5'1 Ladies- what are your maintenance calories?

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  • BlessedBeyondMsr
    BlessedBeyondMsr Posts: 65 Member
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    @Evamutt:
    I bet you are hungry at 5'4 and 1200 calories bc I'm 5'0 and I am hungry on 1200 unless I workout and eat some of those calories back. My rate of loss is set at 1/2 lb a week, 1200 cal and I have lost 24lbs doing that, it just took me longer, but that's okay.
    I just started getting back into strength training and I know this will change my body composition/ burn off some fat and I'm looking forward to that! Already seeing results with more muscle definition etc
  • lauren0930bush
    lauren0930bush Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm 5'1 maintaining 95lbs eating 1700-1800 calories a day. They have online calculators that are really helpful to see how your maintenance changes with activity.
  • kokonani
    kokonani Posts: 507 Member
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    lauren0930bush wrote: »
    I'm 5'1 maintaining 95lbs eating 1700-1800 calories a day. They have online calculators that are really helpful to see how your maintenance changes with activity.

    May I ask how active you are?
  • CatinSydney
    CatinSydney Posts: 16 Member
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    I am 5'1.5, 124 lbs and 53 yrs old. This thread really resonates with me. I was on MFP a couple of years ago and have just come back to it, ideally I would like to get to 105-110 lbs. I have found that I can only be 1200 calories /day to even lose very slowly. I too have a very tall husband (and two teenage boys), it seems like I can only eat a fraction of what they eat.

    I am also using a Fitbit (usually over 10K per day) and exercise 7 days/week (circuit, step classes, pilates, walking, power yoga - so quite a variety of different exercise) - someone mentioned that they think Fitbit over inflates the calories which I tend to think also as there is no way I could eat the extra and maintain my weight. However, currently I am still trying to lose so really have to try and stick to 1200 which I am finding very difficult. Nice to know there are others with a similar experience, I look forward to joining the Petite group when I reach maintenance.

    Cheers, Cat
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    @thisisnewnow, I started losing at a similar point.

    54, 5'1, 130lbs, with a goal of 102-107 lbs, revised to 100-105 after a year of maintenance.

    My calories all the way through were 1200 for sedentary activity, but I ate back my exercise calories of about 200cals for an hour's exercise. (I have never step counted.).

    It took a year to lose the weight and at some points, especially close to goal, it came off at a snails pace.

    The down side of it all was my maintenance calories were 1200 too.

    The up side, I was good at making 1200 go a long way.
    I had learnt just moving more during the day could give me a couple of hundred more calories almost effortlessly.
    That eating back my exercise calories, another 200 cals, was needed to have a healthy and sustainable maintenance where I could chose to take a break from exercise without having to drop my calories below 1200-1400.

    I'm 64 now and have maintained my weight since that initial loss. Hang in there, it may be slow, but it is worth it.

    Cheers, h.
  • CatinSydney
    CatinSydney Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks @middlehaitch it is great to hear such a similar story to mine. What I didn't say above was that I did go down to 100 Ibs 5 years ago, I was on 1200 calories/day, 12wbt diet (for those Australians who may know this 'lifestyle'). After reaching my goal I did go back up to 110 lbs and I was still quite happy with that. The problem was I really had to keep to 1200 calories which I found increasingly difficult to maintain. So slowly over a number of years I have crept up to 124 lbs again.

    I feel I am doing quite well with the exercise and now logging in MFP to try and keep me honest. h I read your story and talking about wanting to keep active as we get older really inspired me to keep going. My husband and I have plans to do some travelling and trekking in the future so I certainly need to keep fit and healthy for that.

    Cheers, Cat.
  • Panda8ach
    Panda8ach Posts: 518 Member
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    I hit a plateau a few weeks ago...I upped my calories from 1200 to 1400...broke the plateau and I'm on 1300 atm. I am still losing 1lb per week and I am currently at 126.5lbs :) I love this thread <3
  • BlessedBeyondMsr
    BlessedBeyondMsr Posts: 65 Member
    edited August 2017
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    So refreshing to meet ladies like myself that have similar goals! I am 5'0, 46 yo. Met my goal weight of 105lbs about six months ago and had some medication changes and began gaining back, but honestly was slacking also.
    Got up to 115 and I am currently 110, with 5 lbs to re-lose.
    Never really gave maintenance a try, but this time around I would like to and then add more strength training to recomp bc Even though I was able to meet my goal weight, my body composition has changed over the years and I have a high percentage of body fat
  • Kristi26
    Kristi26 Posts: 184 Member
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    I'm 5'3" (36 years old) and bounce around between 120-125lb in maintenance. I eat 1650-1750 calories before exercise, closer to 1950-2000 when I walk for an hour or so. But I also find better success at higher calories with lifting 3 times a week.
  • BlessedBeyondMsr
    BlessedBeyondMsr Posts: 65 Member
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    Hi all...
    Is anyone on here in the petite maintenance group? I have received no response and I am beginning to wonder if this group has become inactive?
    Has anyone used the link that Heather provided and been accepted?
  • BlessedBeyondMsr
    BlessedBeyondMsr Posts: 65 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Never mind, never mind....I'm in!
  • BlessedBeyondMsr
    BlessedBeyondMsr Posts: 65 Member
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    OT...how do you delete posts on here? I tried to delete the previous one and it only gave me the option to edit it not delete :/
  • 1beDoggone
    1beDoggone Posts: 7 Member
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    what meals do u typically have for breakfast and supper on 1200 calories?
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    5'2", 45yo, 150lb. Trying to get maintenance right, on a rest day I get to eat around 2000, but that's just a Sunday. The rest of the week it's 3000-4000, which is a lot of food. I did try a week at 2500-3000 but lost 1.5lb, so 3000-4000 it is.

    (But just so you know I'm super active as in 3+ hours a day 5-6 days a week)
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    ILoveGingerNut wrote: »
    Yes, being a shortie sucks, especially if you are no longer 20 and can't afford to hit the gym regularly. People who have 2000 cals a day are trolls and can keep their comments for themselves

    How are they trolls?

    I was wondering this as well.
    Granted I have another 40 lbs or so to lose, but I'm 5'1'' and maintain on about 2500.

    I would be interested to see how maintenance cals have changed as people got to goal weight. I'm down almost 40 lbs and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference at this point, but maybe that will change?

    Yeah...my wife is 5'2"-5'3" and she maintains on average around 2200-2300. She has a muscular, athletic build and used to play rugby in college and soccer in highschool...she is an avid runner now and is currently training for a 1/2 marathon and she lifts heavy things...

    When she's not actively training for a running event, it's a bit lower but still in the neighborhood of 2000 give or take...even when she's not training, she still runs a lot and hits it in the weight room. Her "happy weight" is a lean 125-130...

    Some of her girl friends give her grief about being able to eat so much...but she earns every morsel...most of them don't see the work she puts in for her fitness...she's also busy chasing around two young boys (3 if you count me) all of the time...poor thing!

    Can I just say I would absolutely love to meet your wife. Very few people realise just how hard I work at getting fit and just see the amount I eat and then can't work out how I can lose weight eating 2500+ Calories.
  • marissa_s_g
    marissa_s_g Posts: 1 Member
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    The easiest way to figure out your maitenance and how much you need to cut based on your height, weight, and activity level is: https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ . This is what I use :)
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,786 Member
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    firef1y72 wrote: »
    5'2", 45yo, 150lb. Trying to get maintenance right, on a rest day I get to eat around 2000, but that's just a Sunday. The rest of the week it's 3000-4000, which is a lot of food. I did try a week at 2500-3000 but lost 1.5lb, so 3000-4000 it is.

    (But just so you know I'm super active as in 3+ hours a day 5-6 days a week)
    Wow!! Can I ask what your bf% is at 150? I would be obese. ☹️. My highest weight ever at 5'2" has been just over 130 and I was very uncomfortable probably around 30 % BF. But if you are happy at 150 and strong I could see how your intake and TDEE would be that high. Cheers.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,786 Member
    edited August 2017
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    @firef1y72 Huge congrats on your loss!! Taking a break sounds like the perfect plan. It just shows us how important perspective is.

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