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Petite girl- how many calories?

Hi all,

I'm 22, 5'3 and I've always been slightly on the small side (between 7st - 7 and a half st) but usually around 7st 4-7st 6. My eating habits are pretty erratic - some days I won't eat enough (when I'm busy etc, not through conscious choice), and other days I'll eat a lot throughout the day, a lot of it not so healthy. I want to sort out my diet for the sake of my health and eat a regular amount each day. I don't want to end up gaining weight as I'm comfortable with my size/body and as I've always been this size I don't know how I'd feel being any bigger (and obviously don't want to spark up any unhealthy issues in myself), does anyone have any idea how many calories I should aim to eat in a day? I do some light swimming about twice a week just for pleasure, but I'm not a hardcore gym bunny or anything like that.
Reply 1
Original post by lizzie_price92
Hi all,

I'm 22, 5'3 and I've always been slightly on the small side (between 7st - 7 and a half st) but usually around 7st 4-7st 6. My eating habits are pretty erratic - some days I won't eat enough (when I'm busy etc, not through conscious choice), and other days I'll eat a lot throughout the day, a lot of it not so healthy. I want to sort out my diet for the sake of my health and eat a regular amount each day. I don't want to end up gaining weight as I'm comfortable with my size/body and as I've always been this size I don't know how I'd feel being any bigger (and obviously don't want to spark up any unhealthy issues in myself), does anyone have any idea how many calories I should aim to eat in a day? I do some light swimming about twice a week just for pleasure, but I'm not a hardcore gym bunny or anything like that.


If you are'nt goin mad running or gym then slightly above you're standard daily intake should surfice on days you excersise, but I would'nt want to give you a figure and it backfire on you so I'd recommend a reliable source such as NHS website.

Also you might want to try myfitnesspal its free, easy to use and helps you keep track of your caloric intake as well as fat, salt, protein etc, I use ti as part of my sports nutrition regieme :smile:

Hope this helps!
Reply 2
The best thing to do is just start planning out regular meals and at the same time count the calories in them and monitor your weight.

For the first couple of weeks or so, just make meals that seems sensible and aim to eat to your hunger (or maybe try to at least eat something if you really aren't hungry). After a couple of weeks, take the average of all of your calories and look at your weight - if your weight has remained the same then the average number of calories would be the amount of calories you need. Otherwise, you may need to adjust up or down accordingly.

This is the only way you can determine a true figure since any formula or any number that anyone gives you is just an estimate or a starting point. The only way you can figure it out is to eat a certain amount and check that you hold weight at that amount.
1600-1800 kcals should be about right.
Start with 1800 kcals for 2 weeks, and if you're gaining weight, take off some more calories until your weight remains stable.
Reply 4
Thank you so much for your responses, been a great help - I'm not really very clued up on calories and nutrition but learning to eat properly is definitely long overdue!
Reply 5
Original post by lizzie_price92
Hi all,

I'm 22, 5'3 and I've always been slightly on the small side (between 7st - 7 and a half st) but usually around 7st 4-7st 6. My eating habits are pretty erratic - some days I won't eat enough (when I'm busy etc, not through conscious choice), and other days I'll eat a lot throughout the day, a lot of it not so healthy. I want to sort out my diet for the sake of my health and eat a regular amount each day. I don't want to end up gaining weight as I'm comfortable with my size/body and as I've always been this size I don't know how I'd feel being any bigger (and obviously don't want to spark up any unhealthy issues in myself), does anyone have any idea how many calories I should aim to eat in a day? I do some light swimming about twice a week just for pleasure, but I'm not a hardcore gym bunny or anything like that.


With a good diet you're looking at 1300 max.
Yes, this is below the recommended...but remember that most people are fat so I think we can assume that the recommended amount is bullshit :tongue:

NB. For all those neging:

Spoiler


She eats 1300 daily and do you have as much muscle as that? Thought not :rolleyes:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by lizzie_price92
Thank you so much for your responses, been a great help - I'm not really very clued up on calories and nutrition but learning to eat properly is definitely long overdue!


You don't actually need to be that clued up or even count calories or anything. Let's face it, we all know what the basic food groups are and roughly what a balanced diet is (i.e. roughly the proportions of different types of foods we need).

If you just make a commitment to eat regular good meals and stick to that habit, it will become part of your routine and you will adjust to having pretty much equivalent calories most of the time since your hunger will adjust to it.
Original post by Jimbo1234
With a good diet you're looking at 1300 max.
Yes, this is below the recommended...but remember that most people are fat so I think we can assume that the recommended amount is bull**** :tongue:



Bullshit?

I eat 3000 cal a day and I'm not fat, i'd probably lose a fair amount of weight and become quite ill eating the recommended 2500 cal a day.
Reply 8
Original post by 3 Phase Duck

I eat 3000 cal a day and I'm not fat, i'd probably lose a fair amount of weight and become quite ill eating the recommended 2500 cal a day.


I seriously doubt it; you would just become a bit more lethargic and less energetic to compensate. I doubt you would actually have any health problems unless you really pushed yourself to stay as active by doing extra activity to compensate for the lower spontaneous activity etc.

Don't get me wrong, it clearly wouldn't be ideal or pleasant to consistently undereat like that, I am just saying I doubt you would actually get that ill.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by 3 Phase Duck
Bullshit?

I eat 3000 cal a day and I'm not fat, i'd probably lose a fair amount of weight and become quite ill eating the recommended 2500 cal a day.


Or you eat crap and are probably overweight. Guys who are bulking eat 3000 calories a day, so if you're not doing this, you could probably do with losing a few stone.
Reply 10
To maintain your weight you need 1450 calories a day
Reply 11
The BMR calculator says your basic calorie needs are slightly over 1300; multiply that by the 1.55 multiplier for being moderately active and you're looking at ~2000 per day. Have a look at the Harris Benedict equations if you want to have a play with these numbers yourself!
Reply 12
Original post by -Liberty
To maintain your weight you need 1450 calories a day


As a general estimate, this would really be near the bottom end. Makes more sense to guess higher and adjust down if necessary. It is always better to eat as many calories as you can.
http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

Give this a try. It gives you a number of calories per day based on your height and weight. Whether you want to gain, lose or maintain.
Original post by Jimbo1234
Or you eat crap and are probably overweight. Guys who are bulking eat 3000 calories a day, so if you're not doing this, you could probably do with losing a few stone.


...............Or I just exercise a lot and need the calories to keep me energised.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Mark85
I seriously doubt it; you would just become a bit more lethargic and less energetic to compensate. I doubt you would actually have any health problems unless you really pushed yourself to stay as active by doing extra activity to compensate for the lower spontaneous activity etc.

Don't get me wrong, it clearly wouldn't be ideal or pleasant to consistently undereat like that, I am just saying I doubt you would actually get that ill.


Either way I wouldn't feel right. Even if i stopped rowing and exercising as much I would still feel like crap because my body is used to processing a certain amount of calories so to drop 500 cal off I would probably lose some of weight/muscle mass initially, at least until I adjusted.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by 3 Phase Duck
...............Or I just exercise a lot and need the calories to keep me energised.


So you're bulking? :facepalm: Need I say why comparing a girls cutting diet to a guys bulking diet is crazy?

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