We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
5'4" ladies - how many cals per day do you eat?

kimkimchi
Posts: 58
Hey guys, for those of you who are around 5'4" and female how many calories a day do you consume for your weight loss plan? Do you eat back your calories from exercising or not?
I just want to guage my calories per day vs. yours!
I just want to guage my calories per day vs. yours!
0
Replies
-
I set mine to 1400 a day as I thought 1200 was a bit too low. It seems to be working better for me.0
-
I'm 5'4"
1440 cal per day and sometimes to most times.....I eat my workout cals back.0 -
I am allowed 1680, but I eat 1200 to the full 1680 depending on the day. Some days I just cant eat that much. Others I can.0
-
I'm 4'11" and this food diary thingy has me eating 1630 calories a day. That's for a pound a week weight loss. There are days when I can meet that goal and days when it's just the most difficult thing in the world to do.
Today is a bad day. I'm trying hard not to go over.0 -
MFP has me set at 1200 a day to lose 1 lb per week. And yes, I eat back ALL my exercise calories on most days. I rarely leave more than 100.0
-
It honestly varies. I eat as I am hungry. Sometimes it's 1100, other days it's 1800. I generally don't eat my exercise calories back, but I use them if I do get hungry.0
-
well, I'm 5'3"-5'4" and I eat around 1400-1500. It's working great0
-
From 1350-1450. And yes, I eat my exercise cal back.
When I start maintaining, next week, I will go up to 1560.0 -
My calorie goal is 1370 and most days I do struggle to eat all of my calories let alone my exercise calories. Most of the time, I feel like if I eat my exercise calories back, I am defeating the purpose of exercising!!0
-
I'm set to 1200 and find it do-able. I eat back some of my exercise calories on most days, and eat back most of them on some days.0
-
MFP set my calorie at 1200... and I eat back my excercise calories...
and sometimes more...
hmm, maybe that's ...WHY I'M FRIGGING STUCK A MY PLATEAU!
Sorry... back to normal now...
L.0 -
I am also 5'4", and I am at 1200 per day, and sometimes I eat more, sometimes I eat less. It all depends on if I am hungry or not. I don't really exercise, (I walk a lot, but don't count that as exercise), so exercise calories are moot for me.0
-
I am 5'4". MFP had me set at 1200 and I stayed at that for the first 3 months but then I plateaued and upped it to1300-1400. Eating my exercise cals back is totally random for me. If I feel hungry I eat them, if not, I don't.0
-
5'3" and 1350, and yes I add exercise cals to that number to get my daily goal. I found that 1200 was really tough...but for some reason that extra 150 calories makes a world of difference.0
-
I think I have 1570 a day, which should allow me to lose a pound a week. I started at 1200 and my weight loss came to a screeching halt after about 3 weeks and I was always hungry. As soon as I increased calories I started losing again. In 3 months I have lost almost 20lbs. I do eat back my exercise calories and I am rarely hungry. Everyone is different, I hope you find what works best for you.0
-
I'm 5'3 and I only allow myself 1200 a day and since I've started working out twice a day I can't eat back all of my calories ever. On days that I only work out once a day it's easier but I try not to eat all of them back though because I too feel like that's defeating the purpose of working so hard to lose the weight. Hope this helps you some!0
-
Will depend on what weight you are I suppose0
-
I have my minimum set at 1450, which is just above my RMR. I do eat my exercise calories (typically 100-300 cals per day), which brings my daily total from 1500 to 2000 to maintain a 500 cal/day deficit under my TDEE.0
-
I'm 5'4" and I try to eat 1200 calories a day...but that's pretty hard for me to do, lol. Kinda weird. It works for me, though. I started 2 weeks ago and I have already lost 12 pounds.0
-
My cals are set to 1350, but I usually eat about 900-1300, sometimes more - it just depends on my hunger and exercise levels that day. I usually eat most of my workout cals back, but not every time.0
-
I am 5'4' and am set at 1250 per day. I am struggling to eat that much, so eating any extra I work off is not even in question for me yet. I am much more aware of exactly what I am eating now. I did not realize just how little it was. Too busy to slow down and eat, I guess.
If anyone has tips, I would appreciate them.0 -
Mine are set to 1200 and that is what I'm doing. When I exercise I do eat them back. I started out at 142 lbs and I also have my goal set to 120 ... so for height and weight we are pretty similar. I lost 4 pounds before I started MFP (by completely dropping soda and controlling my sweets) and I lost 4 1/2 pounds since starting MFP!!!! I know that doesn't seem like a ton, but I'm excited!
Someone else mentioned they eat when they're hungry. And I have to agree with that. If you let yourself get too hungry it will be hard to keep up the diet.0 -
I"m 5'5'' and I have it set to 1310 cals/day. I try to stay under, but up to 90 cals over is fine for me. So I would say officially 1310, unofficially 1400. MFP allotted me 1440 cals and I lowered it myself, so I think that's fine.
In terms of eating exercise cals back... I'll usually eat most of them back, but not all unless I am super hungry or am going out to eat (then I let myself splurge and eat them all back -- I've earned it!)0 -
5'4" here, and get 1690/day (1lb/week) plus my exercise calories which can range from 150-1200 extra, on the big exercise days I can't eat that much extra, even with small indulgences, so I eat 1/4-1/2 back and try to focus on protein intake. Some days, on light exercise, like today, I have 600 cals left, and dinner to eat still. I always eat my base calories, and try to eat my exercise calories, but try to always leave some behind for sake of the exercise estimations being off, as I don't have a HRM.0
-
Mine is set at 1200 to lose 1.1 lb per week. I eat as close to that as I can without going over, and if I do go over....I take my dogs out for a walk to bring it back down.0
-
I'm 5'4" and set to 1200 when I want to lose, 1450 to maintain. I eat as many of my exercise cals as I feel like eating. Sometimes it's all, sometimes less.0
-
I currently have mine set at 1300 and I do eat most to all of my exercise calories back. I'm 5'4" and am at 135lb right now. I have a desk job so i sit a lot during the day. I am on week 3 of the couch to 5k training and run/walk 5k every other day.0
-
1400. It was at 1200 but I was starving, so I decided 1400 would be a little less of a drag... but I have yet to see "results" from the switch (it's only been a few days).0
-
Hey I'm 5"4 I used to have my calories set at 1200 but that stopped working for me a couple of months ago (I kept gaining and loosing the same pound) so now I'm set at 1350. I normally burn 500 calories a day and eat about 1500 - 1700 so finish my day 200 - 300 calories under (netting about 1000 - 1300 compared to before when I was only netting about 800). I have found my weight loss picked up again and I am MUCH happier for eating a bit more! x0
-
I'm 5'3" and eat around 1200/day0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.3K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 260.4K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 440 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions