Calories Needed to Maintain Depressing
Jubee13
Posts: 132 Member
I am a small (5' 3", 116 pounds) older (48 yrs. old) woman who is quite active. When I look at how many calories I need to maintain, I get very depressed. MFP gives me 1,460 on days I don't exercise, and being small, I don't burn a huge amout of calories through exercise. I'm about to transition to maintainance, and I feel very discouraged when I look at the number of calories I'll need to maintain. Has anyone else had this experience, and if so, how do you maintain your weight?
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Replies
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what did you put for your activity level?0
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If it helps, I found MFP underestimated my maintenance calories. There's trial and error involved. I'm set at lightly active and still seem to burn more than they assume. And I'm a writer--the ultimate desk job.0
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You may find that your maintenance is higher than MFP predicts. My advice is to slowly raise your calories until you start gaining (not water weight. Actually gaining). You might be pleasantly surprised.0
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Alternately you could look at the 5:2 approach (or even 6:1) and this will give you more calories on normal days in exchange for a low calorie day or two. If you find it depressing, then that seems to indicate that there is some mental and emotional work to do. Are you able to get some support with that?-1
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how long have you been dieting for??0
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I set my activity level at sedentary. I am a teacher, so I am lightly active on the days I work. Not so much on the weekends, other than structured exercise.
I have been dieting on and off for quite a while. I lose and gain the same 10 pounds over and over, and that's why I decided to join MFP. I thought tracking would help me maintain better.
I'm not depressed although I did use that word. I guess it would be more accurate to say I'm worried it will be difficult to maintain on so few calories long-term.
What is the 5:2 approach? How do you figure how many calories to eat on the different days? That sounds like it would be easier for me. Some days I don't eat a lot, and some days I feel like I'm starving!0 -
so are you at maintenance or are you still trying to lose…??0
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I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?0 -
I set my activity level at sedentary. I am a teacher, so I am lightly active on the days I work. Not so much on the weekends, other than structured exercise.
I have been dieting on and off for quite a while. I lose and gain the same 10 pounds over and over, and that's why I decided to join MFP. I thought tracking would help me maintain better.
I'm not depressed although I did use that word. I guess it would be more accurate to say I'm worried it will be difficult to maintain on so few calories long-term.
What is the 5:2 approach? How do you figure how many calories to eat on the different days? That sounds like it would be easier for me. Some days I don't eat a lot, and some days I feel like I'm starving!
Idk what teaching is like for you, but I was a teacher for 4 years and I was much more than lightly active.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
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arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?
6 pounds0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?
6 pounds
something to consider…if you have not already..you may want to go to .5 per week loss ..sometimes when you increase calories it will bump up your maintenance level..
long term dieting, usually a year or more, can lead to metabolic adaptation and it is natural for your maintenance level to come down with decreased weight…
sorry OP I semi hi jacked your thread…but I was going to suggest that you slowly reverse diet out of your cut and add 100 calories a week ….you may even want to go over maintenance because of the reasons that I mentioned with long term dieting...0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?
6 pounds
something to consider…if you have not already..you may want to go to .5 per week loss ..sometimes when you increase calories it will bump up your maintenance level..
long term dieting, usually a year or more, can lead to metabolic adaptation and it is natural for your maintenance level to come down with decreased weight…
Oh yeah, I've been at .5 pounds a week for months now. Probably since September. Honestly I'd be happy with a pound a month. No way I'm messing with a pound a week anymore.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?
6 pounds
something to consider…if you have not already..you may want to go to .5 per week loss ..sometimes when you increase calories it will bump up your maintenance level..
long term dieting, usually a year or more, can lead to metabolic adaptation and it is natural for your maintenance level to come down with decreased weight…
Oh yeah, I've been at .5 pounds a week for months now. Probably since September. Honestly I'd be happy with a pound a month. No way I'm messing with a pound a week anymore.
LOL OK you beat me to it…
OK - my second idea would be for you to do a bulk when you get to your goal weight…or eat slightly over maintenance 100 cals? and do a slow recomp ...0 -
I've been doing this for several years. The single most important thing I've learned is from reading my diary. There are things that used to take up a lot of calories in my day that I didn't care that much about - big glasses of milk, bread on sandwiches, cheese. I dropped those and I suddenly had an extra 700 calories. I drink small glasses of milk. I use 60 calorie tortillas instead of 180 calories of bread. I rarely eat noodles and split potatoes with my husband.
That means I get to eat ice cream every night (1/4 cup). I just ate some yummy cake. I had a delicious pot roast for dinner with squash and cabbage. I feel very full.
So what I suggest is two things. 1) Read your diary and drop food that has a lot of calories you don't care about and substitute more of the foods you love and make you happy. 2) Spend $39 on a fitbit zip to log your steps. Set to sedentary and see if you're walking more than you think you are.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
^ how long have you been dieting for?
Since June!
how close are you to goal weight?
6 pounds
something to consider…if you have not already..you may want to go to .5 per week loss ..sometimes when you increase calories it will bump up your maintenance level..
long term dieting, usually a year or more, can lead to metabolic adaptation and it is natural for your maintenance level to come down with decreased weight…
Oh yeah, I've been at .5 pounds a week for months now. Probably since September. Honestly I'd be happy with a pound a month. No way I'm messing with a pound a week anymore.
LOL OK you beat me to it…
OK - my second idea would be for you to do a bulk when you get to your goal weight…or eat slightly over maintenance 100 cals? and do a slow recomp ...
I considered a recomp the other week and got all ready for it, started eating about maintenance, but just don't know if I have the patience for it. I think I'm around 20 % body fat, and I don't really NEED to see the scale go down. I'm not ready for a bulk either. I don't know. My deficit is minimal at the moment. If I don't lose anything again this month I might give the recomp another try.0 -
FYI: The major components of energy expenditure:
60%-75% = Resting energy expenditure ( Physiological functions )
15%-30% = Physical activity ( Fuel for activity )
0% - 10% = Thermic effect of food. ( Process the food we eat )0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
Yes, and those give me more since they count in exercise. I think they give me about 1,700 or 1,800 which I could do most days. I would like to indulge a little now and then though. It just seems like most people get so many more calories! Even when I set MFP at .5 pounds a week, I still get 1,200 for weight loss. I was shocked to see it give me 1460 for maintenance!0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm a teacher too. 5'4". My maintenance calories look like they'll be well under 2000 calories and it's been kind of hard for me to think about. And yes, I get a little sad about it as well. I want to eat! Well I want to eat at least 2000 calories a day to maintain but it might not be in my cards.
1450 does seem a little low. Have you calculated your TDEE on any calculators?
Yes, and those give me more since they count in exercise. I think they give me about 1,700 or 1,800 which I could do most days. I would like to indulge a little now and then though. It just seems like most people get so many more calories! Even when I set MFP at .5 pounds a week, I still get 1,200 for weight loss. I was shocked to see it give me 1460 for maintenance!
What activity level are you using for mfp?0 -
Sedentary. But I'm going to try switching to lightly active. It give me the same calories for weight loss, but a few more for maintainence.0
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Learning to live at maintenance is hard. There will be hungry days, you have to learn how to trick yourself and eat to satisfaction. Yes, at 113lb you are going to be eating less than everyone, but you dont need the extra fuel. It's fine tuning the head hunger and getting the diet to a right mixture of fats, proteins, and treats. Cutting corners wherever you can and having little rituals that stop you overeating.
Being slim and fit is hard work. Hunger is a natural part of the day. Sad but true!0 -
Springfield1970 wrote: »Learning to live at maintenance is hard. There will be hungry days, you have to learn how to trick yourself and eat to satisfaction. Yes, at 113lb you are going to be eating less than everyone, but you dont need the extra fuel. It's fine tuning the head hunger and getting the diet to a right mixture of fats, proteins, and treats. Cutting corners wherever you can and having little rituals that stop you overeating.
Being slim and fit is hard work. Hunger is a natural part of the day. Sad but true!
She's right. I do agree with other posters that the maintenance calories for MFP are on the low end, but at 5' 2" and under 110 I wouldn't be able to eat 2000 calories a day and get away with it. It takes a lot of creativity and discipline on my part to be able to maintain a low weight.
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I set my activity level at sedentary. I am a teacher, so I am lightly active on the days I work. Not so much on the weekends, other than structured exercise.
I have been dieting on and off for quite a while. I lose and gain the same 10 pounds over and over, and that's why I decided to join MFP. I thought tracking would help me maintain better.
I'm not depressed although I did use that word. I guess it would be more accurate to say I'm worried it will be difficult to maintain on so few calories long-term.
What is the 5:2 approach? How do you figure how many calories to eat on the different days? That sounds like it would be easier for me. Some days I don't eat a lot, and some days I feel like I'm starving!
If you're a teacher, you're not "sedentary". C'mon...that's part of the problem right there, you're not actually giving yourself any credit. Sedentary is like getting up, going to the bathroom, and then going and sitting on the couch to watch t.v. or something.
Be honest in your assessment of activity level...that will help. You're a teacher, so I'm sure you know the definition of "sedentary"...so apply it.
Also try to get up and around more on the weekends. Go for some nice walks or something...start doing some deliberate exercise...this will increase your maintenance calories.-1 -
MFP says my maintenance cals are around 1460 too. I'm 5"2, 30 yrs old and have a desk job. I eat more like 1500 - 1570 a day. Have maintained around that for a year or two. I eat all exercise calories back too. Don't burn major amount though.0
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Your numbers do seem a little low... I'm 5' 6", 133 pounds, and according to MFP (to lose 1 pound/week) I should be eating 1200. I bumped it up to 1400 last week, and approx 2.5 weeks ago, I was at 137, so I'm clearly still losing. I think you should definitely be a little closer to 2,000. Try cross referencing, and utilizing the advice of these awesome fellow MFP folk!0
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Do you lift weights at all? Doing this 3 days a week should allow you to eat more.0
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I am 5'4 and 61 so at my age if I eat over 1600 calories I begin gaining. I would love to eat 2,000 but it is what it is. It is me I am so greedy with food. I get plenty, just want more!0
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