I'm 5'0" and eat 1500 calories. My story of weight loss.

asenet78

This was exactly what I needed. I just started on my journey and I'm 4'11". The 1200 cals that MFP recommends seems doable but not realistic for me, especially being a Latina and having all this great food around me lol. I think the best thing is portion control and eating as healthy as possible, not focusing soooo much on the calories. For now Im trying not to go above 1400 calories so we will see how it turns out. I don't have alot of weight to lose but the small amount seems so hard but definitely working hard to achieve it. Thank you for your post, it was very much needed!

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Great post! I love to see smart women here who aren't blinded with MFP's super low 1200 calorie diet. Thanks for sharing and educating especially the non-petites who think us petites can only get away with a pathetic 1200 calories.

I'm 5'2 and just like everyone else, I started out at 1200 calories ignorantly following MFP's uber low recommendations which is mostly geared with US setting. I live in a 3rd world Asian country where the vast majority of people don't own a car and so definitely I have a very different lifestyle compared to my American brothers and sisters and while I have a deskjob that MFP classifies as sedentary but here since the majority commute daily so we walk a lot and I walk more than 2km everyday & soon I realized that 1200 calories is not practical at all and that I was always hungry and grumpy all the time. I then did some research, realized that not only does the MFP failed in the total number of calories but also in terms of macros. I was already aware beforehand that I have a medium-frame, predomonantly mesomorph body type based on the gym's assessment on me way years back (of course I didn't believed it at first coz I was in denial of being fat and instead I assumed that I was 'big boned', LOL). And so I saw that the right macros for me should be 40 (carbs)-30(fat)-30(protein) and not MFP's high carb low protein 55(carbs)-30(fat)-15(protein). No wonder why I ended up skinny-fat when I first reached my goal weight way back late 2011.

So I gradually upped my calories to 1350, 1500 (which is my maintenance accdg to MFP but I saw that I was still losing weight), 1600 (same with 1500). Now its at 1840 and 40-30-30 macros though since I'm cutting right now in time for the summer season here so I make it a point to eat between 1400-1700 calories a day. Since then my body composition has improved and though I now weigh 4 kgs (10 pounds) heavier than before coz I lift heavy weights on top of that but my body fat went down from a skinny-fat 26% to a much better 19%.

mousepaws22

I'd love to be able to lose weight on 1500 calories a day! I'm 5 foot with at least 70 pounds to lose. MFP gives me 1420 a day to lose 1 pound a week, I stayed the same. Read about EMTWL and tried 1800- I put on weight. Came down to 1600- I put on weight. Back down to 1420 at the minute and staying the same again. Going to have to try 1200 I think even though I don't want to. Maybe it's because I don't exercise much.

Perhaps you may also be really sure that the calorie data that you add to your diet is really accurate. Don't guess on quantity. Weigh and measure everything. I bought a digital food scale at Walmart and it is invaluable and was not expensive. I have seen many articles on weight loss, and almost all talk about how the majority of people underestimate what they eat. For me, it was realizing that I have to record even the incidentals, like the little bit of low fat half and half that I put in my tea--with several cups, it adds up.

Yep, everything is weighed and measured, has been for the past 12 months. I only drink water so no added milk or sugar etc in tea/coffee. I decidd this year that I'm not going to worry about my weight because I only get stressed when I don't lose and focus on my fitness goals instead. If I lose weight it's a bonus.

apriltrainer

Well I am 5'3 and I go up and down days. Some days lower than 1200 and some days over 1600. It depends on my activity level. I also don't do any cardio so me eating 1200 suits me fine.

I do notice that on days where I get heavy leg work in I will natually eat up to 1600. On days I sit at my desk fiddling my fingers, I eat 1200, sometimes a bit less..But again..

I do No cardio. None at all. I only lift. So lower cals suits me.

My average where I am satisfied but still lose/maintain is about 1350 when I take all my 1100(yeah some days I go less) to 1700(sometimes I go oveR). But avg is about 1350. I am not starving , I am a shortie(5'3) but that's what works for me. Again, if I did the kind of cardio I see some people posting on MFP(example - 1 hr of weights + 1 hr of insanity .+ ran 5 miles this morning!) I just might eat more..but i don't so I eat less.

Regardless, GREAT job on finding what works for you OP and sharing your success.

eganita

I'm 5'2 and just like everyone else, I started out at 1200 calories ignorantly following MFP's uber low recommendations which is mostly geared with US setting. I live in a 3rd world Asian country where the vast majority of people don't own a car and so definitely I have a very different lifestyle compared to my American brothers and sisters and while I have a deskjob that MFP classifies as sedentary but here since the majority commute daily so we walk a lot and I walk more than 2km everyday & soon I realized that 1200 calories is not practical at all and that I was always hungry and grumpy all the time.

While I think TDEE/BMR/etc. strategies are certainly valid, I think MFP unfairly gets a bad rap for the "low" calorie settings. If you are walking that much a day, I think MFP intends for you to either 1) not classify yourself as sedentary or 2) log that as exercise done for the day, for which you will "earn" more calories.

darwinforyou

I think this is a really great story and I'm so happy for your success!

However, I'm 5'4" on the 1200 calorie thing.. and I really only eat, on average, 850 a day.
Granted, I've only been doing this for almost week. I don't feel starved though. Actually, I can't imagine eating any more than what I have been. And, I'm working out about 30 minutes everyday (squats, walking/jogging (C25k) Push-ups, Ab workouts, etc.) Drinking lots of water.

I do want to lose weight, but more importantly gain muscle and be healthy, strong and toned.
So, I guess I should up my calorie intake? It may sound silly, but I don't know how I would do that. EAT MORE. Yeah, yeah, I just can't imagine eating more without sabotaging myself. o:

I was lurking on this thread but had to respond to this.....

If you are serious about gaining muscle and and being toned - there's no way you can support that on 850 a day. Muscle needs food - protein. Most people who are lifting weights to gain muscle, squats, etc, net far more than 850 day, your body physically cannot support that. 1200 is the lowest recommended by a Dr. for women - while you may be sustaining it for now, I don't think that will work in the long term.

eat food. bodies need fuel for workouts - you will do more if you eat more.

otrlynn

While I think TDEE/BMR/etc. strategies are certainly valid, I think MFP unfairly gets a bad rap for the "low" calorie settings. If you are walking that much a day, I think MFP intends for you to either 1) not classify yourself as sedentary or 2) log that as exercise done for the day, for which you will "earn" more calories.

This x 1000.

McAlyna

Great post!! Thanks for sharing.

EM2WL

irmacasillas

:happy: awesome!!!!!

CandiSki

Love this. People who are struggling with 1200 and wondering if they should up their calories should read this, it helps.

Fozzi43

I think this is a really great story and I'm so happy for your success!

However, I'm 5'4" on the 1200 calorie thing.. and I really only eat, on average, 850 a day.
Granted, I've only been doing this for almost week. I don't feel starved though. Actually, I can't imagine eating any more than what I have been. And, I'm working out about 30 minutes everyday (squats, walking/jogging (C25k) Push-ups, Ab workouts, etc.) Drinking lots of water.

I do want to lose weight, but more importantly gain muscle and be healthy, strong and toned.
So, I guess I should up my calorie intake? It may sound silly, but I don't know how I would do that. EAT MORE. Yeah, yeah, I just can't imagine eating more without sabotaging myself. o:

I was lurking on this thread but had to respond to this.....

If you are serious about gaining muscle and and being toned - there's no way you can support that on 850 a day. Muscle needs food - protein. Most people who are lifting weights to gain muscle, squats, etc, net far more than 850 day, your body physically cannot support that. 1200 is the lowest recommended by a Dr. for women - while you may be sustaining it for now, I don't think that will work in the long term.

eat food. bodies need fuel for workouts - you will do more if you eat more.

I like you..:flowerforyou:

jlapey

I too am only 5'0" tall. I'm 42 years old and currently weigh 151 pounds. I started MFP at 163. I did the 1200 calorie for a while too. It was difficult and after a while I made no progress. Today I am wearing my HRM for 24 hours (2 more hours to go) to get my own personal TDEE. I will then subtract 20% from that as my calorie intake for weight loss. If I were to figure my calorie intake from what my HRM says right now, I would already be allowed at least 1500 calories. I see no reason for anyone to starve themselves on 1200 calories.

Before anyone says they are NOT hungry on 1200, let me tell you a story. My mother lives in a nursing home (suffered a massive stroke). Lately, she has not been eating her food. She only wants sweets. When asked why she is not eating, she indicated that she is not hungry (she is unable to speak much). The doctor told us that after 2 or 3 days of not eating enough, a person will lose their appetite. Not being hungry does not mean that your body is getting what it needs. It just means it's adjusting to the situation at hand. He said if she did not start eating on her own, they would begin to feed her through a peg tube in her stomach.

Also, if you are having trouble understanding all this, there is a group here you should check out. I learned a lot from the threads they posted here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

spa9177

bump!

tamerica07

I'm 5' 1" 118 lbs and i try to follow a 1200 cal diet but i try to take in a lot of protein so it keeps me full longer. My goal weight is about 105 to 110. I want to be well toned but have nice muscle tone. What i do is if i work out and burn 200 to 300 cals i do eat do those back so if i burn 300 cals then my total of cals for the day is 1500. I have a very low heart rate, i have worn a heart rate monitor sometimes all day and when im sitting reading or watching TV my heart rate is 55 and when im up walking, not very fast just walking its around 70 so im not sure taking in more cals is ideal for me.

nfgchick79

Great information, but I am still so confused, lol! I only started this about 2 weeks ago and according to my scale, I did lose a pound....I think. My weight seems to flucuate daily cuz when I entered my 1 lb weight loss on here that was from like Tuesday morning. Then just for grins, I got on the scale last night and it had gone even further down! But then this morning, for more grins, I got on again...and it is now .5 lb more than my starting weight!

I don't have any exercise regimen right now, just walking during my breaks at work and cleaning at home, sometimes dancing while doing it. I was thinking about trying a work out game/DVD at home, but trying to figure out when I should do it as I have trouble getting up in the morning. And whenever night comes, I feel like "ahhh, kids are bed now it's time for me to fold laundry without the babys 'help' and watch my shows" and I just sit and relax.

Would you mind if I friended you? Maybe you could take a peek at my diary now and then and give me some pointers? Anyone else that likes to help us newbies please feel free to take a peek as well.

You can certainly friend me. I'll try and take a look at your diary when I get a second (I'm on my lunch break and am so overwhelmed by all the wonderful responses).

nfgchick79

I think this is a really great story and I'm so happy for your success!

However, I'm 5'4" on the 1200 calorie thing.. and I really only eat, on average, 850 a day.
Granted, I've only been doing this for almost week. I don't feel starved though. Actually, I can't imagine eating any more than what I have been. And, I'm working out about 30 minutes everyday (squats, walking/jogging (C25k) Push-ups, Ab workouts, etc.) Drinking lots of water.

I do want to lose weight, but more importantly gain muscle and be healthy, strong and toned.
So, I guess I should up my calorie intake? It may sound silly, but I don't know how I would do that. EAT MORE. Yeah, yeah, I just can't imagine eating more without sabotaging myself. o:

I was lurking on this thread but had to respond to this.....

If you are serious about gaining muscle and and being toned - there's no way you can support that on 850 a day. Muscle needs food - protein. Most people who are lifting weights to gain muscle, squats, etc, net far more than 850 day, your body physically cannot support that. 1200 is the lowest recommended by a Dr. for women - while you may be sustaining it for now, I don't think that will work in the long term.

eat food. bodies need fuel for workouts - you will do more if you eat more.

I agree with the above. Your body needs vital nutrients and 850 is not getting those nutrients. You need them to function physically and mentally. Putting aside all weight loss advice, that is just about your health. I try not to judge or tell people what THEY should do and I tend to think what works for one person won't work for another BUT, I could never condone 850 a day. That's bad for your body. Please be careful. If you want to up your calories I suggest you do it slowly, like maybe 50-100 more a week. That's what I tried to do.

Babeskeez

Hi fellow MFP'ers,

Upon the new year I have noticed a lot of new people with a lot of questions. There's been a lot of the whole 1200 calorie argument thing. This post isn't a dig at anyone who eats a particular amount of calories. So with that being stated, try not to fight too much. I just wanted to share my experience briefly. I hope someone might benefit from it. But first my stats:

Stats:
Age: 33
Height: 5'0"
SW: 134
CW: 106
GW: I'm fine where I am. Pounds don't matter at this stage for me. Up 1 down 2 whatever. My clothes fit and I feel good.
Calorie intake: 1500 a day give or take, my diary is open (some weekends I skip logging, I skipped the holidays and I skipped when I had surgery in December).
Workouts: 3-5 days a week, cardio, yoga, and strength

I wanted to tell you what I did because as a very petite woman I've seen time and time again that short ladies should eat 1200 calories or even go lower than that, just because we are short. It's lately been kind of annoying me. Just to clarify, I did start at 1200 like most people did on here, blindly following MFP's numbers they gave me. I was also working out at least 7 hours a week. I started with not eating back exercise calories. I realized wow, I'm starving. So I started eating them back. Then my weight loss plateaued. I started doing "doubles" at the gym (i.e. back to back classes for hours, just killing myself). I didn't know what to do as I couldn't possibly eat less nor could I work out any more hours or I would most definitely hurt myself. I did a lot of research at this point. I looked into BMR, TDEE, Eat More to Weigh Less, etc. So I upped my calories. Slowly. I have to admit I was terrified to eat more. This is when I began to realize that maybe I was being too obsessive with my calorie counting. I let go of the reigns and eventually settled on 1500 calories a day (gross, not net).

And guess what? I lost more weight! I eased back on my crazy amounts of cardio/gym classes and started eating more food (whole foods, lots of protein) and adjusted my macros. It took me a year to end up here and I feel amazing. Some weeks I go without logging. I cut myself a break. I have a glass of wine. I want people to read this at the BEGINNING of their journeys so that maybe it will save someone the 6 months that I tortured myself. I was so hungry and so tired. Now I feel human and normal.

And if 1200 works for you then it works for you. I'm not judging or telling anyone what to do. I just really want people to know (and especially short people like myself) that you can eat food and to be gentle with yourself. It's not a race and this is a lifestyle, something sustainable for the long haul.

Good luck! (and be kind to each other and yourself)

I started out the same weight and barely an inch taller Glad to hear your story gives me some hope

mistakenidentity

Wonderful info and so encouraging! I have been eating 1200 cals and have stalled. I'm going to try upping my cals. I have to admit...it scares me. Thank you for sharing!

alibug2001

I'm 5'3 and I try to stick between 1430-1480 calories. Some weekends I even go up to 1600 or during that special time when I'm "starving". So far it's been good, I lose steadily and it's something I know I can maintain long term....

Thanks for the post!

ElleFerguson

I so needed this today. I've been really considering this 1200 calorie thing and eating more than that because most days I do typically go over by eating 1400-1500 calories. I'm 5'1" too and sometimes wonder if I'm getting enough food because I typically don't feel full after breakfast like I usually do.
My question for all the ladies that consistently is, did you make any major changes in your diet? Did you cut the carbs? Increase the protein? Chagne your exercise regime? Etc?

williamsge

Bump...I have to read this later. I'm 4'11 and I have 55 pounds to lose ...

Deekay8008

Great thread! I started this two weeks ago, weighed today, lost 2lb's in a week, have 56 to lose at least, 31yrs and 5 foot 2. I've started on the 1200 (2 pound loss) and yesterday changed it to 1.5 pound loss target, which gained me an extra 70 cals, so 1270 allowance. Just started going to the gym 2 - 3 times a week. After reading so much tonight it's clear to me that I should probably be taking in nearer to 1500 to ensure I don't lower my metabolism and reach a plateau. I think I will make sure I eat at least 1500 on gym days for a start. After I lose the first 14 pounds I think I will start upping my calories by about 100 a week, I need to lose the first 14 fast to keep me motivated towards my diet change, I may be eating less calories at the moment, but I am also eating a better range of foods and more fruit and veg so that can only be a good thing.

BuffytheTimTamSlayer

Thank you for this thread because I am 5.0 and a 187 pounds. I have a diet plan from my gym but I was using myfitness plan calorie counter of 1200 cal per day. I have been so hungry throughout the day as I have been going to the gym 5 days a week. I just realised my gym had me on 1500 calories a day so thank you because this made me revisit my goals and change it. I have been missing out on 400-500 calories a day!! No wonder I have had no energy!!

mareeee1234

Thanks for this !!

I'm 5'0.5, and was doing extreme cardio 6/7 days a week, eating 1200-1300 calories,

Its been a week now, since upping my calories and doing Stronglifts rather than cardio everyday!

Thanks for the inspo, I think this will work Just need to be patient with the initial gain before the loss!

AmyRhubarb

Brilliant post - thanks for sharing your success!

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

I'm 5'2 and just like everyone else, I started out at 1200 calories ignorantly following MFP's uber low recommendations which is mostly geared with US setting. I live in a 3rd world Asian country where the vast majority of people don't own a car and so definitely I have a very different lifestyle compared to my American brothers and sisters and while I have a deskjob that MFP classifies as sedentary but here since the majority commute daily so we walk a lot and I walk more than 2km everyday & soon I realized that 1200 calories is not practical at all and that I was always hungry and grumpy all the time.

While I think TDEE/BMR/etc. strategies are certainly valid, I think MFP unfairly gets a bad rap for the "low" calorie settings. If you are walking that much a day, I think MFP intends for you to either 1) not classify yourself as sedentary or 2) log that as exercise done for the day, for which you will "earn" more calories.

I understand about this. However for a newbie, this is definitely very confusing especially the way MFP classifies activity level based on your daily routine. I work desk job for 8 hours and according to MFP, I am sedentary. Even if I'm far from sedentary given that I walk a lot and commute from work to home everyday and also clean house the old fashioned way 3x a week but since I have this type of job so I followed MFP. But even if I did fit into the sedentary label, still 1200 calories is way too low and my BMR alone is 1330 calories. Yes I lost the weight at 1200 calories but a lot of it came from muscle and not fat which is why I ended up skinny-fat 52kg (115 lbs.) at 26% body fat when I first got into my goal weight late 2011, not to mention that I felt weaker and couldn't even do a single push-up and this considering that I have a naturally strong body and in fact when I was 11 years old, I was always lifting with my one hand a 20kg very heavy grocery bag that my mom couldn't lift. Perhaps 1200 calories work best for obese people who can afford to have a large calorie deficit but only for a short period of time. Also I think it works best to zigzag from 1200 low calorie days & 1600 high calorie days. But sustaining a 1200 calorie diet for long periods of time isn't right.

DizzyLinds

For years i ate at a huge deficit. As well as having a active job as a pe teacher, i was doing large amounts of cardio at least 4 times a week. My typical session would be 15 min run, 45 min spin then an hour of body pump. I'd often do back to back classes such as combat, aerobics and more running. I was probably burning 500+ cals per workout but was eating around 1200 cals max. I was weak, tired, suffered badly with Raynauds (poor circulation), moody. It affected my relationship i was in too as i was so obsessive. I'm about 4ft 11 and weighed around 120lbs/52kg. I was the complete definiton of skinny fat.

I got so fed up of this and after educating myself by reading on MFP and speaking to people on here i decided to gradually up my calories and try a different approach to training. I sorted out my macros so i was eating much more protein and good fats. I've tried very hard to change my negative thoughts about food and see it as a fuel for my workouts. I've done this since November 2011. I now aim for 1700. I worked this figure out using TDEE-15%. I'm still not sure if this is a correct amount.

Since making changes i have gained weight and my body has changed. I quit doing endless amounts of cardio and now mainly lift heavy and do less cardio. The gym felt more of a chore before as i knew how long i'd be there. I'm still curvy but much stronger. I have a lot more energy and am less tired. I still fret about my weight as i know the extra pounds are more noticable on smaller women. I feel a bit more confident. Don't get me wrong i still stress about the scale but i know what i was doing before was probably unhealthy for my mind and body, especially long term. I'm still trying to find that happy calorie consumption balance too. I notice now as i'm nearing my 30's that losing weight is that bit more difficult.

lys1122

Thank you for posting this and sharing your experience! I have been trying to convince myself to up my calories for some time and I think I just need to do it! Reading this and all of the responses definitely helps my decision! 1200 calories is so low and very difficult to have a normal lifestyle on. I lost 30 pounds on another program, maintained it for about 4 years now and I just started gaining about 5-8 pounds of it back so I came to mfp. I tried 1200-1300 calories and I just end up getting hungry, going over my goals, feeling frustrated and VERY discouraged. Maybe if I'm a little nicer to myself and not setting myself up for failure - this will actually work! Let's give this a try!

TT_luvs_fitness

bookmarking so I can come back and read more later. I am 5'2"

laura6009

bumpx