The petite problem

As a petite woman you may be used to the feeling that losing weight or ‘toning up’ seems more challenging for you…

And there’s a good reason for this...

Larger bodies burn more calories at rest than smaller bodies. This is why men typically burn more calories than women, and taller women will burn more calories than smaller women.

This leaves petite, sedentary, women as the demographic burning the single lowest amount of calories per day.

But that’s not all…

A 5’2 woman is classed as ‘overweight’ at just 62kg, which means she may potentially be pursuing calorie intakes for weight loss.

Meanwhile, a 5’6 woman at 62kg would be right in the middle of a healthy weight range, so she’d more likely be pursuing weight maintenance.

Therefore, not only will the taller woman’s calorie targets be higher due to her larger frame, but will also be significantly higher as she’s eating to maintain weight, rather than trying to lose weight.

Being ‘overweight’ at low body weights is uniquely an issue for petite women, which is why calorie calculators will so often come back with ridiculously low figures for weight loss.

This example shows how being sedentary magnifies this problem. The petite sedentary woman is maintaining weight eating less than 1500kcal per day.

In order to lose 0.5kg per week, calorie calculators would be recommending targets below 1000kcal per day (!)

These are the clients I am meeting regularly. Petite women exhausted by the impossible task of trying to lose weight on ridiculously low calorie intakes.

what to do about it…

my three tenets for petite women

01 Activity
Level

First priority is getting activity level to a minimum of lightly active.

02 weight
loss speed

Weight loss speed should be targeted at 0.25kg or 0.5lbs per week.

03 strength
training

Aim for 2-4 sessions per week. Muscle gain maximises weight lost from fat.

Combining these three ensures that steady weight loss is achievable with sustainable calorie intakes closer to 1500kcal per day.

Where do I
come in?

While I try to make this info as simple and access as possible, it can still be super challenging to apply it to your specific situation and lifestyle.

My role with clients is to audit their current diet/exercise and implement these changes in the most sustainable and compatible way possible.

We’ll often be troubleshooting work lunches or travel, weekends at kid’s (classmates) birthday parties, wedding season, meals with the family and socials with friends.

All these thing can co-exist with sustainable fat loss - they just need the right strategies.

My coaching gives you the confidence that both your training and nutrition have been setup perfectly for your goal, and provide the accountability to ensure you stay on track.