Anyone else with calorie goal of 1200-1300? Short people club lol

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Karliemyalgia
Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I'm Karlie. Are you a short person too?

I am 31, 4'11 and currently 167lbs.
To achieve my healthy weight I need to drop at least 50lbs.

Given my sedentary nature, height, and goal - my calorie intake goal is set to 1230 calories a day.

I used to have friends who were always under their goals (yay for them!) but when I look at their food intake for the day (with no exercise) they can eat so much more than I can m 1600 calories+ and it just felt a bit discouraging the difference in our caloric goals.

So if you are a short, or have a caloric goal 1200-1400cals/day
Please drop a message here and I'll add you, or add me via https://myfitnesspal.com/profile/karliemyalgia
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  • frhaberl
    frhaberl Posts: 145 Member
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    While I'm on the tall end of petite at 5'4", my children range from 6"-12" taller than me. And my calorie goal dropped down to 1200 when I updated my goals today (was at 1320). Having lost enough weight to drop my calorie target that much is bitter sweet.

    I have a sedentary job but have been doing about 3 miles of intentional walking each day to "earn" more calories. I've been pretty comfortable at the 1600 calories/day level that's gotten me to, but it can feel like a struggle to not feel deprived when I take a rest day and don't have the extra exercise calories. Add (or rather subtract) the lower calorie target as I drop the weight and I have spent some time wondering how to shift my mindset so that the way I will need to eat to continue losing and eventually maintain a healthy weight doesn't feel like an eternal "diet". I've learned how to eat so I'm physically satisfied on those lower calories, but the mental game doesn't feel quite as solid. Anyone else in that boat?
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    frhaberl wrote: »
    While I'm on the tall end of petite at 5'4", my children range from 6"-12" taller than me. And my calorie goal dropped down to 1200 when I updated my goals today (was at 1320). Having lost enough weight to drop my calorie target that much is bitter sweet.

    I have a sedentary job but have been doing about 3 miles of intentional walking each day to "earn" more calories. I've been pretty comfortable at the 1600 calories/day level that's gotten me to, but it can feel like a struggle to not feel deprived when I take a rest day and don't have the extra exercise calories. Add (or rather subtract) the lower calorie target as I drop the weight and I have spent some time wondering how to shift my mindset so that the way I will need to eat to continue losing and eventually maintain a healthy weight doesn't feel like an eternal "diet". I've learned how to eat so I'm physically satisfied on those lower calories, but the mental game doesn't feel quite as solid. Anyone else in that boat?


    Hey nice to meet you, thanks for sharing.

    Heheee oh that is funny having your kids taller than you!! They must get a real kick out of it.

    Definitely, I feel you, gotta shift our mindset so it doesn't feel like an eternal diet.
    I'm not one for "dieting" but when our caloric allowance is so little it can really feel like it!!
    Maybe some low-calorie snacks like celery, something to munch and chew on will give you some satisfaction during times you wish to eat, but don't have additional calories. I know yesterday I went over by like 200 but barely snacked or anything -- but I was sedentary I guess its my own fault, gotta move my fat butt more lol!!
  • herblovinmom
    herblovinmom Posts: 353 Member
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    @Karliemyalgia I feel ya, I’m a shorty. MFP gives me 1420 calories a day to reach my goals. I’m so close. Only 13-18 more lbs to go before I hit my goal window 👍 that being said when I was heavier MFP gave me a higher calorie goal and it’s slowly gone down over time with my weight loss so I guess I’ve gotten used to it. On days when I’m hungrier I do try to exercise to earn more calories to eat. It’s a little trick just gotta try not to eat all my exercise calories back just a little.
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    herblovinmom wrote: »
    @Karliemyalgia I feel ya, I’m a shorty. MFP gives me 1420 calories a day to reach my goals. I’m so close. Only 13-18 more lbs to go before I hit my goal window 👍 that being said when I was heavier MFP gave me a higher calorie goal and it’s slowly gone down over time with my weight loss so I guess I’ve gotten used to it. On days when I’m hungrier I do try to exercise to earn more calories to eat. It’s a little trick just gotta try not to eat all my exercise calories back just a little.


    Ooo you go girl, 13/18lbs to go that's great! I guess I gotta find that balance of moving my fat butt around so I can eat more LOL! Short girls unite. I'm going to send you a friend request :)
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 909 Member
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    i'm 5'4", and my daily calories dropped from 1250 to 1230 a few days ago when i logged my new weight. i do my best to stay under it. i do eat back part of my exercise calories sometimes.

    my husband, btw, is a very active guy of 6'7" - he eats more than double my food every day and stays fit and trim, although he is very supportive. still, sometimes i want to go crazy and eat more food!
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    zebasschick wrote: »
    i'm 5'4", and my daily calories dropped from 1250 to 1230 a few days ago when i logged my new weight. i do my best to stay under it. i do eat back part of my exercise calories sometimes.

    my husband, btw, is a very active guy of 6'7" - he eats more than double my food every day and stays fit and trim, although he is very supportive. still, sometimes i want to go crazy and eat more food!


    Hey nice to meet you!! Looks like were in the exact same range there. Mine was 1200 but I came back and updated all my stuff and it changed to 1230? I dunno I'll take the extra 30 right now lol! Ive always been bad for not logging because I don't wanna see my snacking habits. :D

    Aww that's nice he is supportive!! Must be hard to feed a guy like that, I'd be jealous of what he gets to eat hehehe. my man eats like a bird most times!
  • Coffeerun1
    Coffeerun1 Posts: 10 Member
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    Im 5'2" 1400 cals per day just joined this week.
  • candice_dawkins7
    candice_dawkins7 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm 5ft4, 1310 calories is my goal according to MFP. I've been trying to burn about 500 a day so I can actually eat something :neutral: I dread what it's going to drop to when I get closer to my goal weight!
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 909 Member
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    Karliemyalgia wrote: »
    Hey nice to meet you!! Looks like were in the exact same range there. Mine was 1200 but I came back and updated all my stuff and it changed to 1230? I dunno I'll take the extra 30 right now lol! Ive always been bad for not logging because I don't wanna see my snacking habits. :D

    Aww that's nice he is supportive!! Must be hard to feed a guy like that, I'd be jealous of what he gets to eat hehehe. my man eats like a bird most times!

    Since I eat six tiny meals per day, all I really eat are snacks in a way. It made me get easier to eat that frequently, but not everybody works from home so it probably would be harder to do otherwise.

    He feeds himself about half the time, but I like to cook for him. I made him homemade scratch biscuits a week ago, my first biscuits ever and they turned out great! Who knew biscuits are basically soda bread? Not me!

    But yeah. When he meet his way through half a bag of Doritos today, I was jealous...
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    frhaberl wrote: »
    Anyone else want to share tips on what's working for you with the low calorie targets? I'm happy to share:

    What's working (for me):
    • Keeping my food scale on my kitchen counter and weighing most of what I eat. I minimize what I have to weigh by weighing while I meal prep and only weighing the high calorie components of repeat recipes.
    • Meal prepping a salad I love and eating it almost every day for lunch.
    • High protein breakfast.
    • Focusing on hitting my fiber goal. Tends to push me toward higher volume and more filling foods.
    • Reducing but not fully eliminating added sugar from my diet. I ask myself what the sugar is bringing to the party and if it's worth it. My chia pudding sugar is bringing lots of fiber, so gets planned in daily. Family ice cream and other "celebration" sugar isn't helping my other health goals, so gets moderated in portion size and regularity.
    • Meal planning my week and entering new recipes in MFP as we add them into our rotation.
    • Having exercise motivation in addition to "earning" more calories to eat. I'm almost done with my 660 mile virtual Lord of the Rings walking challenge and it's keeping me moving.

    What I'm still working through:
    • Yoga/Resistance Training. I never regret doing it and know it will build my health in ways my go to cardio doesn't, but since it doesn't earn me as many calories to eat, I struggle to fit it in on top of the ~60 minutes of cardio I do daily. Any tips for motivation on this?
    • Missing the "mindless eating". I know this seems strange, but I miss being able to sit down with a bag of chips or cheez-its and just eat as many as I want. I've subbed in cheerios (I eat them dry, like popcorn) but darn it, those cheez-its my hubby is munching through just seem so much more attractive.
    • Finding easy, high protein options I like that are not too high in sodium. I tend to rely a lot on pre-cooked chicken options, but they are often loaded with sodium. Same with cottage cheese. I could probably do more eggs, but would welcome other ideas.
    • Feeling "different" from the rest of the family. Most of my family could stand to lose a few (or a few dozen) pounds, but since it's not something they are committed to I often feel like the odd man out. I'm the only one reading packages and weighing foods. There are a few foods that the rest of the fam does not want to accept a "healthier" substitute for, so I'm stuck making a batch of brown rice for me and white rice for the rest of them (one example).
    • Finding "enough" time for exercise. This ties into the yoga/resistance training point, but is more around the "mom guilt" I feel with taking time to fit in exercise at what feels like the expense of time with hubby and kids (my dogs are the only ones who are super happy with all the walking I'm doing). Anyone have creative ideas for fitting in more exercise or dealing with the emotions generated by setting aside more time for myself?

    I know that we're all unique and unique situations, so what's working for me may not work for you and vice versa, but I'd love to share ideas with anyone who's willing.

    Felicia


    Meal prepping is a big one!! I try to prep when I can, the hubby likes thing super fresh so it can be difficult balance.

    What I find helps me most is just NOT snacking because I have a sweet tooth and if I just eliminated my unhealthy snacks I would be much closer to reaching my goals. Sounds silly obvious, but what I am trying to say is my main meals aren't anything overly unhealthy besides the odd fast food out, so being cognizant of how I allowing myself to snack is what I find helps me to keep closer to my goals !!

    Yoga is so good for you. I really need to get back into a routine of some sort. After herniating a disc last november, gaining sciatica (Happy 30s, amirite?) combined with my fibromyalgia + mfpds, makes exercise difficult. The POOL is actually a great place for exercise !
  • AdahPotatah2024
    AdahPotatah2024 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    I'm short, too.😁 I usually eat 2 meals per day instead of 3. That works for me if I eat healthy. Sort of intermittent fasting except I do put cream and sugar in my coffee in the morning.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 909 Member
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    frhaberl nailed one that made it all easier for me - keeping the scale on the counter.
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    zebasschick wrote: »
    frhaberl nailed one that made it all easier for me - keeping the scale on the counter.

    That's a good one! Mines always out on the counter. It definitely helps make things a habit
  • kstevens2020
    kstevens2020 Posts: 14 Member
    edited September 2023
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    Hi I’m short at 5ft1 and need to lose 30kg/60lb ish. I am on 1380 calories a day. I eat most but not all exercise calories. I tend to have brunch then dinner. Unless I swim then I get really hungry then it’s 3 meals. I prefer to do my exercise in the mornings before work.
  • Karliemyalgia
    Karliemyalgia Posts: 146 Member
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    kstevens2020 wrote: »
    Hi I’m short at 5ft1 and need to lose 30kg/60lb ish. I am on 1380 calories a day. I eat most but not all exercise calories. I tend to have brunch then dinner. Unless I swim then I get really hungry then it’s 3 meals. I prefer to do my exercise in the mornings before work.

    Great to meet you !!
  • gmonicia
    gmonicia Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello, nice to read all these comments and know I am not alone in this 1200 calorie struggle! I am about 5'5 and trying to lose at least 10 lbs for now, total goal is 20 lbs. I also exercise to earn extra food and am partnered w/ a husband weight loss partner who has twice the calorie allowance that I do. Protein wise: kefir with berries works for me. I tried sugar baby watermelon for a snack and it definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and it's low cal. I am allowing myself to cheat once a week. Looking fwd to the day when I can "maintain". Won't be at 1200 calories 4ever. Best wishes!
  • frhaberl
    frhaberl Posts: 145 Member
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    Anyone else starting to feel like 1200 calories is working for them? Even a couple weeks ago I was bemoaning the paltry serving sizes and "no room for snack calories", but for some reason the past week has felt more effortless. Maybe it's cycle related? Maybe I've figured out the right mix of foods to remain satisfied? Maybe I'm learning that "satisfied" doesn't feel like "full"?

    I had Wingstop for the first time in a few months. I swear they sprinkle something addictive on their fries! I ate half of what I used to eat, determined to not allow guilt to enter the equation. I joyfully dipped my fries in the ranch dressing, but since I ate half the fries I used to, I also ate half the ranch dressing. I entered the wings in MFP after I'd eaten them and, while shocked at how many stinking calories you can fit in a tiny wing, decided to go back for one more wing. I left the table "satisfied" vs "full". The big difference? Whereas I would normally retire to the couch and not feel like doing much, I felt comfortable while being active the rest of the evening. And I managed to stay under my calorie target for the day.

    I type all this with full knowledge that I might be back to bemoaning the paltry calories in a couple weeks when the cravings part of my cycle hits, but I thought I'd share and see if anyone else has found that they are feeling satisfied on their calorie allotment and might have clues to what helped them turn the corner.
  • fabgeekmom
    fabgeekmom Posts: 403 Member
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    I’m 5’4”, 72, and sedentary despite getting lots of exercise. Weight loss is slow as I only need to lose about 5 pounds. I have lost about 10 pounds since March. I’m a former lifetime member of Weight Watchers and have good eating habits. I often use some of my exercise calories if I’m hungry.
  • watchmeshine82
    watchmeshine82 Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi, Everyone! I'm 41 years old, 5'2.5" and 181-185 lbs depending on the day. I've plateaued a bit in recent weeks and am also dealing with water retention (going through fertility treatments). I've got pcos, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia, and am going through egg freezing right now too. I've been water walking/aerobics with a friend 3x/week for 2 hours but the heat in texas has been brutal all summer long and has not let up (100+ degree temps) so it makes going for walks outside rather difficult. I'm taking mounjaro so sticking to my caloric target (which my nutritionist set at 1200-1500) is not difficult for me so long as I don't snack on sweets (which I too love like someone else here was mentioning).

    Lately, I've been trying to do a muscle milk shake for breakfast, a lean cuisine meal for lunch, a salad for dinner, and then for snacks I can have a fruit cup, grapes, a banana, some cheese and crackers, and either snow peas or some carrots with dip. I sometimes have another protein shake and almonds later in the evening if I'm still feeling hungry and the fruits/veggies aren't enough. All depends on how hungry I am and how many calories I've already consumed for the day.

    I'd love to hear everyone else's tips and have one another for support.

    I was curious how everyone selected their target weights too? I'm 41 so was told that at my height, I should be no more than 135 pounds to be at a healthy bmi. But I know I'm going to need some skin removal of the arms and thighs due to excessive rashes so am not sure what weight to target. I'm thinking it will be somewhere between 140-160 when I stop. (My highest weight was 328 pounds).

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