Short Ladies

I'm 5 ft tall and on a 1200 calorie intake. With my progress, I have plateaued twice, once after losing 4.5 kg, then at the 5.5 kg loss mark.
My two cents is that, our amazing body mechanisms are quite sensitive to changes in food intake, and eventually over time this is why it gets harder to lose the last few pounds. Our body starts to more efficiently use what calories we feed it, so that it can keep us in what it considers a stable weight. I've found quite a few others have been able to deal with this by giving a go varying their calories say - over the limit one day then under the next.. or something akin to a "treat day".
I would find the reasoning behind this is that providing a little more abundance in calories to the body signals it with - oh, I dont have to skimp and increase efficiency after all, this ain't no famine! This is just a once-off thing though, if done regularly, weight will not be going anywhere..
Hope that this might help you or others if they find themselves reaching a wall... Ive just broken through my 2nd plateau and I reckon I will be at this weight for quite a while yet. Yet I am comfortable enjoying the view from here, and taking it REAAALLLL slow.
sorry also if i have overlooked other previous comments and repeated something that someone else said. :P

note: my display pic the second is my "sorta" ideal weight, not where im at currently. i may change that depending on how the next kg goes, im not gonna sacrifice my "girls" to get stick thin.

I think the big calorie differences are worked out through weight more than height. I am 5ft 5 and only get 1280, it never goes below 1200 for anyone.

I am also 5 2 and on the 1200 calorie a day limit. I have been struggling with this amount myself. I used to eat far more calories a day, which of course, is the reason I have some to loose now. Many days I find myself still hungry, but I really feel like my body needs to adjust from my habit of over-eating. This site has also made me far more aware of how I use my calories. For example, I can eat an apple with 70 calories or eat about 5 potato chips. I'm trying to find healthy options that allow me to eat "more" and that fills me up. Like the other ladies, I also up my calories when I work out...usually adding a Special K protein shake to give my body the fuel it needs to get my heart pumping. You definitely aren't alone in this battle! Seeing other ladies who have been successful with this approach gives me hope and pushes me to keep going each day.

Try zig zagging your calories. I went on www.freedieting.com/tools.calorie_calculator.htm

The last few days I did a mainly fruit and veggie cleanse and dropped 3 pounds which got me off my plateau. Now I am going back to my zig zag, which is 1128 on the lowest day and 1689 on the highest day of the week. The theory is to eat the same amt of calories in a week, but you keep your body guessing so that it doesn't get used to the small amount of calories and doesn't slow the metabolism to get used to just 1200 daily. BTW-I am 5'2.5"....Team Hot Short Girls! Ha!

Love the Short Ladies topic!

I'm 5'1 and would like to loose 15 pounds which would put me at 115. I've lost 5 so far on MFP and I've been on here for about a month. My limit is 1200 caloriebut most days I'm hungry and seem to go over the 1200 which is why I work out up to 6-7 days a week ( I do love to work out though not just b/c of the extra calories. I haven't lost any weight in the last 2 weeks. I do have to admit that I cheat on the weekends- pretty much eat what I want and have some cocktails which I'm sure is the reason why I haven't lost any more. Alcohol adds up the calories really quick! I do tend to do longer workouts on Saturdays b/c I have the time so I end up burning b/t 600-700 calories. So even though I cheat I know I'm not going way over my daily intake on the weekends and I'm SO GOOD during the week. I'm thinking I may have to just allow myself one cheat day instead of two to keep me sane! (sorry I love food! and some drinks! ), maybe up my calories a bit during the week??? because my scale isn't moving!! I started JM 30 day shred on Monday as well so hoping to see some results! I'm really liking this plan but want to see my weight to start coming off a little quicker!!!
Anyone feel free to "friend" me!

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

I'm going to guess you have your goal set to lose over a pound a week. Dial that back to .5 or 1 pound a week, eat more, and you'll lose faster.

By the way I'm 5'3 and I set myself at 1500 calories. I don't eat back my exercise calories and when I actually stick with the plan, it works.

I am 5'0" and on 1200 a day but when you add the exercise calories i eat back between 1400-1700 a day. I have lost 20 lbs to date in a little over 2 months.

I am 4' 11 3/4" ( so let's say 5 foot ) MFP has me at 1200 net which after excercise I tend to usually be a bit low. I've got a lot to lose and I have been consistantly losing since I started the program, despite missing the magic 1200 mark a couple of days a week. Its working for me, I eat healthy, lots of fresh fruits and veggies and lean proteins, keeping the sodium in line and drinking lots of water ( which I always forget to log). I know there's lots of opinions on the 1200 mark but I think everyone has a different body chemistry based on all kinds of sciency stuff like your gender, age, DNA, etc and what works for one person may not work for the next one. JMHO

Is there any way of manually changing your daily calorie limit, or can you only do it by adjusting your diet/fitness profile settings?

Is there any way of manually changing your daily calorie limit, or can you only do it by adjusting your diet/fitness profile settings?

go to 'my home' then 'goals' and click on change goals. You then have either MFP set goals or you can set your own custom goals. I've seen a lot of people change different things like protein, carbs etc. depending on their personal fitness needs.