5'2-5'3 girls around 170lbs.. how many calories....

5' 2" 167 pounds and I eat 1200 calories. I work out 2-3 times a week and eat back 1/2. Ive been on MFP for 2 weeks and lost about 4.5 pounds.

I'm a little older and a little heavier than you, but I'm 5'3" (if I round up ). I have my goal set to lose 1.5 lbs a week and MFP has my net calories at 1,200. If I exercise, I get the 1,200 calories + whatever exercise calories I have "earned" for the day. So far, it's been working for me. I eat my exercise calories (maybe not all of them, depending on my hunger levels).

Hope that helps!

If you exercising often and making the work outs worth while, you may need to increase your calories. For me the minimal is 1600 calories. My nutritionist told me and my wife 1800 calories is a good place to start and work from there. Also keep in mind you are working out often, you are gaining muscle. Muscle is twice the weight of fat, the fat could be dissipating and the muscle increasing. We were encouraged to measure areas like abdomen, upper legs, arms, neck and so forth and monitor it this way. Another things I was told... I was eating mostly once a day... at night. I was told this is not a good idea. Eat at least three meals a day and one snack. Also try to keep the bulk of your carbs in the morning and more of your proteins in the evening. Also, when working out, make sure you are working out a minimal of 150 minutes a week. When involved with cardio, keep your heart rate at the correct levels. (formula is: 220 - age = estimated heart rate. Estimated heart rate x .85 for top of range and Estimated heart rate x .60 for bottom end of heart rate range). So in a nut shell, I try to hit the gym 3 times a week. 150 total minutes / 3 times a week = 50 minutes cardio per visit. In addition I was told to do weight training as well. Sounds like you have this established already. This advice cost me about $400.00 to talk to specialists... hope it helps you. If you have any type of physical problems, please consult your doctor first and discuss it with him/her.

Rodney Mulhollem, MA
Psychotherapist

If you bulk up your diet with lots of vegetables (especially greens) and fruit, you'll find it easier to cut back you calories a little bit more. You should probably also cut out added sugar in your diet because it will really it messes with you mind and metabolism when trying to diet making you think you're hungry when you're really just craving another sugar fix.

I could see 1200 for someone who is sedentary, but not for someone who is working out.

My advice is to find what works for you. Everyone is different.

Look at your food choices, make sure you are estimating you calories correctly. Measure when you can, especially things like PB, syrup, mayo--those can add up to a lot more than you think!

Lift weights, (heavy) it doesn't burn as many calories, but that is what will change your body size/shape! The cardio is really just so you can eat a little more.

1500 calories sounds like a pretty good average to me, but like I said before, play around with things and find what works for you AND what you can maintain in the long term.

How long have you been on MFP? You may just need to give it a little more time.

Hope that helps

Try to remember that not all calories are created equal. I've done lots of research and found that the recommendation is to eat 3 smaller meals with 2 snacks in between. Make sure that you include protein and fibre in every meal/snack (i.e. veggies with hummus or whole grain melba toast with almond butter) I also include a smoothie meal during the day.

Also important to drink at least 3 liters of water per day. If you spread it out between meals and snacks you shouldn't be hungry.
Hope this helps.

I'm 5'1" and 177 lbs. . . .52 years old.

I walk 3 to 5 miles a day. My base calories are 1465 and I eat my exercise calories back. I use a Body Media Fit and I usually end up eating anywhere from 1900 to 2200 gross. I try to keep my deficit at 500 but sometimes it's less and sometimes it's more.

I'm losing an average of 1.3 lbs per week.

ETA: I weigh and measure all food and I eat whatever I want.

I'm not really trying right now but I was losing on 1700 approximately and only walking 30 to 55 minutes 5 - 6 days a week. I'm 5'2 and older.

1200 cal is a good place to start and you can adjust after a couple of weeks when you see how that works for you. Increase activity a little if you can. It doesn't have to be going to the gym. Park farther away from the door of any building you're going into, take the stairs for at least two floors, walk the dog farther, if you have one. Ride your bike to work if it is less than 5 miles away. And don't make excuses as to why you can't do those things. Get a ball to sit on instead of a chair if you sit at a desk at work. I'm sure you can think of other ways to add in movement. Strength training is really essential in addition to cardio, even for women. It will help you later in life to reduce the risk and effects of osteoporosis, aside from making almost everything you do easier. BTW, I should have said, I'm 5'2 and the picture you see of me here is at about 165 lbs. I am currently doing Medifast, which is really low calorie, and the weight is coming off, but I don't see the difference in the mirror yet. I've lost about 7 lbs in 3 weeks. My body seems to be very efficient with my fat. I'm also 53 and have a job that keeps me at a desk a lot (I have a ball that I sit on and I like it) and commuting for at least an hour per day. I do go to the gym whenever I can for both cardio and strength training, and take a dance class once a week.

I'm 5'2 and I eat around 1800-2100 calories per day. I exercise 5x per week, usually running 3 miles twice and one long run on the weekend. I lift heavy 4x per week and I am losing slowly but consistently and not hungry. Hope it helps!

Wow. You are awesome!

Hello!

I don't think you'd need to alter your calories at all. I checked out that TDEE that someone else mentioned and at least for me, it doesn't seem to be any different than what MFP gave me. However, considering that hunger is the main obstacle to staying your 1200 calorie course, I just thought I'd pop in and give you a few suggestions.

1. Supplement meals with high fiber foods. This can help keep you full for longer.
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/063008p28.shtml

2. Eat high protein foods. In my experience, this doesn't really keep me full for long but I know some people say it does. Most of these dieting tips are very much person-dependent so you really just have to experiment for a little bit before committing to a full on diet.

3. Eat low GI meals. All carbs will increase your insulin levels to a certain level. Some, like a bottle of coke will spike insulin levels and then after 30 min you crash and you get very hungry. So low GI foods will keep you full for longer without spiking insulin and causing that crash.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

4. Drink lots of water. Yes, you will go to the bathroom a lot but hunger can many times be curbed by drinking water. Just filling your stomach with something can trick your body into reducing hunger.

Since you've been having a lot of trouble only eating 1200 calories, I'd suggest not worrying about losing weight for a few months. Try experimenting with different foods to see what diet you can maintain and then worry about the scale.

Good luck!

1200 calories for a 25 year old girl seems kind of low to me. MFP calculated 1250-1500 calories for me and I'm 45 yrs old, 5'4 and was 185 at the time. I do 1300 calories for 5 days a week and 1800 calories for two days a week (usually eat out on weekends). I've been losing about 1.5 pounds a week pretty steadily. I JUST started exercising again after a pinched nerve, so that hasn't played a role in anything.

If you are so hungry that it is making you cry, something is WRONG!!!!! I hate being hungry - it gives me a headache and makes me cranky and miserable - plus - I believe that that is your body telling you to eat something nutritionally sound. The method I'm using is slow, but I feel good, I'm never hungry and I eat the types of foods I want.

5'3 (and a half!) I weigh 162ish and I eat 2000 calories a day :drinker: