5'3" ladies and 1200 calories

I'm close to 5'3, I'm 5'4 and I struggle on a 1200 calorie diet. When I am on it and in the diet mode than I generally stay under it or more and do not eat my exercise calories back generally. I figure if I want to lose weight than I can't really afford to go over so I try hard to stick to my 3 meals a day with very small snacks in between. I have lost a lot of weight on this diet in the past.

Honestly, I think it depends on the person. I'm 5'2'' and tried the 1200 calorie thing for 3-4 weeks. I'm still trying it, but finding that I need around 2000 to function. I also started weight training, so more calories are needed. I constantly go over calories, but i'm still losing weight and my metabolism seems faster.

I'm 5' 3" and MFP sets me up for a little over 1200 calories. I exercise 6 days per week and burn from 350-450 calories. I eat each and every one of those exercise calories! On the one day per week I don't exercise, I usually go over on my calories by 100 or 200. I have lost 1 pound per week using this strategy.

If I weren't exercising, I would really struggle on 1200 calories per day. Just having the 400 extra calories means an extra snack and little bit more at dinner. Oh, and a cocktail now and then...

I am 5'1" I generally eat between 1100-1200 calories a day. The only time I eat back any exercise calories is if I burn at least 400 calories or more for the entire day.

I'm 5' 2" and have to be under 1200 to lose weight. I'm still not with the program after the holidays, which is why I'm high for me. I've begun doing some limited exercise after an injury -- bike work. It's something, but not as good as running. I never eat back exercise calories because that would be self-defeating.

Sure, I overeat (and pay for it) all the time. But I never see exercise as a license to eat more. Exercise is important but it's not the best way to lose weight, only calorie reduction is.

I'm 5'2" and 1200 is not enough for me, I get too tired and very cranky. If I up it to 1400 I still loose weight, can function well at work, and don't have cravings that ruin my efforts.

im 5'3 and on the 1200 cal diet. i was doing pretty good till the holidays have had a rough time since then tryin to "adjust" today however was/is my first day since the holidays that i think i will be able to stay within my calories. i lift weights and do cardio. on days whe i cant make it to the gym, i do dvds (step, jillian michaels, pilates) today i did the Firm Step and 30 day shred. ive had a busy day and have not really had the chance to sit there and stuff my face(this has happened since the holidays:sad: ) friend me if youd like :flowerforyou:

I'm 5'5" and I tried the 1200 cal thing quite a few times. After many minor successes followed by disaster I finally realized that just isn't enough food. My metabolism each time would quickly slow to a crawl and I would actually begin to gain weight (while starving myself! the irony!) IF you believe it's working and enough food for you, then hey, who am I to say anything. I personally, however, do not recommend going under 1500 - that's my 2 cents.

Am 5'3.5 and I eat around 1600 calories day. I do not eat back my workout calories, but if I have large burn, then I may eat about 100 calories or so. I started at 1200 calories and I did lose 30 pounds at first, but then my weight loss eventually slowed down. I tried eating about 1800-1900 when people told me I should eat more, but I GAINED so much weight that I jumped off that train, lol.

It took me a while, but it seems that 1600 calories is the best calorie level for me. I have been losing weight when I increased to 1600. The thing is that everyone is very different and what works for one may not work for others. Therefore, you may have to play around with your calories to see what works for you. Good luck.

I am doing well, but I find that I actually lose about .5-1 pound a week instead of my 2 pound goal. I suspect this is because a 1000 calorie deficit puts me closer to 1000 calories- and that is just wack. I eat back every single exercise calorie though. I have a fitbit to track my activities, and on active days I usually get 200 calories extra + workouts. So, I guess you could say I actually eat 1600 calories a day working out and staying busy.

I'm 5'3" and eating 1200 a day on the recommendation of my boot camp trainer. I don't eat back my calories and I'm having a steady weight loss. The first month, I was super active with boot camp and half marathon training. I was worried I wasn't getting enough calories so I asked my trainer. He said if I was still hungry at the end of the day to eat more, but I never did feel hungry as long as I was drinking all my water. I lost 9lbs that month.

The only days I do eat back exercise calories is on race days and that's so I can get a good celebration hamburger in. I still like to only eat back half of what I burned.

Best of luck finding the right balance for you!

I'm 5'2" and not trying to lose weight. If I ate 1200 calories my metabolism would slow down and I would not be able to function at the activity level that I do. When I ate around 1800, I lost weight. Now, I can eat up to and over 2000, and I weigh 100 pounds.

I'm 5' 4. and I currently have my weight loss set for .5 lbs per week. I have lost about 16 pounds since early August. I have my lifestyle set at lightly active and MFP assigned me a goal of 1200 calories. I exercise for about an hour (elliptical trainer, lunges, and free weights) 3 times per week, and I often add a couple of 30-45 minute walks in each week if the weather is okay. I do eat at least 75% of my exercise calories back, and so far it has worked for me. I recently bought a heart rate monitor and find that my calories burned (at least on the elliptical) are about 20% less than what the elliptical machine tells me. However, I burn slightly more calories walking out side (according to the HRM) than what MFP states. I think this is because I live and walk in a hilly area. On days that I don't exercise, I do find that it is hard to stay under 1200, and sometimes I am slightly over.

I'm 5'4" and feel if I want to lose weight, I have to stay at 1200 calories most days. Once in a while I will eat a little over. But I am losing, slowly, which is the best way in the long run. You have to find what works for you. When I exercise, I try not to eat the extra calories. I lose weight better that way.

yes im 5'3 i do 1200 a day i will admit it's hard but i get through it. i mostly eat fish.corn, peanuts,fruits,veggies,red meat twice a week, and protein shakes