2000 calories for women too much?

KBurkhardt08
KBurkhardt08 Posts: 141 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
http://www.bikinibodyguides.com/kayla-itsines-review/

I read this review mainly because I wanted to see what she thought. She's pretty accurate but she said that a woman needs at least 2000 calories a day without any kind of exercise. More if you do exercise. Does anyone else think thats a lot? Im eating around 1400-1500 when I do exercise and I know if I ate 2000 without any exercise I would slowly put on all of the weight that I lost.
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    My maintenance cals are 2450-2500. I lose about a pound a week at 2000 calories.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    KBurkhardt08 wrote: »
    http://www.bikinibodyguides.com/kayla-itsines-review/

    I read this review mainly because I wanted to see what she thought. She's pretty accurate but she said that a woman needs at least 2000 calories a day without any kind of exercise. More if you do exercise. Does anyone else think thats a lot? Im eating around 1400-1500 when I do exercise and I know if I ate 2000 without any exercise I would slowly put on all of the weight that I lost.

    That's for maintenance, not for weight loss.

    And it's an industry average for a woman who's around the median height, weight, age and activity level.

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Currently, 2000 calories without exercise is just under maintenance for me, with my stats. But my stats involve alot more information that just my sex. Basically, anything that is going to shove half (or a little more) of the world's population into one box is just stupid.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Yeah, that's an average. But it's probably pretty close for most younger women of average weight and height and activity level. Probably not so correct for many older women.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    I'm losing at 2000 calories a day.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Currently, 2000 calories without exercise is just under maintenance for me, with my stats. But my stats involve alot more information that just my sex. Basically, anything that is going to shove half (or a little more) of the world's population into one box is just stupid.

    It's not stupid. It's useful to a point.

    Most people in the world aren't counting calories. They're just eating.

    The food industry labels foods based on a 2000- (for women) and 2500- (for men) average recommended daily allowance, because it has to pick a number somewhere, and those are decent median numbers for a good percentage of the population. If you're much smaller or larger than the average, adjust accordingly.

    But for average Joe or average Jane just trying to get a rough idea from a nutrition label, it's not a bad idea.

    For those of us on MFP, it's not that useful because we're trying to lose weight by eating at a calorie deficit. So we need more precise numbers that take our own stats into account, and we need to create a deficit from those numbers. But you have to remember that most people aren't doing this.
  • SyzygyX
    SyzygyX Posts: 189 Member
    I'm 5'10. My TDEE is around 2300. I'm doing 1850 right now for weight loss. I drop down to 1500 now and then if I think I need to. I think 2000+ when I reach my goal is totally reasonable.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    SyzygyX wrote: »
    I'm 5'10. My TDEE is around 2300. I'm doing 1850 right now for weight loss. I drop down to 1500 now and then if I think I need to. I think 2000+ when I reach my goal is totally reasonable.

    And I'm 5'1" and when I reach my goal weight my TDEE will probably be around 1600-1700 with exercise. So no, I won't be eating at 2000 anytime soon. However, I'm well aware that I'm on the smaller side of the bell curve and would need to adjust those numbers downwards for me.
  • KBurkhardt08
    KBurkhardt08 Posts: 141 Member
    edited May 2015
    I havent tried the whole TDEE thing before. I've looked into it but I've been doing the MFP thing long enough that I dont know if I could switch over. Im 24 and 5'5' and I've lost about 35 pounds in a little over 4 months so I think thats a decent pace. I assume that when I am eventually at maintenance I will be able to up it significantly. I do wonder if I should up the calories now since I've been at this for a while. Its set to 1200 but I do exercise so I end up eating around 1400. Any opinions on if I should increase my calories or not?
  • rugbyphreak
    rugbyphreak Posts: 509 Member
    I'm not even losing at 1300 a day, so why would I want to bump it up to 2000? Not everyone needs the same amount. The number changes slightly depending on what website you use to calculate it. Mine varied by almost 400 calories between sites.
  • 311snowwhite
    311snowwhite Posts: 30 Member
    In my humble option, blindly saying that a woman should be eating at least 2,000 calories a day with out exercising seems high. There are a lot of factors that go in to figuring out how much one person can eat without gaining weight I.E.: height, age, weight, rmr (resting metabolic rate), metabolism. I can say for myself that if I was eating 2,000 calories a day (before I had som much muscle mass to maintain) and not exercising I would most definitely gain weight. But again, calories and weight gain are very specific to YOU and really cannot be generalized.
  • Angel_Grove_
    Angel_Grove_ Posts: 205 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Currently, 2000 calories without exercise is just under maintenance for me, with my stats. But my stats involve alot more information that just my sex. Basically, anything that is going to shove half (or a little more) of the world's population into one box is just stupid.

    This. My maintenance right now, according to MFP, is 1945 without exercise. But I'm taller than average (5'8") and overweight (173).
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Currently, 2000 calories without exercise is just under maintenance for me, with my stats. But my stats involve alot more information that just my sex. Basically, anything that is going to shove half (or a little more) of the world's population into one box is just stupid.

    It's a population based figure. It's only stupid if you try to use it as anything other than what it is. And then, it's still not really the figure that is stupid.
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    My maintenance at my current weight is just over 2000. I'm overweight. So somehow I don't think that's accurate. Different women have different caloric needs based on their height and current weight.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Her links don't back her up. Both of those links list 2000 as maintenance, not weight loss. Further, one of them gives 2000 as maintenance with moderate exercise. My sedentary TDEE is about 1600 so 2000 would cause me to gain weight. At best, with exercise, I could maintain. 1200 probably is too low for many people but some of us are short and old. If my sedentary TDEE is 1600, I really don't think 1200 is going to cause me "metabolic damage." (I don't tend to eat that low anyway, as I do eat back my exercise calories.) I get all of this but I feel for anyone smaller who takes her at her word and tries to eat that many calories.
  • kpodaru
    kpodaru Posts: 133 Member
    311snowwhite wrote: »
    In my humble option, blindly saying that a woman should be eating at least 2,000 calories a day with out exercising seems high. There are a lot of factors that go in to figuring out how much one person can eat without gaining weight I.E.: height, age, weight, rmr (resting metabolic rate), metabolism. I can say for myself that if I was eating 2,000 calories a day (before I had som much muscle mass to maintain) and not exercising I would most definitely gain weight. But again, calories and weight gain are very specific to YOU and really cannot be generalized.

    ^^ this. everyone is different and your caloric input depends on a bunch of things. perhaps this is an average but not every woman can lose weight with 2000cals per day. i am close to 2000 to maintain, but to lose weight, i eat closer to 1600.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My maintenance without exercise is probably around 1700-1800, so definitely not.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Since her plan is free, I downloaded it and put in the first day of food to MFP. It came to about 1583 in calories. She didn't give specifics on anything so I tried to be generic in choosing entries and chose the higher weight on things that gave a range. So if she thinks 2000 is for everyone, she's not practicing what she preaches.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I'm 5' 4" and at 2000 I gain.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    KBurkhardt08 wrote: »
    I havent tried the whole TDEE thing before. I've looked into it but I've been doing the MFP thing long enough that I dont know if I could switch over. Im 24 and 5'5' and I've lost about 35 pounds in a little over 4 months so I think thats a decent pace. I assume that when I am eventually at maintenance I will be able to up it significantly. I do wonder if I should up the calories now since I've been at this for a while. Its set to 1200 but I do exercise so I end up eating around 1400. Any opinions on if I should increase my calories or not?

    How much more are you planning to lose?
    What deficit do you have MFP set up at (Lose 1 lb/week?)

    If you are close to your goal, within 20 lbs, or even closer, then yes, I would think you would want to consider upping your calories. It will make the transition into maintenance a lot easier.

    Anecdotally, I am 40, 5'2 and about 123 lbs now. My TDEE is around 2100 according to my FitBit, and that is fairly accurate I think, but that is with my exercise, which isn't super extreme (walking/some circuit training mostly). MFP says my maintenance calories without exercise (still at a lightly active level) are about 1900 so the numbers line up between the two systems and the pace I lost weight is supported by that. So yes, I think it is possible that women can have a maintenance level of 2000, considering that it is a population average, but I think that everyone should take the time to calculate their TDEE, and validate it through actual results (lose, maintain, gain with accurate calorie tracking).

  • KBurkhardt08
    KBurkhardt08 Posts: 141 Member
    The total I wanted to lose was 59 pounds. I have about 25 left. I'm not as concerned with the number as the way I look though so it could be a little less or a little more. I have it set to lose 2lbs a week which is what its been set at for the last 4 months. This isnt the first time I've thought of adding more calories. Someone did tell me that I should consider adding more after losing 30 pounds but I wasnt sure. I dont feel hungry or anything but I do want to make sure I can keep the weight off once I reach my goal.
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    What is your current weight?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    KBurkhardt08 wrote: »
    The total I wanted to lose was 59 pounds. I have about 25 left. I'm not as concerned with the number as the way I look though so it could be a little less or a little more. I have it set to lose 2lbs a week which is what its been set at for the last 4 months. This isnt the first time I've thought of adding more calories. Someone did tell me that I should consider adding more after losing 30 pounds but I wasnt sure. I dont feel hungry or anything but I do want to make sure I can keep the weight off once I reach my goal.

    With only 25 lbs left to lose, yes, I think 2 lbs/week is too aggressive. Is that the rate at which you have been losing? I would up it to 1 lb/week which should give you some extra calories (probably not 500 extra as I bet 1200 isn't a 1000 cal deficit from your TDEE). I would continue to eat back exercise calories, or at least a portion of them.

    Also if you are up for some reading, this is one of my favorite posts for people getting started, there is a lot of helpful info in here (mixed with a healthy dose of sarcasm) including the link to other helpful threads like the sexypants and setting your calorie targets links.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here#latest
  • KBurkhardt08
    KBurkhardt08 Posts: 141 Member
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    What is your current weight?
    154. As of now my goal is 130. I dont know what 130 looks like on me though so I'm not sure yet if that is too low or too high.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Currently, 2000 calories without exercise is just under maintenance for me, with my stats. But my stats involve alot more information that just my sex. Basically, anything that is going to shove half (or a little more) of the world's population into one box is just stupid.

    It's a population based figure. It's only stupid if you try to use it as anything other than what it is. And then, it's still not really the figure that is stupid.

    So much this
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    My maintenance is around 2600. I'm 5'6, 123. I'm trying to lose a few more lbs and have been eating 2000-2300 to lose.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,874 Member
    my maintenance according to calculators is 1600. It's probably closer to 1700-1750 ex sport. i'm 5'65 at 41 and 129 lbs. I'd certainly gain at 2000
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2015
    segacs wrote: »
    SyzygyX wrote: »
    I'm 5'10. My TDEE is around 2300. I'm doing 1850 right now for weight loss. I drop down to 1500 now and then if I think I need to. I think 2000+ when I reach my goal is totally reasonable.

    And I'm 5'1" and when I reach my goal weight my TDEE will probably be around 1600-1700 with exercise. So no, I won't be eating at 2000 anytime soon. However, I'm well aware that I'm on the smaller side of the bell curve and would need to adjust those numbers downwards for me.

    Yeah, I'm 5'3 and 45. My maintenance level probably is around 2000 when I'm active, but without exercise it's more like 1500-1600.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    KBurkhardt08 wrote: »
    http://www.bikinibodyguides.com/kayla-itsines-review/

    I read this review mainly because I wanted to see what she thought. She's pretty accurate but she said that a woman needs at least 2000 calories a day without any kind of exercise. More if you do exercise. Does anyone else think thats a lot? Im eating around 1400-1500 when I do exercise and I know if I ate 2000 without any exercise I would slowly put on all of the weight that I lost.

    It's a population based figure, meaning they're using averages...there will be people below that average and above that average. My wife is 5'2" and 40...she exercises regularly and maintains on 2300-2400 give or take.

    In my experience, most women maintain somewhere between 1800 - 2000 calories depending on their particular stats and activity.
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    KBurkhardt08 wrote: »
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    What is your current weight?
    154. As of now my goal is 130. I dont know what 130 looks like on me though so I'm not sure yet if that is too low or too high.

    2lbs/week is too high at your weight/height. You need to lower it to 1 or 1.5 lbs a week. I am your height but 20lbs heavier and I had to lower mine to 1.5 lbs a week. As you lose weight you need to reevaluate your goals and readjust them.

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