Isn't 1200 calories too much for a 5ft tall woman?

Options
12357

Replies

  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Options
    How long are you giving 1200 calories to work before you get frustrated and cut your calories?

    THANK YOU, fellow voice of reason!

    The Sacred Holy 1200 calories per day, and the Almighty BMI table for that matter, do not apply to EVERYONE.

    How is that the voice of reason? You under eat and are hungry all the time. That's not reason.
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
    Options
    How it is the voice of reason is, when I finally weigh myself and update my ticker, all the naysayers will see that my diet has been a complete success. The scale will be proof positive to everyone that I know what works for me. Yes, I am 61, 5' 3 1/2," sedentary. I am not saying my way is right for everyone-- unlike all the naysayers who believe their way is THE way. I will be @ goal very soon....
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Options
    How it is the voice of reason is, when I finally weigh myself and update my ticker, all the naysayers will see that my diet has been a complete success. The scale will be proof positive to everyone that I know what works for me. Yes, I am 61, 5' 3 1/2," sedentary. I am not saying my way is right for everyone-- unlike all the naysayers who believe their way is THE way. I will be @ goal very soon....

    lol. ok
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Options
    How it is the voice of reason is, when I finally weigh myself and update my ticker, all the naysayers will see that my diet has been a complete success. The scale will be proof positive to everyone that I know what works for me. Yes, I am 61, 5' 3 1/2," sedentary. I am not saying my way is right for everyone-- unlike all the naysayers who believe their way is THE way. I will be @ goal very soon....

    Well of course you'll be at goal. Eating next to nothing is great for weight loss, obviously.

    What the hell kinda no brainer...
  • augustaliam
    augustaliam Posts: 3
    Options
    I'm 5'2" at 106 and 1200 cals is maintenance for me if I were a vegetable. Ridiculously low! I eat 1500-1700 depending on my appetite and activity that day.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    Options
    According to BMI charts, a five-foot tall woman is considered UNDERWEIGHT at 125 pounds. That's why your body is fighting you. Stop punishing it. If you don't like the way you look, focus on toning up, not losing weight.

    WRONG!!!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    According to BMI charts, a five-foot tall woman is considered UNDERWEIGHT at 125 pounds. That's why your body is fighting you. Stop punishing it. If you don't like the way you look, focus on toning up, not losing weight.

    I would question the accuracy of that chart, then. I am 107lbs at 5 feet. And certainly not underweight, by anyone's standards.
    <

    OP, Either you are not accurately logging your calories so you are eating more than you think, or you are not gaining "real" weight, meaning it's probably not much more than water retention.

    It is possible to eat more and still ose weight. I am eating 1800 a day, and still losing, even on days when I'm not working out.
  • BeccaJane_x_
    BeccaJane_x_ Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    According to BMI charts, a five-foot tall woman is considered UNDERWEIGHT at 125 pounds. That's why your body is fighting you. Stop punishing it. If you don't like the way you look, focus on toning up, not losing weight.
    This is NOT true. I am 5ft1, 111lbs and not considered underweight, so a 5ft person @ 125lbs is most definitley not underweight.
    OP, I was eating 1350 and still steadily losing. If you're not losing at 1200 cals.. are you making sure you're logging everything.. even drinks?
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    How it is the voice of reason is, when I finally weigh myself and update my ticker, all the naysayers will see that my diet has been a complete success. The scale will be proof positive to everyone that I know what works for me. Yes, I am 61, 5' 3 1/2," sedentary. I am not saying my way is right for everyone-- unlike all the naysayers who believe their way is THE way. I will be @ goal very soon....

    BAH! I knew that was you, Aedreana, before I even scrolled up and saw who posted this message. This wrongfully wrong message, full of wrong wrongness.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    How it is the voice of reason is, when I finally weigh myself and update my ticker, all the naysayers will see that my diet has been a complete success. The scale will be proof positive to everyone that I know what works for me. Yes, I am 61, 5' 3 1/2," sedentary. I am not saying my way is right for everyone-- unlike all the naysayers who believe their way is THE way. I will be @ goal very soon....

    No one is saying you won't lose weight that way. They're saying that being constantly hungry and lacking in energy (as you have admitted to being in many of your posts) is no reasonable way to live.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    According to BMI charts, a five-foot tall woman is considered UNDERWEIGHT at 125 pounds. That's why your body is fighting you. Stop punishing it. If you don't like the way you look, focus on toning up, not losing weight.

    rubbish.

    My bestie is 5'5" and at 125 she's a lean mean fighting machine. (not even kidding on that one- she's some fun colored belt in Brazillian JJ)

    There is no way someone 5" shorter is UNDER weight at 125.
    NOPE NOPE NOPE.
  • Katyd1
    Katyd1 Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'0 and my base calorie count for the day before exercise is 1490, I generally end up eating between 1700 - 2000 calories a day depending on how many calories I burn when I workout and I have been losing weight. I'm not sure you are getting enough calories for your body, with the exercising you are doing only eating 800 - 1000 calories a day, You don't want to do something that will harm your body just to lose weight. Be proud of the weight you have lost. You might want to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist for a healthy way for you to lose weight, but maybe your body is telling you that you don't need to lose any more right now.
  • aliakynes
    aliakynes Posts: 352 Member
    Options
    My TDEE is 2000 at sedentary and BMR is 1380 (I do walk everyday, but have *no idea* how much a 40 min power walk burns bc every counter says something different). I'm too scared to eat 2000 (#first world problems), but does anyone think I should go up from 1400 because of the increased hunger?

    At sedentary, your TDEE is 1625 for maintenance. If you are burning 250 calories per week through exercise, you can eat that much and lose a half pound per week.

    For calories burned you can try runkeeper (it has a walk setting) and will estimate based on your speed, distance, age/weight/height, and terrain.

    Anyway, you're headed in the right direction. Keep it up!

    EDIT: The TDEE calculator I used was scooby: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • phonegal2
    phonegal2 Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'1" and I think that in order to get your weight and metabolism up is to lift some weight. Weight bearing exercise will increase your muscle mass. I realized that petite women really should not look at the "standard" numbers. Right now I'm 50 years old, walking 1 hour a day and eating about 1300' calories and I'm now just losing weight. You must stay in a green zone to let you body know that it is not starving. If you really want to move the scale change up your 45min routine with some weights just 30 reps a day on legs and arms which would take about 10 minutes would do wonders. Wake up your muscles.
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    Options
    i didnt read this whole thing but my 6 year old is not a good eater so we are counting his calories. the days goals are 1200 to maintain at his height and weight. he is 6.

    it saddens me when people think they need to eat less than my 6 year old.

    but some people do need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight - mainly older, shorter, not very active women.

    I agree it is not the right amount for everyone - but posts like this seem to be suggesting it is not right for anyone (or at least anyone adult) and that isn't correct either.

    i said less than. i didnt say equal to.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,998 Member
    Options
    According to BMI charts, a five-foot tall woman is considered UNDERWEIGHT at 125 pounds. That's why your body is fighting you. Stop punishing it. If you don't like the way you look, focus on toning up, not losing weight.

    rubbish.

    My bestie is 5'5" and at 125 she's a lean mean fighting machine. (not even kidding on that one- she's some fun colored belt in Brazillian JJ)

    There is no way someone 5" shorter is UNDER weight at 125.
    NOPE NOPE NOPE.

    That poster retracted her statement about the BMI chart several pages back - on second look she realized she had mis read the chart.

    People are still commenting on her original comment without realisng this.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,998 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'2" at 106 and 1200 cals is maintenance for me if I were a vegetable. Ridiculously low! I eat 1500-1700 depending on my appetite and activity that day.

    I don't think anyone is recommending 1200 for maitenance.

    For those people for whom 1200 is the right amount for losing, their maitenance would obviously be couple of hundred more - just like everyone's maintenance amount is more than their loss amount.

    Even for losing, we are talking about 1200 NET level - so those people would eat more depending on activity level too - ie if they eat their calories back like they are meant to.
  • blue__hydrangea
    blue__hydrangea Posts: 12
    Options
    I'm 4'11" and maintain 95 lbs on 1400 and all I do all day is sit on my butt.

    Sometimes I feel extra hungry & I'll eat 1600 - 2200 (averaging 1900) everyday for an entire month and I will gain 1 lb per week consistently until the end of the month where I'll be up 4 lbs. If I do it for another month, I'll be up another 4.

    I used to weigh 140 lbs and to maintain it I was eating about 1600 - 1700 a day easily. No problems with fitting it in. More would make me gain. To lose weight, yes I did have to eat around 1000 - 1200. Otherwise it would have taken forever. Plus with how calorie counts are usually underestimated, it was better to just aim lower and assume I was probably unknowingly eating 100 or so more.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'1.5" and if I ate that little I would murder someone.... I am losing on 1630.
  • blue__hydrangea
    blue__hydrangea Posts: 12
    Options
    I'm 5'1.5" and if I ate that little I would murder someone.... I am losing on 1630.

    Starting weight and activity levels play a big role. A sedentary 5 foot tall woman can't eat as much as an active 5 foot tall woman and expect the same result. Plus whether you are starting at 200, 150, or 130 (for example) makes a big difference too.

Categories