5 foot 8 ladies eating 1600 calories

I guess it depends on your activity level outside of the workouts and muscle mass and BMR. I am 5' 8.5" with a high weight of 265lbs, when I started using MFP and a vivo fit last May. I have been at goal calories of 1000-1200 depending on activity level (I have been sedentary, though now intentionally walking 10500 steps a day) and more like consistent 1200 cals, once I started to strengthen muscles, though I primarily walked up to more recently. I rarely eat my exercise calories back. I am now 193lbs. I listen to my body and if I am hungry (normally because I worked out more), I will eat a bit more, or an extra healthy snack. I am sure I wouldn't have gotten here eating 1600 calories a day, but for you it depends on your BMR and activity.

alabbey wrote: »

I'm a high school teacher and a jazzercise instructor at night. I tried 1490 calories a day and was starving! I upped it to 1600. I checked my bmr online and it said its 1640.

Sounds like you need the extra calories if you have to keep up with school kids and especially as a jazzercize instructor. I know that I also couldn't dramatically reduce my calories or I would be starving, so I would reduce little by little. Maybe try at 1600 and then reduce by 100 the next week and see how you feel and the results comparison.

I shouldn't really be answering, but:

I'm losing (very slowly, by intention) at about 1600 net (i.e, I eat back pretty much all my exercise calories but estimate the exercise very carefully). I'm aiming for half a pound a week, but have been losing a little less through the holidays.

I'm also 5'5", 125.8 pounds as of this morning (very near goal), 60 years old, retired with mostly sedentary hobbies outside of an active exercise schedule, menopausal (of course) and hypothyroid (though controlled on meds).

You're younger, taller, quite probably more active daily (non-exercise) but I don't know about your current weight. Sure seems at least possible you might lose at 1600 . . . . ?

Everybody's different, so no guarantees . . . but why not try it for a couple weeks or a month & see? Sustainability is important!

I was eating under that at 1500 kcal per day, and lost about 40 lbs in under 6 months. I'm 5'8" and was mostly sedentary. I'm now 150 lbs and a size 8, maybe a 10.

alabbey wrote: »

Thank you so much for the responses. I'm coming from weight watchers where we did points and I have no clue how many calories I ate to lose on that program. I've slowly put on about 20 pounds after losing 75. I'm at 196 right now trying to get back to 175 and hopefully my goal of 165. I like to eat and do not want to feel deprived or starved. I've lost weight before and I know I can do this again I'm just lost at what a good calorie goal would be. Thanks again! !

It can be done. The best thing you can do though, if you haven't yet, is buy yourself a food scale. As you get closer to goal, your logging can only benefit from accuracy. It's truly an eye opener. Especially after weight watchers, which obviously has a completely different system in place (with the same fundamentals in the end).

I'm just a little shy of 1600 calories myself. I was as low as 1300 and I was HUNGRY! 1600 works and I lose.

Did you input your stats into MFP to lose .5 lb/ week?

I am 5'8" and lost really well at 1700 per day - but I was hungry on that (yes, even with added exercise calories.) I upped it to 1800 calories a day and still lost.