A safe daily goal for a taller girl?

Chester_1

I know this is a bit of a sensitive subject to some so hopefully this doesn't backfire but... I have a question about 1200 calories. (Queue lightning crash and ominous music!)

I'm curious if anyone knows what affect height has on how many calories a person needs. I assume that the 1200 calorie mark is based on the average needs of the average person but I'm 5'11", so taller than the average woman. It makes sense to me, because even at a healthy weight there will still be more of me than an average woman, that I would need more calories than average. I'm just wondering how many.

MFP has me on 1200 a day, and I try to stick close to it, coming in a few calories under sometimes. What concerns me are the red letters of doom that appear when I hit Complete Entry after netting 1190 calories in a day. I don't want to wreak havoc on my metabolism; I've got another 40-some pounds to lose, and I don't want to make it any harder than necessary, but I also want to lose it as fast as possible.

Is 1200 calories a day enough for us taller girls? How much of an impact does our height have on our caloric needs? Is it small enough that I can skate by on 1200, or am I screwing myself over? Any input, as always, would be appreciated :happy:

talilakay2

morning! i'm 5'11 as well, and 1200 wasn't enough for me. I felt hungry and irritable, then i found the calculator for me BMR on here, and it's nowhere near enough! It's under TOOLS, then BMR. Enter your details and it'll work it out for you. Mine was about 1600.

I dont think you should eat under the figure that you get, as it's a rough estimate of how many calories your body needs just to carry out its daily functions even if you lay in bed all day. I've found a nice balance of what works for me, which is BMR + 500 cals, (ie 2100), and i've been losing around 2 pounds a week. Exercise helps a lot with the loss. I've never fluctuated either, always had a steady loss.

I think when we start out losing weight, we want it to be as quick as possible, but realistically, it's just not do-able. You'll feel so much better in yourself if you eat those extra cals! And also, I eat most of my exercise calories back (haha, i use them on little treats sometimes!)

Kenzietea2

morning! i'm 5'11 as well, and 1200 wasn't enough for me. I felt hungry and irritable, then i found the calculator for me BMR on here, and it's nowhere near enough! It's under TOOLS, then BMR. Enter your details and it'll work it out for you. Mine was about 1600.

I dont think you should eat under the figure that you get, as it's a rough estimate of how many calories your body needs just to carry out its daily functions even if you lay in bed all day. I've found a nice balance of what works for me, which is BMR + 500 cals, (ie 2100), and i've been losing around 2 pounds a week. Exercise helps a lot with the loss. I've never fluctuated either, always had a steady loss.

I think when we start out losing weight, we want it to be as quick as possible, but realistically, it's just not do-able. You'll feel so much better in yourself if you eat those extra cals! And also, I eat most of my exercise calories back (haha, i use them on little treats sometimes!)

She basically said everything you need to know Everyone wants to lose as quickly as possible but with the slow and steady method you are far more likely to keep it off, stick to it, and see consistent results.