5'2 Female and New to MFP

zenithfern

Hey everyone,
I`m a 5`2 female trying to lose some weight and slight toning. I am currently 145 and looking to reach about 110-115 (average bmi). I have a high BMI and want to get back into my old shape which is a little difficult being a unviersity student. I`ve cut my cal intake to 1200 but occassionally I go a little over to 1300-1400 net cals. I work out on the elliptical for an hour 6 days a week and aiming for 1lb a week. I pack on the flub on my thights and a little around the middle. Approx burn cals are 500 a day and quitting smoking.

If anyone has any weight loss or eating healthy tips, it would be appreciated. I`m not really sure what is best for me, so if there are any females around my weight or height, I would love to hear from you. I`ve never done weight loss, only muscle training, so I`m clueless.

LPS1986

Hey everyone,
I`m a 5`2 female trying to lose some weight and slight toning. I am currently 145 and looking to reach about 110-115 (average bmi). I have a high BMI and want to get back into my old shape which is a little difficult being a unviersity student. I`ve cut my cal intake to 1200 but occassionally I go a little over to 1300-1400 net cals. I work out on the elliptical for an hour 6 days a week and aiming for 1lb a week. I pack on the flub on my thights and a little around the middle. Approx burn cals are 500 a day and quitting smoking.

If anyone has any weight loss or eating healthy tips, it would be appreciated. I`m not really sure what is best for me, so if there are any females around my weight or height, I would love to hear from you. I`ve never done weight loss, only muscle training, so I`m clueless.

1. Calories in, Calories out.
2. Water
3. Muscle Milk Light (post-workout)
4. Switch up cardio - don't do the same thing each day, you'll get bored.
5. Love yourself.

bjohs

Hey everyone,
I`m a 5`2 female trying to lose some weight and slight toning. I am currently 145 and looking to reach about 110-115 (average bmi). I have a high BMI and want to get back into my old shape which is a little difficult being a unviersity student. I`ve cut my cal intake to 1200 but occassionally I go a little over to 1300-1400 net cals. I work out on the elliptical for an hour 6 days a week and aiming for 1lb a week. I pack on the flub on my thights and a little around the middle. Approx burn cals are 500 a day and quitting smoking.

If anyone has any weight loss or eating healthy tips, it would be appreciated. I`m not really sure what is best for me, so if there are any females around my weight or height, I would love to hear from you. I`ve never done weight loss, only muscle training, so I`m clueless.

Feel free to send me a request. I'm 5'2", 44 years old and a mother of 2. I started at 157, reached my goal but gained over the holidays. I'm back to 132 and working to get back to goal. Welcome to MFP!

zenithfern

Thanks Bjohs!!
LPS1986 - I`ve been trying to monitor my calories through the MFP app and recording all the relevant information. I`ve been drinking about 10 cups of water a day (only thing I drink other than the two cups of coffee in the mornings). Other than that, I do use the elliptical everyday. It`s the most enjoyable for me in the gym and I get all excited in the mornings before workout for that natural high. I feel like I should transition over to the treadmill, but I`m scared on the high impact making my one knee muscle sore (old injury). Maybe I should transfer to bike to provide a different cardio workout for the muscle groups? or just do crunches to strengthen the core?

bjohs

Thanks Bjohs!!
LPS1986 - I`ve been trying to monitor my calories through the MFP app and recording all the relevant information. I`ve been drinking about 10 cups of water a day (only thing I drink other than the two cups of coffee in the mornings). Other than that, I do use the elliptical everyday. It`s the most enjoyable for me in the gym and I get all excited in the mornings before workout for that natural high. I feel like I should transition over to the treadmill, but I`m scared on the high impact making my one knee muscle sore (old injury). Maybe I should transfer to bike to provide a different cardio workout for the muscle groups? or just do crunches to strengthen the core?

I have an old knee injury too. Here is my story, it may help give you some ideas:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/bjohs/view/down-30-pounds-response-to-questions-114202

FYI, I lost the most weight in my journey (10 lbs in 3 weeks) by walking as my only form of exercise. But I focused 99% of my effort on cleaning up my food choices. Think 80% diet and only 20% exercise. That may not work for everyone, but it did work for me. Good luck!

zenithfern

I love your story! I`m happy that you shared that with me. Helps me get my mind around a lot of concerns regarding my knee and some insight regarding the diet vs exercise routines. I`ve noticed that my body has been really hungry in the mornings and eating a small amount at dinner and I`m glad I`m not the only one! I felt really guilty eating tons of calories in the mornings and feeling like I messed up the rest of my days intake but I saw that it worked for you. I`ve never been a breakfast person until I started working out two weeks ago, and I feel a lot more releaved that my body is making appropriate changes to the workouts.

LPS1986

Thanks Bjohs!!
LPS1986 - I`ve been trying to monitor my calories through the MFP app and recording all the relevant information. I`ve been drinking about 10 cups of water a day (only thing I drink other than the two cups of coffee in the mornings). Other than that, I do use the elliptical everyday. It`s the most enjoyable for me in the gym and I get all excited in the mornings before workout for that natural high. I feel like I should transition over to the treadmill, but I`m scared on the high impact making my one knee muscle sore (old injury). Maybe I should transfer to bike to provide a different cardio workout for the muscle groups? or just do crunches to strengthen the core?

Just do what you like as long as it isn't always one thing. I was scared of running but today, I ran three miles in 45 minutes. Keep in mind, in November I was hospitalized with severe pancreatitis and complications from diabetes. I walk some days, I go on the elliptical, I lift weights, I work on abs, I do all sorts of stuff. I just be sure that I switch it up! Even if you hop on a bike one day and then do elliptical the next, you should be fine. Walking is still exercise, too. Don't think that you have to run on the treadmill!

littlebluej

I'm 5'1, also a Uni student. Feel free to add me

bjohs

I love your story! I`m happy that you shared that with me. Helps me get my mind around a lot of concerns regarding my knee and some insight regarding the diet vs exercise routines. I`ve noticed that my body has been really hungry in the mornings and eating a small amount at dinner and I`m glad I`m not the only one! I felt really guilty eating tons of calories in the mornings and feeling like I messed up the rest of my days intake but I saw that it worked for you. I`ve never been a breakfast person until I started working out two weeks ago, and I feel a lot more releaved that my body is making appropriate changes to the workouts.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day now! It is usually anywhere between 500-600 calories. Here is another blog about why it's so large: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/bjohs/view/my-large-breakfast-explained-160013

Can you tell I've been on MFP for a while? LOL

WhitneyAnnabelle

I'm 5'2 3/4 and 107 pounds if you'd like to add me It's always nice to have people with similar stats/goals

LPS1986

I love your story! I`m happy that you shared that with me. Helps me get my mind around a lot of concerns regarding my knee and some insight regarding the diet vs exercise routines. I`ve noticed that my body has been really hungry in the mornings and eating a small amount at dinner and I`m glad I`m not the only one! I felt really guilty eating tons of calories in the mornings and feeling like I messed up the rest of my days intake but I saw that it worked for you. I`ve never been a breakfast person until I started working out two weeks ago, and I feel a lot more releaved that my body is making appropriate changes to the workouts.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day now! It is usually anywhere between 500-600 calories. Here is another blog about why it's so large: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/bjohs/view/my-large-breakfast-explained-160013

Can you tell I've been on MFP for a while? LOL

I eat about the same for breakfast. The rest of my day feels incredible when I eat a 550 calorie breakfast. I never feel like I need to eat much more than that!

LPS1986

I love your story! I`m happy that you shared that with me. Helps me get my mind around a lot of concerns regarding my knee and some insight regarding the diet vs exercise routines. I`ve noticed that my body has been really hungry in the mornings and eating a small amount at dinner and I`m glad I`m not the only one! I felt really guilty eating tons of calories in the mornings and feeling like I messed up the rest of my days intake but I saw that it worked for you. I`ve never been a breakfast person until I started working out two weeks ago, and I feel a lot more releaved that my body is making appropriate changes to the workouts.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day now! It is usually anywhere between 500-600 calories. Here is another blog about why it's so large: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/bjohs/view/my-large-breakfast-explained-160013

Can you tell I've been on MFP for a while? LOL

I eat about the same for breakfast. The rest of my day feels incredible when I eat a 550 calorie breakfast. I never feel like I need to eat much more than that!

I mean, for breakfast. The rest of the day is little 200-300 calorie snacks/meals!

NatalieWinning

Be sure to eat your exercise calories! And i'm 5'2" but 130-128 is "skinny" for me. So my suggestion is not to just go by one standard "one size fits all" number and see about where you'd like to be based on a lot of factors and your own experience: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ this site has a lot of calculators to put your height and weight plus body fat % into the equasion plus past experience and how you feel. For me 128# is on the borderline for not enough body fat, which is actually on the higher end of BMI for my height.

ZoAnnAlexis

I am 5'2" and currently weigh 147, we should be friends!

zenithfern

Thanks everyone for your helpful posts! And I`m going to check out that website Nammyl. I always felt like 110-115lbs might be a little bit small for me based on weight vs height ratios, but I guess my GW will also be determined on how good I feel about my bodies proportions. Being a short little lady in the legs has always made life a little stressful since I inherited my mothers child bearing hips (Pant size 8). Finding appropriate pants has always been a pain, so I`m hoping that I find the right balance between health and feeling comfortable in my body proportions. Regardless, I`m giving all the short ladies out there a big high five with their goals!

Feel free to add me *heart*

Edit: Hey Nammyl, I just used the calculator on the site you suggested, and it stated that I should be aiming for approxinately 118-120lbs. Thanks a bunch!

pixie_mills

I'm also 5"2 and weigh 143 , looking to be down at about 126lbs (as a start) , feel free to add me too x

NatalieWinning

Thanks everyone for your helpful posts! And I`m going to check out that website Nammyl. I always felt like 110-115lbs might be a little bit small for me based on weight vs height ratios, but I guess my GW will also be determined on how good I feel about my bodies proportions. Being a short little lady in the legs has always made life a little stressful since I inherited my mothers child bearing hips (Pant size 8). Finding appropriate pants has always been a pain, so I`m hoping that I find the right balance between health and feeling comfortable in my body proportions. Regardless, I`m giving all the short ladies out there a big high five with their goals!

Feel free to add me *heart*

Edit: Hey Nammyl, I just used the calculator on the site you suggested, and it stated that I should be aiming for approxinately 118-120lbs. Thanks a bunch!

Hurray!! I once starved myself down to 115 and it was not a pretty picture! Keep assessing as you go. Bookmark that site. I am sort of straight and muscular. Way different than It took a while to figure out that I needed shaped clothes to look better, because the comfortable lose ones actually made me look huge. Even though I felt like I was hiding my fat, I was making myself look bigger.

Bra tips as you go down: if you go down a strap size you may have to go up a cup size until the cup also reduces even more. Same size cup in smaller strap size is an even smaller cup. This is agonizing for shorter people like me. Big boobs make smaller shirts really hard to find. I had to get oversized shoulders to get my tops to fit. So the right bra really helps.

Also a no brainer, but somehow I always don't think: only go to the "petite" pants. or "short". It's obvious, but it's just so hard to find. They often hide them, so if you find some you like, ask if they have them in petite in the back. The official "petite section" in the stores is hit and miss. I looked for hours for petite pants in the levi section once, and got frustrated enough to ask, and she brought out every single color and style in the pants I liked! They fit! I was not a freak of nature after all!

I can't emphasize this enough. Not eating back exercise calories will stall your weight loss. If you are set to lose 1-2lbs a week you are at 400-500 calorie deficite. If you exercise 300-500 calorie burn in an hour of eliptical (or more) you are then 1000 calories or so under your body needs to maintain. Then the body will decide every calorie is critical and maybe not be so quick to let it go. It was my biggest mistake a year and a half ago. I actually gained trying to eat very little and exercise a lot. Fuel the exercise and you will build muscle, lose fat, and have muscle that needs more calories to maintain. win win win!

NatalieWinning

I couldn't find it earlier, but here's another excellent website for perspective: http://www.mybodygallery.com/

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

so--you burn 500 on the elliptical--i assume you eat 1200 +500 = 1700 calories then? If you don't want to eat them ALL back i do recommend eating some--perhaps 1/2...so 1450 calories a day MINIMUM on workout days.

zenithfern

Hey Nammyl,

I know what you mean about bra size and short pants! I have always had a hard time finding jeans that are short in the legs with a 8 hip size. So annoying! One time I found the perfect pants and bought 4 of them. When I get my pants hemmed, they just look so weird. In regards to bra size, I`m a C cup but when I`ve gone on big exercise binges (Summer archaeology excavations and military training camp) I would go back to a just comfortable B 34 but I would have to put the straps to the smallest length. Being a shortie is hard in so many ways.

At Love4fitnessl:
Typically, I eat back a portion of my calories burned during exercise. For example: Today I did 55 min on the elliptical for 528 cal total with a 1200 daily calorie limit. So I would go to 1300-1450 total consumed by the end of the day instead of eating them all back (1700 total). I try to make sure I`m not just eating pure carb after my workouts (Like 5 slices of white bread lol) but nibble on carrots, a slice of bread, water, pickles, and a little cheese etc. I`ve tried just eating the 1200 even after big workouts, but my body gets angry if I`m forcefully starving myself however I feel guilty if I eat them all back.

On the upside, I feel my legs getting stronger and my bf even commeted on my buttom this morning. Keeps me motivated.

kristinL16

I'm 5' and currently weigh 154 (just started last week after having a baby 4 months ago).

I need more friends here so any of you can feel free to add me!

My goal weight right now is 120. When I was in college I was most comfortable at 105-110 but don't think that is realistic at this point in my life (I'm 36 with 4 kids). I will keep assessing my goal as I lose.

kaiteboo

I'm 5"2 115lbs! feel free to add me shorties