Realistic Goals?

[HollyHox]

Alright, I'm very into fitness and nutrition, over the past year I've noticed a lot of positive changes in my body, and now I've even got a job in the feild. I see women every day who are trying to better their nutrition and exercise habits. When I ask them about goals, some are very realistic but some seem to hard on themselves. .. and it's got me thinking I might be doing the same.

I'm 5'7 and about 120-122 lbs (fluctuating). I want to be 116, and I've been trying really hard. I work out for about an hour each day, mostly lots of cardio, but some muscle work. Now, I understand muscle weighs more than fat, so it's understandable if I don't necessarily get down to 116 - but I want to lose atleast an inch in my waist and 2 in my thighs. I've been trying to eat 1500 calories a day, or less.

Is this realistic?? Am I over-doing it?

[Calamity04]

Yes, you are over doing it. To be health you need to be within the 18.5 and 24.5 BMI which means at 5'7 (my height too by the way) you need to weight in between 119-156lbs. If anything I think you should gain about 10lbs so you have some meat on your bones. But hey, the 10lbs is just my opinion, being underweight is not healthy even if you look thin and healthy.

[HollyHox]

Alright thanks.

*sigh*... I guess I kind of knew to expect that. I'm in modelling and the fashion industry as well, I guess its more pressure than I thought.

So to maintain my weight, is 1500 calories a day too much, too little, or just about right? Keeping in mind I exercise daily.

[Calamity04]

Well the modeling/fashion industry has their own idea of what the perfect body is, but health wise you are healthy. I think a lot of those models don't look healthy, but thats just me. I'm not really a calories counter, I just eat three balanced meal so Im not the best at the calories thing, but I would think 2,000 would maintain your current weight depending on how much you exercise.

[HollyHox]

Some of the models really aren't healthy. It's not really a subject that's talked much about, but I see girls who once had the most gorgeous skin, and they're quite obviously restricting too much food, because now I see them getting terrible breakouts. Along with the fact they often seem really, really exhausted.