Short Women from about 4'9-5'2...Calorie Intake??

fuzzymop55

I'm 5'2" and eat anywhere from 800-1500 a day. I exercise 5 days a week for 45min to 1 hour at a time. I don't always eat back my exercise calories but on the days I feel hungry I will eat them. It seemed like after losing the first 8 pounds almost two weeks at a time my weight would stay the same. So to try to curb that with the recent plateau of 19days, I have been doing calorie cycling. It worked because it caused me to break my plateau. I recently started keto [1week now] and I'm going to see if that helps me with the last pesky 12 pounds that were refusing to come off. So many people say if you eat under 1200 a day you will die. I laugh at this because they don't realize not everyone wants to lose .2 lb a week shoot even .5 a week. If you can eat that low of a deficit and not feel hungry, do what feels right for your body. If you're hungry EAT, if you're not and still have tons of calories left from exercise don't force yourself and get sick. In the end things balance out. I'm not trying to lose 5 pounds a week but, 1-2 pounds is ideal and healthy rate of loss. Don't give up!

petitehealth

I'm 5'2 with a 1200 calorie goal. I workout most days. Recently plateaued for over a month and this week I began trying to make sure I eat about 1600 and the scale has started moving down again. Any other 1200ers please add me as a friend to share diaries. I'll take all the motivation I can get. Also i started a healthy cooking blog with calorie breakdowns to keep me motivated www.petitehealth.com

MzzFaith

It really works the intake I take in around 1350. I exercise @ tleast 6 days @ week with 1 rest day

neandermagnon

5'1" and 1850 cals/day for a slow cut (that's probably around TDEE - 5% at a guess because I don't know my TDEE... currently at goal not tracking and just maintaining)

I do the TDEE -x% method, exercise calories are already accounted for in the TDEE number, so I don't eat them back. If you're using the MFP method, you should eat them back, or at least 80% of them.

BrunetteRunner87

I'm 5'1", I just try to stay 300 calories under my total expenditure for the day, and I average it for the week. It's usually around 1500 - 1700 calories I'm eating in a day, depending, but it could be more or less depending on how active I am.

Edited to say I use a fitbit all day and heart rate monitor when I exercise (not for really long runs or swimming) so I trust my calorie count. I know it's not super accurate but it's better than before when I just trusted this site.

QueenGyn

5' here
Current daily goal is 1500 calories, I don't eat back my exercise calories as its already included in my daily goal.
I exercise 4-5 times a week -- boxing & jogging.

:flowerforyou:

petstorekitty

Maybe you ladies who are posting thatyou eat 1800 calories a day need to also include your activity level.
Seriously.
And not just that you go to the gym xx days a week.
-__-

OP: it's best try to find out YOUR TDEE and then eat at the 20% reduction.
If you sit all day you'll need to eat less than if you are on your feet all day long.

Calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

HMVOL7409

Maybe you ladies who are posting thatyou eat 1800 calories a day need to also include your activity level.
Seriously.
And not just that you go to the gym xx days a week.
-__-

OP: it's best try to find out YOUR TDEE and then eat at the 20% reduction.
If you sit all day you'll need to eat less than if you are on your feet all day long.

Calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Lift 4 days a week for 45-60 mins, run 2-3 times a week for 30-40 mins. That sufficent for you?

I also have a good amount of LBM so my resting BMR is higher than most. I also don't eat at a cut or deficit hence the higher amount.

mrswaite08

I'm 5'2, 240 lbs and eat 1900 calories each day. I do not eat back exercise calories. I walk 5 or 6 days a week for 30 minutes pushing a double stroller with 2 toddlers. I usually loose 2-3 lbs a week.

neandermagnon

Maybe you ladies who are posting thatyou eat 1800 calories a day need to also include your activity level.
Seriously.
And not just that you go to the gym xx days a week.
-__-

I weight train 3-4 times a week, 30mins - 1 hr and I probably rest too much between sets. No cardio. well sometimes I do circuit training but nowhere near as often as I should. I'm aiming for at least once a week and not very good at complying with that.

I'm self employed tutoring in English as a foreign language (i.e. not very active job) and the rest of the time I'm at home with my kids, doing housework (not much, I get help with that) and general activity, like I run up the stairs to my apartment rather than taking the lift, and I go to the mall and walk around the mall and the shops. And sometimes I randomly do things like push-ups just because I feel like it. But I also spend a lot of time on my laptop... I do creative writing in my free time and trust me that's a *very* sedentary hobby.

Not that active really. According to how much I actually burn versus what calorie calculators predict, my activity factor is a bit more than lightly active, but not much more.

I have a large frame and high lean body mass for my height... but according to the difference between the Katch McArdle formula (based on lean body mass) and the Harris Benedict formula (based on height and weight and assumes and average frame size) ........... my large frame/extra lean body mass gives me a whole extra 50 calories a day. i.e. it doesn't make that much of a difference.

Many short women underestimate how many calories they need, because so many people say "short people need fewer calories"... well yes we do, but not that much fewer. Also, short people are not necessarily scaled down versions of tall people... quite often short people have similar sized torsos to tall people, but shorter legs. So the amount of difference in calories between a short person and a tall person may just be what's needed to keep a few extra cells in the legs alive.

1850 cals/day is for a very slow cut. If I was obese and trying to cut, I'd probably eat 1600 cals/day, or I'd stick with 1850 cals/day and do some cardio regularly (in addition to keeping up the weight training). The leaner you are, the less of a deficit you should have, as there's a greater risk of losing lean body mass along with the fat.

Allup2Me78

EXACT same as me!!!

I'm 5'0 and I eat 1200-1300 calories. I exercise around 30-60 min per day and I do not eat back my exercise calories. I have a desk job where I'm on my butt all day so I'm very scared to eat back any exercise calories I get!

giveMEbeauty

4ft 11

sunshine421969

Hi, I am 5'1 and I spoke to a friend of mine a while back..she has a degree in this field and working toward more.She set me on a 1700 calorie a day and burn at least 500 calories a day and NOT EAT back the calories.I have did this and it has worked well for me.I was on a 1200 calorie a day a few weeks back and burning around 300 calories..I stayed the same weight for awhile and I was getting fustrated,,When I changed , just in 4 days I started losing weight again..I wish you the best...

Allup2Me78

Thanks for all the wonderful info!!

Sizethree4Ever

EXACT same as me!!!

I'm 5'0 and I eat 1200-1300 calories. I exercise around 30-60 min per day and I do not eat back my exercise calories. I have a desk job where I'm on my butt all day so I'm very scared to eat back any exercise calories I get!

Me too.

I'm 5'0 and I eat 1200-1300 calories. I exercise around 30-min per day and I do not eat back my exercise calories. I upped my calories last year to 1500 after reading so many 1200 calorie posts, and I gained back a lot of weight.

femmefae

I'm 4'10" and currently trying to eat between 1300-1600 cals per day. I'm thinking I might up it because I exercise daily. I'm currently trying to train for a triathlon in October so while I think I should eat a little bit more, I'm kinda of scared to eat any more than that. Also, I don't normally eat back my work out calories. I do Pilates 4x a week ~50 mins each session, HIIT training 2-3x a week ~1 hr per session, triathlon training 5x a week ~1 hr-1.5 hrs per session, Lifting on a four day split ~30 mins per session, 1 rest day per week.

For reference I work at a desk job, but still find that I might not be as active as I could be

1longroad

Hi, 5'1" here, eat 800 - 950 calories a day depending on how hungry I am.

ccb2004

I am 5'2 1/2. I eat about 1700 calories a day and losing on average about a pound a week. I started at 139 lbs., currently at 122 and aiming for 110 as final goal weight. I walk a couple miles every day and do a Jillian Michaels dvd daily (between 30-50 min, depending on which dvd i do). Planning to start weight training very soon :-)

Marina809

I'm 5' 1.5". My TDEE is 1468. I eat anywhere from 800 to 1000 calories a day. I haven't started an exercise program yet and work at a desk all day so not much going on physically to justify any more calories than that.

ETA: I do 20/4 intermittent fasting so I get to eat all those calories in one evening meal. During the day, I drink black coffee and water only.

WeeBelle123

Bump

Curlyexpat

Hi, I am 5'1 and I spoke to a friend of mine a while back..she has a degree in this field and working toward more.She set me on a 1700 calorie a day and burn at least 500 calories a day and NOT EAT back the calories.I have did this and it has worked well for me.I was on a 1200 calorie a day a few weeks back and burning around 300 calories..I stayed the same weight for awhile and I was getting fustrated,,When I changed , just in 4 days I started losing weight again..I wish you the best...

Thanks for the tip, I will try this as I am on 1200 and been stuck for a while.

llbennett74

My base is set at 1342 and then I eat back about 1/2 of my exercise calories so I've been averaging out just over 1500. I exercise 6 days a week for 45 minute to an hour most days. I'll admit I have not found the perfect formula yet and am working on upping my protein and watching the carbs. I am 5'1 1/2.

Love4fitnesslove4food2

I'm 4'11 and I have maybe 15-20 pounds that I WANT to lose--I could conceivably lose 10 pounds and be "fine" but I don't really like my body at anything over 115 pounds (personal preference for ME, not a judgment of others' goals).

That being said, my current calorie target is as follows:

~1500-1600 when doing a 30 minute intense workout (T25)
~1600-1700 when doing a morning walk plus my 30 minute workout (1 hour total)
~1700-1800 when doing a morning run plus my 30 minute workout (1 hour total)

Aside from workouts I usually walk 15-40 minutes a day to/from campus. That's about it.

I'm injured right now but when I start strength training again I'll likely be eating 1800+ every day.

bmskid

5'2"...I eat at BMR, and right now that's about 1611.

You do NOT have to eat less to lose weight just because you're short. Promise.

nomorebingesgirl2014

4ft 11

toutmonpossible

5'2"...I eat at BMR, and right now that's about 1611.

You do NOT have to eat less to lose weight just because you're short. Promise.

It depends on your metabolism, age, and activity level, as well as how quickly you want to lose weight. There is no one answer for everyone.

Miiya1993

Hey yeah I'm small too, either 4'9 or 4'11 depending on which leg and I eat around 700 calories. I don't really do any cardio because I have severe asthma. I feel fine eating that much but I'm worried I'm not losing any weight. I haven't weighed myself since I started this lower calorie diet but I hope I see some results.

caracrawford1

5'2 15-1600 cals, workout 120min per day

maidentl

I am 5'2" on a good day, weigh 190.4 as of today (which would take my ticker down another couple of pounds I think) and I eat 1500-1600 calories regardless of exercise. I am not super active, I'm a stay-home mom with older kids, so not chasing any toddlers around. I hit the gym 6 days/week, C25K alternating with walking. Sometimes I throw in a yoga DVD. I understand why some short women feel the need to eat 1200 calories, I disagree but I get it. However, anything below that is just unnecessary.

katkins73

I am 41 and 5ft1. I usually eat 1200 plus exercise cals and my daily goal for exercise is 400 cals which means I can eat 1600 but I don't always do that but I think it works out in the end as I sometimes eat out. I am going to be away for 4 days and then back a day and then away another 6 days so I am trying out 1100 plus exercise right now which is very easy because I am also burning 500+ cals a day at the moment. Other weeks I have eaten 1300 or 1400 + exercise and I think it is ok to change it up and vary things. My progress has been pretty good, I have lost at least 14lbs in 12 weeks I say at least because it is my ovulation week and I usually retain a pound or two so may be a bit higher.