perfect, except my boobs were the focus of everything so I had to give it up. And since I lost all the weight, it's even worse as I lost everywhere except here...

I say, if it keeps going that way, my boobs will become so heavy they will make me fall down

[Debs]

Yep, Bobshouse, me too, although I had a huge win on Friday, a pair of DKNY jeans, 31" waist and perfect length for $3! Not sure whether they were altered, but I don't care, they are perfect!!
Poor Manderley, I don't envy you, not as big as Dolly Parton though? She is four foot nothing isn't she?!

Yes as big as Dolly Parton and mine are all naturals which is not her case. She chose to be a big booobie short woman, me, it runs in the familly, all the woman either on my dad's or my mum's side have big boobs

It's very unfair that us shorties can eat so little - I'm bloody freezing today and counting the hours til bed time

I have two words for you, @jmousey -- miso soup! (I'm cold today too, and decided to have a skim latte as part of my fast day).

Yes, I've been complaining (earlier in this thread, among other places) that it is hard to be restricted to so few calories on a regular basis. But when I stop and think about it rationally (seldom) I realize that TDEE stands for energy expenditure, so really on a typical day if I eat 1300 calories and expend 1300 calories, it shouldn't feel different than a really big man feels eating 3000 and expending 3000. Right?

Here's another advantage to being a really small person - I'm flying tomorrow, and it's a lot easier to get comfortable in a plane seat if you are not even five feet tall than if you are a big person.

[Debs]

I can't eat miso soup, much too salty for me as we hardly ever use it.
I'm weighing myself after today's fast to see if I am getting anywhere, I have actually been eating pretty well the last few days, after my carb/fat/sugar splurge and am hoping today's liquid fast will push me in the right direction.

Yes, you are right Melbmandy, flights are a whole lot easier when you don't have to have your knees up around your ears like my other half!!

Thanks Debs for reminding me about the Short Tent - may I join you all please? I'm 5"3, been at this for most of the year. I've been stuck for the last 3 months, but had an encouraging weigh-in this morning, so hoping I'm heading downwards again. I want to lose another 5kg or so, but would be thrilled to lose another 2, which would put me below 25 BMI, and hopefully into the trouser suit for work thats currently far too much VPL !

Had a really cold fast yesterday, I'd forgotten the joys of winter fasting. Socks and a hot water bottle meant I had a comfy night though