I am 5'3 and want to weight 110lbs but seems impossible

Ani45
Ani45 Posts: 47
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi :) Just want to hear some advice from you guys.

I am 21 years old and I am 5'3 or 160cm. Currently I am 130-132 lbs but since forever I have been trying to lose 20 pounds and keep them off - Unsuccessfully! It seems like my body really likes those extra 20 pounds and won't let them go :D

I have managed to go down to 110 many times but always put them back on. My BMR according to different websites is 1300-1400cal.
and I eat around 1700-1800 on most days when I am not dieting - some days I do go over, some I am lower. When I am dieting I have to stay bellow 1200 or even 1000 to lose but thats not what I can sustain in the long run. It happens that many times I almost faint on such low amount of calories

Can you please give me some advice on how to lose and keep them off? If I do the maths, I need to eat 1100-1200 cal a day to lose 20 pounds for 6-7 months! That's crazy in my opinion :(
Just to add - as for exercise, I go to the gym sometimes and cycle sometimes. I am willing to exercise more, but with so little energy that the diet leaves me, it seems impossible.

Oh and I do not log my calories in here, because I have been doing it for so long and can calculate them very accurately. I do own a scale and measure my food. I am also vegetarian :)

Thanks for reading :)

Replies

  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    Why would you want to be 110? 130-132 is a normal weight for that height. But maybe try going down to 1500 instead of below 12 ouch. Give lifting a go if the problem is body composition.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    One of the problems you seem to face is you cycle through extremes. Honestly, you need to find a balance with a moderate deficit and exercise to make a sustainable plan. If your bmr is close to the estimates then you could probably lose in the 1700 calorie range if you are exercising. Also, I would ask if you are using a food scale?

    Btw as much as we would all love to believe we are accurate at logging, studies suggest otherwise. So you need to log and aim to get adequate protien and fat levels.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    No your body doesn't like the extra weight...you like the extra food.

    the issue is that you diet, lose the weight, go off the diet gain it back.

    And the reason is you are trying to lose it too fast and that is not sustainable...I mean you even said it's crazy for it to take 6-7 months to lose 20lbs..took me 18months to lose 50lbs.

    You need a reasonable calorie deficit to lose a reasonable amount of weight and in your case that is about 1/2lb a week.

    Exercise is for health and if you are in a reasonable calorie deficit following NEAT you eat those exercise calories back to fuel your next workout...

    Logging accurately and consistently is the only way to know if you are in a deficit...

    So basically patience is what you are lacking...you need to accept that 1/2lb a week is a good goal, eat at a calorie deficit to acheive that and not more and accept it is going to take just under a year to lose the weight without starving yourself and rebounding afterwards.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Why would you want to be 110? 130-132 is a normal weight for that height. But maybe try going down to 1500 instead of below 12 ouch. Give lifting a go if the problem is body composition.

    110 lbs is a on the low end but is not unreasonable depending on frame size etc.

    I have a sister at the same height and she is 120-125 and looks great...mind you she is quite lean and cut.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    Step 1: Digital food scale. Weigh and log everything that goes in your mouth. If you still don't lose weight on 1200 calories plus eating back exercise calories, go see your doctor, your metabolism is broken. Even I lose weight on 1200 and eating back exercise calories (albeit slowly) and I'm twice your age and almost entirely sedentary.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    No your body doesn't like the extra weight...you like the extra food.

    the issue is that you diet, lose the weight, go off the diet gain it back.

    And the reason is you are trying to lose it too fast and that is not sustainable...I mean you even said it's crazy for it to take 6-7 months to lose 20lbs..took me 18months to lose 50lbs.

    You need a reasonable calorie deficit to lose a reasonable amount of weight and in your case that is about 1/2lb a week.

    Exercise is for health and if you are in a reasonable calorie deficit following NEAT you eat those exercise calories back to fuel your next workout...

    Logging accurately and consistently is the only way to know if you are in a deficit...

    So basically patience is what you are lacking...you need to accept that 1/2lb a week is a good goal, eat at a calorie deficit to acheive that and not more and accept it is going to take just under a year to lose the weight without starving yourself and rebounding afterwards.
    This, every last word of it.

    It's so easy to overeat while holding the belief that we are not.
  • catcalledjinx
    catcalledjinx Posts: 85
    Why would you want to be 110? 130-132 is a normal weight for that height. But maybe try going down to 1500 instead of below 12 ouch. Give lifting a go if the problem is body composition.

    This ^^
  • JojoEffeckt164
    JojoEffeckt164 Posts: 146 Member
    I advice to increasy kcals slowly once you have reached your goal weight. That means: When you have reached your goal. start slowly increasing kcals. 100 per week. weight yourself once a week. As you stop losing weight, that number of kcals might be right for you to maintain.

    Also: Do sport! Strenght AND Cardio. You don´t need a gym for that. You can run everywhere and your body will be still heavy enaugh for push ups and stuff. Muscles always need energy. By gaining muscles you will be able to eat more without gaining. It´s magical. I used to just look at the cake and baaaaaaaaam it was on my hips.... this got way better since I train regulary!
    So go shopping for good runnung shoes and a fitness mat :love: If you hate running dancing workouts might be a great alternative.

    3rd: Give yourself a reasonable weight frame that is still ok for you. Like between 109lbs and 115lbs and KEEP WEIGHTING YOURSELF once a week after you have reaches your goal. That way you keep control over your weight. That your weight doesn´t stay exactly the same is normal. if you get over your limit you will decrease your kcal goal until you are back in the middle of your frame

    Best luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    I'm 5'3" and I can't imagine being 110. I hit 125 once in high school and I was small. Right now you are at a perfectly normal, healthy weight.

    I think you are focusing too much on a # when you should be focusing on how your body looks. What are you doing for activity? Without any knowledge of what you are doing, I'm only guessing that you are concentrating on cardio. I would switch over to weight lifting. I'm thinking you might think you need to lose weight when you need to lose fat and build your muscle. By lifting you will sculpt your body and get rid of the "skinny-fat" look. You will get leaner, stronger and look thinner.

    I did a calculation on the Scooby website with light weekly activity at a 10% deficit for weight loss and it said about 1500 calories daily for you.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Your body might "like the extra weight". We need a certain body fat percent for general health and our bodies do strive toward health. 110 is very close to an 'underweight' BMI. I'd change that goal to something more sustainable.
  • JojoEffeckt164
    JojoEffeckt164 Posts: 146 Member
    PS and if you are on 1200kcal diet it´s important to EAT BACK your exercise calories
    PPS Be patient! It will take 6 months if you want to stay healthy. Losing weight becomes more and more difficult and slow. the lower your BMI the the harder to lose weight.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Weight is just a number. I'm about your height and I can't sustain anything less than 125 for very long, myself. I also have a fairly large frame which I know is part of the issue.

    My guess is that you're not so upset at the number on the scale as you are at what a friend of mine calls "the flabby bits". Rather than focus on a number on a scale that no one sees but you (and your doctor) focus on getting firmer and smaller. Grab a tape measure and start tracking your measurements. Strength training might be just what you need. Muscles weighs more by volume than fat so if you replace fat with muscle you might weigh the same but you'll be firmer and smaller.

    At times in my life when I've been very strong I might have weighed 130 but I once fooled a professional weight guesser at the fair into guessing that I was 120. That was all the confirmation I needed that the number was just a number and not a true measure of how I looked.
  • mialonghorn
    mialonghorn Posts: 23
    It's frustrating when people tell you you're normal and you want to lose weight. Here's a sample meal plan my trainer put me on. It's around 1200 cals but I'm full all the time. I have to eat 6X a day.
    8 AM - 2 boiled eggs, 2 egg whites
    10 - nonfat yogurt with 1/4 cup oatmeal
    11 - 3oz chicken, unlimited fresh vegis, 4oz sweet potato
    12:30 - workout
    1:30 - protein shake with 5 oz blueberries
    2 - 3oz chicken, unlimited vegis, 4.2oz banana
    4 - 4oz fish, 15 raw almonds
    6 - 1/4 cup brown rice, 3oz chicken, unlimited vegis

    I don't believe you should ever be hungry when you're dieting because that's not sustainable. Good luck!
  • Ani45
    Ani45 Posts: 47
    Thank you, for the quick replies everyone.

    First of all, I would like to say that I don't think I am fat but I do struggle with the way I look. I want to fit into a certain size and my mind just won't accept anything else. I however, don't want to be unhealthy. I just think I look best at 110lbs. Also, I don't think that having fat on my stomach is healthy.
    Overall, my goal is to be more healthy!

    Secondly, I do own a food scale. My obsession with food started when I was 13. At this age I was able to tell you how many calories are in every single food out there. And I do calculate and measure/weight it accurately to the nearest 5 calories probably. The reason I do not log on here is because I cook a lot and don't want to enter the recipes here, but I do log on a piece of paper and then store it on my computer.. Some family members call me crazy for it, but oh well!!

    That is true that I go on and off diets. I really want to change this but seeing no progress frustrates me a lot, when everything happens so slow. Without thinking I lower my calories and then you all know what happens! The smallest trigger puts me back in the beginning!

    PS: in the gym I do cardio but also have looked at some exercises using my own body weight and small weights. Honestly, I can't see any difference ..
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Why would you want to be 110? 130-132 is a normal weight for that height. But maybe try going down to 1500 instead of below 12 ouch. Give lifting a go if the problem is body composition.

    This ^^

    It's a normal weight, but if OP has a medium to small frame, or not much LBM, 130-132 looks pudgy at 5'3".

    I still had a good amount of pudge over my stomach at 5'3" when I got to 117, but was tired of cutting so I decided to do bulk/cut cycles instead. It is going away, slowly. Having a solid muscle base makes all the difference. You get to weigh more, eat more, and be stronger. I think if I'd just tried to get rid of it by cutting, I'd have had to drop to at least 110.
  • Ani45
    Ani45 Posts: 47
    And for all those who said 110 is too low .... I really want to be that weight. REALLY want it. It is still in the normal healthy range, why could I not strive for it, when this is my goal. At 130lbs my confidence is zero and .. I don't know. I just feel like I am not doing my best.

    Thank you all. I really appreciate even the harsh comments. Sometimes you need to hear the truth :))
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    The issue with a specific number is it doesnt account for body composition. Its possible you may not get to 110 based on the amount of lean body mass you have. Heck, there are many stories of women who gain muscle and become more lean and fit. This is why its suggested to concentrate on learning how many calories you can eat to still lose and work on improving the body without losing muscle. More muscle = leaner body. So its not to say 110 isnt a good number but just dont fixate on that number as you could achieve a similar look at a higher weight.

    The biggest thing is you need to log or we cant help provide advise that is specific. Also at this point your workouts should be more focused on weight training and moderate cardio. So lift heavy and do some hiit.
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
    I am also 5'3" and my goal is 140 because I'm large framed, but my best friend is the same height and looks best at 115 lbs so I can understand if you're small framed how a number between 110 and 120 would look ideal. However, as a few people suggested it may be wise to start a weight training regimen with full body workouts to help cut inches of fat while building a more svelt, lean look. I mean, there were times when my bestie and I were both at our lowest weight - I was at 135 and she at 115 - and we wore the same size pants. That's when I realized that the number itself was irrelevant.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    And for all those who said 110 is too low .... I really want to be that weight. REALLY want it. It is still in the normal healthy range, why could I not strive for it, when this is my goal. At 130lbs my confidence is zero and .. I don't know. I just feel like I am not doing my best.

    Thank you all. I really appreciate even the harsh comments. Sometimes you need to hear the truth :))

    As long as 110 lb is within the normal healthy range for your height, don't worry what others say. I personally am aiming for 105 lb which is still in the normal healthy range for my height. You can always gain a pound or two if you later decide that the lower weight is not working for you. Earlier in the thread you mentioned you want to get to a certain dress size. Don't. The clothing manufacturers are consistently changing the sizes (eg. new size 4 used to be size 2) and clothing sizes are very inconsistent to begin with. Going just by clothing size is going to mess with your mind. As far as getting to your goal, be patient. I was consistently losing 0.9 lb per week then got to my ideal (110.8 lb) where weight loss slowed but after almost three weeks the weight loss picked up again. Recalculate your goals to give a weight loss of 0.5 lb per week, eat to the calories calculated by MFP and keep your activity level up. Try switching your exercises and increase your walking and basic activity. The magic 110 lb will come :flowerforyou:
  • Ani45
    Ani45 Posts: 47
    I am also 5'3" and my goal is 140 because I'm large framed, but my best friend is the same height and looks best at 115 lbs so I can understand if you're small framed how a number between 110 and 120 would look ideal. However, as a few people suggested it may be wise to start a weight training regimen with full body workouts to help cut inches of fat while building a more svelt, lean look. I mean, there were times when my bestie and I were both at our lowest weight - I was at 135 and she at 115 - and we wore the same size pants. That's when I realized that the number itself was irrelevant.

    Yes, I understand that its not about the number because everyone's body is different. Its just that I have been that weight and I really like myself and want to be able to stay there.

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