Short Ladies

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AniMarieSt
AniMarieSt Posts: 119 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Are there any ladies among the forums, 5 ft 3 in or under? If so, what calorie intake are you losing on?

I'm only 4 ft 11 in and I'm finding that the calorie intake for someone my size is like nil compared to what other's get per day to either maintain or lose weight. My boyfriend is 5 ft 8 in and I'm jealous of his daily calorie allotment, LoL!

It especially gets weird since all the nutritional labels are all based on 2,000 calorie/day diets for maintaining weight.

~ Joanna
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Replies

  • prila13
    prila13 Posts: 222 Member
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    I'm exactly 5 ft. tall. I'm on a 1260 calorie intake w/o exercise. I've lost 6 lbs since being on this calorie intake. I've been on it since Feb 19. But, I find myself very often not being able to eat that many. Like, I have to force myself. Sometimes, I manage to go over.
  • forwardthinking86
    forwardthinking86 Posts: 5
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    Hi! I'm also short- just a little over 5ft 1in- and have a calorie goal of around 1200 a day. I just started the program so I'm not sure how this will work, but I feel like it should be correct for weight loss. It will be hard for me too, since I am active and LOVE to eat! Let me know of your success in a week or so, and I will do the same. It's so not fair how many more calories taller people get, lol.
  • missmeagan89
    missmeagan89 Posts: 30
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    I'm 5ft3 and my daily intake is 1200. But just remember...If you are burning calories it lets you eat what you burn. So as long as your burning you still can eat! :D
  • treena99
    treena99 Posts: 37 Member
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    I am 4'11 and I am struggling with the 1200 calorie goal, plus the 8 + water intake, and protein shake. I feel stuffed all the time at a little less than 1000 cals a day.
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
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    im 5'3..been always at 1600+...being short doesnt really mean less food...
  • WashingtonGrown
    WashingtonGrown Posts: 97
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    I'm 5'3" 145 and wanting to lose 5-10 more, my calorie intake per day is 1320, usually I am under. I've lost 5lbs since I started on MFP 20 days ago. I've lost 15 total since January, I used weight watchers before. I try to stay above 1200 per day, I exercise 5-6 times a week.
  • MrsWeezy
    MrsWeezy Posts: 2
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    5'2 and @1200 a day :)
  • Bridgetc140
    Bridgetc140 Posts: 405 Member
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    I am also 4'11" and my goal is to lose 5lbs. I am currently 113lbs striving for 108lbs. I eat 1050 per day leaving 150 calories to correct any undercalculations of food intake and overcalculations from exercise. When I work out, I put exactly what my HRM states I burned (excluding cooldown) without taking into account what I would have burned during that time whether I was working out or not. This 150 makes up for it...plus I don't always input condiments and this also leaves room for them. I always eat my exercise calories back though.
  • amberlineilene
    amberlineilene Posts: 153
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    5'2 lost 15lbs on 1200 daily
  • happybunnysbabe57
    happybunnysbabe57 Posts: 191 Member
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    i am 5 ft 2 1/2 in, i put 5ft 3 lol. i am on a 1200 cal intake. some days i am good, and some days i am still hungry. i try to work out 3 or 4 times a week but sometimes i dont have time. i have had trouble with losing weight before, i usually end up yoyoing. this site is a big part of my change to lose weight and i have lost 19lbs because of it. i just try to follow the calories it tells me work at as much as i can. if i am hungry i eat a little more but i try not to do that all the time. hope this helps. plus if u r hungry all the time, and it is really bothing u try uping ur calories a little and see if that helps.
  • mommytomia
    mommytomia Posts: 42
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    5ft3, and currently 129, starting weight 152. I am zig zagging calories to take off the last 5, so I vary between 1200-1600 calories a day.
  • Mykidsmama
    Mykidsmama Posts: 17
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    I am 5'2" and have a 1200/cal limit. I just started this plan. I used to eat close to 1800 cal/day. So 1200 seemed crazy to me. But with earning the extra calories by exercising I am averaging about 1400 cal/day which is still less than I was eating so I hope it works.
  • healthyandthin
    healthyandthin Posts: 104 Member
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    5'2" and 1200 calories. I've been trying to eat more starting this week.
  • AniMarieSt
    AniMarieSt Posts: 119 Member
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    See that's the thing. Consistently I'm seeing 1,200 calories. I usually end up a little under my goal but that is actually really bad. It's very hard to get proper nutrition w/anything under 1,200 calories per day. You can put your body in starvation mode.

    But with individuals of petite stature (1/2 the worlds 12 year olds are taller than me), can that limit of 1,200 calories be compromised? I'm usually actually at 1,500 calories per day but then I burn 300 calories a day with working out, leaving me at a net intake of 1,200 calories. But if I can't work out every day to up my actual intake it will get hard w/ 1,200 or under to get proper nutrition. Even my health professor said so yesterday.

    My goal weight is 111 lbs. 16 more lbs and I'm there.

    So does anyone have advise for this? I love working out. And I don't have the big of a problem staying at 1,200 net calories even though I like to joke about larger individuals having a larger calorie allowance. It's the malnutrition that I'm concerned honestly concerned about. Every calorie intake scale (including the one on this website) is screaming 1,200 tops.

    ~ Joanna
  • kaizen31
    kaizen31 Posts: 74 Member
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    I think it'd be hard for someone a foot taller than us to get proper nutrition at 1200 cal, but remember, we also need fewer nutrients! You don't have to take in quite as much calcium, iron, etc. to get what your smaller body needs to thrive. (5'1, 1300 calories--I feel your pain!)
  • AniMarieSt
    AniMarieSt Posts: 119 Member
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    Using this websites daily intake calculator, I'm currently at an allotted 1,000 net calories per day intake.

    I was burning 500 calories/day until Monday (two days ago), when I decided to move my daily workouts down to 300 calories burned per day. Burning the 500 calories per day was allowing me to consume 1,500 calories per day (1,500 - 500 burned = 1,000 net calories).

    However burning 500 calories each day - though fun - started to seem a little ridiculous. I now, since Monday, workout to burn 300 calories per day just to move to an actual intake of 1,300 (which seems bordering on too low). So I'm still at a net intake of 1,000 calories per day after the workout (1,300 - 300 burned = 1,000 net calories).

    I just don't want to screw up my metabolism. If our smaller bodies don't need as many nutrients and such that helps ease my mind regarding the whole thing. Being smaller, it also takes longer to burn as many calories as most other individuals. It's like I can't win? LoL.
  • ils_1231
    ils_1231 Posts: 249 Member
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    5'2.5'' with 1200 calories.

    I think that as long as you aren't going under the 1200 calories you should be fine. I find that even if I'm a bit over 1200 I am consistently losing weight.
  • sarahbelle87
    sarahbelle87 Posts: 23 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and also have a 1200 calorie limit. Sometimes struggle with it (in terms of not going over that), but most of the time I manage with just a few calories to spare.
  • staceywoo
    staceywoo Posts: 56
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    I'm 5'3, currently on 1200 cals per day, and I've lost 35 lbs. For the first few months of weight loss I was sticking to a 1000 cal day, but after hitting a plateau for a couple of weeks and reading more on here I upped it to 1200. I find that if you eat healthy filling foods and cook from scratch rather than using packets/jars of food then you can get more than enough nutrients and feel full every day.
    Good luck!
  • JulyHummingbird
    JulyHummingbird Posts: 106 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and set my calorie goal for 1000 per day - to make up for any 'underestimation'. I walk some, daily (to and from the bus, getting off a few stops early, etc.) but don't have a set exercise routine.

    Mary

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