Dear short people -- we don't need to starve ourselves!
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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.0 -
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!0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
Anyone over 5 feet tall (60 inches) is NOT short !!!!!0
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Anyone over 5 feet tall (60 inches) is NOT short !!!!!
I don't want to argue with your squirrel but I am between 5'0 and 5'1 and most definitely short. :laugh:
(For some reason it seemed as if that message came straight from the squirrel!)0 -
Bump for later0
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See post below........0
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If you've suppressed your metabolism by eating too low, that could be the cause. A reset might be a good idea for you. I'm not a nutritionist, just passing on what I've learned from the ones who know their stuff around here. You need to find out what your maintenance calories are. I did a 2-week reset, but some people need to do it longer. I'm not short either, I was just happy to see this post!
Sorry -- meant to quote the above in my first post -- not repost it. What is a "reset"? I'm not familiar with this and would like more info. Please reply.0 -
We don't need to starve ourselves, but we can't expect fast weight loss by eating more. I'm 5'0" and 120lb. My sedentary TDEE is 1,650. If I eat 1,200 that's a 450 deficit, theoretically leading to about 1 lb of weight loss per week. Unfortunately, I feel starving on 1,200 and if I don't exercise, I can only manage a net of 1,400-1,500. A 1,400 net is a 250 deficit leading to a theoretical half pound loss per week. Though, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about given I haven't lost anything for the past month (but I think that's more because I've been netting closer to 1,600 most days).0
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The human body is not meant to endure an energy deficit for an extended period of time. Too many people here have chronically eaten sub-maintenance level calories for too long and have thus depressed their resting metabolic rate as well as serum leptin concentration levels - thus, they believe they are truly supplying their bodies with enough to satisfy energy needs when they are not. In other words, they have been dieting even when not actively trying to lose weight. Basically, they are no longer providing enough energy in the form of calories to maintain an optimal state for fat oxidation due to a depressed endocrine system. Because of this, people should do cycles of going to and holding true maintenance calories vs fat loss to ensure the endocrine system is in a more suitable state primed for fat loss.Sorry -- meant to quote the above in my first post -- not repost it. What is a "reset"? I'm not familiar with this and would like more info. Please reply.0 -
I do agree with the concept of resetting. I think it's good for a person's all around health to take deficit breaks, even if at a small deficit, and eat maintenance for a week or two.0
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If you're extremely small and sedentary, I guess I could see why you'd cut so much. But is it really a sustainable lifestyle? You'd be messing with your metabolism if you eat so little... Once your body gets used to so little food, of course it's going to be easy to gain it back so quickly.
You don't need to starve yourself, ladies. Aim for a small deficit and you'll take it off slowly. Slow and steady wins in the long term!
FYI, I am 4'10" 103 lbs and lost the weight by eating at 1600 a day. I am very active and muscular so I know I require more. I set myself to maintenance now because I'm constantly training for endurance challenges. (running long distances). I usually eat about 2000 calories a day, with or without exercise, and have maintained my weight this year.
I couldn't do the whole 1200 calorie a day thing. Not sustainable for me as I am a foodie and I love to run!0 -
I'm 5'6" and mine is also set at 1,200. On days I don't exercise, it is a far reach to do that without being starving. But, on days that I exercise, I stay under calories easy.0
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5'3 and 2100 cals here for muscle gain + fat loss. Never hungry, always happy, body composition always improving. Lift heavy and EAT.0
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I'm not nice when I stick to 1200 calories a day.0
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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.
Disagree completely. You should never have to keep lowering and lowering your cals. Low cal = weight loss = muscle loss. You want to strength train and eat more for muscle gain and FAT loss. Who wants to lose weight if you're not losing fat?0 -
I'm 4'11, and I started on MFP summer of 2011 at 148lbs. I would eat about 1000 calories a day and my only workouts were long walks. By April 2012 I got down to 113lbs but I was always HANGRY (hungry + angry = the worst). I stopped logging food and quickly gained back 10lbs between April and July. I started going to the gym in May but I quit in August because I was just gaining weight and inches around my torso -- I think I was overestimating the calories I burned and was subsequently overeating because I would eat back what I thought I burned. I started tracking again in August and went up to 1200 calories a day. Anyway it took me all summer to get back under 120lbs and it was frustrating because I figured going to the gym would slim me down but I guess I was doing it wrong.
In September I decided to start eating about 1300 calories on weekdays (more on weekends). I started C25K in August and now I can jog around for 5 miles without stopping. I noticed that by changing my calories to 1300 and making jogging my exercise of choice I finally broke my summer long plateau in the low 120s. Now I am 119lbs "on a good day." I have an HRM so now I have a more accurate idea of my calories burned, and I eat back about half of my exercise calories. As of last year, my goal is to be 115 by Halloween and 110 by New Year's Eve. It didn't happen last year and I doubt it will happen this year because my body seems to get stuck at 120lbs, but I'm going to keep trying no matter how long it takes.
I have been very hesitant to increase my calories above 1300 but I may try to add 100 calories every two weeks to see if that makes a difference.0 -
I am 5'2".. i thought i had to stay under 1200 to lose.....0
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Are you exercising daily ?0
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I was at 1200 for the first month on MFP. I lost consistently but my doctor encouraged me to bump up my calories to avoid plateauing. I've been steadily losing 1.5-2 pounds a week on 1500 calories. I try to add 300-400 calories of excercise a day but I don't eat those calories most days. I just use them as a cushion for "bad" days.
I'm 34, active stay-at-home mom and 5'4".0 -
THIS IS so true! im 5'0 maybe 5'1. its hard to stay at 1200.. i eat about 1400-1500 on average still losing! and guess what it works for me. bc i dont ever feel hungry or deprived! its awesome. when i switch it up and barly eat 1200 i dont lose.0
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Unfortunately, that's what many have to do if they insist on not taking diet breaks and returning to maintenance every now and then. They'll have to continue eating less to illicit further weight loss each time they plateau - of course, as you mentioned, it will start favoring more lean body mass loss than fat loss. But some people seem to only care about scale weight and not actual fat loss/muscle loss.Disagree completely. You should never have to keep lowering and lowering your cals. Low cal = weight loss = muscle loss. You want to strength train and eat more for muscle gain and FAT loss. Who wants to lose weight if you're not losing fat?0 -
But some people seem to only care about scale weight and not actual fat loss/muscle loss.
You are so right. Unfortunately our culture/media doesn't help much with that one either. Everyone wants the quickest, the easiest, the "lose 20 pounds yesterday" fixes. Thank god for those that are enlightened and those that want to learn.0 -
I was at 1200 for the first month on MFP. I lost consistently but my doctor encouraged me to bump up my calories to avoid plateauing. I've been steadily losing 1.5-2 pounds a week on 1500 calories. I try to add 300-400 calories of excercise a day but I don't eat those calories most days. I just use them as a cushion for "bad" days.
I'm 34, active stay-at-home mom and 5'4".
So you are 'netting' 1100-1200 calories per day and losing 1.5-2 lbs per week. Now THAT makes sense.0
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