I am undertall -please help

Steroids certainly don't help. What size/ bodyshape are/we're your mum and grandmother? I've realised I'm exactly the same size and shape as my Gran and great aunts. My mother was a very heavy smoker so may have stunted her growth.

Were. My phone autocorrects to we're. V annoying!

I'm also short and I weigh too much for my height. I am active, though, and go to Zumba, Salsa, aqua aerobics, and I have about 900 calories a day.

I'd say that if you're having 1000 calories a day and aren't able to be active, you probably need to reduce your calories more.

You could perhaps try Slimming World (their diet lets you eat loads of food), or counting calories, being sure to read labels on foods and weighing loose stuff (cheese, meat, etc)

Slimming world would say you aren’t eating enough. That’s what they told me, also undertall. Try to cut out/ down on cheese and bread if you can. They also encourage people to have a regular treat ( syn) which makes the programme a bit easier to keep to.
Don’t forget while exercise is good for all sorts of reasons, health, fitness etc, you still have to do an awful lot just to work off the cals of an apple so try not to over worry about exercise. Just do what you can.
Don’t give up, it took me two years to shift 2 stones but I did it, and have kept it off ( more or less).

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Have you had a thyroid blood test? I'd put on weight very unexpectedly and ended up being diagnosed with an under active thyroid. Weight returned to normal once properly medicated.

you aren’t eating enough.
I would say that too and add that it would not be wise to reduce your calories, unless you do this on a 5:2 basis.

If you are still taking steroids then it is going to be difficult because they do change your metabolism.
Perhaps going to a group could help you to find out which foods suit you and also going to a group could give you support.

It's very hard especially if you are unable to exercise. Could you do some other exercise eg muscle strengthening such as yoga, Pilates or gentle weight training if walking is difficult? Armchair aerobics?

Kiwigrams, I am also rather too short for my width. If you feel well, try looser clothing. If you want to slim down you can break up your walks e.g. four ten-minute walks instead of a longer one. it's not just about the calories that you burn, it's about building muscle and helping raise metabolism.

I find that daily Kefir helps with energy levels and I don't buy much in the way of biscuits, cakes or chocolate unless I'm having visitors. I've doubled my vegetable intake but I won't count calories or diet, just sensible eating all the way (whenever I can).

Kiwigramz It's just not fair is it? I'm not really 'undertall' but eating what 'normal' people seem to eat has my weight rocketing. To lose (or maintain) a weight I'm happy with I need to eat a lot less than recommended and exercise even more! It doesn't seem to affect my general health and I generally feel a lot fitter and happier.

To be honest my main diet is vegetable with limited protein and few carbohydrates and fats. I don't even like cakes, biscuits, bread and potatoes. I have a theory that some of us are specifically designed to survive in a world that does not have enough food. So hey we are the future!!!

Try this but no cheating.
Have 2 full days (48 hours) with nothing to eat and only drink water (no fruit juice) bouillion or clear liquids like an Oxo cube dissolved in boiled water.
The days can be together or separate but myst be a full 24 hours on each day.
The other 5 days have a late breakfast about 10-11am and start eating evening meal no later than 6pm.
Nothing except above drinks between meals.
No puddings
No sugar
No dairy at all
No white rice
No coated fish ie: batter or breadcrumbs
No food cooked with or in oil or butter
No gravy
No cheese except small portions of cottage cheese.
No milk
No cereals
No cakes or biscuits
No jams or spreads
No potatoes
No bananas or apples
No pancakes
No iced lollies

Yes to:
All veg except potatoes
Berries
Salad stuff
Plain low fat yogurt (Greek is good)
Eggs ( no more than 4 a week)
Rice cakes but not the ones with chocolate coating.
Wild rice with veg is filling
2 egg omelette filled with wilted spinach is a good breakfast
Plain yogurt with berries is tasty
Plain pasta with peas (frozen/ defrosted are best) and mushrooms or strips of previously scorched and skinned red pepper.
Chicken any way, no oil or butter.
Walk at least 2 miles a day even if round your garden or round the block.

No daytime sleeps and no cheating.
It will be hard for the first couple of days then you will become used to it.
If you cheat, you are the loser, not us.
Treat...oh yes.
1 square of at least 70% but preferably 85% dark chocolate on each of the 5 days but not on the 2 liquid only days.

Weigh yourself every morning as soon as you get up before food or drink.
Download an app which will chart your weight and give you an incentive.
I use the one in the photo.
Good luck and stick with it.
Once you see your weight going down you'll be eager to continue.
Remember to Google your height/weight/age which will give you info as to what your weight parameters should be.

myst must

GabriellaG54, the above looks totally impossible to me. I have to eat every three hours or it's migraine time!

I read a book on nutrition years ago - perhaps fads change but the principle behind it was that you do need some oils in your diet otherwise you do not lose weight.

I would avoid Oxo or Bovril cubes, especially as a drink. They are salt and, whilst we do need some salt especially in hot weather, too much is not good and can make you retain fluid as do carbohydrates. Gabriella's lists otherwise should help you - you could still eat frequently.

Ps I don't know about the liquid days though. Unless you are doing nothing but then boredom could set in!

I believe that to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than you are burning. You get hungry. It's hard. Perhaps too hard. But it's the only way.

The rest are just fads. And some of them, for some people, can be dangerous.

You can find out you Metabolic Rate (the rate at which your body burns off calories), on the NHS website, among others, to find out the amount you need to eat, according to how active you are.

Slimming World also told me that I wasn't eating enough! I just cut out sweet stuff, snacks in between meals, and I count the calories I have.

I would say try to increase your activity level. You can't walk far, but try small increments, build up slowly. Spend more time in the garden, limit the amount of time they you spend sitting in any day. Have your sweet treat, but again once a week. Buy some comfortable clothes to give you a bit of a boost!

My DH’s friend swore by the smoked salmon and Champagne diet.

now you're talking!

Am I allowed a bit of cucumber with that (and lemon?)

Blimey that’s really really harsh Gabriella I would never follow that sounds like hell and then you die

I think you need professional advice and support - any chance your GP would refer you to a dietitian? It sounds like you are doing most of the right things already - and as you are aware medication, especially steroids, can pile on the pounds.

Any chance you could go to aquarobics - that would be gentle for your joints.

Buy yourself something nice - even if it's just a scarf.

p.s. I would not follow the advice above about not eating for two days. That can be quite dangerous as we get older.

Kiwigramz, do you like breakfast? Begin your day with a glass of water .Then when lyu are hungry enjoy a good big breakfast with egg if you like , porridge, toast, but no sugar.

Then for the rest of the day have small low carb low fat drinks /small snacks. But be careful to take your iron and vitamin rich foods as part of your snacks.

Gabriella's lists give a good general idea of what to take and what not to take.

If you're in reasonably good health,? and by that I mean, no serious medication and on the say so of your GP, then 2 separate days of liquids only will do you no harm whatsoever.
I have done 2 days separately and, on occasion, together.
If you start to feel unwell or light headed, then of course you must eat something but if it's simply tummy rumbling because you constantly overeat or snack, then you need to re-educate your gut to accept less.
No-one said it's easy but some will find it easier than others.
I personally don't find it a hardship to have a liquid day but it certainly wouldn't be a day when I'm doing anything energetic.
I feel thinner, I feel cleaner and I feel more energised when I don't have to undo jeans the moment I get in and my clothes actually hang better.
I often eat my breakfast standing up as your digestion is better and you use more calories.
A filled omelette in a wrap is a non-messy way to eat without sitting at a
table and having jyst one more coffee or piece of toast.
I'm sure Marydoll and gillybob are svelte as they're always on the go. I have to work at it as I'm not on GP duties.
Good luck whoever you are and whatever your plans for losing a bit if weight. As long as you're contented and in decent health, extra weight doesn't matter a whole lot IMV.

jyst just if of.