Cutting calories for a girl.... does it work the same?

**skelooth** · 11-22-2005, 12:31 PM

If a girl is 5'7 and 135lbs, how much should she eat to lose weight?

Doing 135*15-500 I get 1525 calories.... that is way too low right? I don't know now! 1525 cals would be like 5 small snacks a day

Is there a different way to determine maintanence cals for a girl? Would I be wrong in recommending she eat 2,000 cals a day then adjusting after a few weeks?

SouthCaliDiva · 11-23-2005, 06:08 AM

I'm having difficulty picturing this woman. Is she an athlete? If she's 5'7" and 135#, she probably doesn't need to lose anything, just rearrange it a bit. Make her a sandwich!

Off the top of my head, I would say 1525 is too low. I tried a couple of calculators and RMR for her is about 1350. It seems like 1525 would be just barely out of starvation mode.

You should check out EME's calculator. (http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm) It is very detailed and does make a distinction for gender and whether the person is bulking or cutting.

In general, though I would say that (all other things being equal) women would require less calories due to their propensity to store fat (those darn babies!!) and their lesser amount of muscle mass.

My $.02 worth.

**skelooth** · 11-24-2005, 01:09 PM

no, she's no more of an athlete than I am. She's a 'gym chick' (ie, she already goes the gym regularly and lifts weights, watches what she eats). She's still got some pudge on the lower half of her body though that she'd like to get rid of.

Unfortunately she's been a pure vegan for like 4 months, so I doubt that's helping

I think I've actually talked her into eating meat again. She also does way too much cardio afaik.

I can help her with the lifting part, but i've never dealt with making a diet for someone so small before. Anyone i've ever made a diet for has been over 200lbs.

**NYCmitch25** · 11-24-2005, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skelooth

If a girl is 5'7 and 135lbs, how much should she eat to lose weight?

Doing 135*15-500 I get 1525 calories.... that is way too low right? I don't know now! 1525 cals would be like 5 small snacks a day

Is there a different way to determine maintanence cals for a girl? Would I be wrong in recommending she eat 2,000 cals a day then adjusting after a few weeks?

yes if you calculated BMR correct then 1200-1500 it is....women carry more bodyfat genetically. why would it be any diff for women? Its more like 3-4 meals a day. If shes serious about it then she will need to do cardio almost everyday 30-45mins (at least 2 of the sessions should be high intensity) with some thermogenic caffiene whatever and preferably in the AM b4 noon. synephedrine (cant spell) aka dexitrim will help to curb PM hunger. if you want to bumb her calories to 2000 then fine make sure the sources are from lean protien (no surprise but a low carb diet is needed). tell her to enjoy a cheat meal once a week (weekend night out with friends).

Meal plans example - 1200 calories
1 whole egg, 5 egg whites milk or 1 piece of toast (18g of carbs).
1 can tuna, 2 slices of bread (25g of carbs) or small sweet potato
2 fast food burgers no bun, side salad
1 chicken caeser salad

**EME** · 11-28-2005, 02:00 PM

Skel,

Yes, it works basically the same for a woman, although you have to realize the numbers you are used to looking at for a 200lb guy, aren't going to work for a 135lb woman.

You also need to use different calculations to determine a woman's BMR than you use to determine a man's.

Using my calculator: http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm

I have determined that her BMR would be ~ 1433 cal/day

( Note: I estimated her age to be 25 since you did not give that info. This could vary slightly if her age is significantly different than this )

Her Adjusted BMR - BMR adjusted to take exercise and activity level into account - ( assuming training 4 days per week ) would be ~ 2221 cal/day.

Therefore, to lose 1 lb per week, she would need to take in ~ 1721 cal/day.

She could go slightly below that, but I wouldn't recommend going lower than about 1600 for her.

The key with smaller women is not just determining how many calories are necessary to lose weight, but making smart decisions about how much weight a person that size should lose per week.

It's not uncommon for a very overweight person to be on a diet that results in a 2-3 lb loss per week, however you cannot safely put a 135 lb woman on a plan that calls for a 2-3 lb per week weight loss.

Below are some sample daily diets that result in just over, and just below 1700 cal/day, and which provide plenty of essential macros and nutrients:

Something like these would work well for your friend:

Meal Plan 1

Calories Fat (g) Carbs (g) Protein (g)

Meal 1 - 7:00:00 AM
Whole Grain English Muffin
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
6oz Low Fat Yogurt
4oz Blueberries

Meal 2 - 9:00 AM
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
8oz Cup Skim Milk

Meal 3 - 11:30:00 AM
4oz White Meat Deli Turkey
2 slices Low Fat Whole Wheat Bread

Meal 4 - 1:30 PM
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
8oz Cup Skim Milk

Meal 5 - 4:00 PM
1 Med Sweet Potato - Baked

Meal 6 - 7:00 PM
Grilled Chicken Stir-Fry
Grilled Chicken Breast
1 Cup Brown Rice
1 Cup Frozen Chinese Vegetables
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Daily Totals - Meal Plan 1
1756cal
36g Fat
203.5g Carbs
158g Protein

Meal Plan 2

Meal 1 - 7:00:00 AM
Whole Grain English Muffin
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
6oz Low Fat Yogurt
4oz Blueberries

Meal 2 - 9:00 AM
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
8oz Cup Skim Milk

Meal 3 - 11:30:00 AM
4oz White Meat Deli Turkey
2 slices Low Fat Whole Wheat Bread

Meal 4 - 1:30 PM
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
8oz Cup Skim Milk

Meal 5 - 4:00 PM
1 Med Sweet Potato - Baked

Meal 6 - 7:00 PM
Whole Wheat Chicken Burrito
3oz Grilled Chicken
Whole Wheat Tortilla - Low Carb
4oz Salsa
1/2 Cup Black Beans

Daily Totals - Meal Plan 2
1662cal
27.5g Fat
199.5g Carbs
160g Protein

- EME

Lift · 11-28-2005, 03:13 PM

O/T: EME that calculator rocks i have used it for months now

nice job, one question though: does it factor in the theromogenic effect of food? Is this even worth considering?

**EME** · 11-28-2005, 03:19 PM

Hey Lift, Thanks!

I'm glad my calculators have been helpful to you!

It does figure in the thermo effect of the normal metabolic process of digesting regular food.

It doesn't figure in any special effects of foods that are specifically thermogenic ( green tea, high caffeine beverages, etc ) , or the thermogenic effects of fat burners etc.

If I know that a person is specifically using thermogenic foods or supplements daily, I generally add about 100-150 calories to the ABMR number, or at least expect that their weight loss may be greater than predicted.

Let me know if you have any additional questions, or if you need any specific help.

- EME

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lift

O/T: EME that calculator rocks i have used it for months now

nice job, one question though: does it factor in the theromogenic effect of food? Is this even worth considering?

Lift · 11-28-2005, 03:27 PM

Thankyou for the quick reply

I will be adding 150 cals to my BMR!

**skelooth** · 12-01-2005, 12:03 PM

eme, fantastic in depth response thank you! (I don't know why the boards arent showing me new posts..). Very helpful, I emailed it to her so she can have a look

11-22-2005, 12:31 PM	#1
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 8,042 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 162	Cutting calories for a girl.... does it work the same? If a girl is 5'7 and 135lbs, how much should she eat to lose weight? Doing 135*15-500 I get 1525 calories.... that is way too low right? I don't know now! 1525 cals would be like 5 small snacks a day Is there a different way to determine maintanence cals for a girl? Would I be wrong in recommending she eat 2,000 cals a day then adjusting after a few weeks? __________________

11-23-2005, 06:08 AM	#2
SouthCaliDiva IronMass Donator Join Date: May 2005 Location: H-Town bound!!!!!!!! Posts: 546 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 9	I'm having difficulty picturing this woman. Is she an athlete? If she's 5'7" and 135#, she probably doesn't need to lose anything, just rearrange it a bit. Make her a sandwich! Off the top of my head, I would say 1525 is too low. I tried a couple of calculators and RMR for her is about 1350. It seems like 1525 would be just barely out of starvation mode. You should check out EME's calculator. (http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm) It is very detailed and does make a distinction for gender and whether the person is bulking or cutting. In general, though I would say that (all other things being equal) women would require less calories due to their propensity to store fat (those darn babies!!) and their lesser amount of muscle mass. My $.02 worth. __________________ It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains. The stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

11-24-2005, 01:09 PM	#3
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 8,042 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 162	no, she's no more of an athlete than I am. She's a 'gym chick' (ie, she already goes the gym regularly and lifts weights, watches what she eats). She's still got some pudge on the lower half of her body though that she'd like to get rid of. Unfortunately she's been a pure vegan for like 4 months, so I doubt that's helping I think I've actually talked her into eating meat again. She also does way too much cardio afaik. I can help her with the lifting part, but i've never dealt with making a diet for someone so small before. Anyone i've ever made a diet for has been over 200lbs. __________________

11-28-2005, 03:27 PM	#8
Lift I Love IronMass.Com Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 840 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	Thankyou for the quick reply I will be adding 150 cals to my BMR! __________________ MrLiftALot@hotmail.com "King Kong Ain't Got Sh*t On Me..."

11-28-2005, 03:13 PM	#6
Lift I Love IronMass.Com Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 840 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	O/T: EME that calculator rocks i have used it for months now nice job, one question though: does it factor in the theromogenic effect of food? Is this even worth considering?

12-01-2005, 12:03 PM	#9
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 8,042 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 162	eme, fantastic in depth response thank you! (I don't know why the boards arent showing me new posts..). Very helpful, I emailed it to her so she can have a look __________________

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