Petite women- How much do you eat??

silverinc13 · June 2013

I'm 5'4" and about 137 as well. I weight train heavy 4 days a week with light cardio warmup/cooldown, and run/bikram yoga/hike the other days. I'm eating at 2050 which is about TDEE-18% for me.

Francl27 · June 2013

I don't think you're moderately active and I'd eat somewhere between lightly active and moderately active, personally. It's just weird to me to say that someone who has a sedentary job (or sits at the computer most of the day like me) could be considered moderately active, lol. Also remember that you're really only supposed to do weight/strength training every 2-3 days to give your muscles time to rebuild, and 15-20 minutes of cardio doesn't burn that many calories... I'd probably start with increasing your cardio on lifting resting days.

The people who eat 1800 or more are typically heavier or more active (my goal is 1850 but I'm 5'5" and 173 lbs and workout 6 hours a week or so).

sweetpea03b · June 2013

I am 5'2 (barely) and currently at 173. I was eating 1200-1500 only lost 3# in 2 months. But last week I started ignoring MFP and the workout cals and just started eating at my TDEE minus 20% last week which works out to be 1900, work a sedatary job but workout 3-5x/week weight training and cardio. I lost 4# this week (I know some of that was water weight I was holding onto but still great to see a loss). Good luck!

nvpixie · June 2013

I'm 4'11". Moderately active at home. I don't have an exercise routine, but I do yoga and strength exercises when I'm in the mood. I work at a desk for 6 hours 3x a week. My calories to maintain are around 1700. If I eat around 1500 to 1600, I lose weight slowly.

briabner · June 2013

I have spent months trying to find out what works for me and I think that I have finally figured it out. I am 5 ft and 1/4 inch tall. Starting weight was 225 pounds in January 2013 and current weight is 197 pounds. I am eating about 1800 calories per day right now and netting 1500 calories. I have been working out less and only burning about 300 calories when I do exercise which is about 4-5 times a week. I figured out TDEE - 20% and for me it was 1882 calories per day.

Bekahmardis · June 2013

I'm 5'3", weigh 109 pounds and average 1426 calories per day when I eat back my minimal exercize calories granted to me by my FitBit Flex. I have a Very Sedentary job. I am slowly upping those calories to get to my maintenance level since I'm at my goal weight now and plan to eat around 1500 - 1600 calories per day based on my daily activity levels to maintain.

xDawnsgrace · June 2013

I'm 5'1", 134 lbs(down from 157 in January), Small frame, and i eat 1200+exercise calories.

lauraleighsm · June 2013

I am 5'0 and set my goal at 1400 and I eat back every single excercise calorie. I'm losing ounces a week, which sucks but I'm done with being hungry! I'm trying to ramp up my muscle workouts instead of cardio to see how I look and feel. Also, trying more protein too.

verbenaverbena · June 2013

I'm 5' 1.75" 30% body fat by dexa (all lower body), CBW 110 IBW 98. I set my goal at 1200 but when I look at the calorie calculator based on percent body fat my calorie need for weight loss is about 1050. I'm just getting started, so we'll see how I do with 1150-1200 kcal/day. I'm not hungry or cranky yet, so I'd prefer to reduce slowly.

CatLadyyy · June 2013

I'm 5'2 .. between 105-108lbs... Eating 1400-1600 cals right now since I am closer to the 108 atm.. but can usually eat alot more when maintaining. I also exercise 5-6 times a week eating most of my exercise calories back

worldsbestauntie · June 2013

I'm 5'3" and currently weight 125. I've lost close to 13lbs in the last month. I average around 1200 calories a day. There are days I eat back more of the calories I burn then other days.

talisamb · June 2013

I am 5'4.5" and my weight ranges from 132-135. I eat 1700-1900 calories daily. I exercise 4-5 times each week.

VpinkLotus · June 2013

I'm 5' 1" and MFP has my cals set to 1,230 per day. I usually burn about 200-500 cals per day with exercise and I always log them. so I average about maybe 1,500 or so at the end of the day. hope that helps. I'm trying to get back to logging very seriously and my diary is open so Feel free to add me anyone who wants

stealthq · June 2013

I'm a bit under 5'3" and on avg. I've been eating 1450 Cals per day and losing a lb a week. I was losing a lb every wk until I got within 12 lbs of goal. Then it switched to staying steady for a couple of wks and losing 2 lbs all at once (still avg 1lb/wk). This last weigh-in (today) I lost a bit over 1 lb over 2 wks, so it looks like I'm slowing down, which I expected.

Of course, I also increased my avg Cals by about a hundred the last couple of weeks so that could be it, too. I've been under some stress recently and suddenly gotten hungrier and started feeling less energetic (also, not my TOM) so thought maybe I'd better eat a bit more. Seems to have worked.

ETA: I've got a sedentary job and until the last week, have been walking 30min/day and lifting once a week.

aNewYear123 · June 2013

I am 5'1", work at a computer, and my exercise is erratic. So I use sedentary (1200-1300 - depending on the calculator) and eat back exercise calories.

hdtracy · June 2013

I'm 5'2". I never really know what to put in for the activity calculators, because I do have a desk job, so I'm sitting on my butt for a good portion of my day. But then when I get home I do 40 minutes on the treadmill each night, with a rest day here and there as needed depending on schedule or when stuff gets in the way, I don't stress too much if I miss a day here and there.

MFP default has me net 1200 - which just made me miserable and I'd never be able to keep up long term anyway, so I did some TDEE calculators, and also got a FitBit which has been cool because it has helped me bridge the gap between my activity level during the day at work and my activity level at home when I work out and tells me that I burn about 2100 calories a day on average (I've only had it about 5 days, so it's still a pretty new device, but this is what my average appears to be as of now.) So I've upped the MFP net goal to 1500, and definitely feel much less deprived, and happy knowing that I still have a built in deficit. I do normally eat back my exercise calories as well - as long as I'm netting 1500ish, I'm good.

The fitbit has been the thing that has helped me not to stress as much over the numbers. I can see an average graph of what I burn per day right up against an average graph what I take in each day, and as long as I'm maintaining a healthy deficit there, I know I'm doing okay

montana_girl · June 2013

I'm 5'2 and 132 pounds and eat about 1,700 - 2,000 calories a day. I have my TDEE set at sedentary, to lose .2 per week; but I eat all my exercise calories. It works for me....

walleyclan1 · June 2013

I eat 1230 calories base +400 calories for breastfeeding and then I usually eat back about 1/2 of my exercise calories. I have consistantly been losing 1 lb a week on this.

1 am 5' 1 and currently 133 lb

Achrya · June 2013

What's Petite? If I'm being honest with myself I'm a smidge over 5'3", but the Navy once told me 5'4" so that's what it says on my ID, lol.

I'm about 154. My lifestyle is sedentary ish (No kids, not working, just kinda hanging out) but I workout 3-5 hours a week, so I put myself as lightly active (I could probably bump up to Moderate with no ill effects) and my goal is 1725. I started at 1625 in the last week of April, increased 3rd week of May. I've lost 7.4 pounds since May 3rd.

I do not eat back workout calories (Cause TDEE-20%) but I do plan to bump up to 1825 in another month or so.When I start lifting again in August I'll probably move up to 1900-2000 and see how that goes. No harm in increasing gradually, worse that can possible happen is you hit maintenance (which is a good number to be aware of anyway.)

kayaksara · June 2013

I am 43 years old. 5' 1.5". I aim to eat 1200. I rarely lose more than .5 per week. I am 141 lbs down from 160-something in January. It's slow going for me especially since I have gotten older. I hit plateaus like everyone else. I do Jillian Michaels DVD's most of the time - about 30 minutes a day. I sit most of the day at my job. I seem to notice my weight go down faster when I stop eating by 5 pm. I actually look better with a much flatter belly and with less bloat. Changing my workout routine often helps being stuck. I figure slow is better. I would like to get to 125 and I figure it will be next January to lose that 16 pounds. Slow and steady wins the race! I have lost inches though!!!
Good luck!

JohanaPeace · July 2013

I'm about 125lbs 5'2 down from 172 back last year. i did an extreme transformation, but any how, i wanna reach to 115, my calorie net is 1380. I feel like it'll be unhealthy to lower my calories :-/ idk what to do. I do alot of cardio and i have little bit of pouch belly which is wat i wanna get rid of the most. I wouldnt really consider myself petite though.

giveMEbeauty · July 2013

4ft 11

Gee_24 · July 2013

I'm 4ft 8.5 and my TDEE is 2000. I'm currently eating at 1200 but will move up to 1600 shortly.

Coquette6 · July 2013

5'0", 26 years old, 125.3lbs. TDEE is around 1950, I eat around 1650 (averages). I'm not losing much weight but I am losing inches and that's all that matters to me.

michellekicks · July 2013

Thanks everyone. I realize I said my TDEE was 1400-1600 but I meant that is my goal based on 20% reduction from TDEE. So if I change to moderately active on Scoobys, it gives me a goal of 1615. Maybe I'll try that for a while and see what happens.

But how much more do you want to lose? 137 sounds great. Maybe this is you body saying hey wait a minute I'm good!

My goal is around 120lbs or 22% body fat, whichever comes first. Right now I am at 26% body fat and I still have some pudgy areas. I was 120 a few years ago and it was a good weight for me.

Your activity level is not 3-5 hours/week moderate; it is 5-6 hours/week strenuous.

WhitneySheree88 · July 2013

Time. I went from 177 to 150 in a few months and then just stalled. I dropped calories, upped calories, ate at maintenance, worked out hard and for months (4 months to be exact) nothing happened. I could see my body changing a little but the scale never moved. Then I got mad, threw in the towel and said forget it, I can't do this anymore i'm supposed to be fluffy and started eating like I used to, anything and everything I wanted for 2 weeks. I woke up one morning and had gained 4 pounds. I got a little upset with myself then brushed it off and started over. Within the next week of eating 1400 calories and working out lightly I lost 2 pounds, then another 2 and now I am down to 145 pounds, which is one of my mini goals :happy:
Maybe eat at maintenance for a couple weeks, then drop down to 1500 and workout? See if that doesn't help. Best of luck doll! Don't give up, you can do this! And Congratulations of your progress this far! :flowerforyou:

KatAdele · July 2013

I'm 5'3.5" and weigh 195 lbs. I net 1560 (my BMR) and eat back exercise calories and lose weight pretty steadily. I had stalled but started paying more attention to macros, eating more protein and started losing again. I usually end up with 1900-2000 cals after exercise.