How do you maintain a BMI of 18.5 or 110 lbs, if you are a 5'4" female?

Shandajh
Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
edited June 2015 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Are there any 5'4" women here, who are successfully maintaining a weight of 110? If not, are there any other females who are successfully maintaining a BMI of 18.5? If so, what are your calorie goals per day and how much weight lifting and cardio do you get in per week? I don't have time to fit in exercise WITH meal planning, or it then cuts into how much sleep I have time to get, so it's either meal planning and sleep, minus exercise, or exercise and sleep, minus meal planning. I tried the latter in the past and because I wasn't counting calories, I also did not lose. So, I have been staying in the 1200-1250 range, but am stalled out at 125 lbs after 20 days of eating like that.
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Replies

  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    Why do you want to maintain such a low weight/BMI?
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    I'm 5' and 108 lbs. so close to the specifics you're looking for. I eat 1,200 a day and typically do 20 minutes on the elliptical 4 days per week, with weight training on those days as well. I prep lunch (and what I can of dinner) for the next day each night before bed. I work full-time, have a photography business and am a full-time student as well. Just gotta stay dedicated! :) I'm trying to up my gym days to 5 days per week to gain some strength, but right now in the business of things it may not be possible. Just do what you can. Any work out is better than none, no matter how short it may be.
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
    Honestly, I'd go by body fat percentage rather than body mass index. If I dropped weight down to 112 (I'm 5'5ish) to get to the 18.6 bmi I would not look good at ALL. (My last bod-pod reading, they suggested that I had 118 lbs of lean muscle mass...) I'd have to lose precious, calorie burning muscle to do that. There are a few memes out where you can see a variety of different bodies at a variety of different body fat percentages. They can help you target the body fat percentage that you would like to aim for and then go for it. :)
  • LavenderLeaves
    LavenderLeaves Posts: 195 Member
    As a note, 5' and 108 is perfectly healthy. Those additional 4 inches make a HUGE difference and to be 108 and 5'4 means you are just on the border of being underweight, where at 5' you're still at a healthy BMI. Like someone else already asked, OP, why the desire to be 110 specifically?
  • engodwin
    engodwin Posts: 516 Member
    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    Why do you want to maintain such a low weight/BMI?

    This^

    Healthy weight range for your height is 110-140. Sounds like you're perfectly in the middle.

    "Fitting in" things is a problem statement. You don't "fit in" meal planning and exercise. You make them a priority. We will MAKE time for things that are the most important to us.
  • clh72569
    clh72569 Posts: 280 Member
    I am 4'11" and 117 lbs. I eat 1200 a day and do 1 hour of elliptical 7 days a week. I meal prep for dinner when I have extra time. Like whenever I cook I make extra chicken to freeze, or extra soup. Lunches I eat left over dinner or the same easy turkey sandwich.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    edited June 2015
    I maintain on 1900-2100 and do an hour on the elliptical 1-4 times a week and I am maintaining <18.5 BMI at similar height
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    Shandajh wrote: »
    I don't have time to fit in exercise WITH meal planning, or it then cuts into how much sleep I have time to get, so it's either meal planning and sleep, minus exercise, or exercise and sleep, minus meal planning.

    What about all the (mental & physical) health benefits of exercise?
    Mange that time you have to get enough sleep, exercise and fuel.
    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    Why do you want to maintain such a low weight/BMI?

    ^ This too ^ That falls within the range of a top athlete body fat levels.
    Something in your life is going to have to take a hit for this, but it shouldn't be sleep, fuel or activity, as those are the exact things top athletes have to prioritize in order to maintain such levels.
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    Why do you want to maintain such a low weight/BMI?
    - because that was the weight I was when I didn't have a big handful of fat around my stomach and the saggy butt and thighs I have now.

  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,360 Member
    Shandajh wrote: »
    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    Why do you want to maintain such a low weight/BMI?
    - because that was the weight I was when I didn't have a big handful of fat around my stomach and the saggy butt and thighs I have now.

    How old were you then and how old are you now?

  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »
    Honestly, I'd go by body fat percentage rather than body mass index. If I dropped weight down to 112 (I'm 5'5ish) to get to the 18.6 bmi I would not look good at ALL. (My last bod-pod reading, they suggested that I had 118 lbs of lean muscle mass...) I'd have to lose precious, calorie burning muscle to do that. There are a few memes out where you can see a variety of different bodies at a variety of different body fat percentages. They can help you target the body fat percentage that you would like to aim for and then go for it. :)
    -- i use the weight as the goal, since I had prior experience being that weight and knowing what it looked like on me. The body fat % would just be more complicated to try to figure out, not knowing exactly what percentage I would need to aim for, to have my firm body back again. When I was 110 and I got tested, I got the caliper test and the doctor claimed I was at 12%, but I have seen pictures of women at 12% and I was definitely not that muscular.
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    I maintain on 1900-2100 and do an hour on the elliptical 1-4 times a week and I am maintaining <18.5 BMI at similar height
    - thank you! :) I also don't believe these chart labels of what is "healthy" vs. "unhealthy", because 121 lbs for a 5'10" model would be considered "unhealthy" according to the charts, but yet, that weight is on the heavier side for a model. It's just easier to fit into clothes and not have to wear spanx. My goal is to be able to one day put on a skirt or dress and have my butt and stomach be sucked in without the use of spanx.

  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    How long does "meal planning" take you on an average day?
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    I've been this way for years and have never been able to make it faster. I guess it's because I'm not very smart and I'm terrible at multi-tasking. So, it takes me 2 hours and that includes also making dinner, which is simple - chicken & veggies or spaghetti squash and sauce or beans and cheese or rice. Lunches are just bagged salads with chicken and extra veggies, plus snacks and breakfast the next day - and then doing the dishes. I know that's too long, but like I said, I've been trying for years to cut it down shorter and for some reason, I just am not mentally capable I guess. It's a blessing I don't have a family to feed or I'd be in there for twice as long, probably!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    I don't. I'm 5'5", but every time I go under 133 I get very hungry.
  • MelindaKrugCastillo
    MelindaKrugCastillo Posts: 1 Member
    NO ONE at 5'10 is healthy at 121 pounds. Models have never been the picture of health. Just skinny. I have been everything from 110-150 pounds at a height of 5'4". It has a lot to do with muscle mass. What are you looking for? Health or size? I can tell you that if you are looking at a "saggy" middle, you are not exercising enough (or possibly right), your muscle mass is lacking and your nutrient intake is probably lacking as well. Weight is a number, not reality. I was a size 2 and weighed nearly 140 pounds. I had 8 percent body fat. Food intake and exercise will determine what you look like. AND eating 1200 calories of junk is not the same as eating 1200 calories of whole, plant based foods. Look in the mirror, analyze your body, analyze your food intake (not calorie intake) and be real. Age changes things as well. Love and respect yourself first and foremost, regardless of BMI!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    alykief wrote: »
    I'm 5' and 108 lbs. so close to the specifics you're looking for. I eat 1,200 a day and typically do 20 minutes on the elliptical 4 days per week, with weight training on those days as well. I prep lunch (and what I can of dinner) for the next day each night before bed. I work full-time, have a photography business and am a full-time student as well. Just gotta stay dedicated! :) I'm trying to up my gym days to 5 days per week to gain some strength, but right now in the business of things it may not be possible. Just do what you can. Any work out is better than none, no matter how short it may be.

    uhhhh...you're 4" shorter...that's huge ya know.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Shandajh wrote: »
    I've been this way for years and have never been able to make it faster. I guess it's because I'm not very smart and I'm terrible at multi-tasking. So, it takes me 2 hours and that includes also making dinner, which is simple - chicken & veggies or spaghetti squash and sauce or beans and cheese or rice. Lunches are just bagged salads with chicken and extra veggies, plus snacks and breakfast the next day - and then doing the dishes. I know that's too long, but like I said, I've been trying for years to cut it down shorter and for some reason, I just am not mentally capable I guess. It's a blessing I don't have a family to feed or I'd be in there for twice as long, probably!
    This is a load of excuses -- you can learn how to do this. It may be a skill you haven't mastered yet, but no grown adult is incapable of learning how to plan meals for herself. I suspect you may have some stress/anxiety surrounding food and that's why it takes you so long, but I'm just guessing there.

    Can you not plan out your meals for the week on the weekend? Maybe just plan out your breakfasts/lunches/snacks, and leave some flexibility for dinners if you want? Batch cook? How do you go grocery shopping if you need to spend two hours every day planning out what you're going to be eating?

  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    alykief wrote: »
    I'm 5' and 108 lbs. so close to the specifics you're looking for. I eat 1,200 a day and typically do 20 minutes on the elliptical 4 days per week, with weight training on those days as well. I prep lunch (and what I can of dinner) for the next day each night before bed. I work full-time, have a photography business and am a full-time student as well. Just gotta stay dedicated! :) I'm trying to up my gym days to 5 days per week to gain some strength, but right now in the business of things it may not be possible. Just do what you can. Any work out is better than none, no matter how short it may be.

    uhhhh...you're 4" shorter...that's huge ya know.

    I looked up her BMI. I don't know her age, so I just had to base it off my age, but it said 21.1 BMI, so you're right - that's a big difference. But actually, I then realized I made a mistake in my original post - I'm aiming for a BMI of 18.9 and not 18.5. 18.9 is considered to be in the healthy range of the chart here on MFP.

  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    Shandajh wrote: »
    I've been this way for years and have never been able to make it faster. I guess it's because I'm not very smart and I'm terrible at multi-tasking. So, it takes me 2 hours and that includes also making dinner, which is simple - chicken & veggies or spaghetti squash and sauce or beans and cheese or rice. Lunches are just bagged salads with chicken and extra veggies, plus snacks and breakfast the next day - and then doing the dishes. I know that's too long, but like I said, I've been trying for years to cut it down shorter and for some reason, I just am not mentally capable I guess. It's a blessing I don't have a family to feed or I'd be in there for twice as long, probably!
    This is a load of excuses -- you can learn how to do this. It may be a skill you haven't mastered yet, but no grown adult is incapable of learning how to plan meals for herself. I suspect you may have some stress/anxiety surrounding food and that's why it takes you so long, but I'm just guessing there.

    Can you not plan out your meals for the week on the weekend? Maybe just plan out your breakfasts/lunches/snacks, and leave some flexibility for dinners if you want? Batch cook? How do you go grocery shopping if you need to spend two hours every day planning out what you're going to be eating?

    Yeah, I've been trying to plan a little at a time, learning as I go. I have not had to cook for myself really, in most of my life, being able to just eat to-go stuff mostly and if I ever cooked, it was always a big meal of pasta - until I hit my 40's and the weight started sticking. So, that's why it's sort of new to me, to learn this, but I'm getting there.

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