Maintenance afraid to eat 1800

tlpco
tlpco Posts: 8 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
ive hit my goal weight of 129 but it Says 1800 calories is ok now. I'm wondering if this is too much. I'm 5 6 and 46 years old. I lost 14 lbs since June 3rd. Any advice?
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Replies

  • tlpco
    tlpco Posts: 8 Member
    I only ate 1300 calories to lose the weight
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    I'm the same height as you and I eat that amount before factoring in any activity, so it may well be fine for you. If you were eating 1300, what was your average weekly weight loss?

    If you're nervous you could always increase your calorie intake to 1500-1600 for a few weeks as a midway point, before working up to 1800. You may well continue to lose a little weight though, which at 129lbs you might not want to do. Figuring out your individual maintenance calories does take a little trial and error, as we do not all expend exactly the same due to lifestyle, body composition, exercise etc.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    1800 is probably fine. Do a slow increase if you want. Maybe adding in 100 calories to your daily goal each week until you get to 1800. Stay there for a bit. If you continue to lose weight, then start adding 100 calories again.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    tlpco wrote: »
    ive hit my goal weight of 129 but it Says 1800 calories is ok now. I'm wondering if this is too much. I'm 5 6 and 46 years old. I lost 14 lbs since June 3rd. Any advice?

    You lost more than one pound per week at 1300 calories. 1800 is probably still slightly below your maintenance based on that rate of loss .... assuming accurate logging over the past few months.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited September 2015
    I'm alot smaller (5ft 2" also 46yrs) and maintain on 2100+ cals gross.
  • kristenveganvixen
    kristenveganvixen Posts: 87 Member
    Unless you are completely sedentary it should be fine to maintain at, give it a few weeks and see how you get on, could be that you might even need more to maintain if you're fairly active.
  • tlpco
    tlpco Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks so much for all the advice. I added to 1545 today and I'm going to add gradually.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I'm 5'2 - 127 lbs and around 8lbs until my goal weight.

    I have a sedentary lifestyle (full time office job) but I work out 4 times a week. According to my fitbit, my maintenance is around 1800. I know it 'sounds' like a lot compared to what you were eating to lose your weight but trust in the process. I found it hard to believe that I could eat 1800 and not gain weight hence the fitbit purchase. If you haven't got one already, I definitely recommend. Sometimes it nice to see that 'proof' right in front of you! :)
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
    I added gradually. I'm a bit taller (like 2-3 inches) but I do just fine at 1,800-2,000. I know it's nerve wracking, however. I remember clearly. :)
  • rachaelstrode
    rachaelstrode Posts: 1 Member
    I'm 5'6" 124-126 and I eat 2050 cals at maintenance and I only work out 4 days a week. Just see if you start gaining and give it a try. When I increased from 1600-1900 I lost weight initially.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I'm same age but only 5ft 2, and similar weight to you - I maintain on around 2200 cals...I have a desk job but otherwise am very active.
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Try it for a few weeks and see what happens.
    Then adjust or stay there.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Increase Gradually, not all at once.
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
    I'm 57 and when I went to maintenance, mfp put me at 1540. Kept losing. Upped calories to 1800 and still lose about a pound every 3-4 weeks, however am finally getting in the groove. I exercise a lot. I am 5'7" and 120#. Maintenance seems like one big experiment. Good luck!
  • JamalIgle
    JamalIgle Posts: 55 Member
    tlpco wrote: »
    I only ate 1300 calories to lose the weight
    I'm trying to figure it out myself. I just got the app after almost two years of dieting and exercising. I'm 5'10, 189 lbs and I'm a runner. According to the metrics I should be consuming close to 4000 calories but I don't come anywhere close to that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    it sounds like a lot because you're used to dieting and in a dieting mentality. increase gradually...you will soon discover that it's actually not a lot and that in fact, your maintenance calories may be more than you think they are.

    when i went to maintenance i thought my calories would be around 2500...i was used to eating around 2000 so that sounded like a lot. turns out my maintenance calories are closer to 2800 - 3000 as per the last couple of years now of maintaining.
  • spiritlevel9
    spiritlevel9 Posts: 48 Member
    I have just reached a weight I am happy with. I am 5ft 7, 138lbs and 48. I am also wary of going as high as the recommended 1800 let alone with the added calories for exercise. I guess I will do the same as you and raise the intake gradually. I started to lose mid july and have mostly lost 1lb a week eating between 1250 and 1500cals daily.
  • pita7317
    pita7317 Posts: 1,437 Member
    I am have been on maintenance since March. 136 lbs. 5'7 . Age 57. Lightly active. I have increased my daily calories by approx 200 a day and seems to be working fine. Up a lb, down a lb, stay the same. Just depends on your activity level.
  • mjwq46
    mjwq46 Posts: 3 Member
    Now that you have reached your goal, eating 1800 calories sounds accurate in order to maintain your weight. I would only eat less calories than that if you are trying to lose more.
  • BettyBoles
    BettyBoles Posts: 68 Member
    Taking 1800 calories is fine for now, you can increase gradually..
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    I lost on 1,240 cals a day and now maintain on 1,710.

    With both losing and maintaining, I logged exercise and ate those extra cals, so most days I was having 1,500-1,800 to lose and now 2,000-2,300 to maintain.

    It was an extra 500 cals a day (almost) for me too, and it's working.

    If you're really nervous, add it in gradually till you get to 1,800, but you may lose a little more while you do so. You may see slight, temporary, weight gains, while your body adjusts to more cals. Give it a month on maintenance cals before worrying about what your weight is doing.
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
    it's a mental change and it's normal to be concerned

    for months I did not up my calories, and my maintenance became an extended loss

    increase them gradually, it helps to both check if the cals are right and mentally to get used to the new regime
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    tlpco wrote: »
    ive hit my goal weight of 129 but it Says 1800 calories is ok now. I'm wondering if this is too much. I'm 5 6 and 46 years old. I lost 14 lbs since June 3rd. Any advice?

    I'm your height and eat 1600 to lose weight, I bet you're fine. But how about working up to it? Add 100 a week until you're there. Then you can monitor your weight (do allow for a little water weight to come back though)
  • icewings27
    icewings27 Posts: 1 Member
    Ok, so I hit my goal weight and got my calories upped as well, but I was wondering...I'm very comfortable with 1200 a day. I feel good, I eat more if I exercise. Can I just keep this up indefinitely? I'm female, 47, 5'5, 125.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    icewings27 wrote: »
    Ok, so I hit my goal weight and got my calories upped as well, but I was wondering...I'm very comfortable with 1200 a day. I feel good, I eat more if I exercise. Can I just keep this up indefinitely? I'm female, 47, 5'5, 125.

    At maintenance you need to eat more than that.....I'm smaller than you and maintain on 2200 cals approx. The winner is the person who can maintain while getting to eat more...bump up your cals a few 100 and enjoy them :smile:
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    icewings27 wrote: »
    Ok, so I hit my goal weight and got my calories upped as well, but I was wondering...I'm very comfortable with 1200 a day. I feel good, I eat more if I exercise. Can I just keep this up indefinitely? I'm female, 47, 5'5, 125.

    In short: no. You'll simply keep losing weight, which at some point will result in you being underweight. Being underweight can cause health problems, just like being overweight.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I'm older than you and taller and I eat what MFP tells me plus my exercise calories and I've been maintaining 4 years. I was nervous at first. I had been at a 500 calorie deficit and upped by 250 for quite a while. Then I started losing and upped it all the way.

    You trusted the system to lose. Trust it to maintain. If you keep losing or start gaining, adjust accordingly.
  • tlpco
    tlpco Posts: 8 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    tlpco wrote: »
    ive hit my goal weight of 129 but it Says 1800 calories is ok now. I'm wondering if this is too much. I'm 5 6 and 46 years old. I lost 14 lbs since June 3rd. Any advice?

    You lost more than one pound per week at 1300 calories. 1800 is probably still slightly below your maintenance based on that rate of loss .... assuming accurate logging over the past few months.

  • tlpco
    tlpco Posts: 8 Member
    It's been a couple of weeks. I went to Mexico for 1 week and gained 2lbs. My fitness pal had me scale back calories and I'm back down to goal weight 2 weeks later. I'm going to stick with 1800 calories next week and see how it goes.
  • spiritlevel9
    spiritlevel9 Posts: 48 Member
    Since posting on October 4th, I have been eating about 1700 on average and have lost 2.5lbs so I am upping to 1800 and seeing how it goes.

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