1800 calories, 5ft 1 question

Currently 126lbs but want to get back down to 112. 5ft1pear shape. Is it possible to eat 1800 calories per day and lose weight? MFP sets it at 1200 which is too low. I do at least 5 hours exercise per week and often more of CV and weight training. This is not eating calories back but just eating 1800 daily regardless if it's more than 5 hours per week exercising. Is it possible?

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Your MFP setting is based on the goal you entered, which was probably more than .5 pounds per week? With 10-12 pounds to lose .5 is probably a realistic goal. I don't know your BMR, activity level, etc. but there are websites you can use to estimate realistically how much you burn per day.

    Keep in mind .5 pounds is a deficit of 250/day. Which means accuracy in logging is very important. Overestimating your calories burned or underestimating calories in could easily mean no deficit. So use a food scale, log 100% honestly.
  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    Our stats are similar. I just recalculated, 5'1, sedentary, 130 lbs. At 1200 calories, MFP tells me I will lose 3.6 pounds in 5 weeks. If I upped it to 1800, I would have to burn 600 calories a day in order to lose less than a pound a week.

    You can give it a try, but you may need to go lower than 1800. Alas, it's the curse of being short.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
    I do eat that much and am just a little above you in weight but I am doing circuit training strength training 2 hrs 3 days a week and cardio 2 days I am maintaining and eat 1500 days I do nothing and 1800-2300 on training days
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Is it possible to eat 1800 calories per day and lose weight?

    You can try using one of the many free TDEE calculators online, which take into account your activity level as well as your height, weight and age (and, if you use certain methods, your body composition, too): http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/.

    With this method, you don't eat back exercise calories (so you wouldn't log them on MFP) but your calories remain consistently higher because they already take your activity into account. So yes, conceivably you could be losing weight, albeit slowly, at 1800 calories/day, given certain variables.

    But really, the answer to your question is, there's only one way to find out. And that's by eating 1800 calories for a few weeks or months, logging consistently, and seeing if you're losing weight. If you are, great. If not, adjust.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm 5'1" and lose weight on 1800 cals/day - I have a large frame and a high lean body mass for my height though... but that probably only gives me 100 or so extra calories, so you should be able to do that.... do a bit more physical activity if it helps.

    my TDEE is around 2100 cals/day when doing weight lifting 2-3x per week and not much cardio.
  • Numberwang22
    Numberwang22 Posts: 213 Member
    I'm a little taller and my TDEE is 1660, I would gain a lot of weight eating 1800 calories. Would recommend fitbit type tracker and/ or calculators to work it out for your age and activity level.
  • If you put every exercise you do on mfp they will add every calorie you burned in. 1200 is basically just sitting doing nothing all day. Like if you burn 300 calories doing exercise mfp will give you 1500 instead of 1200
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    Yes it is possible to lose weight with 1800. According to Scooby you'll lose about half a pound a week with the amount of exercise you do. :)
  • george7527
    george7527 Posts: 267 Member
    Hi im 49 5ft1/2" tall do mainly cardio 4/5 times a week for no less than 1 hour and TDEE says I should eat 1430 cals a day.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    edited October 2014
    ucabucca wrote: »
    I do eat that much and am just a little above you in weight but I am doing circuit training strength training 2 hrs 3 days a week and cardio 2 days I am maintaining and eat 1500 days I do nothing and 1800-2300 on training days

    That is more or less what I eat
    I'm a little taller and my TDEE is 1660, I would gain a lot of weight eating 1800 calories. Would recommend fitbit type tracker and/ or calculators to work it out for your age and activity level.

    wow your TDEE is 1660. I'm 5ft 1in my BMR is around 1500 according to my fitbit. You must be near or at your goal weight.

    My fitbit says I burn 16 calories every 15 mins doing nothing so that's 1536 per day.