Less than 1200 Cals a day??

sam23030

Hi,

This may seem like a silly question but after reading a few different articles I have some conflicting information.

I am fairly short at 5'2" and according to my height am not 'overweight' but I am carrying excess weight and more importantly body fat that I would like to shift. I would ideally like to lose 10 pounds and according to MFP my resting metabolic rate is 1225. This doesn't allow for a very large deficit to lose even 1/2 pound a week.

If I were to reduce this by 300 cals a day that would make my consumption 925 for the day which has been deemed as unhealthy. Some people have said that smaller people can eat less than 1200 cals a day but others including MFP has capped it at 1200. So if I consume 1200 cals a day I will only be at a deficit of 25 per day!!

Can anyone offer any advice please?

CassieLEO

My advice is to make a appt to see a doctor or nutritionist and follow what they think.

joanneeee

You need to use the harris benedict to calculate your actual daily needs. because you're not in a coma!
I'm guessing you're around the same weight as me as I'm 5'2 and:

Your estimated BMR is: 1,249 calories/day*

So using the harris benedict equation:
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

So for you (for example), 1225 x 1.2 (if you are sedentary) = 1470. So to reduce by 300 calories a day, you would be at 1170. I would round it up to 1200. This is without exercise, of course. If you're going to burn 100 calories through exercise, you would eat 1300/day.

Hotbottom

Im short too. You have to exercise!!! That way your loose..... sad – but true – but healthy for you in the long run

whateverdamnit

I'm 5'2, I work out 6 times a week and I eat around 1300 calories. I tried 1200 and felt way too hungry all the time.

ju32

m also 5'2 i am 171lbs and i eat 1200 cals a day but usually its less than that and i have been known to dip it right down to 987 cals in a day i felt hungry but then i go to the gym 5/6 times a week and bur around 650 calories a day and dont eat no more in 2 weeks i lost 6lb im still going though im losing weight gradually so im happy but i do try to balance out my meals and what i eat i only drink water at the mo no tea no coffee no fizzy, have had no crisps/chips either i had a little chocolate but thats good now and again lol.x

BunnyFimmel

Heya,

I'm no expert at this and I could be giving terrible advice, but here's what I'm thinking...

I'm about the same height, I'm 5'3 and am with a similar metabolic rate given on the application, though I believe that mine is in reality faster running than the program judges for. You can't always accurately judge how much every person should consume, as everyones bodies run differently and we all have varying body types and factors. For example...if I put my BMI into a computer it would probably say I'm underweight, though I know for a fact I'm not. I have a fairly average body fat ratio - it's just the way I'm built. Very small frame.

I think a lot of the time you need to make an educated guess regarding the way your body responds to food and excercise. Under 900 calories to consume does seem really low - I tend to eat around 1200-1400 calories a day (and sometimes overeat!) but I work it down with cardio and strength training. My goal is to shift my body fat percentage also, so I'll be spending a lot of time working on my large muscle groups and trying to burn away the fat while I'm at it.

Also remember that there are certain foods high in calories that are actually very good for you and necessary for you to function. Things like snacking on almonds, or having a pre-workout protein shake (if you're so inclined!) might blow out a calorie intake for a day, but they're doing you good in the long run.

I think it's not all about exact numbers in the end, but this program is a really good guide and a fantastic way to stick to a healthy routine and watch what you're doing each day. I think that if you're feeling really lost, definitely talk to someone experienced, a personal trainer, nutritionist or doctor. I'm sure they'll be able to nut things out for you. I'm just lucky my partner is a health freak!

sam23030

Looks like I better get exercising, thanks for the advice everyone!