Short Women from about 4'9-5'2...Calorie Intake??

I'm 5'2 with a 1200 calorie goal. I workout most days. Recently plateaued for over a month and this week I began trying to make sure I eat about 1600 and the scale has started moving down again. Any other 1200ers please add me as a friend to share diaries. I'll take all the motivation I can get. Also i started a healthy cooking blog with calorie breakdowns to keep me motivated www.petitehealth.com

5'1" and 1850 cals/day for a slow cut (that's probably around TDEE - 5% at a guess because I don't know my TDEE... currently at goal not tracking and just maintaining)

I do the TDEE -x% method, exercise calories are already accounted for in the TDEE number, so I don't eat them back. If you're using the MFP method, you should eat them back, or at least 80% of them.

5' here
Current daily goal is 1500 calories, I don't eat back my exercise calories as its already included in my daily goal.
I exercise 4-5 times a week -- boxing & jogging.

:flowerforyou:

Maybe you ladies who are posting thatyou eat 1800 calories a day need to also include your activity level.
Seriously.
And not just that you go to the gym xx days a week.
-__-

OP: it's best try to find out YOUR TDEE and then eat at the 20% reduction.
If you sit all day you'll need to eat less than if you are on your feet all day long.

Calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Lift 4 days a week for 45-60 mins, run 2-3 times a week for 30-40 mins. That sufficent for you?

I also have a good amount of LBM so my resting BMR is higher than most. I also don't eat at a cut or deficit hence the higher amount.

Maybe you ladies who are posting thatyou eat 1800 calories a day need to also include your activity level.
Seriously.
And not just that you go to the gym xx days a week.
-__-

I weight train 3-4 times a week, 30mins - 1 hr and I probably rest too much between sets. No cardio. well sometimes I do circuit training but nowhere near as often as I should. I'm aiming for at least once a week and not very good at complying with that.

I'm self employed tutoring in English as a foreign language (i.e. not very active job) and the rest of the time I'm at home with my kids, doing housework (not much, I get help with that) and general activity, like I run up the stairs to my apartment rather than taking the lift, and I go to the mall and walk around the mall and the shops. And sometimes I randomly do things like push-ups just because I feel like it. But I also spend a lot of time on my laptop... I do creative writing in my free time and trust me that's a *very* sedentary hobby.

Not that active really. According to how much I actually burn versus what calorie calculators predict, my activity factor is a bit more than lightly active, but not much more.

I have a large frame and high lean body mass for my height... but according to the difference between the Katch McArdle formula (based on lean body mass) and the Harris Benedict formula (based on height and weight and assumes and average frame size) ........... my large frame/extra lean body mass gives me a whole extra 50 calories a day. i.e. it doesn't make that much of a difference.

Many short women underestimate how many calories they need, because so many people say "short people need fewer calories"... well yes we do, but not that much fewer. Also, short people are not necessarily scaled down versions of tall people... quite often short people have similar sized torsos to tall people, but shorter legs. So the amount of difference in calories between a short person and a tall person may just be what's needed to keep a few extra cells in the legs alive.

1850 cals/day is for a very slow cut. If I was obese and trying to cut, I'd probably eat 1600 cals/day, or I'd stick with 1850 cals/day and do some cardio regularly (in addition to keeping up the weight training). The leaner you are, the less of a deficit you should have, as there's a greater risk of losing lean body mass along with the fat.

4ft 11

I'm 4'10" and currently trying to eat between 1300-1600 cals per day. I'm thinking I might up it because I exercise daily. I'm currently trying to train for a triathlon in October so while I think I should eat a little bit more, I'm kinda of scared to eat any more than that. Also, I don't normally eat back my work out calories. I do Pilates 4x a week ~50 mins each session, HIIT training 2-3x a week ~1 hr per session, triathlon training 5x a week ~1 hr-1.5 hrs per session, Lifting on a four day split ~30 mins per session, 1 rest day per week.

For reference I work at a desk job, but still find that I might not be as active as I could be

I am 5'2 1/2. I eat about 1700 calories a day and losing on average about a pound a week. I started at 139 lbs., currently at 122 and aiming for 110 as final goal weight. I walk a couple miles every day and do a Jillian Michaels dvd daily (between 30-50 min, depending on which dvd i do). Planning to start weight training very soon :-)

Bump

My base is set at 1342 and then I eat back about 1/2 of my exercise calories so I've been averaging out just over 1500. I exercise 6 days a week for 45 minute to an hour most days. I'll admit I have not found the perfect formula yet and am working on upping my protein and watching the carbs. I am 5'1 1/2.

5'2"...I eat at BMR, and right now that's about 1611.

You do NOT have to eat less to lose weight just because you're short. Promise.

5'2"...I eat at BMR, and right now that's about 1611.

You do NOT have to eat less to lose weight just because you're short. Promise.

It depends on your metabolism, age, and activity level, as well as how quickly you want to lose weight. There is no one answer for everyone.

5'2 15-1600 cals, workout 120min per day

I am 41 and 5ft1. I usually eat 1200 plus exercise cals and my daily goal for exercise is 400 cals which means I can eat 1600 but I don't always do that but I think it works out in the end as I sometimes eat out. I am going to be away for 4 days and then back a day and then away another 6 days so I am trying out 1100 plus exercise right now which is very easy because I am also burning 500+ cals a day at the moment. Other weeks I have eaten 1300 or 1400 + exercise and I think it is ok to change it up and vary things. My progress has been pretty good, I have lost at least 14lbs in 12 weeks I say at least because it is my ovulation week and I usually retain a pound or two so may be a bit higher.