5'9, 140lb

1234suroor

Hi guys,

I have been lurking on these boards for a long time and have learnt that you guys offer some pretty good advice to those who seek help in terms of their weight loss goals. I have been on MFP since April... first it put me on 1200... I tried that and binged my way up in weight... then I upped my calories to 1350-1400 (at 1 lb/wk loss).. still binge-> weight gain.... no...not gain.. ballooning!

Overall before I started here I was having 700-800 cal per day so basically my metabolism was not running as efficiently as it should normally. So I am sick of gaining, binging, setting unrealistic goals... hence seeking help.

I am female.. 5' 9 ... weight 140 lbs... small frame.. 24 yo....I know according to BMI I am at my normal weight but please dont judge... I really have a very waif like build so I really don't "carry my weight well". Plus the superficial girl in me wants me to weigh less than my bf who is actually an inch shorter than me and 20 pounds lighter

Currently I am having 1600 cal.... with 20-30 min of pilates 4-5x/wk.... has anyone else my height lost weight on similar number of cal? I am a bit skeptical and some reinforcement would be great...

Thanks in advance! You guys are make this a super awesome community

ekaustin7

I think I was meant to read this thread... I'm 5'8.5" and just hit 140. I started at 173.8, my heaviest ever. It took me from January 1st to July 30th of this year to lose 34 pounds. When I first started, MFP put me at 1200 calories, but I was just starving. I'm pretty active, have an active job and workout 6-7 days per week, so 1200 was simply not enough. I eventually went up to 1380 and did straight cardio as my workouts. I didn't believe in lifting because I didn't want to get bulky and I figured lifting would make me gain weight, not lose it. After losing 10 pounds, MFP automatically bumped me down to 1310 calories. When I was eating that, I started to plateau, so I went up to 1400 and started losing again. Once I started to plateau at 1400 calories, I picked up lifting weights. It worked wonders. All of my preconceived notions about getting bulky and gaining weight from heavy lifting were a farse... I am convinced that my weight loss would have been much slower if not for lifting weights, and I suspect that you would see similar results. Now that I'm at my goal weight, I'm going to slowly increase my calories by about 100 calories per week until I get to my maintenance level. And I Jazzercise as my workouts, great mix of cardio, strength and stretch

Best of luck to you, just keep your mind to it and you can get there!

1234suroor

Wow your story is inspiring! Thanks.. hmm weight lifting will definitely be a good addition to my routine

born2drum

Rather thn strictly doing pilates may I suggest switching it up by doing interval training (cardio) and weight lifting plus pilates. This way, you retain all if not most of your lean mass and avoid becoming skinny fat. Weights plus pilates I'm sure makes a toned female. I've seen some really hot chicks at the gym who do pilates and lift and have great bodies

valorieflowers

I am about 5'10" and dhave done great with about 1700 calories. I am a different build though, I have a larger frame. I think 1600 sounds good for you. It si certainly not high enough to make you gain.

kristen6022

I'm 5'11 and lost the best with between 1500-1600 (ate back 1/2 exercise calories). I went from 190-143 for reference. Gained some back over the winter (I went a bit too low for me, my happy weight, where I look good and don't have to kill myself to maintain it is 150-155).

Now, saying that, I'd advise you not to go much lower than 130 (even if you are a slender build). I also advice you to incorporate some HIIT and weight training in with your pilates so you can be defining your muscles. You may not see the scale go down fast, but you'll see it move steadily.