How many calories a day were you eating at your highest weight/ gaining?

mshannond

I keep reading articles that claim that 2000 calories a day isn't really enough. I'm 5'4, 115 pounds & 18 and I'm eating 2000 calories roughly a day to maintain my weight after an eating disorder.
My metabolism is still very slow however I maintained on 2000 on 8 stone 6 for a while until it sped up & dropped. A lot of my friends who are around bmi 20-23 claim to eat between 2000-2500 a day atleast. If this is the case, why do I read about so many people who can only eat 1200 in order to maintain?
I understand our metabolisms slow down but still the '2000 calorie' recommendation is only really sufficient for pre menopausal women.
Why such low calorie maintenance diets when the body can maintain on higher? Are people just underestimating how much they eat when they claim to be overweight gaining on 2000 calories a day?

JustSomeEm

At my highest weight, I was eating about 4000 calories a day. NOW, I maintain (as a 35 y/o 5'4" woman who is fairly active and weighs 130) on about 1800 per day. My BMR is around 1350 - and that's just to maintain basic body functions if I was on a coma.

In my personal opinion, those who claim to maintain on 1200 calories are vastly underestimating how much they are eating - especially considering that women of our height have BMRs that exceed 1200. There ARE some folks who my truly maintain on fewer calories, but those are few and far between, and there are usually underlying medical issues with them.

shadowofender

If I had been logging at my highest weight I doubt I would have gotten to that weight because I can eat about 2000 a day when I'm working out and lose a lot. To maintain I don't even know, I still have 70ish I want to lose.

I couldn't maintain on 1200 and I'd likely stab someone I'd be so hungry. But I'm also 6' tall and only 23 so that changes things.

I agree what someone said about the 1200 calorie maintainers. It's hard to do that diet to maintain and I don't know anyone who eats that little that isn't losing. I'm sure shorter women could do it, and it certainly requires a lot of planning and thought to get all the vitamins and whatnot you would need...

Eh. The number is different for everyone. Height, age, medical issues, all play a part and what seems crazy to me isn't to someone else.

Francl27

People who claim to maintain at 1200 are way underestimating their food intake. Period. I have a friend who claims she doesn't eat anything, but what she eats is very high calories and she eats a bite here, a bit there, and it just adds up.

Now I seem to maintain at 2100 or so (36yo 5'5" female 132 pounds). At my highest, I have no idea, but I was probably eating 3500+ a day easily (but I was gaining).

melimomTARDIS

Im maintaining on 1800 per day, but every so often I'll eat 2000-2500 (special occasion/a decadent restaurant dessert...whatever). I am 5'4 27 y.o. and 119lbs, lightly active.

My diary is open if you'd like to see what my 1800 consists of.

EmmieBaby

around 3000 to 5000 a day (now I consume around 1200 to 1460 depending on what I am doing that day)

alska

1350 ... i'm now at 1310

SomeNights246

There are multiple reasons for this.

Many of the people eating so littler to maintain are either older than you, shorter than you, or much more sedentary than you. I will not say no one maintains on so little. Certainly, there are extreme cases in which someone might. However, I would doubt it is common.

Another reason, and the most common, is that people tend to underestimate how much they are actually consuming. I have personally witnessed this. For example, one person I know continually claims that I eat more than her. However, as someone who is in recovery from an eating disorder... I confess, I do notice how much people eat. I never point it out (it's rude, just like it's rude when she makes that claim to me), but I do notice. And some days, she easily comes at least 3,000 calories. A lot of them in things like coffee, juice, and soda.

This is common. People who are uneducated about nutrition, are not going to think to count the hidden calories they are consuming. The butter, the oil, the soda, the juice, the liquor. They are only going to go by what they are eating. There is more to it than that.

When I was overweight, barring days in which I would binge (then the number would get scary high), I would consume about 3000-4000.

yopeeps025

I am sure I was eating close to 5000 some days. I never keep track when I was high in weight. Only can recalled a one meal binge and I still ate throughout the day.

Navtendon

At my highest weight gaining period I was eating 2500 calories. With lots of exercise. BMI 32

At my highest weight loss period (now), I am eating 4000 calories. Much less exercise. BMI 22.

Calories in calories out people. Not rocket science.

stealthq

At a rough estimate, I was maintaining at probably around 1800-1900 cals. I was a pound away from clinically overweight: 142 lbs and 5'3" at 38 yrs old. I was maintaining fine 90% of the time. I was also overeating and slowly putting on pounds at special occasions and not losing them again. At the time I was about as sedentary as it is possible to be and still be up and walking around and taking care of yourself.

These days, I'm not sure 1800-1900 would be enough for me to maintain. I'm losing steadily on 1500-1600 and go over maybe 50% of the time because I'm just that hungry some days. Yes, I should probably increase my calorie limit. I'm 119 lbs, 40 yrs. old. I lift heavy 3 days a week, and run 5 days a week for an average 25 mi/wk.

soldiergrl_101

At my highest weight I ate 4000 + cals a day easily. 1500cals alone where just from soda. I am still in the process of loosing weight so for now 1200-1400 is my limit. But once I get to my goal weight I plan to live off a 2000 cal a day healthy diet and workout more to compensate for the adjustment