Weight loss for short people, advice please

pineapple_jojo
pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, i need some advice from seasoned mfp people please. I am 5 foot 2 inches and want to lose 2 lbs a week but on 1200 cals mfp says i will lose only 1.1 lbs per week. Is it safe to regularly go below 1200 cals if you are a shortie?

Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Your height is only one piece of the puzzle, but generally 2lbs/week isn't realistic. More like 0.5-1lb/ week.

    Use this website to find out what your goal should be.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    Short answer is no. Haha. I can joke about being short because I'm shorter than you, just 5'0".
    It's hard to get enough nutrients for our body's if we go under this.
    Best to increase your exercise to create the deficit.
    Ideally, work out your TDEE and BMR to determine a bottom line and your maintenance calories, then eat in between. Never go under your BMR.
    Member 'Heybales' has described this process in detail on this site.

    We also have a shorties group on here.
  • vjsanvil
    vjsanvil Posts: 15 Member
    Don't eat less than 1200, just add in more exercise (and don't eat back the calories burned). That will help increase your deficit without lowering your calorie intake.
  • Got_Discipline
    Got_Discipline Posts: 65 Member
    I am no expert but IMO your body needs FOOD for energy to survive. You really must EAT every single day lots of food. The more you are active the more calories your body will requirefor energy to preform these tasks. Therefore your metabalism will go up, and you can eat more food everyday all day long just to sustain life. Your metabolism is like a furnace the more you feed it the more it will burn and the better the food you put into it the hotter your flame will be. In others words 100 calories of french fries is the same as 100 calories of Chicken. But the chicken is much better for you hence Eat as clean as possible. Garbage in = Garbage out!

    Cardio is a fantastic way to burn calories but it only burns them while you are doing it. Lifting weights is a BETTER way to burn calories even though initially you don't burn as many calories for the time invested. Your body will continue to burn calories throughout the day when you lift weights. Also liftingweights WILL NOT make a women bulky. It will do just the opposite it will make your body lean and strong.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Don't eat less than 1200, just add in more exercise (and don't eat back the calories burned). That will help increase your deficit without lowering your calorie intake.

    Wut?

    1200 calories minus exercise calories equals...under 1200 calories for your body to make use of, right? Or am I suddenly bad at math?
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Don't eat less than 1200, just add in more exercise (and don't eat back the calories burned). That will help increase your deficit without lowering your calorie intake.

    Respectfully, no.

    If you set your goal at 1200 MFP EXPECTS you to eat exercise calories back because of the deficit that is already built in. A bigger deficit is not better and will only cause a loss of lean body mass.
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    Wow, you guys are so supportive! Thanks so much for your replies, also for the tip about the shorties groups Georgina1970 - i've just joined one :-)
  • vjsanvil
    vjsanvil Posts: 15 Member
    As a short woman (4' 10"), I decided to get professional help to lose 22 lbs. This specific plan was prescribed to me by a doctor. 1200 calories a day, at least burning 1500 calories through exercise a week and I cannot eat back my calories burned through exercise (though if I burn more than 1500 a week I can if I choose to --- this results in losing 1.3 pounds a week).

    It's actually pretty amazing if you eat the right, nutritious foods how easy it is. Again, I am very short and this was prescribed to me by a doctor with a meal plan (protein in the morning, protein/veggies for lunch, fruit/dairy snack, and protein/carbs/veggies for dinner). So while taller people may respectfully disagree I thought I should share this because I received this plan and advice from a professional specifically because of how short I am.
  • gaylynn35
    gaylynn35 Posts: 854 Member
    I am only 4'10" tall and I try to net 1000 - 1100 calories. This is the only way I have lost any weight.

    Right now I am giving my body a rest and am in maintenance mode at 1490 calories a day and not exercising. I will continue this for a week or so and then get back to it.

    I love eating, so the more you exercise the more you can eat. I don't eat all of my exercise calories back for the simple reason MFP tends to overestimate calories burned so I try to leave a couple of hundred on the table.

    Good luck!

    Feel free to add me for support!
  • Dixie2111
    Dixie2111 Posts: 30 Member
    I'm a shorty too 4 foot 10 inches so that makes me the smallest lol I am eating 1200 and I am also exercising 5 times a week with two days off, but plan on increasing my aerobic sessions a little more at present 75 mins including a cool down and stretch and mat work. Being a newbie I have so far lost 6 pounds over four and a half weeks and this week I hope by Sunday (my weigh day) to have lost another pound making it half a stone, that will be my first goal achieved then! Is there a shortie group on here then? I'd like to join it if I may please. :happy:
  • Morenna
    Morenna Posts: 49 Member
    Hi. I'm 5'2 too and i lost 20 lbs. My calorie intake was 1200-1300 cals., I did cardio (still doing it) and I always ate back the calories burned.

    Good luck :)
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    As a short woman (4' 10"), I decided to get professional help to lose 22 lbs. This specific plan was prescribed to me by a doctor. 1200 calories a day, at least burning 1500 calories through exercise a week and I cannot eat back my calories burned through exercise (though if I burn more than 1500 a week I can if I choose to --- this results in losing 1.3 pounds a week).

    It's actually pretty amazing if you eat the right, nutritious foods how easy it is. Again, I am very short and this was prescribed to me by a doctor with a meal plan (protein in the morning, protein/veggies for lunch, fruit/dairy snack, and protein/carbs/veggies for dinner). So while taller people may respectfully disagree I thought I should share this because I received this plan and advice from a professional specifically because of how short I am.

    I'm not tall by any stretch, but I like food and refuse to starve if I don't have to. But congrats to you :flowerforyou:
  • sparkplugsgirl
    sparkplugsgirl Posts: 1
    5'0" here. I eat 1200 calories a day, and I always eat back all of my exercise calories. I've gone from 185lbs to 144lbs since February of this year. If I eat only 1200, and then exercise without eating back those calories, I feel light-headed and awful. I'm an airplane mechanic, so I'm always up and down ladders, carrying 100lbs toolboxes, stuff like that -- I need the fuel.
  • jameshundson
    jameshundson Posts: 7
    It is almost impossible to lose weight without exercising regularly. Proper workouts are necessary to burn fat to reduce weight. You can also try for protein and fat burner supplements to reduce your fat.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    It is almost impossible to lose weight without exercising regularly. Proper workouts are necessary to burn fat to reduce weight. You can also try for protein and fat burner supplements to reduce your fat.

    No.

    Perhaps "not ideal", but certainly not "almost impossible".

    Your second sentence is patently false.

    And I have no idea what your last sentence means at all.
  • CrankMeUp
    CrankMeUp Posts: 2,860 Member
    What's the rush?
  • CrankMeUp
    CrankMeUp Posts: 2,860 Member
    It is almost impossible to lose weight without exercising regularly. Proper workouts are necessary to burn fat to reduce weight. You can also try for protein and fat burner supplements to reduce your fat.

    lolwut?
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
    I'm 5'3" and while losing netted 1,300 calories. I always ate back my exercise cals and still do. Your body needs the fuel and nourishment. It also helps to maintain lean body mass (muscle) and makes it much easier to adjust once you hit maintenance and still have muscle to burn calories. If you lose weight too quickly, it will most likely result in the loss of LBM meaning your body will burn even less and you will have to reduce your calories to maintain. Not a situation most want to be in. Eat your calories, get your protein and exercise if you want to eat more (exercise anyway since it's good for you). This shouldn't be a race, 1 lb a week is a very good loss and more likely to stay off if you take it slow and steady.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    Don't eat less than 1200, just add in more exercise (and don't eat back the calories burned). That will help increase your deficit without lowering your calorie intake.

    tumblr_lvk2p1wCUK1qguxfm.gif
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    I'm 5'3 and net around 1450. My daily intake is around 1800-2000 (or more on long hiking days). I am making steady progress and not killing myself doing it. There's no need to rush it, I know patience is tough (believe me), but just try to stay consistent and you'll get there.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    The derp is too strongly rooted. Abandon thread!
  • meghan6867
    meghan6867 Posts: 388 Member
    In addition to weight loss you have to consider what is maintainable.

    Do an honest assessment... do you really think you can keep up eating 1200 calories a day or less for an extended period of time? I know I wouldn't be able to...

    Not only is unhealthy, it's also unrealistic. Food is fuel and you NEED it.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I'm 4' 10 1/2" and I eat 1530 calories a day to lose weight.

    Also, OMG at the misinformation in this thread. Wow.

    ETA: To the OP, it's not a race. Losing 2 lb a week is not sustainable. Your success will be much more likely to last if you lose a little slower.
  • nfgchick79
    nfgchick79 Posts: 89 Member
    Oh boy, another short thread...

    I'm 5'0".
    SW: 134
    CW: 110
    LW: 106
    Goal is to maintain/build muscle. I started at 1200 for about 5 months. I lost about 15 lbs, hit a major plateau. Then I upped it to 1500 and started losing again. I got down to 106 (over another 4-5 months) but then had surgery and some health issues and went up to 110 which is where I currently am. I eat between 1500-1800 a day depending on my workouts. I workout currently between 4-6 days a week doing a combination of strength, cardio and yoga. Don't buy into the b.s. that if you're short that automatically means you have to eat low calories. I use the TDEE method pretty loosely. www.scoobysworkshop.com has a great calculator.

    For the record when I did 1200 I felt okay for a bit but then started to feel quite tired and realized I wasn't eating enough to fuel my workouts. I am a much happier person eating a bit more. I look and feel great. If you stalk my profile the pics in the orange dress I am at my lowest of 106.
  • Love_Is_My_Fuel
    Love_Is_My_Fuel Posts: 211 Member
    I'm 5'2 and eat 1500-1600 calories a day..losing about 1.5 to 2 lbs. a week but I'm working out 600-1000 calories a day.
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    So amazed at the discussion surrounding this issue, regardless of height! Be good if mfp could give an official line onn this
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    What's the rush?

    Getting married next year :heart:
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    I went to a registered dietician - at the time I was working out 12+ hours a week. She put me on 1200 calories a day and did not recommend I eat my exercise calories. I lost 50 pounds relatively quickly. But I ruined my metabolism and gained it all back. I was eating at a deficit, exercising maybe 6 hours a week vs 12. And still gained it all back.

    Don't eat less than 1200 - don't eat less than your BMR. You want to keep any muscle you have as that helps you burn more calories during the day. If you exercise, eat back your calories. Save your metabolism. In the end you want to be able to eat as much as possible on maintenance.

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