Do petite women need fewer calories?
Asked by anonymous on Apr 09, 2009
in Weight Maintenance
I have always believed that petite women should consume fewer calories than women of average height. I am 4'10" and 102 lbs. I work at an office so I am not active during the day, but in the evenings I either run for 30-45 minutes or life weights. I was consuming around 1100-1200 calories a day, but many people have told me that I need to eat around 1600-1800. I am not sure if they are not considering that I am shorter than normal. Do the average rules apply to me?
Answer
Petite women do need fewer calories than average height women, but the average rules apply because the formulas used to calculate calories take that into account. Calorie requirements are specific for individuals based on gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. A woman, age 26, 4’10” and 102 lbs with light activity needs around 1600 calories a day. If you consistently ate 1200 calories, you would lose weight. You shouldn't lose because your BMI of 21.7 is in the healthy range. However, half of all people keeping food records underestimate their calorie intake, and so your average might be higher than you think. If you are healthy and energetic, your weight is stable and you are eating right, then do not worry about your calories.
With Groups - you're not alone.Get the experience and support
of others who succeeded.
