r/PetiteFitness

My son was home from college for the weekend and we went to the thrift store and I was so excited to find a pull-up bar for $3, I had 3 in my Amazon cart because I’ve been wanting to know if I could do a pull up, I was big into CrossFit in 2017/2018 and could do kipping pull-ups but struggled to do strict, but I just had a feeling I could do it now.

For the past year, most of my training has been Pilates and walking, with 2–3 lower body focused strength sessions a week added back in recently. I haven’t trained chin-ups at all.

Today I grabbed the bar and asked my son to film, he was watching and was completely shocked. I was SO excited…
…until I watched the video and realized MY PALMS WERE FACING ME. 😑

So, chin-ups. Not pull-ups. And yes, I’m ridiculously annoyed because I really wanted to see how many strict pull-ups I could do.

But I’m still pretty damn proud. At 51, after surgeries on both shoulders (2017 & 2018) and a knee (2018), plus disc replacements in my lower back (2019) and neck (2020), being able to move my body like this feels pretty incredible.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that I don’t have to destroy myself in the gym to get stronger. Pilates, walking, a couple focused strength days, eating enough and recovering have gotten me stronger than I expected.
Next test: palms away, Goal: 10 strict pull-ups!
And yes, my son made a fart sound at the beginning, he’s 20🤣

I started my weight loss journey in Jan 2026. I started at about 147lbs (photo from Aug 2025 but essentially same weight). I went on an extreme calorie deficit and walked an average 12k steps per day and lost 10 lbs within 2.5 months (by mid Feb but a lot of it was partial inflammation, water retention, prob muscle loss then some fat). The 10lb loss did make me look visually smaller than when I was at 147lbs (attached photo) but I was still bloated, flabby and weak. So I decided to count my macros and nourish myself better and eat at a reasonable calorie deficit (with enough protein), but I was still stagnant. So in mid June I finally decided to go back to the gym and start my body recomp journey and educate myself better about counting macros and weighing my foods (bc I def wasn’t doing it right the first time lol) and how all the nutrition affects my body, in addition to proper weight training and progressive overload. Fast forward, the side by side is the photo I took on Oct 2. Same outfit. I’m currently at about 122lbs with muscle growth and true fat reduction (hips have reduced by 6”). I do a 4 day split, 2 upper days, 2 lower days with progressive overload and walk roughly 20k+ steps per day. I eat about 1700 calories a day with ~125g of it being protein. I still have a ways to go with my recomp and leaning out especially with my mid section. You could go to my profile to see my 3 month progress photos for a visual under the clothes lol. Some days I feel like I’m not making as much progress I’d like but then I look at my progress photos and honestly amazed what our bodies can do. It’s a marathon not a sprint! For those on the same journey, you got this too! You’re prob doing better than you think! 😀

Being only 5’1”, carrying that extra weight was something I really struggled with, both physically and mentally. I never imagined I’d get to a point where I’d feel this much fitter and stronger.

I’ve gone from being someone who didn’t really exercise to running, strength training and doing HYROX. I’ve lost over 20kg, dropped multiple clothing sizes and completely changed what my body is capable of.

I’m still working towards my goal, but I’m trying to appreciate how far I’ve already come rather than constantly focusing on the next number.
Just wanted to share because sometimes when you’re in the middle of it, it’s easy to forget how much can actually change. ❤️

Hello everyone. I'm F28, 157cm/5'1", 46kg/101lbs. I've been weight training on/off for about two years. I was always very shy and skeptical about my body, and getting into gym changed so many things for me, not only physicaly but also in my mind.

The fact that I feel so much stronger is amazing (in the past, I used to have problems even carrying heavy groceries, lol).

This community gave me so much inspiration that I am very grateful for.

Let's go, petite gals! 💪