Women 5'6" - 5'7" - 5'8" How many calories do you eat daily?

I'm 24, 5'7" and about 132lbs. I'm sedentary during the day (desk job) and exercise 3-4x a week.

I have my calories set at 1450, and I eat back my exercise calories on my workout days.
I'm not sure if this amount is right though. My progress is super slow, but I'm still seeing progress.

How many calories do you eat in a day? Am I on the right track?
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Replies

  • ldula88
    ldula88 Posts: 169 Member
    I'm 25, etween b5'8" and 5'9", and I work retail, so I'm on my feet moving around 40 hours a week. I eat about 1200-1400 calories a day (LC Paleo) and if I get a rare chance to do some actual cardio or strength training, I eat back about 50% of those calories. You seem to be alright on your numbers, and a slow loss is still a loss, and probably better for you in the long run! Keep it up!
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    I'm 5ft8 and on regular days I eat about 1575 and on days I work I eat more because I work replenishment, which is a pretty active job. I try to net AT LEAST 1200 a day.
  • Thanks you two! I might lower my calories to 1400 after seeing your numbers.
    Anyone else want to share their daily calorie intake, please?!
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    What is 'super slow' to you?

    I'm 5'7 and I eat 1700 calories a day, and I've been losing 1-3lbs a week when I stick to that goal. I run 4 times a week as well as cross training. Less calories doesn't equal more weight loss in the long run. If you feel satisfied at the calorie goal you have, stick with it.
  • What is 'super slow' to you?
    I started getting serious about exercising and eating right back in July.. and 6 months later I've only lost around 8 pounds. I see people on here losing a pound a week, and I'm at a pound a month :frown:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Thanks you two! I might lower my calories to 1400 after seeing your numbers.
    Anyone else want to share their daily calorie intake, please?!

    Why would you lower your intake base off someone's input? Why not base your input off your fitness goals and activity level. If it makes you feel better, the average women I know eats between 1700-2100 calories during weight loss and maintenance around 2100-2500. Below is a good thread too.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day
  • CMorning99
    CMorning99 Posts: 924 Member
    5'6" and 137lbs...I have MPF set at 1550 and do not eat back my exercise calories as I have it set using TDEE -20%. I also have a very sedentary job (behind a desk 8-9hrs a day) and on non workout days according to my BodyMedia, I burn around 1690 a day total. I am losing about .5 - .75 lbs a week and fine with that b/c I love to eat!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    What is 'super slow' to you?
    I started getting serious about exercising and eating right back in July.. and 6 months later I've only lost around 8 pounds. I see people on here losing a pound a week, and I'm at a pound a month :frown:

    Thats because you have almost no weight to lose. You are already lean and cut if that picture is current. What is your goal anyways?
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
    What is 'super slow' to you?
    I started getting serious about exercising and eating right back in July.. and 6 months later I've only lost around 8 pounds. I see people on here losing a pound a week, and I'm at a pound a month :frown:

    Thats because you have almost no weight to lose. You are already lean and cut if that picture is current. What is your goal anyways?

    This. And I'm 5'7" and eat about 1700-1800/day. I have only lost 12 pounds this year but changed my body composition a lot.
  • oiseau17
    oiseau17 Posts: 142 Member
    I'm 36, 5'8" and eat between 1200-1520 a day generally (there are outlier days like yesterday where I busted 2200! so today will be a particularly light day). I weigh 148 and am fairly sedentary. I've lost 75 lbs in the last year, but over the past couple months I'm only losing 1-2 lbs a month. While I miss the days of losing 2 lbs a week, I'm starting to get okay with the slllllooooowwww weight loss now. I think OP's calories sound reasonable as well as the rate of loss considering you're already at a low weight.

    *edit for spelling
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I'm 28, 5'7", I net between 1500-1600 calories daily.
  • mathiseasy
    mathiseasy Posts: 165 Member
    I'm 24, 5'7", lifting, and I net 1700-1900
  • Lindsay_1984
    Lindsay_1984 Posts: 85 Member
    I am 28 years old, 5'7" and my net goal is 1600 calories a day.

    I have been at it for 5 and a half weeks now and have lost 14lbs. The first 10 pounds came off in the first 2 weeks, then it slowed down to about 1.5pounds a week.

    I have thought about lowering my calories to lose faster, but decided to stick with 1600 because it has been working for me and I don't feel deprived.
  • Zelinna
    Zelinna Posts: 207 Member

    Thats because you have almost no weight to lose. You are already lean and cut if that picture is current. What is your goal anyways?

    This. It will be slower the less you have to lose.

    I'm 5'7 and eat 2000+ calories a day. I have been eating at this calorie level since January and have lost close to 50 lbs. I have a desk job and workout 5 days a week + daily dog walks of 30 min to an hour.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I am 5'8" and 208 lb and eating 1,410 calories per day.

    I do eat back exercise calories but I under log. For example last night I did about 70 min of walking with a range of speeds from leisurely to quite brisk, and logged 50 min leisurely pace. Ate back most of the calories. I struggle with that part, but I truly do find when I don't eat back any exercise calories my weight will plateau.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    5'6.5''. I maintain on 1700-1900 calories a day.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    What is 'super slow' to you?
    I started getting serious about exercising and eating right back in July.. and 6 months later I've only lost around 8 pounds. I see people on here losing a pound a week, and I'm at a pound a month :frown:

    Thats because you have almost no weight to lose. You are already lean and cut if that picture is current. What is your goal anyways?

    This.

    It's unrealistic to expect a fast loss when you're so close to your goal. I am still far from my ultimate GW and I have seen my loss slow a tiny bit and I feel that's to be expected even with tons left to lose.
  • Hmm this is interesting.

    I'm 5'8'' and currently 147lbs and eating 1600 - 1700 calories per day (diary is open) but I don't eat back exercise calories so net is closer to 1200.

    My weight loss is incredibly slow, in a month I have lost 1lb and somehow re-gained the same 1lb back a week later.

    I train 6 days a week (5 days lifting, 3 or 4 HIIT sessions and 1 day of 45mins steady state cardio).

    I've been researching and some suggest decreasing calories and others suggest increasing calories so i'm not sure how to get the scales moving.

    Any ideas?
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Hmm this is interesting.

    I'm 5'8'' and currently 147lbs and eating 1600 - 1700 calories per day (diary is open) but I don't eat back exercise calories so net is closer to 1200.

    My weight loss is incredibly slow, in a month I have lost 1lb and somehow re-gained the same 1lb back a week later.

    I train 6 days a week (5 days lifting, 3 or 4 HIIT sessions and 1 day of 45mins steady state cardio).

    I've been researching and some suggest decreasing calories and others suggest increasing calories so i'm not sure how to get the scales moving.

    Any ideas?

    If you've been at it a while, I suggest: Try netting higher. Decreasing when you're only netting at 1200 doesn't sound like a fun idea. You could also try to workout out a little less and give your body a break. Maybe 3 days a week instead of 6. Or try eating at maintenance for a couple of weeks and then go back to cutting calories. Sometimes the body needs a break.
  • [/quote]

    If you've been at it a while, I suggest: Try netting higher. Decreasing when you're only netting at 1200 doesn't sound like a fun idea. You could also try to workout out a little less and give your body a break. Maybe 3 days a week instead of 6. Or try eating at maintenance for a couple of weeks and then go back to cutting calories. Sometimes the body needs a break.
    [/quote]

    I had a month off from training and dieting due to a knee injury so have only been back at it for the past month. I thought I would at least lose a few lbs in the first week but nothing!

    I love training so don't really want to do less, it keeps me sane! I agree about netting below 1200, I don't like the thought of that at all!

    Given that i've only been back on it for a month do you think I need to go back up to maintenance for a week already?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I am 41, 5ft 7 lift 3x a week and eat 1600 a day and when I behave myself....I lose 1lb a week.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Hmm this is interesting.

    I'm 5'8'' and currently 147lbs and eating 1600 - 1700 calories per day (diary is open) but I don't eat back exercise calories so net is closer to 1200.

    My weight loss is incredibly slow, in a month I have lost 1lb and somehow re-gained the same 1lb back a week later.

    I train 6 days a week (5 days lifting, 3 or 4 HIIT sessions and 1 day of 45mins steady state cardio).

    I've been researching and some suggest decreasing calories and others suggest increasing calories so i'm not sure how to get the scales moving.

    Any ideas?

    Do you have a food scale?
  • Carolyn_79
    Carolyn_79 Posts: 935 Member
    I'm 5'6 and 156 pounds. I eat 1800 a day right now.. I have a desk job, I lift weights 5 nights a week for 40 minutes and run twice a week for 1-1.5 hours.
  • Yes, I use digital scales and religiously weigh everything. I find measuring cups and spoons pretty inaccurate.

    I cook and prepare all my own food so nothing is being secretly added.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    5'8 cw - 157 lbs Will probably lose a couple more lbs before maintaining. I want my muscle, I'm an athlete.

    Currently I eat about 1600 cals a day and eat back about 50% of my exercise cals
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    5' 7", 178, I lift 4 times a week and do cardio and yoga each once a week. Currently maintaining on around 2000 calories a day. I shoot for 1800 to pull down the average, since I have some big eating days.
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    5'6" and 158-160. I've been bouncing in that same two pound range for two months now. My daily goal is 1600 calories, but as it's the holidays I have been coming in higher than that probably twice a week, though I also don't eat back my exercise calories; that's probably why I'm maintaining (cancelling each other out...for now).

    However, although I haven't lost weight, I have been using the tape measure faithfully for months and I'm losing inches. This week I lost a half inch from my waist; everything else stayed the same. Last week I showed a half inch loss from my thighs and a quarter inch from my waist, everything else staying the same. Since early October I've gone from a US pants size 12 to a size 10. My goal is an 8, with a 6 top (it's how I'm built).

    Once I don't have any more family / work / club holiday dinners--I'm waaay too social anymore-- to attend, as I do try to make good choices but I'm human, I assume the weight will start to drop again because I won't be eyeballing portions and guessing at recipes. I also won't turn down cheesecake at this point; that stuff really only comes into my life one month of the year and I love it!

    Most of my weight loss this year was in the 1500-1600/day range, with some exercise calories eaten back. Occasionally I shook it up by lowering my goal for a week, or raising it for a week.

    Edit to add: Age: 28
  • jfauci
    jfauci Posts: 531 Member
    I'm 5'7" and I eat about 1,200/day.
  • Age: 19
    Height: 5'8''
    Weight: 150

    I'm cutting right now hopefully to get too 140-135
    I'm eating at 1800 right now. I bulked at 2400 fir a month in a half.
  • What is 'super slow' to you?
    I started getting serious about exercising and eating right back in July.. and 6 months later I've only lost around 8 pounds. I see people on here losing a pound a week, and I'm at a pound a month :frown:

    Thats because you have almost no weight to lose. You are already lean and cut if that picture is current. What is your goal anyways?
    Though I don't have much to lose, I still feel like my body fat % is too high. So lower my body fat, and lose a few more inches in my problem areas… (thighs, biceps, stomach/lowerback) Any ideas? My diary is open. Thanks for all the comments!