2,000 calories

AshHeartsJesus

I could really use some advice. Do you guys think it is possible for a short woman 120lbs to eat 2,000 calories a day and still lose fat and gain muscle? I am only 4'11 so not "average" size, but I have hit goal weight and really want to be able to eat up to that number. I have watched some women online and they eat way more then that, but they are also taller then me. Thoughts?

Fflpnari

How many calories are you eating now? Are you losing or maintaining?

kimny72

Sure it's possible. You will have to be relatively active though.

Do you know what your current maintenance calories are? Do you think you can realistically increase your exercise and activity level?

In order to recomp, you will need to focus on a strength training program. In order to increase your maintenance cals, you will need to increase your activity level. It might be difficult to do both, depending on where you're starting from. But it's possible for someone with the appropriate lifestyle.

AnnPT77

If we look at weight more than height: I'm still *losing* super-slowly at mid-120s pounds, 5'5", age freakin' 65, at 1850 plus exercise, so 2000-2100 or so most days, while sedentary outside of exercise (Garmin says I've averaged 3224 steps, the last 7 days). This sort of thing has been borne out now through 5+ years of logging, for me.

Now, I grant you I'm a mysteriously good li'l ol' calorie burner (outlier for my demographic), but my point is this: Believe your own experiential data. If you're not where you want to be, push NEAT and exercise (without screwing up your life balance, i.e., make enough time, leave enough energy, for the important non-food/activity dimensions of a rich life).

2000-plus possible abstractly, for a theoretical petite woman? Sure. Possible for you? What does your experience say, and do you have way(s) to increase TDEE beyond current, if not there yet? Possible with good life balance, for you? Only you can say.

Food is good, but food isn't everything.

sijomial

It's definitely not impossible as 2,000 cals isn't a remarkable amount of calories (sometimes given as an average amount for the wide range of adult females) but only you know your activity level and exercise volume so not sure what use that is to you.

I know someone who is 5'3 but your weight and has to eat a lot more than an average female to maintain her weight because she does a big volume of exercise.

If you have been food logging and recording your weight for a while then you must have an idea of your personal maintenance calories? If that particular number really appeals to you then trial it for a couple of months and then you will know.

AshHeartsJesus

I hope these details help me make more sense 😼

I workout to Sydney Cummings daily workout videos. It is pretty much strength training, but she does mix in cardio. I also try to walk with my kiddos when it is warm enough. And I nurse my 15 month old. So I know those things burns calories. I don't ever log nursing though.

I eat between 1600-1800 calories a day total not eating back exercise my maintence without exercise is around 1650. I am still losing .5lb to a lb every week or so. I will know after my cycle how much I have lost the last two weeks since I hit goal. My weight goes wonky sometimes during that time. But I have averaged 120.5 this time. I weigh daily to watch flucuations.

Thanks for all the help and advice! LORD JESUS bless you and yours!

sijomial

If you even out 1600 - 1800 to be 1700 intake on average and half to one pound a week loss to be on average a deficit of 375 then a ballpark figure would be roughly 2075cals to maintain.

Time to start increasing your calories if you are in a happy place in your chosen goal weight range.

Congrats!

netitheyeti

I maintained for the past 5 weeks averaging 2100, but I'm a bit taller (between 5'2 and 5'3 in the 118-120lb range), I was walking a fair bit and working out tho - would depend on the type/length of your workouts

I also do a lot of sydney cummings videos mostly her low impact and weights stuff tho (I live in an apartment with thin walls)

charmmeth

netitheyeti wrote: »

I maintained for the past 5 weeks averaging 2100, but I'm a bit taller (between 5'2 and 5'3 in the 118-120lb range), I was walking a fair bit and working out tho - would depend on the type/length of your workouts

Goodness, I hope my maintenance level is something like yours. I am taller again (5'11") and heavier (aiming fro 165lbs) but MFP is giving me only about 1800 cals as maintenance (before exercise). Hopefully I'll be able to start finding out where my maintenance level really is sometimes in the new year.

sijomial

charmmeth wrote: »

netitheyeti wrote: »

I maintained for the past 5 weeks averaging 2100, but I'm a bit taller (between 5'2 and 5'3 in the 118-120lb range), I was walking a fair bit and working out tho - would depend on the type/length of your workouts

Goodness, I hope my maintenance level is something like yours. I am taller again (5'11") and heavier (aiming fro 165lbs) but MFP is giving me only about 1800 cals as maintenance (before exercise). Hopefully I'll be able to start finding out where my maintenance level really is sometimes in the new year.

@charmmeth

A decent estimate would be to count up your last 4 weeks of total intake, add 3,500 calories for every pound lost in that time and then divide that total by 28.

charmmeth

sijomial wrote: »

A decent estimate would be to count up your last 4 weeks of total intake, add 3,500 calories for every pound lost in that time and then divide that total by 28.

That's giving me about 2000, including exercise calories, which suggests that the 1800 is probably going to be about right.

brenn24179

wow I am jealous, I eat 1600 or over I gain weight. If you are young and real energetic you probably can.

Chef_Barbell

brenn24179 wrote: »

wow I am jealous, I eat 1600 or over I gain weight. If you are young and real energetic you probably can.

No. I have seen older women (myself included) eat upwards of 2000 calories to lose or maintain. Youth and energy are a small component.

heybales

brenn24179 wrote: »

wow I am jealous, I eat 1600 or over I gain weight. If you are young and real energetic you probably can.

How much and how fast?

Because fat weight is not fast - lost or gained.
Water weight is - and many expected reasons for water weight gain if you stop eating at a deficit.

Do the math if you wonder if it's fat weight.
Did you gain 1 lb in a week say?
Then did you eat 500 cal over maintenance each and every day?
Are you talking 2 lbs in 2 days?
Then did you really eat 3500 calories over maintenance each of those days?

AshHeartsJesus

Thanks for the advice and experiences everyone! The next month will be very telling! LORD JESUS bless

Mslmesq

AshHeartsJesus wrote: »

I hope these details help me make more sense 😼

I workout to Sydney Cummings daily workout videos. It is pretty much strength training, but she does mix in cardio. I also try to walk with my kiddos when it is warm enough. And I nurse my 15 month old. So I know those things burns calories. I don't ever log nursing though.

I eat between 1600-1800 calories a day total not eating back exercise my maintence without exercise is around 1650. I am still losing .5lb to a lb every week or so. I will know after my cycle how much I have lost the last two weeks since I hit goal. My weight goes wonky sometimes during that time. But I have averaged 120.5 this time. I weigh daily to watch flucuations.

Thanks for all the help and advice! LORD JESUS bless you and yours!

Just an fyi for something I experienced while breast feeding. My body burned about 600 or more calories from that alone. And as my son weaned, I was still used to eating those calories. My weight snuck up on me after that....leading to me coming back here 2/2020. I had put on 40 pounds and weighed as much as I did when I gave birth. 🤦‍♀️

Anyways, I’m petite also. I do believe it’s possible to have that many calories, but only when I’m very active. And honestly, I’m not always very active. I tend to eat over 2,000 (usually around 2,500) a few days a week. Usually these are the days I’m eating out and having wine or a margarita. Or both. 😁. And then I try to cut it down during the week to 1,400-1,500. So far it’s working. (Entered maintenance in October). Fingers crossed.

Good luck. Sounds like you are on a good path. Just wanted to warn you on the bf cause I had no idea my body was reacting like that until I weaned. I literally lost all pregnancy weight quickly and ate constantly. Was always starving and eating for his first year. But it didn’t occur to me that wasn’t sustainable after I stopped bf until the weight crept up. 🤦‍♀️

LivingtheLeanDream

Yes its possible if your active, I have cut back my activity in recent months and find I'm still maintaining ok on 1800 (at 5ft 2/ 51yrs)-
p.s I used to average 15k steps so that enabled me getting to eat around 2100 cals
now more like 8k steps (guessing) to get 1800, but I don't sit down much - its also possible to earn more calories by just being active in other ways that isn't exercise related, in other words keeping up the NEAT. There's a great thread on that if someone has the link...

AnnPT77

LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »

Yes its possible if your active, I have cut back my activity in recent months and find I'm still maintaining ok on 1800 (at 5ft 2/ 51yrs)-
p.s I used to average 15k steps so that enabled me getting to eat around 2100 cals
now more like 8k steps (guessing) to get 1800, but I don't sit down much - its also possible to earn more calories by just being active in other ways that isn't exercise related, in other words keeping up the NEAT. There's a great thread on that if someone has the link...

Maybe ya mean thiiiiissss one?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

😉

(And somewhere in the posts on that thread, it links to another one IIRC, BTW.)

AshHeartsJesus

Thanks for the advice! I will keep a close watch when he finally does wean!
I need to read that thread 😊

nxd10

It depends. As people say, count, weigh, watch. Adjust. I am older and can only net (not eat) 1300 to maintain.

Some people also log high, some low. Some take a lot for exercise some don’t. So I think you need to watch YOUR log and see how you do.

Also analyze your calories. When I was first losing I dropped 700 calories a say by seriously reducing milk and bread and going down to 1/4 cup of good ice cream instead of half a cup of junk. I stopped eating too many nuts. It didn’t feel like a loss. Ii dropped 40 pounds.

It’s not the numbers. It’s knowing your body and eating what makes you happy and keeps you balanced.