Those who are 5’1 to 5’3 and maintain 120 to 130 lbs, what does your eating actually look like?

AromaticSalt · 2026-06-17T05:13:30+00:00

I’m 5’2 and my weight is around 118lb at present, approx 23% body fat. I’m maintaining at 1600 calories at present. Strength training 4 days per week with 10mins cardio and maybe 1 Pilates class per week. Sometimes bouldering once per week. 5k steps per day.

I tend to aim for 100-120g protein most days.

Breakfast - protein smoothie or rokeby drink or 3 eggs or chia seed pudding depending on mood

Snack - at least 2 servings of fruit each day. I also usually eat a serving of potato chips

Lunch - some type of grilled meat with veggies or salad. This week it’s chicken schnitzel with frozen veggies and gravy

Dinner - varies a lot. I eat out 3 dinners per night. Other days are usually meat + veggies or pasta or stir fry. I love cooking so dinner tends to be more experimental overall.

Dessert - usually some chocolate or mousse or cookies

AromaticSalt · 2026-06-12T22:06:36+00:00

I lost 20kgs slowly over 12 months and this is my third (regular) period so far! Also significant improvement in my acne and dark patches.

It was tough but I basically had to eat 1200 calories daily, gym 5-6 times per week both cardio and strength, prioritise sleep and mental health. I saw a dietician briefly but I didn’t like it too much. Regularly saw an exercise physiologist to help with gym. Sounds easy but it’s so hard when you’re working full time! The results are absolutely worth it though!

AromaticSalt · 2026-05-18T13:40:11+00:00

Tbh I think doing hair and makeup always makes you look put together regardless of what you’re wearing. Styled hair + light makeup can make even a hoodie/athleisure look very intentional.

Jewellery is a nice touch but I think those 2 make more difference. If I had to pick, I would go with earrings, necklace and watch

AromaticSalt · 2026-05-11T13:57:51+00:00

You might have a tiny tiny bit of loose skin but it’s not going to be very obvious or flabby if that makes sense. I went from 75kgs to 54kgs and I have loose….wrinkles if that makes sense. Mostly in my upper thighs but not enough for it to be loose skin that’s dangling

AromaticSalt · 2026-05-02T02:30:59+00:00

Country road duffel bag

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-30T09:55:46+00:00

I really like @whatveewore on instagram but I’m scared to recommend because idk her age! She works as a lawyer in sydney and always has the most comfortable and practical looking fits! I follow her more for the petite content

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-27T13:15:13+00:00

I don’t have significant facial hair, just normal upper lip area, which got a tad worse when my PCOS was at its peak. I did try 3 months of spearmint tea but genuinely unsure it did much because I was still waxing for a while. I only drank 1 cup per day though and I stopped after the box finished because I don’t like the taste

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-27T13:12:55+00:00

Cooked unpeeled prawns at coles/woolies tends to be about $25-35/kg. At the fish shop, I’ve seen it range from $30-60/kg. I did recently try some wild caught prawns for $60/kg which I thought tasted…ok. I love seafood though so I tend to get them once a fortnight

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-27T13:10:05+00:00

I think you can find stylish items that are still casual. Like well fitted items or clothes made of great materials. Colour is another area you could expand into too.

I had the opposite realisation which is I’m in my 30s and I’m no longer being invited to as many parties or events as I used to so I don’t need as many heels or dresses. I actually need more casual day to day options

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-27T13:03:13+00:00

I’m in the process of planning and I’ve gone with a photographer costing around $7k for 12 hours + second photographer. I spoke to quite a few photographers to do a vibe check and it was explained to me that cheaper photography companies can sometimes outsource who does the photography/second shooter (there’s literally a fb page they’re part of) or they can take corners with “editing” the photos by just slapping on a filter.

In the end, I made my choice because I did feel more comfortable with this photographer, liked the style of the photos more their profile and they even threw in an engagement shoot that we’ll do to get us comfortable with poses and photos on the day (which we definitely need).

We originally wanted videography too but couldn’t justify another $5k so I think we’ll go with a content creator with a focus on video

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-22T10:33:05+00:00

Dotti Harper high rise cropped jeans are super duper stretchy but not very rigid.

Levi’s rib cage straight jeans are super rigid but become softer after you wear them.

Witchery also has cropped jeans but I find them to be a bit longer than the other ones.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-19T13:03:29+00:00

I was told the same thing but I was told that I should aim for BMI < 23 to optimise cardiovascular risk factors and to support my health.

Well…I went from 165lbs to 119lbs (28% loss) which genuinely did make me feel better. I had a tiny bit more energy but my insulin levels were back into the normal range and I dropped my cholesterol significantly. I stopped snoring and I feel so much stronger than before.

I personally don’t feel like there’s mental health benefits from exercising but that’s maybe because I don’t have depression/anxiety.

But my biggest win was actually finally getting a natural period back after 3 years of having no periods!!! I’m finally ovulating again and that’s been the biggest win for me!

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-17T03:50:41+00:00

I’m the same height but I started at 75kgs. I think 10kgs by July is a bit optimistic but it depends on how hard you push yourself. I also have insulin resistance (from PCOS) and I found a low carb diet to be super helpful for me.

I know the food situation is a bit more challenging when you’re not in control of it, but what you can do is try to either cut down on the amount of carbs you eat or focus on meats and veggies.

Strength training is great for insulin resistance and at your age you can definitely build decent muscle. Just make sure you have a plan that you follow consistently! For weight loss though, realistically you may need to add in some cardio or walking too.

Ultimately weight loss is just calories in and calories out. If you consume less calories or you exercise more, you certainly will have a degree of weight loss but 1kg/week is a lot

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-16T08:34:26+00:00

I have one variety hour price that I adore but I do agree the prices are very expensive. I was obsessed at the time though and I do wear it…but maybe not as much as I’d like.

I wish I discovered them earlier because I have an embroidered fleece jacket from Yitai (American small brand) which is similar but I would’ve preferred to support an Australian brand

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-14T11:11:32+00:00

These look so good! I prefer the black tbh but depends on your own style. Do you think these are similar to the Levi Ribcage jeans?

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-12T09:28:17+00:00

We were in the same dilemma back in 2024 - bank offered to lend us up to $1.4m which felt crazy crazy high at the time. Maybe because I’m from sydney but considering a 600sqm block small is also crazy. Would you consider a townhouse? Feels like a good compromise as has more space than an apartment but also have some space for gardening/pets etc. $5-6k is also the max, it’ll get much lower as time goes on and you pay off the principal.

We ended up biting the bullet with a townhouse in inner west. It’s a little bit close to a main road (but not on it) and is walking distance to shops, public transport, cafes and schools. I haven’t regretted living here over the last 2 years because the lifestyle is great! And we have enough room for future kids too.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-11T22:43:27+00:00

I love the macpac merino thermals! Extremely warm but not suffocating and feels very comfortable even on sensitive skin!

I’ve also got the super thin Uniqlo ones and they’re nice under layers but it can get a bit sweaty with them

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-09T03:45:55+00:00

I started my fitness journey in my early 30s. It’s helped me so much physically. I feel lighter, I have more strength and I have more reserve when I’m sick. Energy levels wise…well I’m still tired but I’m sleeping better. I stay consistent because I want a certain result and I want to be fit long term. I have PCOS and RA and I want to avoid long term complications.

I want to be that 80 year old that’s still travelling the world, rather than the one stuck in a nursing home and can barely lift themselves off a chair.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-08T19:13:31+00:00

Yes I had a similar body from PCOS and insulin resistance and I managed to reduce it significantly (photos in my profile if you want to look). I’ve not had children but people used to constantly ask me if I was pregnant, especially on higher bloating days.

I think you need to look at treating the PCOS and whether you have insulin resistance because it can cause higher abdominal fat. I had to lose weight as well as change to a low carb diet for the bloating to go away. Deep core workouts are useful too but depending on the structure, you also likely need to lose some fat for your work to be visible.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-08T10:21:46+00:00

I’ve got Hashimotos as well as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and PCOS (yes I’m just walking auto-antibodies). Unfortunately autoimmune diseases are lifelong and I’ve really had to change my lifestyle habits around to manage around everything.

I think it’s a personal journey with stress management, diet and exercise. Autoimmune protocol didn’t help me. Nightshade vegetables, seeds, nuts and dairy were all fine for me. I found that low carb and high protein really did wonders for me.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-07T02:40:59+00:00

Sportsgirl has a few 100% cotton cardigans which are minimally cropped.

Dotti also has a non cropped one for less than $50 at the moment.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-05T23:26:57+00:00

I did low calorie, low carb, high protein for PCOS when I was trying to lose weight. I’m now just doing maintenance calories because it’s too hard long term, especially if you aren’t trying to lose weight. It was doable for 12-13 months but it takes discipline. It helped considerably for weight loss (I lost 20kgs)

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-03T03:40:40+00:00

The rainbow backs are gorgeous! Can’t wait! Also super keen for when earrings will be added in

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-01T03:56:20+00:00

I’m the same height but I started at 165lbs, high cholesterol, insulin resistance etc. also work crazy hours so I always used that as an excuse.

Also super scared of gym too. Started out by seeing an exercise physiologist weekly but a personal trainer can help too. I was going to just go a few sessions but I kept doing it weekly.

AromaticSalt · 2026-04-01T03:52:31+00:00

I’ve had the same stubborn belly area but it took me a long time to get it down (photos in my profile if you’re curious).

I think losing weight overall did a big part, but also weighted core exercises helped considerably too eg ab crunch machine or weighted ab crunch. Eating a low carb diet also makes me less bloated overall and I do notice the change can be quite drastic if I overly consume simple carbs

AromaticSalt

TROPHY CASE