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

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FitFabFlirty92
FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'3, and have been able to lose steadily eating 1600 calories a day, sometimes more. if you're short, your calorie goal will be smaller than someone who's taller, but not by the huge amount some people think. People who are 5'2 or 5'3 do not HAVE TO eat 1200 calories to lose. If you do that, and it works for you, great! But it's misleading to make people think that if they're short they have to set their calorie goal incredibly low to make any progress. It's simply not true for everyone.
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  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I agree!
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 768 Member
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    Yup. I'm 5'3'' and I eat 1400-1700 a day and am losing.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    same height. I lose weight eating between 1300-1600 a day. The weight loss has be consistant for 5 months now.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
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    So true!! I'm 5'8 so I don't fall into the "short" category, but I want to share this post. It helps to explain how to calculate how many calories you need for a good FAT burning program. Yes....yes....yes....it's a long read, not too long though. But totally worth it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • happypath101
    happypath101 Posts: 534
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    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
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
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    I tried the 1200 and was starving! I am 5'3" and now I'm at 1480. Much better for me! Still losing .5 lbs a week.
  • barbaramitchell101
    barbaramitchell101 Posts: 360 Member
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    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
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    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

    You're welcome! Try upping it in small increments and see what happens...maybe do 1300 calories consistently for a few weeks, and then if you're still not seeing results, make it 1400. Often when weight loss stalls, the problem is that we're eating too little rather than too much.
  • barbaramitchell101
    barbaramitchell101 Posts: 360 Member
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    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

    You're welcome! Try upping it in small increments and see what happens...maybe do 1300 calories consistently for a few weeks, and then if you're still not seeing results, make it 1400. Often when weight loss stalls, the problem is that we're eating too little rather than too much.

    for awhile there I went out to dinner every night (about 1800 cals per day) and gained 5 lbs over 2 weeks (I did have more energy after eating that dinner out ,also, which is why I did that)...then went to what I am now and lost it all but am stalled right now

    I will try your tip, thanks
  • jellybeanmusic
    jellybeanmusic Posts: 161 Member
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    Do you work out to build up extra cals that you can eat? Or just eat that much and no fitness and still lose?
  • lindsy721
    lindsy721 Posts: 350 Member
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    Woohoo go shorties!!

    We are not "short", so much, as we are "FUN SIZE"!!! :-D

    I like to say we are concentrated awesomeness. Fitting, isn't it? :-)
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    Do you work out to build up extra cals that you can eat? Or just eat that much and no fitness and still lose?

    I can eat 1600 a day with no exercise and lose each week. If I exercise, I eat back at least half of my exercise calories, so on those days I'm eating 1700-1800 calories depending on how much I'm burning.
  • cutiepieinchi
    cutiepieinchi Posts: 158
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    I eat 1300 when on a rest day but I eat some of my calories back when I work out sometimes..It all depends for me. I am 5'4 :)
  • fortheheart
    fortheheart Posts: 50 Member
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    I'm 5'2. My doctor said he wanted me go down to 1000 calories a day. But I thouht that was ridiculous. So, I went up to 1200. I had more progress when I was eating 1600 months ago. But now that I have trained myself to stay around 1200- 1300 I don't think I could eat much more. But I'm not seeing the weight loss like I used to. So, I'm confused.
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I'm 5ft3 and eat 2200 calories to lose.
    1200 would kill me xD
  • cardozojoann
    cardozojoann Posts: 85 Member
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    I'm 5'3 1/2 and I consume 2000 calories a day due to me breastfeeding. But my daily calories is at 1580 before I add the breastfeeding
  • cutiepieinchi
    cutiepieinchi Posts: 158
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    I have a sedentary lifestyle(office style and besides working out) so I try to balance out the days when I am less sedentary.
  • SexyLovinmeCook
    SexyLovinmeCook Posts: 1,393 Member
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    TRUTH!!! I have eaten majority of my journey 80% of my MFP Cals and exercise...IT is about WHAT you eat..I am not going to say eat them back of whatever you want...because it won't work successfully...Eating healthy loses weight...


    OH BTW...5'4 came from 207 now to 152-153pds....still finding the balance... been here 595 days today...It can be done
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I'm 5'2. My doctor said he wanted me go down to 1000 calories a day. But I thouht that was ridiculous. So, I went up to 1200. I had more progress when I was eating 1600 months ago. But now that I have trained myself to stay around 1200- 1300 I don't think I could eat much more. But I'm not seeing the weight loss like I used to. So, I'm confused.

    Maybe you could gradually up your calories and see if it helps? If eating at 1600 worked for you in the past, there's a good chance it can work for you again. You may see a slight uptick on the scale at first, but after that there should be a steady loss again. :)
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I'm 5ft3 and eat 2200 calories to lose.
    1200 would kill me xD

    O.O Wow, that's amazing! I don't think I've ever seen someone our height on here who is able to eat that amount. Lucky you!!! :)

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