Short Girl (5'3") wondering if I am eating too little

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  • bluntlysally
    bluntlysally Posts: 150 Member
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    i'm an inch taller, older, and weigh less... and i eat more and still lose. you are NOT eating too little. i would recommend a food scale and measuring so that you are accurately logging - but this is good for everyone.

    the math works, but isn't always linear. don't be impatient. ;)
  • Philp0718
    Philp0718 Posts: 136 Member
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    Hey, you can add me if you want. I am 5'3" as well, started at 166lbs in May, now at 147lbs.

    I tend to eat around 1300-1400 cals a day (sometimes up to 1500), and don't eat back exercise calories, seems to be working well.
  • iRun_Butterfly
    iRun_Butterfly Posts: 483 Member
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    I'm 5'3 as well, 35 years old, current weight 145 (down from 208). From my experience, I think you are probably in the right range calorie wise, but as others have stated, either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake. I lift heavy 3 days a week, have for several months, and run 3 days a week. I'm able to eat approximately 1800-1900 a day and maintain my weight. I would think if you were figuring intake/output correctly you should be losing. 1500-1600 is not a lot of food for people our height...lol...I'd be starving if that was my limit for the day.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    4 lbs won't change how your clothes fit. A clothing size is about 15 lbs.

    If you're not happy with your rate of loss, either eat a little less or work out a little more while keeping intake the same. If you can't sustain that, then there's nothing wrong with half a pound a week.
  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I didn't read all the responses sorry. I am 5'1", start weight 156 on MFP in May, current weight 132, I eat 1350 baseline (net) and I eat back exercise calories. I have lost 24 pounds in exactly 24 weeks. I have logged my food for 165 days in a row. I think 1350 should be just about right for you + exercise calories.
    Make sure you are weighing your food, I weigh absolutely everything and log as accurately as possible.

    Just be patient :) It sounds to me like your goals are right on.

    Weighing your food is incredibly important, though
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    OK. I'm five three, and had just a bit less to lose than you did at the outset. I went to see a nutritionist to help get me set up with the whole weight loss and nutrition thing. She told me, eat 1200 calories, and if eating back exercise calories, eat back only half of them. If yr eating 1500-1600 calories I would not expect weight loss. It's not fair, but we're short so we're stuck with it. :/
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    wait, did I hear panda express? Takeout and fast food are your enemies. Drop them like a hot potato. And eat the potato instead.... with fat free sour cream.
  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
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    I love Panda Express. Broccoli Beef, Mixed Veggies, Mushroom Chicken all in a two item plate comes in less than 400 calories. (370)
    190 calories is actually correct for a Panda Bowl with mixed veggies and broccoli beef.

    Let's not vilify things unnecessarily.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    I'm 5ft 3.75 (and I usually round that number up... lol) but anyway I've been sticking with 1200 calories and losing pretty steadily (22.4lbs in about 2.5 months). I can lose weight at 1300-1400 calories but more slowly. I pretty much maintain at 1500 (which stinks). I don't exercise a lot but when I do I don't usually log or eat back the calories... I just take them as a bonus deficit. :smile:

    I highly recommend double checking everything you log with the package label + weighing (don't trust measuring cups/spoons) and/or by cross referencing with the USDA database. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    With restaurant servings I kinda assume they're giving me a bigger portion than what they list on their website... If I can't verify the size by weighing I usually leave a little (maybe 10% of the meal) on my plate just to be safe. Or I leave an extra 50-100 calories "unused" at the end of the day if I'm unsure about anything I've logged

    Its pretty shocking how totally off some of the calculations that pop up in MFP are so don't trust them till you've physically checked them to be sure they're correct!

    Keep working at it you'll do great!
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
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    I am 5ft 2 when I was losing weight I never had myfitnesspal.. I just bulked up on salad and vegetables rather than potatoes.. I was counting though approx between 1200 and 1400 I joined a gym and have always been fairly active with the horses.. I became and still am gym addicted!! I went from 10st 8 to 7st 10 and have now dropped to 7st 7 I drop lower than this sometimes this scares me!! If I eat 2000 calories I will lose weight!! I have myfitnesspal set to very active to maintain it gives me 2010 if I don't do anything I have to try eat half my excersize calories back.. I log mucking out horses as activity but only on my 2 days I am working on the yard, I log sweeping but only if I do this for an hour or more and I log all my gym activities too ;)
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I'm 5'1 and eat about 1800 cals a day. I am also in my mid 30's and have a thyroid problem. I have lost almost 80 pounds and hope to lose 30 more. When I exercise more, my body needs more fuel. I pay special attention to my macros. I know people say a calorie is a calorie, blah blah blah, but for me, that doesnt work. I do treat myself, but when I am losing weight, I am exercising daily (intense for 30-40 min), drinking my water, and eating to fuel my body. I always feel great and have tons of energy. Lately I have been slacking and need to get my *kitten* in gear. I know people may disagree with me, cuz.....reasons....... but this method has helped me shed almost 80 pounds. Short girls rock!!!!!
  • blabrecque_xo
    blabrecque_xo Posts: 65 Member
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    I'm also 5'3"

    SW: 163
    CW: 135
    GW: 125

    Since I started I've been eating around 1300-1400 calories a day, with lots of exercise.
  • quellybelly
    quellybelly Posts: 827 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    You're not gaining muscle, you're probably just not in a deficit.

    ^ this. You can't gain muscle unless you're eating MORE than you burn, which would be much more than you're currently eating. I also read your response that you've been lifting for half a week, which is not enough time to gain muscle either even if you were in a surplus. How are you tracking your calorie burns? You might be overestimating your calorie burns and eating more than you're realizing. How did you come up with 1600 cals as your number? Perhaps try the TDEE method to calculate a calorie goal and see how that works :)
  • irleshay
    irleshay Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm 5'2 and in maintenance... lost at 1400 calories a day eating back all exercise calories, and maintaining at 1600. I'd say be patient. 1 pound in 3 weeks can be frustrating, but I only lost an average of 1 pound a week (sometimes it was zero) yet still got to the finish line. 1200 sounds low to me, especially if you don't eat back any exercise calories. Maybe try eating back half of them, and double-checking the accuracy of your logging. Good luck!
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    independant2406 wrote: »
    I'm 5ft 3.75 (and I usually round that number up... lol) but anyway I've been sticking with 1200 calories and losing pretty steadily (22.4lbs in about 2.5 months). I can lose weight at 1300-1400 calories but more slowly. I pretty much maintain at 1500 (which stinks). I don't exercise a lot but when I do I don't usually log or eat back the calories... I just take them as a bonus deficit. :smile:

    I highly recommend double checking everything you log with the package label + weighing (don't trust measuring cups/spoons) and/or by cross referencing with the USDA database. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    With restaurant servings I kinda assume they're giving me a bigger portion than what they list on their website... If I can't verify the size by weighing I usually leave a little (maybe 10% of the meal) on my plate just to be safe. Or I leave an extra 50-100 calories "unused" at the end of the day if I'm unsure about anything I've logged

    Its pretty shocking how totally off some of the calculations that pop up in MFP are so don't trust them till you've physically checked them to be sure they're correct!

    Keep working at it you'll do great!

    ^^^^^^THIS!!!!
    I'm 5'2" and weigh a little less than you. I'm currently averaging around 1200/day (between 1100 and 1300 on any given day) with occasional (like once or twice a week) "splurge days" of around 1500-1700 and I'm losing about a pound/week. This is more than I ever have before! I've found that maintenance for me is around 1700 calories/day. So, I think you're eating a bit too much. I've found it's easier to feel full if I focus on whole foods with high protein. Good luck!

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