Question for petite women dieters

So glad I found this topic! I also struggle to make it to 1200 cals per day (except on heavy workout days or cheat days) and I'm still seeing steady weight loss and feeling full. I even eat some chocolate most days! I worry that I'm eating less than what MFP recommends and I'm scared of going into the dreaded "starvation mode," but so far so good!

I'm trying to find the right balance between calories and exercise for maintenance. Seem as though there is such a smaller window when you are only 5'2".

I am a very petite woman (under 5 feet tall with a small frame). I know the standard recommendation is to never go under 1200 calories but in the past, I have found that I do not lose much when I eat that many calories. Do any other petite ladies go under 1200? I know it's a fine line between getting low enough to lose but also not feeling deprived... I just think 1200 is too much for me.

I am 5' 2." I too, have struggled to meet the 1200 minimum in the past, but as I have approached my weight/BF% goal, I get hungry more often and find I need some extra calories to make it through my day. I hear, the closer you get to your goal, the more important it is to eat back your exercise calories as much as possible. I find it physically impossible to fit that much food in, but I try to get at least 100 or so calories within my limits. I also exercise like a mad woman though. I work out 1-2 hours/day because I want to be athletic and strong, not just slim.

I think a lot of your needs depend on your activity levels. A very active, well muscled petite woman may need more calories than a normal sized, average muscled woman. Then, when you take into account genetics, hormones, and water retention, all guidelines and "normal" standards can be blown out of the water.

Personally, if I plan out my intense exercise days, I then plan my meals that day accordingly. On a day I expect to burn 600-700 calories, I might plan to eat 1600-1800 calories that day. I ditch the low-fat foods for the day, and eat regular varieties. I might add a little butter or fruit preserves to my toast or eat whole eggs instead of egg whites. I might add an extra slice of cheese or avocado to my sandwich or salad. It's a little way to add a few more calories without adding a huge volume. Some people add peanut butter to their fruit slices (but I hate peanut butter). Alternately, if I know I'm going to be sedentary the majority of the day, I'll eat light simply because my digestive system gets miserable if I eat too much and not exercise and move around.

It's really all about listening to your body. As you go along in your diet, you'll get more acquainted with yourself, and you'll know what's best for you. Just keep in mind that your body will become accustom to the same thing over and over again, so it can never hurt to change it up to break through a plateau.

Hello Everyone,
Wow..This forum for petite women has been eye opening. To say the least, I am still trying to figure out how to lose some extra pounds. Anyway, I'm 5'3 around 119-120 and would like to lose 5 pounds. It has been difficult since I have been around 115 for a long time. I started to workout and I wasn't loosing weight and actually gained. I guess, I was eating my exercise calories.

So, I started tracking my calories to be around 1200-1500 calories. When I was thinner I would listen to my body when I was hungry. Unfortunately, I feel like I could go many hours without eating and feel fine. I am determined to be healthy and lose the weight with exercise and calorie restrictions.

I am going to listen to my body and eat when I am hungry, not because the clock says to eat. I always felt like if I didn't eat around 1200 to 1500 calories I would be in starvation mode. After reading the previous posts of about 1000 calories being okay for petite woman, I am going to try it.

Now that I think about it those calorie charts are for taller women not petite women. (I always wondered)!!

Thanks to all!

I'm 4' 10 1/2". I ate at or under 1200 for around 6 months or so. Then I got hungry. I just don't think I could eat that little anymore. Right now I'm trying a new method of eating at maintenance and using my exericse calories as my deficit.

Bump for later!

Well Im 4ft 10 in age 29 and counting lol I average around 1300 a day or so when I first started here in Jan I netted 1200 I lost 27 lbs since then Im plateau currently I have no t been exercising much either and I have found if I take in 1400 I will gain weight it sucks whether I exercise and eat back calories or not.

so 1200 or under 1300 is good .

I think that being petites sets forth some challenges and a person of average height wouldn't have.

hemming pants , shorter shirt lengths so on a little off topic but seriously every time I go for petite pants the inseam is 28 mine is 26 sorry apparently they haven't thought of truly petite people , I wear petite sizes and womens clothes I dont have childs body or a teenagers especially not after my 2 daughters ages 16 months and turning 3 aug 10th. I do in fact wear a size 6 1/2 womens shoe so woohoo for me

at least my feet are not tiny too .

When I met a person who if 5ft I think wow must be nice to be that tall , they probably think what
I m not tall


some days my intake is even under 1000 or so but that is rare .

Im not of average height so why should I eat the same as person who is of average stature ?

Bump

I agree with the others - don't worry about getting to 1200 calories every day. You'll get a feel for how much to eat every day. Whether it's a good idea or not, I weigh myself every morning. Sometimes it's surprising how what you eat the day before can cause your weight to fluctuate up or down. Being short, every extra pound shows up right around my middle!

I'm 5ft 3" and exactly same with me interms of weight fluctuating due to food night before and all extra pounds showing up in the middle!

Thanks to all for this discussion. I am 5 feet zero inches tall with a small frame, almost 47 years old. I am currently 118 and want to lose 15 to 23 pounds. First time chubby, was always around 90 to 105 before the past 5 years. Never counted calories or measured portions before joining MFP a few weeks ago. Learning as I go, and won't hesitate to drop intake below the 1200 mark if no loss. So far no loss, so I may drop it to 1000 or so in a week or two if no measurable change occurs. Thanks again for the community and input all!