My TDEE is so low!!! Short girl problems

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  • sarahlove43
    sarahlove43 Posts: 26 Member
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    I'm wondering if I should raise my calories more since I work out? Is it possible that that could SPEED up weight loss? The calories I stated were gross calories eaten in a day. However I'm worried that raising my calories even more will cause me to start gaining fat back

    I can run your numbers for you and give you an exact answer.

    How old are you and what is your current weight?
    21 yo, and 88-89 lb. I'm aware my weight is low but I am very short and have quite a bit of fat (I'm pretty much the definition of skinny fat). Hence the 2-3 lb. I'm lifting weights as well so I (hopefully) don't lose muscle mass.

    If I were you, I'd throw away the scale. Get your body fat measured, and just focus on that. You may end up gaining weight even as you lean out, through muscle mass. This is a great story, and shows how someone can be the same clothes at 117 and 131, but a huge difference in definition.
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    i love that story! Staci is awesome!!

    Also, when i ran your numbers... i'm coming out with a maintenence of 1773 given i don't know what your BF% is. I wouldn't even worry about decreasing from that considering you are so small, i would eat that much and lift heavy. Work on your body composition.
    May I ask where you got that number from? So far no calculator I've used has given me that high a number. And I have started weight training the past month. My body is starting to look better, however I still have a very stubborn layer of fat that will not go away. I feel like the only way to get rid of it is through a calorie deficit, but I have no idea how to get there, aside from starving myself.

    i don't remember the site that i got my spreadsheet from, but i think the place you are going wrong is that you consider yourself to be sedentary, but you aren't. if you are working out 3-5 days a week, then you should use moderate for your modifier.

    I used scooby and got 1800 to maintain 1688 with a 10% cut to which it did not like bc it said you're underweight. You are not sedentary so don't choose that option. When I clicked sedentary I got what you thought you should eat.

    something else you should read, OP, is this forum about upping calories. A lot of people read all of these success stories about stalling out and the moment they upped their calories, they started dropping weight again. That didn't happen for me. It took me a month and a half before i saw a change on the scale. It took some fine-tuning. This post made a lot of sense, and helped me stick to my plan rather than throwing in the towel.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience?hl=what+to+expect+upping+calories

    Loved this post, thanks! Also I tend to put sedentary as my activity level since I'm not always sure how consistent I will be with my exercise. When I do exercise I will usually eat back most of those calories
  • kaitlynelkins9
    kaitlynelkins9 Posts: 26 Member
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    Although I'm not quite as short or small as you (I'm 5'2 at 98 pounds), I can certainly relate to getting frustrated with the number of calories you think you should be eating. Most experts generally recommend females never eating less than 1200 calories, and that number is to serve two purposes: one, for the average female, it's much lower than their average caloric expenditure and going too far below that could potentiate problems, and two, it's exceedingly hard to consume the recommended amount of micronutrients in a diet that is fewer than 1200 calories. But since you are so small and your body uses much less energy than most people, it makes sense that you don't require as many calories as most people. However, you still need the same micronutrients. It's always better to get all your nutrition from natural food sources; however, taking a really good multivitamin daily could save you from the possibility of failing to consume essential nutrients simply because your calorie intake is low.

    I think that since you are only two to three pounds away from your goal, you should aim for a much smaller deficit anyway, but in your case, that's still going to be quite a low number of calories. As others have suggested, doing serious weight lifting and eating closer to your maintenance may indeed allow you to achieve the results you're looking for.
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
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    I am 5'2" and weigh 100 lbs. I have been maintaining for about 6 months and it is hard. I eat (including exercise calories) 1400/day. That is with about 300-400 calories of exercise so... I am maintaining with apx 1000 cal/day!! I do eat the extra calories but I am usually hungry prior to a meal. I drink a lot of hot tea, water and tons of lettuce to fill up. I do weigh myself daily to stop myself from stuffing my mouth the day before. I log food and exercise for day. I bounce around +/- 2 lbs but... I make sure to get the extra back off immediately!!!

    If I "binge" for a party or event... it takes a couple of days to feel better and a week to get back down to maintenance weight but.. I get right back on plan.
  • flex500
    flex500 Posts: 63
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    I am having such a hard time trying to figure out how many calories I should be eating to lose weight! I am a *very* short (4' 8.5"!) petite girl and most calculators including MFP have me burning only around 1300-1400 a day (at a sedentary level). Meaning to lose a pound a week I would need to eat around 800 calories a day! Now, I don't have a lot to lose, only 2-3 pounds. However I have been stuck at the same weight for about 2 months now. The ONLY time I was having any successful weight loss was when I was eating 700 calories and below. I am aware that this is unhealthy, and have raised my calories since...I eat between 1000-1200 calories now and I have lose maybe half a pound in a month, if any. There must be some faster way? I know I will get people telling me to eat atleast 1200 calories...but will raising my calories really help when my daily burn is so low? Also ever since I raised my calories I have been so hungry! I do have days where I'll occasionally eat 1300-1400 calories and my weight just stays the same! Aghh why can't I be normal?! :(


    honestly I'd get your bodyfat done and use katch mccardle. It is not perfect but is 1000% more accurate than the others. It takes into account bodyfat and activity level. I find it to be quite accurate. If you time in "katch mccardle calculator" in google you will see what I mean.

    You have to be accurate on your bodyfat that! Th

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