Dear short people -- we don't need to starve ourselves!

FlaxMilk

If by "lower your calories' you mean lower them to 1200, that's not always true. I lost 20 pounds (went from 170 to 150) eating 1600 calories or more each day. I've never been terribly overweight and never had much to lose, but when I've wanted to lose weight, i didn't have to drastically lower my calories to do it.

1600 is a good amount for someone who weights 170-150. I think the other poster probably meant people with somewhat lower weights than that. MFP projects for me that 1440 is maintenance pre-exercise calories.

Nerdy_Rose

If by "lower your calories' you mean lower them to 1200, that's not always true. I lost 20 pounds (went from 170 to 150) eating 1600 calories or more each day. I've never been terribly overweight and never had much to lose, but when I've wanted to lose weight, i didn't have to drastically lower my calories to do it.

1600 is a good amount for someone who weights 170-150. I think the other poster probably meant people with somewhat lower weights than that. MFP projects for me that 1440 is maintenance pre-exercise calories.

Not necessarily. I lose on 1,600 + exercise calories per day, and I'm 122 pounds right now.

jamielynn020610

I am 5'1" I use to be on a 1200 calorie a day diet. But that was when my doctor had me on weight loss pills and a strict diet. Now, that I am off, I eat no more than 1350 a day and I am still not losing. I do workout every day or every other day and still nothing. I am getting frustrated since I don't want to go up any higher on my calorie intake.

MoreBean13

There are other factors that play into the equation too. For instance, I am 71 years old, and after losing an inch and a half am now 5'. Up until I was about 40, I ate whatever the heck I wanted, and never gained an ounce - was always on the skinny side. But now, I've lost height due to age, arthritis, and spinal fusion, past menopause (thank goodness!), and more limited in my activity (running is out, for instance - although I was never an athletic type, and would much rather read than work out!) My calorie allotment is 1200 before allowance for exercise. It is not fun keeping to that few calories - and I do "eat back" some or most of the "exercise calories", but as long as I do exercise every single day, I am losing slowly but steadily (have lost 14 pounds in 70 days). My main worry is that I am depriving myself of a lot of the things I love, and I don't want to have to do that forever! And my physical condition is slowly becoming more limiting, so I can't realistically increase the exercise! And I HATE "fake" food - i.e., "light, low calorie, reduced fat, etc.". I want the real thing or nothing!

Xanne- Can I just say....You look AMAZING. At 71 y/o you must be doing something right! :flowerforyou:

Aurorakitty

I"m 5'0 and eating anywhere between 1170-1350 and I've been stuck at the same weight for a month! I don't know if I need to increase my exercise (already at 1hr-1hr 30min) a day or increase the calories because my body thins it's to low.

FitFabFlirty92

I"m 5'0 and eating anywhere between 1170-1350 and I've been stuck at the same weight for a month! I don't know if I need to increase my exercise (already at 1hr-1hr 30min) a day or increase the calories because my body thins it's to low.

If you're already exercising an hour or more a day, fitness isn't the issue. If your calories are right, you should be able to lose whether you're working out or not. So maybe upping your calories for a few weeks will work for you. It's worth a shot if what you're doing right now hasn't been working. It might also help to eat back at least some of your exercise calories if you're not already, I imagine you're burning quite a lot if you're working out that long and it could be making your net too low.

happypath101

Also try eating different kinds of foods. For me (and apparently a lot of us) it's not just calories. I can eat a lot more calories if I'm eating good, healthy protein like whole raw almonds. I feel better too. I don't crave sugar as much and I look better - even if the scale doesn't move.

kellicci

I"m 5'0 and eating anywhere between 1170-1350 and I've been stuck at the same weight for a month! I don't know if I need to increase my exercise (already at 1hr-1hr 30min) a day or increase the calories because my body thins it's to low.

If you are working out 90 min a day then 1170-1350 is too low. I try to eat 1300 a day minimum and on exercise days I usually go up to 1600+. Try paying attention to your NET calories not your gross. If you only eat 1170 and then burn 500+ in exercise alone you're only giving oyur body 670 for the rest of your body functions. That's not enough and could be why you are stalled.

I think this is all very interesting but lets be honest those of you eating 1600-2000 a day are probably, young, very active or have more than 30 pounds to lose. Me I'm 35, have a desk job and only 5 pounds to lose. I choose to eat 1300 NET a day and for me that works if I ate 1600-2000 I'd probably gain at this activity level. Eating is not a one size fits all, there are way to many factors. So let's not try to over simplify it. because then what happenes is an ususpecting newbie who loves food reads someone their height lost weight at 1900 calories a day so they try it but gain and end up defeated. Take all the facts and do what works for you.

CarlieeBear

I'm 5'2. I'm 18 and I weigh 142 pounds. I'm overweight so I wanted to lose 25-30 pounds more. Is that okay? Or is that too much?
I've been working out 3x a week in 45mins and I have school so I go out probably everyday. So far, I've lost 9 pounds within 4 weeks. I managed to eat healthier choices like salad veggies, teas and fruits. And I didn't go beyond 1200 calories. I'm not logging too much here as lately I don't have much time. So should I lessen or add calories to my diet?

Btw, at my first week in dieting, I feel so hungry. But then when I worked my routine at the second week, I can't feel starvation any more up until today. I usually drink tea and make marmalade sandwich at breakfast. Then I usually eat salad, tuna and bread with an apple at lunch. My breakfast and lunch are sometimes switching though. Then at dinner I eat pasta, or salad or rice with toppings, or bread or vegetable soup and any fruit.

According to the BMI tool on here, the healthy weight range for someone who's 5' 2" is 101.2-135.7.

mockchoc

I'm 5'2 and have no clue what I'm doing. I'm set to about 1300 and losing steady with 1-2 pleateau weeks in the 85 days Ive been doing this and down 14 pounds. I have days where I am not hungry and days I eat EVERYTHING.

So lost :S

You need to work out what your TDEE is then try subtracting 20% from that to work out how much to eat. I only subtract 10% because I'm very close to my goal weight.

CarlieeBear

Height isn't the primary determiner of your BMR, so it's not very helpful for someone to say their height and not their weight. MFP has my calories at 1770/day. I'm 5'4" (rounded up), 47 years old and weigh 234. When I entered my most recent weight loss (4 lbs), it went from 1790 to 1770, which would be 5 calories/pound lost.

My bf gets more calories, but he's male, 12 years younger, 6' and weighs 10-15 lbs more than I do. He is also losing weight, though he's watching his carbs more than his calories (he's a recently diagnosed diabetic, which is what got us being healthier).

When I work out, I only let the protein source I eat after come from the workout calories. This is partly because I don't really trust those calculations, esp. when I workout with my trainer since I don't get feedback from the machines and guess at time spent on each and often she has me do exercises instead of machines.

rachmass1

I'm 4'10' and keeping it near 1200 or less and don't seem to be getting anywhere....maybe I should increase my calories...thanks for the tip

I just checked your profile and saw your age is 61. At your height and your age, you will most like have to eat BELOW 1200 per day to see any significant weightloss, unless you are exercising at a very high level. Sorry, but your metabolism is quite a bit slower than a 20 yr old's. Look for other women your age on here who have lost weight and find out what their calorie level is. I have a few on my friend list in their 50s or more, and I am 49 myself. Feel free to friend request me if you like.

I am 51 and 5'2" and have been losing at1600 a day. I have rarely gone lower than 1300 and am often higher than 1800 per day. I have lost 27 pounds since January.

How much muscle mass do you have? How much time are you spending in the gym, lifting, and how many calories are you burning every day? I dare say that you aren't sitting at a desk all day, and on the couch all night watching TV. To be able to eat that many calories you have to be exercising at a relatively high level. Most of the women your age aren't. Also, how many pounds a week are you losing? If you are happy with only losing a half pound a week, that's fine for you. I have 50 more pounds to lose and need to get it off as quickly as possible to prevent further joint damage.

I would never tell someone who is losing at a rate they are happy with, to eat less. If a plan is working for them, great. But if someone is just starting out to try to lose 30 pounds or more, is eating at a level that is not causing a lot of hunger, and they are not losing weight, then it is obvious that they are not creating a calorie deficit. Automatically telling them to eat more will most likely cause them to gain even more weight. I have seen it happen numerous times on here. It is more likely that they are underestimating how many calories they actually are eating, overestimating how many calories they actually need to eat, and/or overestimating how many calories they are burning thru exercise.

One size doesn't fit all. We all have to figure out what works for us in our own situation. A 20 yr old automatically telling a 60 yr old that she is starving herself because she eats less than the 20 yr old, is just wrong. And it needs to stop.

According to my FitBit I am "lightly active" but I say Pish-Posh, I am more than that but not moderate perhaps. I walk a lot, usually around 5-7 miles a day as I have a treadmill desk (lucky me, I know!). I lift weights 4 times a week and do a lot of planks now and the like, and I try not to sit too long at any one stretch. I am NOT losing quickly but at about 2 pounds a month now. I am doing this to keep it off for life so am not doing a speed thing, even though I wish to heck it would all be gone now. I started at 180 and am now at 153. My goal is 130 but I might go lower once I go there. I also have to add that I am into martial arts and I like to have a little bit more meat on me for that, otherwise I'd shoot for 120 as the best weight for me personally.

Not planning on going into my mid-50's with weight over what I need for general health. Of course I like the way I look a lot better now, but would like to lose the gut and saddlebags for sure!

mkzara

Dear God Almighty - this needs to be said. I have a sedentary job and am only 5'1". I canNOT eat only 1200 calories a day - even netting that is difficult. But, 1400 - 1500 calories a day is entirely do-able and still keeps me slim. I think the important thing to know is that just a couple of hundred calories can make the difference between feeling dizzy and starved and feeling healthy and strong. Just because 1200 is too hard doesn't mean you have to chuck out the entire idea and be eating 2000 a day. :)D

Seriously. When I was trying to eat 1200 calories a day, I was dying. I literally felt woozy and light headed most days.

However, even on 1350 (net) or 1500 total I feel so much better and have a much better handle on my cravings.

Not saying I don't go over at times but it's much better than before.

FlaxMilk

Not necessarily. I lose on 1,600 + exercise calories per day, and I'm 122 pounds right now.

Yes, but many petite people weigh even less than that, in numbers that people think are underweight and would be for someone of an average height. Muscular composition, age, and metabolism all make a difference as well. Obviously a 4'11 person who works out quite a bit and has quite a bit of muscle is going to need more calorie intake than me, even before exercise calories, to support her muscular system.

FlaxMilk

Also, many of us on 1200 calories don't feel like we are starving ourselves and don't feel woozy or dying of cravings. It's not an unreasonable number for many people. If it is too little for an individual, of course she or he should eat more. The best calorie intake is one that keeps you healthy AND that you can stick to.

I forgot to add the point of this post: if you aren't losing on higher calories and feel (or your doctor feels) you should be on 1200 calories or around that number, evaluate what you are eating. Making different choices can go a long way toward energy, muscle, stamina, and satiety.

mockchoc

Such a shame so many on here won't listen to the great advice on this thread and will keep on eating so little. I did it at first too but when I was told it's not enough I thought wow awesome and I'm never really hungry now. Why eat like a bird when you don't have to and can still loose? Food is wonderful!

meeka472

If by "lower your calories' you mean lower them to 1200, that's not always true. I lost 20 pounds (went from 170 to 150) eating 1600 calories or more each day. I've never been terribly overweight and never had much to lose, but when I've wanted to lose weight, i didn't have to drastically lower my calories to do it.

1600 is a good amount for someone who weights 170-150. I think the other poster probably meant people with somewhat lower weights than that. MFP projects for me that 1440 is maintenance pre-exercise calories.

Not necessarily. I lose on 1,600 + exercise calories per day, and I'm 122 pounds right now.

Currently I'd lose weight if I was eating 1600 calories a day but that is also because I lead a very active life and am burning over 1000+ calories per day. But lets be real here it is a matter of numbers if you are short and not very active you will have to reduce your calories to lose weight. To say anything different is setting people up for failure.

Sweet_Potato

Well, you're lucky. I'm 5'2" and have only been able to lose weight if I stick to 1200 calories a day. I've found I can maintain my current weight if I net 1250, but I'll gain weight if I eat more and don't burn it off with exercise.

meeka472

If you are short with a lot of weight to lose you will still lose weight with higher calories. But if you are not very heavy and are looking to lose those last 20-30 lbs you will either have to lower the food calories or increase activity to lose weight because the resting metabolic rate of a short person is lower than someone who is taller,

If by "lower your calories' you mean lower them to 1200, that's not always true. I lost 20 pounds (went from 170 to 150) eating 1600 calories or more each day. I've never been terribly overweight and never had much to lose, but when I've wanted to lose weight, i didn't have to drastically lower my calories to do it.

You lost weight because you weighed more and as a result your resting metabolism was higher. Now I don't know how much exercise you've done to help with the weight loss but if you try to lose another 20 - 30 lbs you will have to either lower your calories or increase your activity because 1600 calories will be very close to maintenance once you start going below your current weight.

angraham2

Anyone over 5 feet tall (60 inches) is NOT short !!!!!