If 2000 calories is what we should be eating, why do so many people maintain/gain on less?

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  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I would add it's not 'metabolism damage from crash dieting' or 'post-menopause'. It's just physics. Smaller things take less energy to move around. And older people usually sit at desks and move less instead of waiting tables and working retail.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited October 2014
    My sons (16 and 17) eat literally twice what I do and are skinny, skinny, skinny. I ate that much then too. I never changed my eating habits or activity level, but I did change my AGE. Maintained slender until I was 40 with two pregnancies and no dieting. Gained 15 pounds then and maintained. Hit 50 and started to gain rapidly. With MFP I know that I need to eat less now - first t o lose and now to maintain.

    I now maintain at a net of 1680 (more than two years and counting). And I'm a tall, active woman.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    evileen99 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Because people are eating more than they think they are.

    This x1000. People grossly underestimate how much they're eating. Ask anyone who started using a food scale--it's usually a big eye-opener.

    And this is SO true. Big portions. Snacking. And not knowing what their high calorie items really are.

  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    mamaweesa wrote: »
    frob23 wrote: »
    The following grammar lesson is brought to you by bacon. "Bacon, the addiction you don't need to hide."

    When in doubt, use "who". Even when you're wrong, few people will notice. The word "whom" is an object. A quick check is can you replace it with "him" or "her" and have the sentence still make sense.

    Thank you! I finally have a simple way to know if it should be "who" or "whom".
    Can you help me with quotation marks? In the sentence above, does the final mark belong before or after the period?

    That's a stylistic or regional decision. Although, I am certain you're pointing it out because you believe it is incorrect. When end punctuation (e.g. a period) is not specifically part of what is being quoted there are two accepted ways to handle it. Generally, the US places it inside and the UK places it outside. The practice of placing it outside is gaining ground in the US, particularly among those who work in fields like programming where a period may change the meaning from what is intended.

    In short, either is fine and both are considered standard English. If you're turning in a paper at an American school or university, prefer the inside placement unless you have prior experience with the instructor that confirms their awareness and acceptance of the outside placement.

    As an aside, I spent a lot of time in a computer field where placing it outside was preferred. Because of that, I have a strong personal preference for outside placement. I believe it is more consistent and logical. But, English isn't known for being consistent and logical.
  • NK1112
    NK1112 Posts: 781 Member
    I don't think it's accurate that everyone needs to eat at the 2000 calorie or more ... it does really depend on your basal metabolic rate (BMR) ... you can use the calculator here on MFP .... That would be the minimum calories needed and it varies based on gender, age and current weight.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    ... What is your BMR?
    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.

    Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise.

    Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equations to estimate your BMR which is believed to be more accurate than the more commonly used Harris-Benedict equation.

    For example, a 23 year old woman weighing 145 pounds and measuring 5 feet 4 inches had a BMR of 1398 calories ... and then needs to fuel for all the activity she does ... but she would not want to drop below that amount. That same woman, at the same weight but now 70 years old has a BMR of 1163 calories ... because her metabolism has slowed down over the years. She could eat all she wanted as long as she burned off the extra calores and not go below her BMR. (I don't know what the medical repurcussions, if any , of eating below your BMR might be.)

    Of course, if that same woman, was 250 pounds at age 23, her BMR would be 1874 and she probably would eat at least 2000 calories a day. While, at age 70 her BMR at 250 pounds would be 1639 ...

    Check your own BMR out ... it's kind of fun to do.


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