Posts by josethemonkey

I'm right there with you. I'm a little bit over 5' tall and have a problem with stumpy legs too...except I've kinda just learned to deal with them. I have wide hips and a big bottom, which just adds to the problem.

By doing cardio and any other exercise that burns fat and increases muscle, your legs will slim down. For women, the hips and thighs are an area where fat is collected the most (just the way we're built). This area is difficult to manage when it comes to weight loss, but if you work on it, you will eventually see results.

I've noticed a bit of a slim down from the running I've been doing (running for 30-60 minutes almost every day for 2 months). However, I think it just takes time.

Meanwhile, there are some fashion tips that may help you look taller and leaner: (from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/4720 53/how_to_make_short_legs_look_long_and.html? cat=46)

"Instead of wearing a patterned skirt with taupe hose and black shoes, choose a slenderizing black skirt, very sheer black hose, and stylish black pumps. This combination almost always makes short legs look long and slender, and it works for almost everyone. Create a lean line from waist to toe and your short legs will look long, slender, and they'll look the best they can possibly look without dieting and working out. If you want your short legs to look long and slender, wear the tallest heals you can wear and still be comfortable. Not all high heals squish your toes to a point, and not all high heals are terribly uncomfortable. Visit a shoe store that offers a wide variety of shoes for every occasion, and find a pair you can wear safely and comfortably that will make your short legs look long and slender. They'll boost your self-confidence along with your height.When choosing a skirt or dress, consider something that goes no further than mid-knee if you want short legs to look long and slender. No one has perfect legs, but showing off your legs along with a pair of classy looking pumps will make them appear to be long and more slender than if they're completely encircled by yards of fabric. Contrary to popular belief, straight leg jeans aren't the best choice for those with short legs. Those who are short should choose boot cut or flare leg jeans for a more slender appearance. They go nicely with high-healed clogs and boots, and they make short legs look attractively long and slender."

Original Post by alphawordsmith:

Hey Jose...You're most welcome.  I was just reading a post in one of the newsletters that CC sends out and the guy was saying that he eats all of his "normal" food, just in smaller portions.  Of course, you have to be careful of certain foods.  For instance, last night my neighbor invited me over for a "fireside chat" and handed me two polish dogs.  Well, I ate 1 1/2 and as soon as I got home, I looked them up and entered them on CC.  I never dreamed that I'd just eated over 600 calories!  She had originally offered me s'mores but I opted for the polish dogs.  Now I think the s'mores would have been a better choice! LOL!

My point is that, no matter what the meal is that's served (unless the only choice is polish dogs!), you could probably make a mini-meal out of it for yourself.  For instance....If the meal is fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and salad (which is a standard meal in my family, being from the south), you could have some potatoes with a mere gram of butter, some green beans and salad.  Have some marinated and baked chicken in the frig for yourself and microwave a piece of that for yourself.  If anyone would be insulted by the substitution, eat your portion of the "family meal" and then, about two hours later, make a mini-meal of your baked chicken and some more green beans...or salad.  I make a fabulous marinade using 1/4 C balsamic vinegar, about 2 T. of soy sauce (shoyu), and 1 T. worcestershire sauce, 2-3 T. water, and 3 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning.  (All measurements are approximate.  I just throw stuff in until it looks right...LOL)

If the family meal includes roast beef, take a 3 oz. portion only...and add in some veggies.  I think you get the point.  You can always "adjust" portions and partake of the lower-calorie choices.  And your idea of making your own dishes to share with the entire family is a good one, TOO.

You wrote: "It seems as if most of my muscle is very tight underneath, but there is some fat ontop making me look not as fit."

I know exactly what you mean!  I've been feeling really BAD about it and chalking it up to my age.  But you're in your 20's, aren't you?  If I'm right about that, it should all tighten up over the next 6 mos-2 yrs.  It's probably not fat, but just loose skin.  I know I have awesome biceps now...but I have all this extra skin hanging down that's really embarrassing! I hope it "snaps back" eventually, but since I'm 58 yrs. old, I'm not so hopeful.  In the meantime, I just wear sleeves that go at least down to the elbow.

Mini-meals sound good...I just have this thing about how portions look to me. If I make a small portion of something, even if it's enough to satisfy my hunger temporarily, I'm always thinking in the back of my head, I'm going to be hungry in an hour! With mini-meals, I never seem to gain that satisfaction of a full belly, and therefore go back to the kitchen practically every hour or more.

I'm 19, and I'm sure if I asked anyone on the street, they'd say I'm skinny. I know I'm not overweight, but I am not satisfied with how I look in my own skin. I used to be a gymnast so I have muscley arms and legs, and with that layer of fat ontop, I just look bulky. If I could just get that layer off, I'd be THRILLED with how I'd look. None of my skin hangs really (yet, thankfully), but it seems to be piled ontop of the muscle and makes me look bulky as opposed to toned. How can you tell the difference between fat and loose skin like you mentioned?

Original Post by justice4me:

i'm also 5'1.  when i was in high school the highest weight i've weighed was 128 and slowly and unknowingly after 2 semesters of college i lost a lot of weight just by eating healthier and got to my lowest 90lbs and the most active workout i've ever had was 10 min of jumprope and it wasn't even 10 min straight i had breaks in between.

what i'm saying is i really don't know whether this "set point" does exist, but being 100lbs for your weight is definitely healthy.

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate this kind of reply instead of the pilates argument that seems to have hijacked my thread. :P

It just seems so easy for you, and I'm jealous of that. I run every day and have been trying very hard to eat healthy meals. I do let myself "cheat" every once in a while, and I think maybe that's what's holding me back. I'm back at 115 lbs, which is a huge disappointment for me. It's really terrible to see yourself working so hard only to result in gain.

Do you have any tips for meals? I'm living at home for the summer and I eat whatevers put on the table for dinner, so I may have to start cooking my own meals. Suggestions?

I'm 5'1" as well and I'm having a similar probem...I just don't know what goal weight is right for my body. If people said you looked too skinny at 97 lbs, they were probably right. I know how good it feels to be at a low weight, but when it doesn't make you look as good as you'd like, you might as well go for the higher weight. I went through your pictures and I think you look great in the 110-115 range.

Original Post by asha_3_28:

It looks like you've reached your set point, which is the weight your body's comfortable with.

http://www.mirror-mirror.org/set.htm

I think I'm at my setpoint too cause no matter how much I workout or what I ate, my weight won't budge. Even though I was pretty sure my body was burning more calories (I'm pretty active) than I consume at one point, I saw no effect. I later on learned that overtraining could be counterproductive and that the body will burn less energy at rest to compensate. Most of the articles say take a break from your diet  to "reboot" or jumpstart your weight loss again. Or cut back on too much training or try something different. It's pretty hard. Up to now, I haven't moved beyond my setpoint.

This is interesting and the thing I was wondering about. However, less than a year ago, I was under 113.5 lbs. I haven't grown heightwise, but have gained weight. That makes me think that 113.5 is not my set weight. Hell, even a few weeks ago I was at 112 lbs, but my body quickly reverted back to around 114. I don't wanna fight my setpoint, but I'm just not sure that 113.5 is where my body is demanding to be or not.

Thanks for both of your replies!

yummy_kitty:

I used to be a gymnast and have a decent amount of muscle on my body (especially upper arms and the legs) so I don't know if getting to 100 lbs is realistic given that a decent portion of me is muscle and only a little is fat. I will definitely try and switch my routine around. I was afraid my body would adjust to all the workouts I've been doing and make it harder to burn fat.

airlily:

Thanks for all the tips! I need to work on the snacking thing. I have an odd sleep schedule and usually end up missing breakfast, so I'm careful all day about how my calories are spent and usually after dinner I've only eaten 900! Snacks would definitely help with that. Oh and a question, why so much protein? I know it fills you up and satisfies the appetite, but isn't too much protein counterproductive? Also, what kind of carbs would you recommend? I'm an italian girl so I love breads and pastas...it's my downfall :P

Original Post by relright:

School: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, basketball champs 2009!

haha

Sorry, just had to comment cause I go to Villanova so I'm slightly heartbroken. :P

But anyway, I just got done with my freshman year at college and wanna give some advice to you guys heading off to school. The freshman weight gain crept up on me and I didn't even notice. When I got home from school for the summer, I realized I gained 10 lbs and I know exactly why. At the dining halls, if there is nothing you want, they are ALWAYS making pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches, so I would go for those if there was nothing better to eat. THIS IS VERY BAD DON'T DO IT! :P We would also order out from various college-y restaurants which only offered unhealthy foods, so that was not good.

You have to allow time for yourself to pick out healthy things. A lot of the time I would be rushing off to class in the morning and only grab a bagel for the walk. Needless to say, a bagel is not the best thing to have EVERY MORNING haha.

Just in general, think before you put things on your plate or place an order at one of the nearby food establishments. Dining halls always offer fruits and vegetables as well as healthy alternatives to things (wheat bread, wheat wraps, low fat yogurt, etc.) Make smart choices. :)

Hey everyone!

I just joined this site last week and it's been great!

I'm 5'1" and started at 120 lbs. I've already lost 2.5 but would like to get down to between 100 and 105. I hang out with a bunch of guys at college and because I hang out with them so much, I eat like them! I'm trying to combine a healthy diet with a decent cardio workout to get results.