can someone help my gf with losing weight

[juicydanglers]

hi my gf is trying to lose weight after xmas

she's 98 pounds and only five foot tall, we looked up a calculator and it said that for her to lose a pound a week she would need to eat 1200 calories a day

does this seem right, i dont have much exp with someone who weighs as little as she does so i have no idea

thanks :)

[vanillabn]

Seriously? Why is trying to LOSE weight?

[juicydanglers]

well you may find this hard to believe but her usual weight is about 92 pounds (she says), she really is very very small and wants to have a flat stomach

not like she's very far off or anything she just wants to lose a few pounds

[rob112]

sounds more like she should tone up

[juicydanglers]

sounds more like she should tone up

i thought the concept of toning was false i.e. theres just fat and muscle not toning

[sonti]

Sorry, don't think any girl here is going to help some girl get down to 92lbs (which even at 5'0 is still underweight). If she wants to build muscle and improve the look of her 98lb physique rather than diet down even more and put herself at risk of various health problems including osteoporosis, then let us now :)

[bethanyboo]

I could never encourage someone to drop down to 92 lbs.

My suggestion for her would be for her to eat at maintenance with plenty of protein and start lifting heavy.

[joselsturbo]

may seem awkward tell her to lift weights gain some muscle not a lot and then cut
92 lbs seems unhealthy even for her height

[rockangel]

I agree, she needs to gain more weight/muscle before she tries to lose "weight".

My lowest was 98, so i have a very good idea of what she should look like, but she still needs to lift heavy and gain muscle. Trust me, at 92 or 98 there isnt enough weight there to lose or enough muscle there to show for that "toned" look.

Heck, for me, there still isnt enough muscle at 110, and im 2 inches shorter.

[terracotta]

The minimum weight to not be underweight according to the BMI chart for 5'0 is 95 lbs. There is no way your GF is overweight, and no one here is going to condone a fat loss program at 98 lbs.

I'd say she must have a body image problem if she feels overweight.

She must have very low lean body mass at that weight, and would do well lifting weights to increase it.

[juicydanglers]

Ok i never said she was overweight and she's really short and has a very small frame

she used to be 80 pounds when she did ballet 98 pounds is the highest she has ever been she sais, i know everyone is trying to help but trust me she really is quite tiny

she just wants to fit into a uk size 6 dress, right now she is a size 8 which i believe is a us size 6 so its not like she's trying to be a size zero or anything

[terracotta]

The thing is, these are bodybuilding forums. If she wants to be "thin" all she has to do is do some cardio and eat fewer calories than she burns. Not many people here want to be thin.

I also think that sizes vary too much to compare between countries since they vary so much by manufacturer. At 112 lbs I am a US size 4. So it is hard to believe at 98 lbs she would be a US size 6. (not that the sizes matter).

[juicydanglers]

The thing is, these are bodybuilding forums. If she wants to be "thin" all she has to do is do some cardio and eat fewer calories than she burns. Not many people here want to be thin.

I also think that sizes vary too much to compare between countries since they vary so much by manufacturer. At 112 lbs I am a US size 4. So it is hard to believe at 98 lbs she would be a US size 6. (not that the sizes matter).

i get what you mean, she would never step into a weight room i dont think she likes the whole atmosphere of a gym,

i just wanted to know if 1200 calories sounded reasonable for a fairly inactive ,very petite 21 yr old girl to lose a few pounds. i dont want her starving herself

[terracotta]

i get what you mean, she would never step into a weight room i dont think she likes the whole atmosphere of a gym,

i just wanted to know if 1200 calories sounded reasonable for a fairly inactive ,very petite 21 yr old girl to lose a few pounds. i dont want her starving herself

She wouldn't need to go to a gym, all she would need is an exercise ball and a small adjustable weight set. For a complete beginner I would recommend spark people new you bootcamp (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1075) as a really easy introduction to weights. It would be especially good for someone who is afraid of gaining mass.

Anyways.. regarding calories. For someone of that weight, 1200 calories is probably a good diet amount.

[terracotta]

For a 1200 calorie diet, I would do 50g fat, 120g carbs and 80g protein.

[juicydanglers]

Thanks a lot i appreciate the help

[suzen]

It will take time. You gf has to maintain her routine for that. It's not a big deal. Some supplements can assist her too.

[discdoggie]

,

i just wanted to know if 1200 calories sounded reasonable for a fairly inactive ,very petite 21 yr old girl to lose a few pounds. i dont want her starving herself

Probably. Smaller people don't need as much food, period. But she'd have much better luck flattening her tummy by adding some resistance activity.

I DO know where she's coming from. I'm also 5'0" and in my late teens/early 20s, 95 was my "good" weight. I was not emaciated or anything like that.

But her being "fairly inactive" is going to keep putting a few unwanted pounds on a year. She's 21 so it seems far off, but trust me it catches up!!!! She doesn't have to go to a gym. She's a former dancer, so she could start of with bodyweighted exercises. Pushups, planks, and one-legged squats, maybe, to start?

[juicydanglers]

Probably. Smaller people don't need as much food, period. But she'd have much better luck flattening her tummy by adding some resistance activity.

I DO know where she's coming from. I'm also 5'0" and in my late teens/early 20s, 95 was my "good" weight. I was not emaciated or anything like that.

But her being "fairly inactive" is going to keep putting a few unwanted pounds on a year. She's 21 so it seems far off, but trust me it catches up!!!! She doesn't have to go to a gym. She's a former dancer, so she could start of with bodyweighted exercises. Pushups, planks, and one-legged squats, maybe, to start?

thanks very much, she says she is going to start going swimming which i guess is a start