Active, 4' 10" and not sure if I should be eating more/less

QueerAbuela

I'm essentially the size of a child, current weight a little under 105lbs and looking to lose just a bit more fat and build muscle. I hardly ever weigh myself but being at 100lbs would be cool. My net cal goal right now is 1110cals, but I burn a lot in my workouts so I tend to eat about 1300cals a day, maybe a little more if I'm feeling it. I just started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and do that in the mornings in addition to an hour of cardio 5 days a week and strength training (lifting 8lb weights, I'm a wimp) 4 days a week. Everywhere I look for help I can't really relate to because I'm a shrimp and really don't have much weight to lose. Does 1300cals in sound about right for my routine, or should I consider more or less?

StaciMarie1974

Its going to somewhat depend on trial & error. Meaning aiming for a calorie range for 8-12 weeks, checking results & then adjusting if needed. 1300 seems like a good starting point. Aim for low in calorie, filling foods to help. Like adding a salad to lunch and dinner. You can get alot of bulk for under 100 calories there. On the other hand, don't skimp too much on healthy fats.

Because of your stats, your BMR is lower and you burn less overall. So it will be hard to have a 'large' deficit. The important detail when you have a small deficit is accuracy in your logging. So you may need to be meticulous.

tulips_and_tea

That's quite a bit of cardio. I personally don't think morning and evening cardio sessions are necessary, but that is just from my own personal experience. I'm 5'1" and used to do 60 - 90 min. intense cardio sessions 6 -7 days per week. Stayed between 105 - 110 lbs. but was unhappy because I didn't want to rely on that amount of cardio to stay that size. What if I got injured? Would the weight pile on? So, I gave heavy lifting a shot and it changed my life. Sounds cheesy, but I gained all that time back in my day that I wasted doing cardio. I now only do 30 - 40 min. cardio sessions a couple days per week mainly because it helps me sleep better.

Lifting heavy is my main form of exercise and I've stayed at a steady 95 lbs. for several years now. So worth it! Don't consider yourself a wimp! Get some heavier weights and just get started. Learn correct form and just start building.

QueerAbuela

thanks for the help! I definitely plan on starting to heavy lift in a few weeks, I just haven't had the resources. I'll probably cut down on cardio once I start that.

tulips_and_tea

You know what else seems to be really effective is a combo workout of cardio and body weight exercises. Example: warm up for 5 min. doing whatever, then do a set of squats, a set of push ups, another 5 min. of cardio. Then do another set of body-weight exercises and repeat for however long you wish. Keeping your heart rate up and working your muscle groups at the same time is really helpful.

segacs

Agree with trial and error. You're gonna have to pick a number that sounds about right, eat as close to it as possible for 6-8 weeks, and evaluate to see whether you're losing at your expected rate. The increments are small; the difference between a deficit, maintenance and a gain could be tiny. So it will be really important for you -- more than anyone -- to log and measure as accurately as possible. If you're not using a food scale to weigh all your food in grams, you should invest in one, because being off by even just a little bit could throw you off.

Fellow shortie here -- not quite as short, but at 5'1" / 120, I'm also working with small deficits. So I'm speaking from experience.

QueerAbuela

I do have a scale but honestly it's reeeeally *kitten* haha. I'm looking to invest in a better digital scale cause even though I weigh my food I'm not sure I trust my scale. I'll try and be patient and see what happens.

segacs

QueerAbuela wrote: »

I do have a scale but honestly it's reeeeally *kitten* haha. I'm looking to invest in a better digital scale cause even though I weigh my food I'm not sure I trust my scale. I'll try and be patient and see what happens.

A pretty decent digital food scale costs only $10-$15 on Amazon or at Wal-Mart or whatever's near you. It's a pretty small investment and makes a really big difference.