Women who are 5'5/5'6

klund13

How many calories are you eating (on a day with no exercise)? MFP just changed my intake to 1390 for a 1 pound a week loss. Honestly that makes me a little sad. I still have another 40 pounds to lose, is it going to take me down to 1200 a day?

abatonfan

It depends on your age and weight.

I'm 5'6, 135lbs, 20 years old, and sedentary, and MFP has me maintaining on 1750. If I want to lose about a pound per week, I'll need to eat around 1200.

strong_curves

It's different for everyone. That said, MFP gave you 1390 to lose but MFP is expecting you to eat some of your exercise calories back so in essence you would be eating more than 1390 calories a day.

Francl27

I'm 5'5" and 37... was 34 when I started. I've lost 80 pounds and I never had to eat under 1650 total.

sarahrahniejorge

I'm about 5'4.5" and I eat about 1100-1200 cals daily but I exercise some of that off and so net cals is about 900

tennileb

If I'm totally inactive 1200-1300 on a high activity day 2500 (some says I burn over 4500 hiking) I'm 5'5". 145 trying to loos 10-15 lbs.

whmscll

I'm 5'5", 142' 55 years old, and MFP gave me 1200. I upped it to 1300 and have been losing 1 lb a week. I do eat back most of my exercise calories. Meeting 1300 without exercise is hard, I usually go over by at least 50, sometimes 100. But i know I'm still in a deficit so I don't worry about it.

kshama2001

I'm 5'6.5" and one reason I exercise is so I can eat over my 1,580 calories. I don't eat back all of the calories I earned from exercise, and am consistently losing a pound per week.

Keladelphia

I'm 5'6, I ate about 1500 (though im sure this number was closer to 1700 for logging error). I also exercised 4 days a week and lost about 1.5-2 a week (probably about 2000 calories burned from exercise) so no exercise and I would have probably lost about 1 a week.

barbecuesauce

sarahrahniejorge wrote: »

I'm about 5'4.5" and I eat about 1100-1200 cals daily but I exercise some of that off and so net cals is about 900

Strong first post. This is completely unnecessary and suggesting a VLCD is against terms of service. You should choose a more sustainable course of action and stop recommending this to others.

To OP--exercise is key. Walking more all day is key. I eat most of the calories I earn from exercise and am losing about a pound a week with 9 more pounds to go. Generally 1400-1700, sometimes more on the weekend.

ETA: I'm 5'6"

laryssalynch15

I'm 5'5'' and 21 years old. I rarely exercise unless it's running up and down the three flights of stairs to my apartment or cleaning the place. MFP gave me 1200, and I don't usually eat more than 1400 on a bad day (including the calories I can back from my minimal exercise. But I haven't lost a pound yet. Actually, I've been gaining.

yesimpson

I eat 1850 on days I don't work out - so my only real activity is a bit of general wandering about at work, climbing stairs to my office, walking to the water fountain, popping to the corner shop, and then a bit of light housework and cooking at home.

cleback

I'm 5'5. When I have it set to lose 0.5 lbs/week, I get 1380 from MFP. This would not be sustainable for me for any significant amount of time. Fortunately, I am a pretty active person and regularly "earn" 200-300 extra calories/day. (Thank you, Fitbit!)

katecashmoney

I'm 5'6'' and weigh 133lbs. I eat 1200 calories per day, even on days when I exercise. If you eat back a majority of the calories burned through exercise, you'll only maintain. 1200-1400 for a person who isn't active all day is pretty normal for someone our size. Hope this helps!

whmscll

katecashmoney wrote: »

I'm 5'6'' and weigh 133lbs. I eat 1200 calories per day, even on days when I exercise. If you eat back a majority of the calories burned through exercise, you'll only maintain. 1200-1400 for a person who isn't active all day is pretty normal for someone our size. Hope this helps!

Not necessarily true. I eat back most of my exercise calories and have been losing. But you do have to be careful, as most calculators overestimate calorie burn from exercise. I tend to be conservative logging exercise and then eat most of those calories back.

barbecuesauce

laryssalynch15 wrote: »

I'm 5'5'' and 21 years old. I rarely exercise unless it's running up and down the three flights of stairs to my apartment or cleaning the place. MFP gave me 1200, and I don't usually eat more than 1400 on a bad day (including the calories I can back from my minimal exercise. But I haven't lost a pound yet. Actually, I've been gaining.

Do you weigh your solids and measure your liquids? The math doesn't work out unless you have medical conditions. You might be consuming more than you think.

CostaRica120

I'm 5'6, 141 lbs and eat 1200-1400 on days I don't exercise to lose.

laryssalynch15

barbecuesauce wrote: »

Do you weigh your solids and measure your liquids? The math doesn't work out unless you have medical conditions. You might be consuming more than you think.

I don't have a scale, so I always record as accurately as possible based on calories. I just started using MFP again recently, but I've been keeping a journal at home for a couple of weeks.

When I make food from scratch, I add up the servings of every component (garlic, onions, carrots, etc.). I will also add extra calories to make up for any errors, and I decrease my reported exercise calories. If I walk enough to burn 200, I will count it as 100. I realize it's entirely possible that I'm still wrong, but I'm honestly trying to be accurate. Thank you!

whmscll

Food scales cost about $10-$15. Get one!

brandyosu

I'm 5'5.5", 40-years-old and have been eating in the ballpark of around 1200 to 1600 calories per day. I don't exercise, although I acknowledge its importance and hope that as I continue this journey that I find ways to start incorporating it in. I started 7 weeks ago and have lost just shy of 20 pounds. CICO works, but I was also prediabetic when I started so I am cautious with my intake of carbs and refined sugars. Don't get me wrong, I eat them, I just try to focus on taking in more whole wheats and fruits and veggies and try to keep the other stuff (like Ghirardelli Milk Caramel squares...nomnomnom) to a minimum.

DKG28

5'5" Started at 196, now 160 lbs. I don't exercise intentionally and 1200 cals gives me 5lbs per month loss at current weight. I'm 31. A desk jockey. I could eat a little more and still lose, but I'm impatient and i've never felt so good. I know the weight loss will slow down the closer to goal I get, that's the way it is.

arachnofobia7

Actually I remember myself crying over the number of calories that MFP flashed in front of my face when I first entered the data...but hey ho, two months later 3kg lighter!!! There is actually a lot one can have within 1200kcal allowance - veggies topping the list:) One of the reasons the weight creeps on us is the popular presumption of the guidance on daily calorie allowance for both men and women very often found on food labels. It usually reads 2000kcal for woman and 2500 for men!!!...and then comes the shock when our TDEE tells us that all we need is no more than 1700 for maintenance or less if we want to lose some weight.

tedioustrainingap

I have an allowance of 1200 with 1600 on exercise days (5 days per week). I eat between 1100 and 1200 but struggle to eat the 1400 I should eat, to eat half of my calories back. This is balanced by my two rest days though, when I seem to struggle to stay within 1200! Boredom, I think

Lexicpt

Mine is set at 1200, but I also have my goal set at 2 pounds per week. Some choose not to because they think it's too restrictive. Personal preference.

low_esteem23

barbecuesauce wrote: »

sarahrahniejorge wrote: »

I'm about 5'4.5" and I eat about 1100-1200 cals daily but I exercise some of that off and so net cals is about 900

Strong first post. This is completely unnecessary and suggesting a VLCD is against terms of service. You should choose a more sustainable course of action and stop recommending this to others.

To OP--exercise is key. Walking more all day is key. I eat most of the calories I earn from exercise and am losing about a pound a week with 9 more pounds to go. Generally 1400-1700, sometimes more on the weekend.

ETA: I'm 5'6"

MFP recommends to some people 1200 calories daily with a sedentary lifestyle. so the quote you quoted is not actually inaccurate or unnecessary for this forum. For me, i should be consuming 1200 calories daily and exercising 2-3 times per week. i don't need to eat back what i lose in the exercising because i'm not supposed to as it defeats the purpose.

jemhh

low_esteem23 wrote: »

barbecuesauce wrote: »

sarahrahniejorge wrote: »

I'm about 5'4.5" and I eat about 1100-1200 cals daily but I exercise some of that off and so net cals is about 900

Strong first post. This is completely unnecessary and suggesting a VLCD is against terms of service. You should choose a more sustainable course of action and stop recommending this to others.

To OP--exercise is key. Walking more all day is key. I eat most of the calories I earn from exercise and am losing about a pound a week with 9 more pounds to go. Generally 1400-1700, sometimes more on the weekend.

ETA: I'm 5'6"

MFP recommends to some people 1200 calories daily with a sedentary lifestyle. so the quote you quoted is not actually inaccurate or unnecessary for this forum. For me, i should be consuming 1200 calories daily and exercising 2-3 times per week. i don't need to eat back what i lose in the exercising because i'm not supposed to as it defeats the purpose.

MFP's minimum recommendation is to net 1200 calories, not to gross 1200. Net = total calories eaten less those earned for exercise. Furthermore, eating back calories earned through exercise does not defeat the purpose of exercising if you are actually following the MFP way to lose weight. MFP's method is to reduce your daily goal by the amount of calories necessary to create a caloric deficit equal to your intended weight loss AND to then eat back your exercise calories earned.

jemhh

I'm 5'6". I maintain somewhere between 2400 and 2500 calories per day. When I was heavier and losing weight last year, I averaged between 1750 and 1860 calories eaten (gross, not net) per day.

marieamethyst

I'm 5'5 / 29 / 119 lbs, and MFP has me maintaining at 1580. I usually average between 1200-1300 according to Fitbit though.

TaurianDoll

I'm 5'5 and I weigh 169 lbs. MFP first gave me 1200 when I selected a sedentary activity level but it's been increased to 1340 since I changed my activity level to moderate.

I work out 4 times a week and I walk to work so I thought the sedentary level was a bit inaccurate.

rcolwell011

I'm 5'6" weighing 160 losing weight consistently eating 1800 calories a day. I do exercise 3-6 times a week for 30-45 minutes and am consistently losing 1-3 pounds a week. It is all relative. People lose and maintain with different calories, and 1,200 calories of junk food does not fuel your body the same way 1,200 calories of whole foods do.

Losing weight short term is not worth destroying your metabolism long term. Please make sure you girls are eating enough to fuel yourselves.

rcolwell011

I'm 5'6" weighing 160 losing weight consistently eating 1800 calories a day. I do exercise 3-6 times a week for 30-45 minutes and am consistently losing 1-3 pounds a week. It is all relative. People lose and maintain with different calories, and 1,200 calories of junk food does not fuel your body the same way 1,200 calories of whole foods do.

Losing weight short term is not worth destroying your metabolism long term. Please make sure you girls are eating enough to fuel yourselves.