So... Does The Average Woman Maintain On 2000 calories?

peleroja

Average is meaningless unless you are the same weight, age, and activity level as whatever that average number was calculated with.

I maintain on around 1500/day because I'm under 120 pounds and pretty sedentary. If I were more active or heavier, I'd maintain higher.

JulieAnneFIU

I'm 5'5 and 130 pounds. I HIIT three times a week, lift heavy (madcow) three times a week and walk five miles a day and maintain at 1950. Days I don't work out is 1400.

ILuvCupcakesNLifting87

I am a 26 year old, 5'1, female that eats 2000-2200 cals a day (within macro range) & I have been maintaining my weight for the last 3 weeks. Not a single ounce gained. Yes I am active (workout 5-6 days a week 2+ hours a day mostly lifting) so I know it is possible. If I wasn't active though & my BF% were higher I probably wouldn't maintain. I guess it's all relative in context to what someone considers average or "normal."

DawnieB1977

I'm 5'6 and my maintenance is apparently 2000. I was 154lbs pre third pregnancy, and gradually increased calories to maintenance for my third trimester. I exercised around 4 times a week until I was 38 weeks pregnant, plus being very active with my other two who were 2 and 4 at the time. I gained loads of weight. Now, it may just be how my body deals with pregnancy, but I think 2000 for me is too high to maintain.

I'm around 192lbs now, exercising 5/6 times a week and am incredibly active with 3 kids, I'm eating between 1400-1550 calories and losing just over a pound a week. I think I'd probably maintain on around 1800 now. And yes, I weigh everything, and it's incredibly rare that I eat back any exercise calories.

snoringcat

mamafelfleh wrote: »

I'm losing at 1900! I think 2000 is a reasonable AVERAGE but 1200 really?! I mean my one year old needs 1000 calories a day

You shouldn't be surprised that a 1 yr old needs 1000 cals - they are growing & are experiencing massive cellular division at that age.

2000 is an AVERAGE across all ages & builds & is therefore meaningless on a specific basis. With a sedentary lifestyle, I'd need around 1440 to maintain, with exercise that' go up to around 1750. I'm 5'2" and 51 yrs old.

flumi_f

Fruitylicious03 wrote: »

Uh... I'm 5'2 and I LOSE on 1200. I maintain on 1650 if I'm sedentary, and on 1800 if I'm active.

^^yup, this is true for me too. 5'2'' just isn't average, I guess ;-)

jazzcatastrophe

I would probably maintain around 1600-1700 but any more than that and I would gain (but I'm tiny - 5'3 and <120 lbs and lightly active)

cheripugh1

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

I replied to a topic about 2000 calories on another forum, where I said that the majority of females, other than those who are older, shorter or have medical conditions, can maintain their weight on 2000 calories a day (which seems to be the common recommendation on nutritional labels etc) to which another poster replied with :

This is not correct. The average woman on a 2000-Kcal/day diet will gain weight, especially if she is minimally active. Smaller women can maintain weight at 1200 kcal/day if they're not active.
http://www.lisajohnsonfitness.com/who-benefits-more-from-the-usrdas-2000-calories-per-day-you-or-big-agra/
http://www.weightymatters.ca/2012/07/issues-with-based-on-2000-calorie-diet.html

So...are there any studies that have proved or disproven the 2000 calories a day being correct for the majority?

How many other women here maintain their weight on 2000 calories a day?

For me, personally, I maintain on 2000 or so, when not very active.

You need to understand that most all of these numbers have been in place for a VERY LONG time...and almost all studies done, were with MEN, 6 foot, 180-200 lbs. to be exact, medications, health weight, calories etc... then the 'experts' would say for men and women blah blah blah...

What everyone needs to do (this includes men) is, when you get to goal, increase your calories S L O W L Y until you feel satisfied or you gain, if you gain - back up and that will be YOUR limit. Just like with diet and exercise, what works for one does not always work for others.... stop trying to lump everyone together and just focus on what is right for you!

ILoveGingerNut

lol.. i think women from different etnic groups have different average sizes and desiderable weight? i am average size in italy, petite in the uk. at the same weight, i am -considered tiny in the uk, a bit chubby in italy. i maintain at 1700-1800 cal if lightly active, 1400 if sedentary, and although i could settle at my current weight, i'd like to lose a little and look like in the picture again.

echofm1

I'm 5'9, 24 years old, and on 2,000 calories I could maintain at about 150 pounds. That's solidly within healthy weight range for my height. Right now I'm losing weight on 1910.

runningforthetrain

I maintain at 1450. At 2000 a day I gain and it is why I am currently 30 lbs heavier. I am older, short (5'3") and small framed.

LaurenAOK

paperpudding wrote: »

I think it is silly to debate what the average woman needs.

Average is just the middle point - women are a variety of ages, weights, heights, activity levels - maitenance calories will vary widely with many below and many above the middle point.

Any calculation, to have any usefulness, needs to be individualised.

Myself, I maintain on 1700.

^This. What the "average woman" can maintain on has no use when making recommendations for any specific person. I maintain on about 1900-2000 a day and once I get back to my goal weight it'll be right about 1900. So for me the 2000 number is fairly accurate but for plenty of women, it's not.

WalkingAlong

Graelwyn75 wrote: »

I replied to a topic about 2000 calories on another forum, where I said that the majority of females, other than those who are older, shorter or have medical conditions, can maintain their weight on 2000 calories a day (which seems to be the common recommendation on nutritional labels etc) to which another poster replied with :

This is not correct. The average woman on a 2000-Kcal/day diet will gain weight, especially if she is minimally active. Smaller women can maintain weight at 1200 kcal/day if they're not active.
http://www.lisajohnsonfitness.com/who-benefits-more-from-the-usrdas-2000-calories-per-day-you-or-big-agra/
http://www.weightymatters.ca/2012/07/issues-with-based-on-2000-calorie-diet.html

So...are there any studies that have proved or disproven the 2000 calories a day being correct for the majority?

I haven't seen anyone assert that 2000 calories a day is 'correct' for the majority. The food labeling they're referring to in the two links above isn't recommending anyone eat 2000. They're just using that as a rough 'general intake' value, for men and women both, to calc percentages for food labels.

Since it is referring to all people (not just women) it can probably be assumed that if they were referring to just women, they might use a smaller value.

ILoveGingerNut

Since it is referring to all people (not just women) it can probably be assumed that if they were referring to just women, they might use a smaller value.

it is referring to women. the average for men is supposed to be 2500.

Missjulesdid

5'5" 42 years old 230 pounds... If I'm sedentary I will gain on 2,000... EVEN AT 230 pounds!!! Yes, really.

dakotababy

I actually still lose around 2000k/day. I am not overly active either, or muscular. My maintenance will end up being around 2200-2300. I am 5'7, currently 168lbs.

stopeatingout

I am 5'2" and 118lbs. When I consume more than 1200cal/day for extended periods of time, I gain weight. I can maintain my weight with 1000-1200/day. I exercise moderately everyday.

mrsKOrtiz

Oh lord. It all depends on height. Everyone is different therefore you can lose at 2000, gain at 2000, or maintain at 2000. This also depends on the metabolism.

Alluminati

5'1 here and was maintaining on 2300-2400 calories when I was a sahm (worked out 5-6 hrs a week). Now that I'm back at my sedentary job and only working out (2-3hrs a week), I maintain at about 1900-2000 calories.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

There's a difference between "average" and "majority". And majority can be as little as 51%.

The average woman is a statistic. She's 5'4" and 166 lbs. If a 30 year old woman that happens to fit this statistic gets a "light exercise", yes, she can maintain her weight at 2105 calories (http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html). A 50 year old woman 1976.

Now if we assume the "median" person is the same, then 50% (or like 49.9999%) of all women are shorter, and 50% weigh less, while 50% weigh more, and 50% weigh less. And of course then you have to take age and activity into account. I'd guess that more people are sedentary than active, and right now due to the baby boomers, more people are older than 50 than younger than 30. But there's also a really large portion of the population that obese and they of course can maintain their currently obese weight at a pretty large intake. So considering all that, I think sure, it'd be "safe" to say that at least 51% of women could maintain their current weight at 2000 calories or more.

PinkyPan1

I am 54 yrs old, 5' 1" 112lbs and I maintain at 1500 calories with exercise 1800. I would love to be able to consume 2000 calories and not gain. sigh.....

mitch16

I'm waiting to see where I maintain still about 10 lbs to go before I start adding calories back in--gosh I hope it's around 2000 calories!!!

WalkingAlong

NoblankFRplease wrote: »

Since it is referring to all people (not just women) it can probably be assumed that if they were referring to just women, they might use a smaller value.

it is referring to women. the average for men is supposed to be 2500.

If you look at the links in the first post in this thread, the 2000 is being plucked off the US food label: "Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your values may be higher or lower depending on your needs." In that context, it's referring to all, I think. Though there is a table below it with some info on 2000 and 2500 calorie levels.

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2012/07/issues-with-based-on-2000-calorie-diet.html

FredDoyle

Oh for Pete's sake, doesn't anyone know what an average is or the logistics of having to relay information to a large group ("based upon")? That's where BMI comes from. It's a statistical tool to compare populations. MFP gives you the tracking tool to find where you fit in the curve.
Measurements are all arbitrary numbers. Weigh, track and find your equilibrium.
Then you can adjust up or down.

leggup

Playing around with the calorie king calculator http://www.calorieking.com/interactive-tools/how-many-calories-should-you-eat/ (because I hate changing my MFP settings).

I am 5'11, Female, 26 yrs old and 164 lbs. I am an office worker, so I selected Light (Office Worker).

To maintain, it recommends 1800 to 2000 calories. However, my goal weight is 149 lbs. At 149 lbs, I would maintain at 1799 to 1900. So no, I cannot maintain my goal weight on 2000 calories a day without exercise calories earned.

stepfordexwife

5'5" 137lbs and my maintenance is 1650 with some sedentary days and some active days mixed in to my week.

I do believe some people have better metabolisms than others. Mine just happens to suck. My boyfriend is 6'.05" and weighs 152lbs. To maintain he needs over 3200 calories a day.

indignantgnome

FitFitzy331 wrote: »

I thought the 2000 calories was supposed to be an average between a man and a woman, I thought I read somewhere that the average woman (I believe falling within average body fat and weight at height 5'5"-5'6") maintains at 1800 and the average man (don't remember the stats) maintains at 2200 while being minimally active. Personally my TDEE is calculated around 2100-2200 (5'4" lifting mostly a little cardio and yoga as well) though I'm still trying to lose right now.

This was almost my understanding of average.

bajoyba

Of course it varies from person to person depending on a variety of factors, but I'd say... ish.
I'm 5'6" and about 148 pounds, and I maintain around 2100 calories a day if I'm moderately active.

GretaGirl8

I am almost 5'6'' and 2000 calories a day would surely cause me to gain weight. I often hit 2K a couple of times a week, but I try to limit it where I can. I am relatively inactive (full time desk job; full time mom of toddler.) ultimately, it depends on what weight you want to maintain?

spikrgrl503

I maintain at about 2300 a day in my daily lifestyle (I average 11-12,000 steps a day but usually dont do much after that) . But I'm not average. I'm 6'1 and 175 lb (normal BMI)