Devil's advocate: 1200 calories for petite/short women?

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  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    I'm 4' 10 1/2". For a long time I ate at or slightly below 1200 and lost weight. But then I became hungry. I now strive for a net of 1400. Still hungry although not as much. I hate the fact that because I'm smaller I can't eat as much.
  • PinkNerd
    PinkNerd Posts: 1
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    I am 4"11 and I HAVE to make myself eat near 1200 a day otherwise I just wouldn't eat that much. But, I also drink a lot of hot tea and water so that might add to me not being that hungry.
  • Michelleishealthy
    Michelleishealthy Posts: 4
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    I am 4'11 1/2
    I recently gain 5 pound in a month. I need to
    Loose it. I have been eating 1200 calories and work out alittle and eat more to cover the calories.
    It's been 15 days and I gained 2 pounds.
    Not sure why to do.
  • Michelleishealthy
    Michelleishealthy Posts: 4
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    Are u loosing Eatting 1400. U have same proble
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Sometime your metabolism just slows a bit as you age. ... Over the years I didn't watch what I ate and I slowly gained weight until I reached 130 lbs. ... You just have to find what works for you.

    Yes, your metabolism usually slows down. I never used to keep strict of calories because I never had to. About 20 years ago, I went down from 92 or 93 to 90 at a spa eating their 1400 calorie a day plan. But I was younger and much more active, especially at the spa.

    My weight's crept up over the years. I've been sedentary, I've had injuries, and my metabolism has slowed. Over the past two years, my weight has been stuck in the area of 105 pounds, occasionally higher. I've been logging at MFP, doing Intermittent Fasting and trying to keep to around 1150. Today my weight was 100.5, which is good, especially since I'm recovering from an injury and can barely walk, much less do cardio.

    But if I hadn't kept some kind of track of my weight and activity I'd be overweight or obese. Certainly, if I ate the the number of calories I see discussed here I'd be fat. I'm 5'2" and 1700+ calories every day probably would have been way too much.

    Until coming to this site I had never heard of the idea of eating back one's exercise calories (unless one was engaged in an extraordinary amount of physical activity) and I still believe that's the wrong advice for many people here. Not only have some people lost their sense of healthy weight ranges (not every one who weighs under 100 is anorexic), they don't know what truly rigorous exercise involves. Working out three or four times a week for 30 minutes is good, but that's not rigorous exercise.
  • missym357
    missym357 Posts: 210 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and 103 lbs and I would not be able to function on 1200 calories per day. I eat around 2000/day probably even a little more than that since I am not exact when I log my intake. I can literally feel the difference in my workouts some mornings if I don't eat enough before hand- and by eating enough I mean more than 400 calories. Like today: I ate a kashi bar, had my tea, then ate a scrambled egg in a tortilla which was about 400 calories total and I could totally feel it in my workout- I have usually had more to eat than that by that time.

    I can't imagine what I'd look like on a 1200 calorie diet either...it would not be good.
  • SpydrMnky27
    SpydrMnky27 Posts: 381 Member
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    I'm 5'2" 113 and I eat anywhere from 1200-1500 cals a day. I think 1200 is too low for an everyday intake.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I'm 5'4" which is the top consideration for petite.
    I eat 1550 calories and I can't imagine eating 1200 since it leaves me hungry all day. I've lost more weight by eating at 1550 cals
    Also, I mostly do strength training (heavy lifting) so I know I'd be a cranky person if I stuck to 1200
    I'm the exact way; 5'4" at 1550. I probably COULD do 1200 cals, since I really dont eat much for a fat girl, which makes me wonder why I'm fat at all.. :grumble:, buuuut I'd probably end up slapping someone from being grumpy.

    I'm not trying to be insulting, but it is possible that people who are overweight or obese need more calories to feel good and function than people who never were overweight. Or at least it may be true of some people. I've read articles that say that overweight people are sometimes deprived of nutrition notwithstanding the greater amount of calories they eat because of the way their bodies process food.

    I find 1,200 -- actually 1100 to 1,150 calories -- hard only because I love to eat and I have to make such careful choices. I can't really say I'm often hungry. It's more a question of I could always eat more.
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,261 Member
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    Most of the time, if I'm active, ironically, I'm not hungry. The days I'm sedentary, sooo freaking hungry. I keep my cals between 1200-1300, 1400 at most on certain days.
  • marywilsoncline
    marywilsoncline Posts: 301 Member
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    I'm 4'11 and weigh 102 lbs. I run anywhere from 4 to 8 mi. a day so eating more than 1200 calories is an everyday thing for me. The more I exercise the more I eat.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I am no nutritionist or expert in any regard. I do believe that the 1200 calorie rule is reall for average sized people.. I also think that if you are 6'3" then your minimum should be closer to 1600 as an extreme diet... Why? Because we are BIGGER... Going to 1200 calories would be more like you going to 900... I think it depends on goals and activity level... Naturally, we ALL need more activity in our day... We have become a sedentary generation. 100 years ago, most people farmed the land manually and worked physical jobs... There were no air conditioners... Now our lives are more sedentary. Most of our jobs are far less physical.. and in order to function properly we need to compensate with exercise.

    I do believe that if you are relatively sedentary... Will not exercise and are under 5' then perhaps a diet less than 1200 calores is appropriate. The best way to answer that though is to get out and have moe fun.. especially if you are "fun sized"...
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    You make a valid point. The calorie needs for petite women can be on the low side.

    However, when you're getting down around 1200, adequate daily micronutrition starts to become an issue, IMO. Women that need to eat that little to lose weight would be better served to increase their activity and eat a little more.

    Very much agree with this.
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and my limit now is 1200 calories. I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle, so most days I eat 3 square meals that I fix at home and am right around that number.
    The days that I workout or do strenuous activities (mowing the lawn, deep house cleaning, etc.) I can definitely tell that I need a lot more calories and a lot more glasses of water! I will usually have a snack between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and dinner- about another 400 calories for those days, give or take.
    And of course there are days where you just don't plan ahead and you get fast food, have another glass of wine, etc. and go over.

    Sorry, but 5'4" is pushing it on being so short only 1200 calories are needed. A lot of these women are sub 5'. I'm only 2 inches taller than you, and I eat much more than 1200 to lose.

    ETA: Just read through most posts. There's a lot of non-short/petite women justifying starvation diets in here. Sad stuff.
  • erinkeely4
    erinkeely4 Posts: 408 Member
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    I am 5'2', age 47 (so lower metabolisium then a 20 year) Medium built) Desk job

    I have done 1200 calories, and also lower at times. With and without exercise.

    At 1200, I am somewhat hungry, but not starved. And I do lose weight - for a time.

    But I always plateau, and stall. And then nothing seems to budge the weight,

    So for me, I need more calories, about 1500 roughly seems a good range for me now, I do workout heavily, now. But have not always done so.

    Have played with calories, macros, exercise ranges a lot over the past 4-5 years. Finally at my goal size now.

    Also for me protein seems key. if my protein is to low, I also stall out.

    So I need cal, and protein.

    I'm 5'2" and 27 years old, and this is exactly the experience I've had!!!
  • camila_scl
    camila_scl Posts: 238 Member
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    Listen to YOUR body!

    If you're super hungry, then you are eating too little... if you're feeling full you're eating too much. If you work out and feel hungry, eat something. If you're okay, don't eat anything.

    People here IMPOSE what works for them. They usually say I should be eating like 1600. I'm a sedentary 5'2' girl. 1600 is almost my mantainence level. 1200 is okay for me to lose weight, if I work out, I eat some more, and feel perfect. Not cranky or with low-energy or anything. People usually say "well you can't eat 1200 forever" which is just stupid, you're trying to lose weight, so you are eating less than you need because otherwise you wouldn't lose. You eat 1200 if it works for YOU. You lose the weight, you get to your goal weight, you upper your calories to your TDEE.

    And remember not to confuse hunger with I didn't feel full after eating so I'm hungry
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I'm 5'3 and 98lbs. I don't eat more than 1000 cals. I don't get hungry enough to need to.

    I am not trying to be mean here hon, but the 'magic' 88lb goal weight is a bit of a give away. You do not get hungry because the hormones ghrelin and leptin are screwing up with your hunger signals, primarily due to long periods of undereating.
  • camila_scl
    camila_scl Posts: 238 Member
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    I'm 5'3 and 98lbs. I don't eat more than 1000 cals. I don't get hungry enough to need to.

    I am not trying to be mean here hon, but the 'magic' 88lb goal weight is a bit of a give away. You do not get hungry because the hormones ghrelin and leptin are screwing up with your hunger signals, primarily due to long periods of undereating.

    Yep.

    When I was 15 years old I weight the same as you do now. It's not super-underweight but you are right on the edge. If you still feel fat, seek professional health.

    At your weight I strongly recommend you to eat at your mantainence level and now focus on losing body fat if you still have. I know I did, was extremely skinny but still skinny fat even at 98 lbs. Your weight should be more like 110 at least, and if you work out and lose the body fat and get a defined body you will look great. Better and healthier.
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
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    A shorter woman can certain survive on 1200 calories... but at that level your metabolism is going to slow down A LOT.. so when you eat more than that.. you will gain weight.. so is it really worth it?
  • sakurajade
    sakurajade Posts: 35 Member
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    im 4/9 and find it really hard to eat 1200 calories a day i just dont eat that much
  • Sveid
    Sveid Posts: 37 Member
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    I'm 5'2'' and I actually find it hard to hit 1200 calories a day. I seriously just don't get hungry. I eat when I feel like I need to and I choose healthy items (usually), so I end up only eating three times a day. If I work out, I try to eat something right after. I try to avoid eating past a certain time by brushing my teeth.

    I normally hit about 800 - 900 when I don't exercise, maybe 1000 when I do. >.<

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