How many calories should I consume as a 5ft woman?

aferr12
aferr12 Posts: 27 Member
edited November 27 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi everyone. I’m actually in the process of losing weight. Based on what I’ve found online my calculations say I should consume 1400 calories to maintain my weight.

I’m not interested in eating less than that only to slowly increase my caloric intake. I’d rather just eat my max amount of calories. Any women here who are my height and also curvy? I just wonder is those calculations are correct.

Thanks!

Replies

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    It's really going to vary based on your activity level, current weight, muscle to fat percentage, and so on. I'm 5'2" and currently maintaining at 155 at around 2200 calories. I do 25-30 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week and lift weights twice a week, plus I'm fairly twitchy and lost weight faster than the calculators estimated. Online calculators will give you a place to start, but the only way to be confident in your number is to track your calories and weight for a while and see what happens. Good luck!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    The estimates are from formulas that are based on large population studies. Essentially, it's telling you the average calories required for the typical person your sex, age, size, activity level, etc. In other words, it's a statistical estimate. By its very nature, it will be close for a lot of people, but farther off for a few.

    Therefore, other people's results don't tell you anything particularly helpful. Their results pretty much just tell you whether that person is average in calorie burn, above the average, or below the average. It doesn't tell you where you will be.

    If you lose weight faster on X calories that MFP predicts (based on using MFP's estimate and careful logging for several weeks), then you'll probably maintain on more calories than MFP predicts. If you lose slower than it predicts, you'll probably maintain on fewer than it predicts.

    But that isn't guaranteed either, because some people's activity level seems to be more quickly/readily increased or depressed based on eating at maintenance calories vs. eating at a calorie deficit. But your own results tend to be a better indicator than other people's results do.

  • aferr12
    aferr12 Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks everyone. I know that physical activity increases the amount of calories i should consume. What I’m really asking is what should my net caloric intake be?
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    You'd need to let us know your weight, too. It is taken into account for all of that.

    An obese person my height (was me) and my current weight have very different amounts they need to consume.
  • aferr12
    aferr12 Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks everyone. AnnPT, thanks for the well-thought-out answer. I'll take your advice!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I am 4'11 and my net calories are around the 1500 mark for 95 pounds. For weight loss you can only expect a maximum goal of around 0.5 pounds a week eating 1200 calories net.
  • peppermintcaroline
    peppermintcaroline Posts: 151 Member
    I'm 5'0. To lose weight I eat 1500-1600. I maintain around 1800-2000 walking 30,000-40,000 steps a day according to my tracker.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
    I am 5'0" as well. Have MFP do your calculations. Lots of this depends on your age, your build, and your exercising. Maintenance calories can be computed, but your personal experience will tell you what works for you. I am "curvy", meaning that I am muscular from the waist down. I am also early 70's, so the amount of calories for maintenance (3 years now) is low (1500-1800) with 5 days of heavy exercise. I also have recalculated using MFP several times in the 6 years that I have been here. Your age may change what you need. But most of all, increase your calories by about 100 for a bit and see how that works ... in time and with effort, you will find what works best for you as an individual.
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