Am I at maintenance if my weight isn't moving?

supermysza

I've been eating at roughly 1300 calories throughout my weight loss and making good progress but now my weight hasn't moved since October. I'm only 1kg away from the goal I set myself. I get shaky and irritable if I eat below 1300. Does that mean 1300 is my maintenance number?

cwolfman13

Yup....but you're probably actually eating more than you think.

supermysza

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yup....but you're probably actually eating more than you think.

I don't believe I am eating more than I think. I've been doing this for over a year and am down 30 pounds, I think my measurements and calculations are correct by now.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yup....but you're probably actually eating more than you think.

This.

The chances of your maintenance actually being 1300 are slim. But if you're not weighing all your food and choosing the most accurate database entries you're probably eating more than that. Possibly considerably more.

cwolfman13

supermysza wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yup....but you're probably actually eating more than you think.

I don't believe I am eating more than I think. I've been doing this for over a year and am down 30 pounds, I think my measurements and calculations are correct by now.

When you have more weight to lose you have a much bigger margin of error...as you lose weight, that margin shrinks. I'd start by taking a good hard look at your diet and make sure you are measuring and weighing everything and being as accurate as possible and also consistent.

In my experience, the two bolded items above are what cause people to have issues...particularly once they've lost a good chunk of change weight wise. Otherwise don't know what to tell you other than more activity will raise your maintenance number...but I don't know anyone with a TDEE of 1300 calories who isn't 4' nothing and old.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Are you weighing all your food with a food scale and measuring free pouring liquids with measuring cups/spoons? Do you choose the USDA database entries (the ones with no asterisk) or double check the labels against the entries you're using? Create all your own recipes and weigh out your serving? Are you logging all "cheat" days or meals? Everything from weekends? How often are you going out to eat?

Francl27

I also agree that unless you're a sedentary 55yo female who is 5' and 100 pounds, it's unlikely that 1300 is your maintenance number.

LivingtheLeanDream

You can call maintaining if you're at your goal weight and staying the same. ...If you've only 1 kg to go maybe this is your bodys happy weight.

But as the others said, 1300 couldn't be your maintenance amount unless your email extremely sedentary.