I'm only 5'0 and can only have 1200 calories. Any other short girls out there with the same goals?

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Replies

  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    I must say though, as I have done 1200 calories in the past, seeing as there is not much food, it is probably easier to eat healthy with that small amount.
  • MadamMina
    MadamMina Posts: 82 Member
    edited November 2014
    One of the hardest parts of keeping track of my calories is not eating like a 6'0 male and eating like the 5'0 female I am! Any other girls out there in this situation? Let's be friends!

    who said you can only have 1200 calories? MFP? Try other calculators and see if they are different.

    Totally this! Try a TDEE calculator instead. I bet it tells you you're not only capable to eat more, but you should also eat more. 1200 is for an adult under eating! I just checked, calculated a 5'0 young female (which I am not) and it tells me I should eat at least 1600 calories for BMR!

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

  • Amy3935
    Amy3935 Posts: 94 Member
    5'2" and on approx 1200. And sorry but if I go over, I don't lose.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    (I am a 6'3" male so I don't quite fit the OP target group but...)

    1200 calories is hard for anybody to stay under for long term. If you break it down, we are talking 400 calories per meal if you eat 3 squares a day... and NEVER have a snack...

    That being said, none of us should be staying under 1200 calories for long term... Even those with less generous altitude advantages... By increasing our activity level, we can increase the amount of intake we can eat and still not gain weight. Now, I know there are certainly limits to this (no matter how much you exercise, you can never average 6000 calories per day AND those who are more vertically compact will burn less calories in the same activities per hour than those of us who are taller) BUT by increasing your activity level you can certainly take in more than 1200 calories per day and give yourself a bit more breathing room for maybe a snack along with a little bit more generously proportioned meals.

    Best wishes on attaining your goals!
  • I'm 5 '1' and I'm able to consume approx. 1200-1350 and lose weight, as long as the calories are primarily in protein and fat (like the Atkins diet). I also MUST exercise even if its a 30 minute walk around 3 times a walk.
  • littlej01
    littlej01 Posts: 30 Member
    I'm 5'0 and MFP says I should eat 1230 calories a day. It is tough but I find meal planning is helpful. Also, if I find that I'm craving something, I try to make sure I can fit it into my calories for the day so I don't go crazy. So I'll have a salad for lunch if I know I've been craving a cookie (just gotta make sure I keep it at one cookie!) Also try to exercise 4-5x a week, especially if I know I'm going out to eat or I have a major craving (like an ice cream sundae!)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    Move more, then you can eat more. My wife is 5'2" and loses on 1800ish just fine. Also, you probably got 1200 because you went with the most aggressive approach possible and you're not factoring in exercise...and you probably also put yourself as sedentary and you're probably not actually sedentary.
  • eranganm8
    eranganm8 Posts: 37 Member
    I'm 5 and on 1200 cals/day. at the beginning it was too hard specially when I crave for hi cal - less filling food. but if you get used to eat lots of fruits, vegs and proteins you can feel satisfied and hunger pangs will be not bad as before. and you'd be surprised how filling some salads are. :smile: I won't say that some days wouldn't be hard. but it will get easier. even the strongest dieters slip occasionally. if some days went wrong then key is not to slip too much and get back on the wagon very next day. pre-planning you food is the key to consistency. I usually pre-log my next day and I stick with it honestly.If I slip then I log that too..(after all we are doing this for ourselves rite?? so why cheating to yourself?? ) to keep my MFP streak going and enjoy my reports all the time. it gives me courage to keep going.. you can exercise and if you decide to eat workout cals then you can eat more. ( but I don't really do that and love to see my deficit big :wink: and I prefer exercise for fitness not for eating.. :smiley: ) but even if you do then it wouldn't keep you from losing weight. when you start to see the changes it makes you more courageous and it will help you to focus more towards the goal;.. no worries... we can do this.. :)
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    I'm 5'5" - 150# and get 1310 per day. I usually earn about 250 more thru exercise and I get dessert those days. If I don't cheat I usually lose about 1 pound a week - I've been cheating a lot lately, but I've maintained so I am NOT unhappy.
  • TitikiOoh
    TitikiOoh Posts: 40 Member
    One of the hardest parts of keeping track of my calories is not eating like a 6'0 male and eating like the 5'0 female I am! Any other girls out there in this situation? Let's be friends!

    I'm 5'1'' and 120 lbs and my maintenance is 1690 calories. So something is not right there. How much weight do you want to lose? How much are you planning to lose per week? Maybe take a little more time to lose the weight in order to not crack under the1200 calories a day limit.
  • TitikiOoh
    TitikiOoh Posts: 40 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Move more, then you can eat more. My wife is 5'2" and loses on 1800ish just fine. Also, you probably got 1200 because you went with the most aggressive approach possible and you're not factoring in exercise...and you probably also put yourself as sedentary and you're probably not actually sedentary.

    This.

  • skinnyEmilijah
    skinnyEmilijah Posts: 61 Member
    I'm 5'0.5" (very sad, as I used to think I was 5'1"...) and I'm about to "restart" and I'm doing just over 1400 calories a day plus eating back my exercise calories. I've tried 1200 in the past and it makes me very lethargic and moody. Maybe try losing less per week if you're at a lower weight, and make sure to set your settings to lightly active at least if you do any amount of walking for like work or around campus at school.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Im 4ft 11in..1200-1600 for me I keep a range and alter it as I need ....feel free to add me.
  • 1200 calories. Thats a lot of chicken
  • AmigaMaria001
    AmigaMaria001 Posts: 489 Member
    5'4" been eating 1200 calories for the past 9+ months. You get used to it and it's enough. I am nearly 62 yrs old so not nearly as active as most of you - but the weight loss has been slow and steady until the last two months. I am within 3 lbs of the goal weight and it's not wanting to come off. But I will stick with the 1200 until I lose these last 3.
    Hang in there!
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    Hey peeps, I'm not 5' and I work very physically so I cannot really relate, but just a word of advice that helped me!
    Set your goal to maintain!!
    See what that number is.
    Eat at it or slightly under it for a week or two or three, how every long it takes you to get comfortable.
    Then mentally subtract your goal deficit from that number and aim for that target.
    i.e. If I want to lose 1/2 a pound a week my green number will be around 250 at the end of the day.
    Look up sexypants and don't starve or punish yourself for falling off the 1200 calorie wagon. <3 and well wishes!
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    So I'm almost 5foot. I eat 1500/day. Weight training is essential for those of us who are height challenged. It builds more muscle mass (not bulk) which in turn means you burn more calories/day. Use weights, heavy weights, and keep reps 8-12max each set. Complex exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time will burn more calories during your workout as well. Cardio is for fitness, weights give you a longer burn :-)
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    I'm 5'1 and get 1200 calories as well. I do eat back my exercise calories though (maybe not all, but I do eat back some)
  • MFP alows me to eat 1200 calories too. But I walk and run every day so I eat around 1500
  • LCFlo
    LCFlo Posts: 13 Member
    TitikiOoh wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Move more, then you can eat more. My wife is 5'2" and loses on 1800ish just fine. Also, you probably got 1200 because you went with the most aggressive approach possible and you're not factoring in exercise...and you probably also put yourself as sedentary and you're probably not actually sedentary.

    This.

    I'm active and I put myself as active :) I do eat more than the 1200 on the days that I'm active. I find I'm typically eating around 1700 but then exercising off the extra.