5’5”, 42kg, eating 1,800 calories/day while trying to build muscle without gaining fat — is this enough?

Diet Help🍎

I’m 21F, 5’5” (165 cm), and around 42 kg (93 lbs). My goal is to build muscle, especially in my glutes, while minimizing fat gain.
I currently eat around 1,800 calories per day and try to prioritize protein.

My activity looks like this:

  1. Weight training 3x/week (fairly light volume — usually only 2–3 exercises per session, mostly upper body and glutes)

  2. Pilates 3x/week

  3. BodyPump 1x/week

  4. Yoga 1–2x/week (Yin and just started attending ashtanga last week which i plan to make a weekly thing)

  5. StairMaster 3–4x/week for about 45 minutes every after lifts

I’m getting stronger in the gym, especially in pilates, but having a hard time finding the sweet spot in my pre-workout meals because often times i feel sleepy/sluggish or low energy by the time my workout starts (I’m even yawning discreetly during pilates). Sometimes I feel low energy during lifts. I’m not sure if 1,800 calories is enough to support muscle growth given my activity level (i sometimes eat up to 2.5k cals when im snacky).

Does 1,800 calories sound reasonable? Would you recommend increasing calories, and Is it realistic to build muscle without gaining much fat at my weight?

Posted Jun 8, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC

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