2,000 calories

AshHeartsJesus
AshHeartsJesus Posts: 460 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I could really use some advice. Do you guys think it is possible for a short woman 120lbs to eat 2,000 calories a day and still lose fat and gain muscle? I am only 4'11 so not "average" size, but I have hit goal weight and really want to be able to eat up to that number. I have watched some women online and they eat way more then that, but they are also taller then me. Thoughts?

Replies

  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    How many calories are you eating now? Are you losing or maintaining?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    Sure it's possible. You will have to be relatively active though.

    Do you know what your current maintenance calories are? Do you think you can realistically increase your exercise and activity level?

    In order to recomp, you will need to focus on a strength training program. In order to increase your maintenance cals, you will need to increase your activity level. It might be difficult to do both, depending on where you're starting from. But it's possible for someone with the appropriate lifestyle.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited December 2020
    It's definitely not impossible as 2,000 cals isn't a remarkable amount of calories (sometimes given as an average amount for the wide range of adult females) but only you know your activity level and exercise volume so not sure what use that is to you.

    I know someone who is 5'3 but your weight and has to eat a lot more than an average female to maintain her weight because she does a big volume of exercise.

    If you have been food logging and recording your weight for a while then you must have an idea of your personal maintenance calories? If that particular number really appeals to you then trial it for a couple of months and then you will know.
  • AshHeartsJesus
    AshHeartsJesus Posts: 460 Member
    I hope these details help me make more sense 😼

    I workout to Sydney Cummings daily workout videos. It is pretty much strength training, but she does mix in cardio. I also try to walk with my kiddos when it is warm enough. And I nurse my 15 month old. So I know those things burns calories. I don't ever log nursing though.

    I eat between 1600-1800 calories a day total not eating back exercise my maintence without exercise is around 1650. I am still losing .5lb to a lb every week or so. I will know after my cycle how much I have lost the last two weeks since I hit goal. My weight goes wonky sometimes during that time. But I have averaged 120.5 this time. I weigh daily to watch flucuations.

    Thanks for all the help and advice! LORD JESUS bless you and yours!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    If you even out 1600 - 1800 to be 1700 intake on average and half to one pound a week loss to be on average a deficit of 375 then a ballpark figure would be roughly 2075cals to maintain.

    Time to start increasing your calories if you are in a happy place in your chosen goal weight range.

    Congrats!


  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    I maintained for the past 5 weeks averaging 2100, but I'm a bit taller (between 5'2 and 5'3 in the 118-120lb range), I was walking a fair bit and working out tho - would depend on the type/length of your workouts

    I also do a lot of sydney cummings videos :) mostly her low impact and weights stuff tho (I live in an apartment with thin walls)
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    netitheyeti wrote: »
    I maintained for the past 5 weeks averaging 2100, but I'm a bit taller (between 5'2 and 5'3 in the 118-120lb range), I was walking a fair bit and working out tho - would depend on the type/length of your workouts

    Goodness, I hope my maintenance level is something like yours. I am taller again (5'11") and heavier (aiming fro 165lbs) but MFP is giving me only about 1800 cals as maintenance (before exercise). Hopefully I'll be able to start finding out where my maintenance level really is sometimes in the new year.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    A decent estimate would be to count up your last 4 weeks of total intake, add 3,500 calories for every pound lost in that time and then divide that total by 28.

    That's giving me about 2000, including exercise calories, which suggests that the 1800 is probably going to be about right.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    wow I am jealous, I eat 1600 or over I gain weight. If you are young and real energetic you probably can.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited December 2020
    brenn24179 wrote: »
    wow I am jealous, I eat 1600 or over I gain weight. If you are young and real energetic you probably can.

    How much and how fast?

    Because fat weight is not fast - lost or gained.
    Water weight is - and many expected reasons for water weight gain if you stop eating at a deficit.

    Do the math if you wonder if it's fat weight.
    Did you gain 1 lb in a week say?
    Then did you eat 500 cal over maintenance each and every day?
    Are you talking 2 lbs in 2 days?
    Then did you really eat 3500 calories over maintenance each of those days?
  • AshHeartsJesus
    AshHeartsJesus Posts: 460 Member
    Thanks for the advice and experiences everyone! The next month will be very telling! LORD JESUS bless
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
    AshHeartsJesus wrote: »
    I hope these details help me make more sense 😼

    I workout to Sydney Cummings daily workout videos. It is pretty much strength training, but she does mix in cardio. I also try to walk with my kiddos when it is warm enough. And I nurse my 15 month old. So I know those things burns calories. I don't ever log nursing though.

    I eat between 1600-1800 calories a day total not eating back exercise my maintence without exercise is around 1650. I am still losing .5lb to a lb every week or so. I will know after my cycle how much I have lost the last two weeks since I hit goal. My weight goes wonky sometimes during that time. But I have averaged 120.5 this time. I weigh daily to watch flucuations.

    Thanks for all the help and advice! LORD JESUS bless you and yours!

    Just an fyi for something I experienced while breast feeding. My body burned about 600 or more calories from that alone. And as my son weaned, I was still used to eating those calories. My weight snuck up on me after that....leading to me coming back here 2/2020. I had put on 40 pounds and weighed as much as I did when I gave birth. 🤦‍♀️

    Anyways, I’m petite also. I do believe it’s possible to have that many calories, but only when I’m very active. And honestly, I’m not always very active. I tend to eat over 2,000 (usually around 2,500) a few days a week. Usually these are the days I’m eating out and having wine or a margarita. Or both. 😁. And then I try to cut it down during the week to 1,400-1,500. So far it’s working. (Entered maintenance in October). Fingers crossed.

    Good luck. Sounds like you are on a good path. Just wanted to warn you on the bf cause I had no idea my body was reacting like that until I weaned. I literally lost all pregnancy weight quickly and ate constantly. Was always starving and eating for his first year. But it didn’t occur to me that wasn’t sustainable after I stopped bf until the weight crept up. 🤦‍♀️

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited January 2021
    Yes its possible if your active, I have cut back my activity in recent months and find I'm still maintaining ok on 1800 (at 5ft 2/ 51yrs)-
    p.s I used to average 15k steps so that enabled me getting to eat around 2100 cals
    now more like 8k steps (guessing) to get 1800, but I don't sit down much - its also possible to earn more calories by just being active in other ways that isn't exercise related, in other words keeping up the NEAT. There's a great thread on that if someone has the link...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,935 Member
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    Yes its possible if your active, I have cut back my activity in recent months and find I'm still maintaining ok on 1800 (at 5ft 2/ 51yrs)-
    p.s I used to average 15k steps so that enabled me getting to eat around 2100 cals
    now more like 8k steps (guessing) to get 1800, but I don't sit down much - its also possible to earn more calories by just being active in other ways that isn't exercise related, in other words keeping up the NEAT. There's a great thread on that if someone has the link...

    Maybe ya mean thiiiiissss one?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    😉

    (And somewhere in the posts on that thread, it links to another one IIRC, BTW.)
  • AshHeartsJesus
    AshHeartsJesus Posts: 460 Member
    Thanks for the advice! I will keep a close watch when he finally does wean!
    I need to read that thread 😊

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