Although I have been lo-carbing for some time now I tend to keep my fat intake lower than the suggested 60 - 70%. Am curious about this though - is there just so much fat a smaller person's body can 'handle' (i.e. get enough of before it starts to store it & counter the effects of low carb) or is it true that as long as your ratio's & calories are in proper proportion it is 'safe' to consume this much fat & still reap the rewards of lo-carbing?
Would love to hear from other petite females! Thank you

I'm not a petite female but i'll help you out anyway.

As long as you are in a calorie deficit and you are not extremely insulin resistant (the IR is useless here i guess because you're low carbing, but anyway) you will lose weight.

Throw in some resistance training and you will retain muscle and lose fat.

I'm not a petite female either but I'll comment too: IR may factor in somewhat at least in the beginning of a lowcarb diet. Typically in insulin-resistant persons the insulin levels are high. Insulin blocks ketosis. Therefore, someone with insulin resistance may have, at least initially, a lousy time getting used to a lowcarb diet. Once the insulin drops this should subside. How long this takes and how important this effect is - don't know, but we've tossed this around on the lowcarb list a while back and agreed that it may matter.

Ok, I AM a petite female and I'm thinking the fat issue has nothing to do with your height. Look around, we all maintain and gain those extra pounds in different places, we lose them in different places. Those of us who are vertically challenged can (and do!) attain awesome looking bodies low carbing. Don't equate being safe with eating low fat!

I am small (5' 3.5", 105 pounds) and my daily intake for the past five months has been at least 60% fat. My reasons for low carbing are more about energy levels and avoidance of hypoglycemic reactions (down to 50 mg/dl) than they are about fat loss - - fat loss is a bonus. I have lost inches since I've been eating this way but my combined muscle gain/fat loss has only resulted in a one-pound drop.