5'4" ladies - how many cals per day do you eat?

crystal_sapphire

1200. i haven't been exercising much lately l besides an active job when i do i eat about 1/2 back if that.

taletreader

5'4", and I set my goal manually at 1500, staying below most days (about 1350-1450), though with some zig-zags lately especially when I exercise harder. I've averaged a bit more than 2 pounds/week for the last 6 months, so that's quite a success.

I find that targetting your RMR is a good option -- it ensures you're getting enough food & fuel but automatically creates a deficit.

R4z0r4Mm0

I'm 5'4" and set to 1200 when I want to lose, 1450 to maintain. I eat as many of my exercise cals as I feel like eating. Sometimes it's all, sometimes less.

^^^ Exactly what my wife does too - she's a little over 5'4''.

carobert95

Im 5'4" and I consume 1200 cals a day. I do eat my exercise cals but at the max half of the exercise cals and sometimes not at all. Keep in mind I exercise when Im finished my diner and Im not usualy hungry after my exercise. If I do it after my workout I will eat something I was craving, like a chocolate. Ive lost 8 lbs so far. Hope it helps .

Pebble321

5'4", and I set my goal manually at 1500, staying below most days (about 1350-1450), though with some zig-zags lately especially when I exercise harder. I've averaged a bit more than 2 pounds/week for the last 6 months, so that's quite a success.

I find that targetting your RMR is a good option -- it ensures you're getting enough food & fuel but automatically creates a deficit.

We're pretty similar I think - I'm 5'4" and currently 80kg (178 pounds or thereabouts). I eat between 1460 - 1550 plus most of my exercise cals. I aim for around 1500 net but don't get stressed if it is a bit above or below.
It's working well for me, 12kg down in almost 120 days.
How do you measure your RMR, I know BMR but not RMR?

baisleac

How do you measure your RMR, I know BMR but not RMR?

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

They also explain the difference.

However, if you know your body fat percentage look for a Lean Body Mass RMR/BMR calculator... which I couldn't find on a quick google (bookmarked at home).

Katch-McArdle Formula

The Katch-McArdle Formula is a basal metabolic rate calculation that you can use when you know your lean body mass measurement. As a result, it's a more accurate metabolism formula than Harris-Benedict Formula.

Because it uses your lean body mass measurement, there is no reason for separate formulas for men and women in the Katch-McArdle Formula.

As with the Harris-Benedict equation, you need to convert pounds to kilograms by dividing your lean body mass by 2.2.

BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean body mass in kg)

There is also a slightly different formula for resting metabolic rate (or resting energy expenditure, as it's sometimes called) that you can use. This formula is called the Cunningham formula.
Cunningham Resting Metabolic Rate Calculation

Again, using kilograms,

RMR = 500 + (22 x lean body mass in kg)

chevy88grl

I eat 2000 calories a day. I ALWAYS eat back the vast majority of my exercise calories. I am currently maintaining my goal weight, but even when I was in loss mode I rarely went below 1900 or 2000. For reasons I can't explain, my body goes into starvation mode when I'm under it by very much. At one point, I went down to 1700ish and was in starvation mode very quickly. So, I know that for me personally - 2000 is a minimum. I work out 3 days a week/60 mins each day.

I should note that my BMR is 1453.

marielw

I'm 5'4" and am set at 1300 calories per day (to lose 1lb a week with 4 workouts of 30 mins).

I usually manage to keep at around 1300 but sometimes go slightly over if it isn't an exercise day.

I do eat back at least half of my exercise calories and sometimes all.

I'm at a bit of a plateau at the moment, but i did have a few days off over Easter so that's probably to blame.

Bailey_Renee2

Im 5'4! it has me at 1210 a day but I usually stick between 1210-1400 I just change it up when what I'm doing doesn't work well

phinners

I'm 5 '4" and mine is set to 1250 to lose 1.7lb a week. I usually earn 400 ex cals per day and I eat them, not religiously but if I want a treat or a take out I use them for that, or if I want a square of chocolate etc.

keiraev

Can I join the 5'4" ladies?

I have literally just started doing this seriously and I am finding 1200 cals a day nearly impossible! (I am currently 142 lb and would like to lose 14lb by August).

I exercise 3/4 times a week - a mixture of running, swimming and strength training so I do burn off quite a few calories but my problem has always been thinking I deserve some kind of (choc!) reward and eating back all the calories I've burned off plus usually a few more!

We had a very warm April here in the UK and I ate far too much BBQ food and drank more alcohol than usual (very bad I know!) so I am now determined to get rid of the stone that I've put on since my wedding in Aug 2009 before we go on holiday.

I think 1500 cals a day is a realistic target for me and I have lost weight doing this before- I am just worried that now I am older (32) it takes longer to shift the weight.

I am also avoiding eating carbs with my evening meal but having them earlier in the day as I need the energy to work/exercise.

Will let you know how it goes! x

taletreader

How do you measure your RMR, I know BMR but not RMR?

Oops, my bad, I was referring to BMR, not RMR. I'd love to be able to measure more .

ladybug1620

1400, yes I eat back my exercise cals most days. I had it set at 1200 and wasn't eating all of my exercise cals, and got stuck at this weight so I just upped it. Hopefully it works.

Triquetra

5'2" and I eat 1000 cal's per day without eating back my exercise cal's. My doctor has me on this as I am hypo and he said that is the only way I will lose.

katznkt

It set me to 1200 but it felt to low, so I usually target 1400. If I have a really lazy day with no working out I shoot more for 1200. I try not to eat back my workout cals but will if I am hungry. My *max* is 1600 for the day.

Cupcake1015

bump, trying to play around with how many cals I should be eating.

Pebble321

Currently around 1590 NET calories a day (so that means eating 1590 plus my exercise cals).

Today for example, I have burnt 407 cals, so adding that to my 1590 I have 1997 cals to eat. I
have 1925 worth of food planned in my diary and I'm sure I'll eat everything I have planned. If I'm still hungry I'll probably add a few almonds as well.

I've tried eating 1400 net cals but that just isn't enough to keep my mood under control - when I eat this low for more than a few days in a row, I get seriously grumpy! It's not necessary either, I know I will lose weight if I can stick to the current amount.

mischa_12

I'm 5'4 and my calories are set at 1200. It's not too hard to stay within these calories and I have been eating back most of my exercise calories too.

FitSuga

Im 5'4.
Mine is set to 1650. My bmr is 1634. I typically net around 1400 net though. Trying to increase it. I really want to be more around 1800. My TDEE is 2500. I eat back my exorcise calories.

josephine_x

Wow. You all seem to be on such low cals. I was eating 1500 per day but didn't seem to be losing on that much, then I bought a Ki Fit (UK equiv to body media fit) which showed me i'm actually burning about 2500 cals per day (and I thought I was sedentary/lightly active!) So i'm now eating 2000 cals per day and losing about 1lb per week. I'm 5'3 and 143 lbs.

clairerose11

I am literally a smidgen under 5 ft 4 lol... I am on 1350 cals a day and eat my exercise cals.

ladyraven68

I'm 4ft 11, and I am on 1600 calories per day.

I was on 1200, but it just made me lightheaded and dizzy, so after researching my BMR and TDEE I took advice and upped it.

lambertj

5'4", 46 yrs young, started at eating 1200 but kept losing and gaining the same 3 lbs, upped calories to 1500 and have been losing slowly but steadily - Cardio burn at about 500 calories 5 times a week and weight training 3 times a week. About 7 lbs from goal weight at this point but concentrating on muscle growth. Do not eat my exercise calories back


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Brittanysmith1001

Im 5'4" and I was previously at 1200 suffering.... I lost 5 lbs in the begining but for three weeks the scale was at a stand still. It was recommended that I increase my calorie inwtake and I am now at 1590 cal/day. I will never go back to starving myself at 1200!!

TurkieFacie

Hey everyone, I am kind of new to the MFP app.. anyways. I am 5'4'' and weigh between 118-120 pounds. I have my net calorie goal at 1200 per day to lose 2 pounds a week. At first I was not eating back any of the exercise calories and dropped like five pounds, but I quickly realized that it was muscle mass being lost. So, I think my body went into starvation mode. For the past two weeks I have been eating around a net of 1220 calories per day (always eating most of the exorcise calories back). I am going to up my daily calorie net goal to 1400 and see what happens since I have been in limbo at my current weight for about three weeks.

Also, I have noticed that the times that you eat and exercise at matters more than the amount of calories you eat/burn in a day. On days where I exercise in the morning (before breakfast, just drink a LOT of water) I will weight less the next day even if I get a little crazy with the desserts and end up past my goal. Then, other days where I work out in the evening and am within calorie limits my weight can jump up! Crazy.

If any of you have advice on how you figured out what net calories work for you I would love to hear it!

-Stephanie

Chipmunk222

I'm actually 5'1 but I wanted to add that I would literally starve at 1200 calories, I wasn't losing and upped mine to 1660, I lost the first day and have gained 2 pounds since. I am lost at how to lose weight, I have a HRM because I thought it would help me get a more accurate idea of the calories I was burning during the day, but even with that, I don't know how to incorporate the data with what I should be eating in order to lose weight. I'm really close to giving up

Jynus

I'm training a friend of mine who finally accepted my help. I have her at 1600 a day that she tracks on her phone app. 150g min protein a day. She's lost 37lbs over almost 3 months now. 250-217lbs and 5' 8". Sedentary lifestyle as she a stay at home mom. Only exercise is resistance training 3-5x a week. half strength, half endurance circuit type.

ifyouwantfire

5'4"

Mine is at 1000 cal per day. 2 lbs per week.
I just changed it to that and it's working great.

TruckersWifeTruckersLife

I set mine to 1400 a day as I thought 1200 was a bit too low. It seems to be working better for me.

I agree with this as I felt the same and I am 5' 2"

leiaorgana7

I set my goal on 1700, 1200 was way too little. I eat my calories back too, but not always.