Too few calories?

SmochiBanzai

Hello! So, while I joined a while ago, I'm just starting to seriously log every single thing I eat. As you can see, I'm 21, 5"5, and right now about 126 pounds. I'm not in a dire need to lose weight, but I think another 10 pounds would be enough to get rid of some extra flab I don't like. While I don't exercise, I do walk to school and back each day, and spend about 4 hours on my feet for work. Regardless, I put that I live a sedentary lifestyle because besides those two things, my butt is at my desk studying.

Even so, this website told me I need about 1200 calories a day if I want to lose any weight. I've been eating pretty intuitively, but still sort of hover around 1500 or so. My diary is public, is there anything I should cut? I suppose I could choose between my avocado or the bowl of yogurt each day if need be, or is 1500 a good way to lose weight healthfully?

TavistockToad

at 5ft5 and 126lbs you dont need to lose weight... if you think you have excess flab then make sure you have plenty of resistance/strenght training in your exercise routine.

joshdann

I agree. You should be eating at maintenance and focusing on strength training. Lifting heavy will get rid of that flab. You might actually gain a few lbs but you'll look fantastic.

EvgeniZyntx

You aren't sedentary if you are walking a lot and on your feet for 4 hours. And yes, add strength exercise, if your goal is "fight the flab".

Hildy_J

You could drop 10lbs and still be in the healthy BMI range for your height, so your goal isn't a problem, ignore the 'don't lose weight' comments. You will be hearing that A LOT. It's just people bringing their own stuff to the party.

1,500 calories sounds about right - giving you a slight calorie deficit so you'll eat well and lose slowly which is sensible.

Weights will help you tone up.

Good luck!

joshdann

You could drop 10lbs and still be in the healthy BMI range for your height, so your goal isn't a problem, ignore the 'don't lose weight' comments. You will be hearing that A LOT. It's just people bringing their own stuff to the party.

Or, it's just solid advice based on nothing personal. She said she wanted to lose 10 more lbs to get rid of some flab... so she's ]obviously fine tuning her physique for aesthetics, since she's already at a healthy weight. we offered her an alternative to losing weight that will accomplish her goal and result in a better looking body. The low end of "normal" on that silly BMI scale you mentioned is best described as "skinny". In my opinion, which is shared by a lot of people here, her goal will be more easily reached by focusing on lifting rather than eating at a deficit.

It's rather rude to tell someone to ignore the advice of others who honestly are trying to help, and are giving sound advice.

diannethegeek

Did you set your goal to lose 2 pounds per week (the maximum)? Most people do. The thing is, that isn't really a sustainable goal for someone in an already healthy weight range. You might want to reset your profile with a 1 or .5 pound loss per week and see what MFP gives you as your calorie goal.

cingle87

You could drop 10lbs and still be in the healthy BMI range for your height, so your goal isn't a problem, ignore the 'don't lose weight' comments. You will be hearing that A LOT. It's just people bringing their own stuff to the party.

Or, it's just solid advice based on nothing personal. She said she wanted to lose 10 more lbs to get rid of some flab... so she's ]obviously fine tuning her physique for aesthetics, since she's already at a healthy weight. we offered her an alternative to losing weight that will accomplish her goal and result in a better looking body. The low end of "normal" on that silly BMI scale you mentioned is best described as "skinny". In my opinion, which is shared by a lot of people here, her goal will be more easily reached by focusing on lifting rather than eating at a deficit.

It's rather rude to tell someone to ignore the advice of others who honestly are trying to help, and are giving sound advice.

Ahmen

RunHardBeStrong

You could drop 10lbs and still be in the healthy BMI range for your height, so your goal isn't a problem, ignore the 'don't lose weight' comments. You will be hearing that A LOT. It's just people bringing their own stuff to the party.

Or, it's just solid advice based on nothing personal. She said she wanted to lose 10 more lbs to get rid of some flab... so she's ]obviously fine tuning her physique for aesthetics, since she's already at a healthy weight. we offered her an alternative to losing weight that will accomplish her goal and result in a better looking body. The low end of "normal" on that silly BMI scale you mentioned is best described as "skinny". In my opinion, which is shared by a lot of people here, her goal will be more easily reached by focusing on lifting rather than eating at a deficit.

It's rather rude to tell someone to ignore the advice of others who honestly are trying to help, and are giving sound advice.

Agreed.

SmochiBanzai

Oh thank you guys so much for the advice! I am so sorry that it prompted some disagreement though. XD And While I agree that I'm not overweight, there are definitely lumps and bumps that I was hoping would be lost if I lost weight in a healthy manner. I have SUPER muscular legs, not horrible arms, and a super bony chest and back, but the thighs and but are pretty lumpy. I assumed that if I COULD lose 10 pounds, maybe it would be from those areas? Once I finish law school exams, finals, and get in a position where I can afford to work less, I'll definitely go to a gym for some heavy weight lifting, because I do love it and no doubt it's good for me.

joshdann

it would sound creepy if I asked for pics, so I won't. Given your description I think lifting heavy would work well for you. women tend to keep their last few lbs of body fat in their lower body while men tend to keep it around their midsections. That's not gospel, since there are many variations within each sex, but as a general rule it does apply.

The reason that heavy lifting will work so well for you is that your body cannot tolerate much of a caloric deficit, since you have so very little body fat. lifting heavy will not only help "smooth out" the fat (or cellulite, given your "lumpy" description of it) but will also help reduce the fat over time. Not to mention that the added muscle will look better *and* ultimately burn a few more calories every day. So it's like you'll be attacking your physique from four fronts at the same time

It won't be an overnight change, but IMO it's the best method you have for achieving the look you want. Good luck!