Devil's advocate: 1200 calories for petite/short women?

Sarauk2sf

I'm 5'2'' and I actually find it hard to hit 1200 calories a day. I seriously just don't get hungry. I eat when I feel like I need to and I choose healthy items (usually), so I end up only eating three times a day. If I work out, I try to eat something right after. I try to avoid eating past a certain time by brushing my teeth.

I normally hit about 800 - 900 when I don't exercise, maybe 1000 when I do. >.<

That calorie level is just not enough to be getting appropriate micronutrients and nutrition at your size and age. There is no reason you cannot eat after a certain time in the day. If you do not have much of an appetite then you can focus on eating more calorie dense foods (nuts, avocado, peanut butter etc etc),

Due to the hormones leptin and ghrelin, hunger really has nothing to do with whether or not you should eat to be healthy.

mfpcopine

I'm 5'3 and 98lbs. I don't eat more than 1000 cals. I don't get hungry enough to need to.

I am not trying to be mean here hon, but the 'magic' 88lb goal weight is a bit of a give away. You do not get hungry because the hormones ghrelin and leptin are screwing up with your hunger signals, primarily due to long periods of undereating.

Yep.

When I was 15 years old I weight the same as you do now. It's not super-underweight but you are right on the edge. If you still feel fat, seek professional health.

At your weight I strongly recommend you to eat at your mantainence level and now focus on losing body fat if you still have. I know I did, was extremely skinny but still skinny fat even at 98 lbs. Your weight should be more like 110 at least, and if you work out and lose the body fat and get a defined body you will look great. Better and healthier.

I don't know the weight history of the person you're criticizing, but the world is full of healthy women who weigh 98 pounds. You shouldn't let the fact that 2/3 of Americans are overweight distort your understanding of what is a normal weight.

yarwell

there's a published study of obese women who after a large weight loss had BMRs in the 1200 area, so they would be another example of individuals where 1200 could be too many for ongoing weight loss.

gidgeclev

Absolutely - sometimes I feel that this site is full of people who are justifying over eating to themselves. In case anyone wants to know I'm 53 years old, 5'4" ( which is average height in the UK) weigh 140 lbs which is where I want to be and cannot lose weight except on a low carb diet of around 1000 calories.

CoderGal

N

chrissyKar

I am 5 ft 3 is that short?? :happy:

I find I have a good metabolism, its just that I love food way too much !!!!!!!!! I could not survive on less than 1600 calories a day !

I would have to be unwell to be eating less than 1600 :frown:

but.... my appetite is slowing going down as I lose weight !!

CoderGal

Not sure if my 4 9er friend has replied but she eats about 1500-1600. I did some calculations and even the shorties bmrs are over 1200. So yes, you can loose on more then that, even when you are sedentary though I dont recommend it. Saw a few anorexics reply and I've seen girls live off 900 cals a say for years until they ended up in the hospital.

I really recommend that everyone try to be as active as they can for health reasons, especially the shorties just so theu can get enoigh nutrition from less food at sedentary. I also had a skinny 5'1 friend that could outeat me
..and i like my food.

Im 5'7 and eating over 2000...and 120 which is at the tip of underweight...surely a sensible person doesn't think they need to eat halfthat to live.

mfpcopine

I did some calculations and even the shorties bmrs are over 1200.

You're making an assumption that is incorrect. Some people have BMRs that are below 1200.

strawberrygashes

I am 5ft0, before joining mfp I didn't eat anywhere near the amount I should have been always using the excuse 'I'm short, I can't eat that much'. I stepped on the scales and couldn't believe I had gained 10lbs. I joined mfp, have started eating more with a defined breakfast, lunch and dinner totalling anywhere between 1200-1500, doing regular exercise and already see a difference in under 3 weeks. It definitely has more to do with what you eat, rather than how much. I used to have 600 calories in th day, but it'd be junk food.
I have soooo much more energy, at one point I couldn't get through the day without having at least 1 nap (why that didn't sound alarm bells for me, I don't know) now I can do a good workout and feel alive instead of sleepy. I know 1200-1500 is still a small amount, but its more than I used to eat and have in the past 2-3 weeks lost 2lbs and 5 inches. If I start to feel I need to up my calories, I don't think I will hesitate to.

FlaxMilk

You make a valid point. The calorie needs for petite women can be on the low side.

However, when you're getting down around 1200, adequate daily micronutrition starts to become an issue, IMO. Women that need to eat that little to lose weight would be better served to increase their activity and eat a little more.

I'm not disagreeing with the importance of micronutrition, but many people eating 1200 calories are also eating very healthy foods in order to be able to stay that low. I think worst case scenario, their micronutrition is coming up even with those who eat more based on the number of people who eat more but eat more junk. Of course there are people on both sides that don't meet this--plenty of people eat 1200 and eat junk. Plenty of people eat 2000 and eat healthy only/mostly. But a person who eats 1500 a day but has 280 of those coming from a Snicker's bar is going to come up pretty comparably micronutrition wise with the person who ate 1200.

AlyRoseNYC

I guess I'm one of the four people in the world who won't stab someone if I eat 1200ish calories. I'm losing weight, and have energy to make it through my long days and Insanity workouts. I aim for at least 1200 everyday, but I usually get there only 50% of the time. I won't force feed myself. *shrugs*

ETA: I'm 4'10.5"

FlaxMilk

BTW, weight matters a lot. A short person who weighs more than the average height person can eat more or the same to lose weight. 1200 is not appropriate for all short people. Some short people do need more than that. So when someone advocates eating more than 1200 despite being short (or advocates eating 1200 because they are short), it's a good idea to take the person's weight in mind too.

My BMR is less than 1200. I eat 1200 and up to 1500 on workout days, but I often don't "net" 1200. Then there are weeks like this one where I can't seem to stick to 1500 or less and give in to every emotional whim. These weeks I am grateful for the weeks where I stuck to my 1200. I'm not walking around hungry or cranky. The days where I am truly hungry, I do eat more. It just depends.

MFP says that exercise calories boost the amount of calories you can eat and says you will lose if you eat within your limit, not at your limit. The days where I am under 1200 (even by 1 calorie), it says I am eating too little and going into starvation mode. The days where I net under 1200, it does not do this.

Sarauk2sf

there's a published study of obese women who after a large weight loss had BMRs in the 1200 area, so they would be another example of individuals where 1200 could be too many for ongoing weight loss.

Not sure of the study you are referring to, but would that not be an indication of a suppressed metabolism?

Sarauk2sf

I'm 5'3 and 98lbs. I don't eat more than 1000 cals. I don't get hungry enough to need to.

I am not trying to be mean here hon, but the 'magic' 88lb goal weight is a bit of a give away. You do not get hungry because the hormones ghrelin and leptin are screwing up with your hunger signals, primarily due to long periods of undereating.

Yep.

When I was 15 years old I weight the same as you do now. It's not super-underweight but you are right on the edge. If you still feel fat, seek professional health.

At your weight I strongly recommend you to eat at your mantainence level and now focus on losing body fat if you still have. I know I did, was extremely skinny but still skinny fat even at 98 lbs. Your weight should be more like 110 at least, and if you work out and lose the body fat and get a defined body you will look great. Better and healthier.

I don't know the weight history of the person you're criticizing, but the world is full of healthy women who weigh 98 pounds. You shouldn't let the fact that 2/3 of Americans are overweight distort your understanding of what is a normal weight.

It does not look to me like criticizing - just recommending. And, she did not say she was unhealthy. But, if someone thinks they are fat at 98lb and 5 3", to seek professional help - seems reasonable to me.


Edited because I cannot spell!!

rockinright

I'm 4'9 and 97 lbs, I eat roughly 1000-1200 calories a day if I'm hungry. When I'm not that hungry, I eat a lot less. I have literally gone a day or two without eating, because I just didn't think about it. To be honest, I wouldn't be on here if I didn't have kids, I almost done losing my baby weight.

Not sure how you had energy to function or take care of the kiddos. Curious how you could "forget" to eat, especially while feeding the kiddos. I would really increase your calories. Set a reminder on your phone if you have to!

I have to laugh at the "sometimes I forget to eat" people.

I forget to stop at the grocery store, or pick up the dry cleaning, or to get my wife a glass of water on my way back upstairs. I even forget relatives birthday's.

I DON'T FORGET TO EAT.

ironanimal

You make a valid point. The calorie needs for petite women can be on the low side.

However, when you're getting down around 1200, adequate daily micronutrition starts to become an issue, IMO. Women that need to eat that little to lose weight would be better served to increase their activity and eat a little more.

Ka-ching.

camila_scl

I'm 5'3 and 98lbs. I don't eat more than 1000 cals. I don't get hungry enough to need to.

I am not trying to be mean here hon, but the 'magic' 88lb goal weight is a bit of a give away. You do not get hungry because the hormones ghrelin and leptin are screwing up with your hunger signals, primarily due to long periods of undereating.

Yep.

When I was 15 years old I weight the same as you do now. It's not super-underweight but you are right on the edge. If you still feel fat, seek professional health.

At your weight I strongly recommend you to eat at your mantainence level and now focus on losing body fat if you still have. I know I did, was extremely skinny but still skinny fat even at 98 lbs. Your weight should be more like 110 at least, and if you work out and lose the body fat and get a defined body you will look great. Better and healthier.

I don't know the weight history of the person you're criticizing, but the world is full of healthy women who weigh 98 pounds. You shouldn't let the fact that 2/3 of Americans are overweight distort your understanding of what is a normal weight.

I'm not saying she is not healthy, I'm saying she doesn't need to lose 10 pounds, which is what she wants. I'm telling her she should work out and lose body fat instead because 98 lbs in a girl of 5'2 is just in the limit between normal and underweight (medically, not just my idea). 88 lbs would be too little.

ddiestler

bump

ScreenGem

:laugh: This is a very good conversation and I'm glad that I found this topic. I've truly been wondering about this stuff.

Tzippy7

im 5 1, I eat around 1200 every day and I did plateau for a little while, and got out of it through calorie cycling. As long as you throw a few spike days in there you should be fine.