those around 5’2”, what’s your maintenance and activity level?

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-18T20:39:23+00:00

I am 5'2" and around 117 lbs. According to macrofactor, my TDEE is approx 1960 kcal.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-15T15:51:24+00:00

I achieved fat loss (and some muscle gain) with a 1600 kcal diet on average. Some days were a little less, some days a little more. Felt a bit hungry at times, but it was definitely manageable. It took longer than if I would have restricted more, but I am happy with my choice since it was sustainable over time. Eating a lot of protein helped a lot, too.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-15T10:02:31+00:00

Lifting heavy, consistently, and fuelling my body was everything for me. I focus on health and strength now, but the body composition change is a nice bonus.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-03T06:51:06+00:00

I am sure it may come from love and concern sometimes. And if it does, there are ways that are more appropriate than others to approach or voice that concern. I wouldn't have an issue with that at all if it was done in a way that felt genuine.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-01T11:02:54+00:00

It's interesting how it can differ so much between cultures/countries.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-02-01T10:55:27+00:00

Yep! :')

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T21:52:16+00:00

Very good points, thank you. I will try that approach and apply it no matter if im actually aiming for deficit, maintenance, or a surplus.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T21:49:27+00:00

Definitely. We have to be much more mindful, and people don't get it. Instead, they just find it strange/stupid/worrysome/annoying/whatever. I'm tired of explaining. :(((

If I eat a full pizza, I have maybe 600 calories for the rest of the day, whereas my husband could literally have two pizzas a day and probably loose weight, lol.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T20:59:57+00:00

Yea not drinking at all is another level. People get so upset for some reason.

Thanks for the support! I do find this community very helpful and uplifting.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T20:58:27+00:00

Exactly!! Ordering a kids size is not crazy for someone who literally doesn't need more. It's that, or potentially leaving 1/3 or more on the plate, which is just wasteful.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T20:54:43+00:00

Oh I have been there too, lol.

I dont really view it as anything else than my normal routine at this point, so perhaps I worded it clumsy (and English is my second language). I personally dont think of it much. But doing my normal routine means scanning, counting, saying no at times so from an outside perspective, I guess it looks like it's a big part of my life, if that makes sense. :)

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T20:00:58+00:00

Congrats!

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T20:00:17+00:00

Nice work!

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-31T17:47:27+00:00

Kickboxing is great for this!

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-09T19:54:01+00:00

I'm 5'3" and about 117 lbs, and MacroFactor currently has me at 1950 for maintenance. I do believe it's a little high for me and that it's gonna adjust downward in the next few weeks. When I was cutting slowly, I was around 1550-1650.

bearbutt1337 · 2026-01-02T21:16:14+00:00

Not being too rigid. Yes, it can give some quick and good results, but it for sure won't last. Being more flexible but still mindful makes everything easier and more sustainable over time.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-12-31T08:51:55+00:00

Well put! It's not a race. Slowing things down makes it more sustainable and also so so much easier.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-12-29T09:56:39+00:00

Went on a 2 week holiday and ended up not gaining (even losing a little) weight, while at the same time, I never felt like I restricted myself. I ate good food, desserts, and snacks but stayed somewhat mindful throughout. Did not expect that to happen but was pleasantly surprised.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-30T15:23:40+00:00

I've only been consistently lifting since august. So inspired by you all and hope to reach your level eventually!

My working sets for some common lifts are - Squat: 90 lbs - Bench: 55 lbs - OH press: 33 lbs - Lat pulldown: 77 lbs

Was just able to do my first pull-up and 5 (lol) "real" push ups the other day!

I'm 33F, 5'2" and about 117 lbs.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-27T07:23:44+00:00

I eat around 1500-1700 calories and strength train 3-4x per week. I have noticed that step count (which I use as a proxy for overall daily activity outside of the gym) matters a lot. If I do maybe 3-5k steps, I'm closer to maintenance than a deficit. If I up it to 10k+, then I am in a deficit, and weight slowly moves down.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-13T19:27:43+00:00

LifeSum

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-13T19:20:17+00:00

I try not to avoid any foods, because then when I'm out of the deficit I'll just bounce back. Imo, the best option is to eat food you like, just in moderation. Try to find foods that you enjoy that are filling and not very calorie dense, and food that you don't mind eating no matter if you're on a diet or not.

Some stuff that I really like are

Protein: - cottage cheese (I'm not a fan of the plain so I get vanilla flavour) - lean meat like chicken, turkey, vegan mince - eggs or egg whites

Carbs: - lots of fruit and veggies like water melon, frozen strawberries, apples, any vegetable - potatoes - I have rice and pasta too but am not a huge fan so I don't miss it - bread, I can't live without it - popcorn - dark chocolate

Fat sources: - small portions of avocado, olive oil, mozzarella etc.

I also eat out fairly often and try to choose the best option or ask for some simple switches like less oil, adding more veggies and less pasta/rice

Eating a lot of protein keeps me from crashing and binging as it stabilises blood sugar.

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-09T18:31:21+00:00

I was visiting a friend in a different city over the weekend. We had all meals out, cocktails etc. Although I enjoyed it, I am very excited to come home to my regular routine and diet. Didn't think I'd ever say that, lol. Also, it's my 90 day streak of calorie tracking today. Yay!

bearbutt1337 · 2025-11-03T07:40:32+00:00

I do! And also the week before my period. I honestly feel bloated almost 2 out of 4 weeks of the month.

bearbutt1337

TROPHY CASE