Who is 5'1-5'2

AbbyMC12

I am 5'1 1/4 and started this weighing about 138-140. I now weigh 136 and have been watching what I eat and exercising for 1 hour plus (cardio and/or weight training) at least 5 days a week and I cannot get the pounds to move and it is infuriating.

Question - for those that say go from 1200 to 1500 calories to get the scale to move, why is that? I've never heard of that before and I'm curious. I don't know a lot about weight loss, I've never tried this before.

I do feel that my pants are more lose, my stomach doesn't stick out as much, I have a lot more energy and can run miles and be fine. I had a friend, that is a PT, tell me not to lose weight but to get toned. I would like to get toned and weigh between 125-130. Any suggestions - much appreciated!

well for MOST people posting on this thread 1200-1500 calories is near their BMR, which is the number of calories burned at rest...without activity.

When you get out of bed, do errands, clean, etc. you burn calories --making your daily burn 1500+. So, when you eat 1200 you create a deficit that is too great for the body to perform its basic metabolic functions. So, in response to the calorie deficit your body begins to downregulate your metabolism. Weight loss becomes harder because your body is attempting to conserve energy. So, by eating more you prevent the metabolic slowdown from occurring because the calorie deficit isn't so drastic that the body can no longer function.

In addition, once you hit a plateau you can't really reduce your calories further if you're only eating 1200 to begin with.

Thank you! Very helpful information, I'll gladly add some calories to my diet.

MissesJai

I'm 5'1 and current weight is 196. At my heaviest, I was 218. My goal is between 150-155. I'll probably change that as I get closer to my initial goal. My current calorie intake is 1200 and I do Zumba 5 days a week and swim 1/2 to 1 mile 1-2 days a week, so I'm in the gym at least 6 days a week. I weighed in today and the scale didn't budge - super frustrating. But, it's probably because I ate too many carbs this week so now I'm aware that I have to limit them to the bare minimum.

PearsPeppersandPeanutButter

I am so excited to see that I have chosen accurate goals for myself. I am 5'2" and really really want to reach 110-115 pounds by this summer. Plus I am hoping that I will gain lots of health benefits. I am attempting to become a personal trainer and still have 20 pounds to lose so that I can be awesome.

sheystar

i'm 5'2" and my weight goal is 101. as of now, i am 104 lbs and people are telling me that i already look fine. they said if i continue to lose weight, i'm not gonna look healthy anymore. so yea, i'm trying to maintain my weight and experiment with my daily calories. if i lose, that's good as long as i am not considered underweight (100 lbs for 5'2"s). if i gain, i'll work harder and try to stay within 101-104.

p.s. right now my daily caloric intake is 1,380.

p.p.s. i used to weigh 123 lbs.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

i'm 5'2" and my weight goal is 101. as of now, i am 104 lbs and people are telling me that i already look fine. they said if i continue to lose weight, i'm not gonna look healthy anymore. so yea, i'm trying to maintain my weight and experiment with my daily calories. if i lose, that's good as long as i am not considered underweight (100 lbs for 5'2"s). if i gain, i'll work harder and try to stay within 101-104.

p.s. right now my daily caloric intake is 1,380.

p.p.s. i used to weigh 123 lbs.

you're young. you're bordering underweight. you're trying to maintain a window of 1 pound above underweight to 4 pounds above underweight. you're eating 1380 calories....okay....re-read that. tell me if you think there's anything wrong with your approach/outlook about your weight/body.

blueham5

Anyone else have 14"+ calves? I feel like mine are too bulky for a 5'2er especially since I've only got a 31" inseam.

Molly182

I am 5'1. I get 1200 calories. My goal isn't really about the scale number. I just want to tone my body.

martinkristyk

Me! I'm 5' 1" and at my heaviest I was (gulp) 139. I'm now less than a pound from reaching by goal, which is to be under 120. Once I hit that goal, my "stretch goal" is to hit 117. My target is 1200 calories a day.

I found that these last few months, once I was within a few pounds of my goal, have been the toughest. I keep hitting plateaus and staying stagnant. But, I'm determined to keep up the healthy eating and exercise, and I'll get there.

Good luck everyone!

_LilPowerHouse

I'm 5'1 and I just found out that my calorie Intake should be 1344, I've been only eating maybe 1100 to 1200 and I have been on a plateau for quite some time now.. So I have increased my calorie intake and hopefully I will break out of the plateau..

marcia724

I'm 5'0" ...currently 120. My goal is 110 or a few pounds less. I have been at 105 before and felt great! (my range is 103 to 127 I think)
I'm eating 1200 plus exercise calories right now! Losing /very/ slowly.

SocraticS

5'2: 118 (was 123 1/1/12). This is 8 pounds higher than I was at 31 when I met my husband. I would love to be 110 again but I would be happy between 112 and 115. At 40 years old I just don't know how hard I want to work to be 110. That is less than I weighed in high school (114lb). Overall, at 118 22 years later is just four pounds heavier: NOT BAD.

Favorite craving stoppers: Greet Tea (Matcha: a very cool powder from the leaves that turns the water green) with vanilla Muscle Millk Light. It sounds weird but the Matcha is something I have for a snack every afternooon around 3 or 4 when I can get hungry. Matcha really take away any cravings even if I don't get Muscle Milk into it. I also like Banana Babies (dark choco): its so nutritious, satisfying, and like yummy.

Diet: carb concsious. I eat at least one serving of oatmeal, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, or pita bread each day in the morning or at lunch. I eat 1 to 1.5 servings of fruit (with lower glycimec--sp?--counts), and lots of lean protein (fish 1 -2 times a week). Dinner is almost always some kind of interesting, creative salad and I eat only a portien and vegetable (usually a dark green one). I find the dinner thing to be most effective in keeping weight off and brining out my figure. My fat count is the hardest: my food has to taste good, not dry. I go over 5 to 10 grams what MFP tells me I should each day.

I eat 1200 calories I don't exercise and always eat my exercise calories back (hard to do keeping the fat down). I lose more weight or don't gain when I eat them back.:drinker:

jldoody

I'm 5'2" and currently weigh 134, down 24 pounds since September from my high! Realistic goal is to get 115-120, but would love to get down to 110 and back at high school weight. I'm using Jenny Craig to help me get there, and have found it very helpful. Following hte Jenny program its 1200 calories a day, but unlimited veggies (certain ones of course!), so that when I put them in MFP I'm in the 1300 range. However I will say that when I work out, I'm not eating back those calories - mostly because I'm just not hungry, and eating veggies just doesn't eat up the calories like having a piece of cake would!

EmCarroll1990

i'm 5'2" and my weight goal is 101. as of now, i am 104 lbs and people are telling me that i already look fine. they said if i continue to lose weight, i'm not gonna look healthy anymore. so yea, i'm trying to maintain my weight and experiment with my daily calories. if i lose, that's good as long as i am not considered underweight (100 lbs for 5'2"s). if i gain, i'll work harder and try to stay within 101-104.

p.s. right now my daily caloric intake is 1,380.

p.p.s. i used to weigh 123 lbs.

you're young. you're bordering underweight. you're trying to maintain a window of 1 pound above underweight to 4 pounds above underweight. you're eating 1380 calories....okay....re-read that. tell me if you think there's anything wrong with your approach/outlook about your weight/body.

This is my goal weight as well, still 14 lbs till I get there.

Loves418

Ok well I am 5ft tall so happy to see others close to my height fighting this battle! In Dec 2010 I lost 23 pounds a lot of stuff happened and I gained back 5. When I started here I weighed 170 today I am down to 161. My goal weight is set to 125. I want to see how I look at feel at that weight. I am set to 1200 and I am sticking to it. I just got a HRM and it opened my eyes to how off the gym machines are for calories. Since I started losing it I lost this week instead of gaining last week.
Anybody who has close weight goals to mine and wants to be friends and is supportive add me! We can cheer each other on!

kelstad

I'm 5 2". A couple years ago I hit 186 and had just had a hysterectomy. I knew it was going to be an extra hard battle for me. Currently I'm 148! I'm large boned and tone. I'd like to hit 140 though. I cleaned up a lot of foods, but daily a little dark chocolate daily and a small dip of ice cream now and then. I'm really learning how carbs effect my body. I need them but knowing at what points of the day: morning-yes, evening-no This really has brought awareness to my body. Getting rid of soda and crystal light stuff was big. I thought by switching to crystal light I was doing myself calorie good - actually calorie bad. When I started making pitchers of water with a squeezed lemon in it, a couple pounds came off easily. I never realized how much all the artificial colors and chemicals was making me hold onto my weight, wow!

brynnsmom

I'm 5'2", goal is 107-108. I gained a few over Christmas (and New Years, and then my birthday, etc) and am trying to get back down. Only need to lose about 3 pounds but when your short it might as well be 10!

lnicole1625

I am 5"1 and I am currently at 135.5. My SW was 139/140. I would like to be at 125. I dont think I have ever been that thin. Its a dream, but I am going to shoot for it. My goal is set to 1200, but I eat more than that since I have been more active than usual.

JaneEmcd

I'm 5" and my start weight was 125. I now weight 124 and that has taken 2 weeks. It is going to be slow and sure. I would like to get down to 115. At the age of 57 I feel that 115 would be a good weight for me. I try to keep my caloric intake around 1,200. Some days are better then others. : )

rodneysmom98

5'2" and 165 lbs, 43 year old busy working mom! - would love to get down to 130 (125 would be awesome!!). Have been really trying to bump up my intake or fresh veggies and fruits and cut way back on sweets - very hard for this sugar addict!! I'm at 1200 calories, exercise most days, and do tend to eat back my exercise calories. I have an issue with binging when I feel deprived ... so I try not to go there. I am an emotional eater, for sure

Add me if you'd like some mutual support!

deenalynn

Hey! First of all you look great in your picture so I wouldnt worry too much. I am 5'2'' and 154lbs right now and hoping to get down to 118 where I was three years ago. I work out 4-5 days a week making sure i do aerobic/cardiovascular exercises mixed with strength training exercises-its key to losing weight fast! When you do both, your burning calories while working your muscles which is extremely effective because once the workout is over your muscles continue to burn fat long afterwards. You can do this with workouts like ashtanga or vinyasa yoga, kickboxing (amazing!), zumba(although i would lift some weights afterwards as well), step classes etc. If you dont like classes and like working on the machines the key is to do interval training. this is when you workout light for a certain amount of time and then really hard for a certain amount of time and you go back and forth for a half hour. raising your heart rate then dropping it down then raising it again is proven to be the most effective way to lose weight on the machines otherwise your body gets really used to them and you have to up your time constantly and it becomes almost impossible to lose anything. After that, lift weights to get your strength training in.

Also, MFP says that my max cal intake is 1200. However, I try to eat more cals than that because 1200 is a little too low for how hard and often I am working out. On days I am not working out i stay around the1200 maximum range.

**Bottom line, eat when your hungry dont if your not and always eat healthy. No fast food, no refined sugar, no soda and low on carbs. Also, i have found that supplements like protein shakes, flax seed oil, vitamin c and b12 help with fat break down a lot. Protein shakes keep you full and help with muscle buildup and vitamin c is great for your hair, skin, nails and immune system and will keep you looking young for the rest of your life. My dad took 1000 mgs everyday and at 66 he looked like he was 56 and still had a full head of hair and not one grey hair in sight!