Are my calories actually this low?

isahiz

I'm 5 feet tall and 116 pounds. My TDEE would be around 1800 and to lose a little bit more than half a pound a week I'd have to consume about 1500. Is this true? I always see people around here talking about how they lose on around 2000. Tall privilege much? ;;

heybales

Yep, exactly. Bigger organs to support more mass, more surface area to lose eat from.

But how close to goal weight are you?

And how was that activity level selected?

And did you use Katch BMR with LBM, you may be higher or lower estimate even yet.

Now you know why you may see so many short women runners. Lot's of cardio only way to get to eat more, just raise the TDEE.

isahiz

I'm 11 pounds from goal weight and I try to get a little cardio in here and there. Are online calculators really accurate? Are they a little lower or higher than what I need?

heybales

So 10% deficit is appropriate, unless doing good lifting in which case you could take more, if you can stand the hunger.

Depending on what you base the math on, the standard formula's can be within 5% if you are healthy otherwise, and haven't suppressed your metabolism already upwards of 20%.

If I knew if they were lower or higher than what you need, that would imply I know exactly what you need.

The spreadsheet can help get best estimates, at least starting on the safe side, and you can adjust from there.

Because indeed, with so little to go, less room for error and still get good results.

tegalicious

They probably are that low. Unfortunately short women don't need as many calories as tall women or men. Us shorties don't have as much lean body mass to feed. So if you want to eat more you will need to move more. I suggest using what the website says for a month and see how your body does at the end of the month. If you lose more than 0.5 pounds a week then you can eat a little more. If you lose 0.5 pounds a week then you have the correct number. If you lose less than 0.5 pounds a week then the number is too high and either eat a little less or move a little more. Trial and error is really the only way to find what calorie amount your body will need specifically.

isahiz

I'm doing a 17% deficit. Is that too big or would it be fine?

geekyjock76

They probably are that low. Unfortunately short women don't need as many calories as tall women or men. Us shorties don't have as much lean body mass to feed. So if you want to eat more you will need to move more. I suggest using what the website says for a month and see how your body does at the end of the month. If you lose more than 0.5 pounds a week then you can eat a little more. If you lose 0.5 pounds a week then you have the correct number. If you lose less than 0.5 pounds a week then the number is too high and either eat a little less or move a little more. Trial and error is really the only way to find what calorie amount your body will need specifically.

This isn't always true and depends on the model and variables measured. Allometric studies on reduced mass specific total energy expenditure in taller persons support existing findings in mammals in that the shorter person has less resting and total energy requirements than the taller person.

Body size and human energy requirements: Reduced mass-specific total energy expenditure in tall adults.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19856424

Body size and human energy requirements: reduced mass-specific resting energy expenditure in tall adults.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17690196

heybales

I'm doing a 17% deficit. Is that too big or would it be fine?

I gave a recommendation above that is common, does it apply to you?

isahiz

Well, 5 pounds lower is my first goal weight. And then 5 more and then 5 more. Does it still apply?

heybales

Well, 5 pounds lower is my first goal weight. And then 5 more and then 5 more. Does it still apply?

Nope, not at all.

What is total amount to lose to get to healthy goal weight?

isahiz

15 pounds is my goal.

heybales

15 pounds is my goal.

15%.

10% at 5 lbs to go.

isahiz

Okay thank you! I'm going at TDEE-15% now. Thanks!

eyecandyrayce

I'm 5'4" and I have to do 1300-1400 calories a day to drop a pound a week. I have a higher goal of dropping 50+ pounds.

Meanwhile, my fiancee who has about as much weight to lose but is 6' gets to eat around 2100 calories a day.

It makes me sad... and hungry...

isahiz

Sucks to be short right? :n;