Determining maintenance calories

RoseTheWarrior

OK, I'm not at my goal weight yet, but I wanted to see how many more calories I can look forward to when I hit it. So I did a search online for how many calories I should eat to maintain weight. Well, seriously... I have seen anywhere from 1100 calories per day up to over 1900 per day and pretty much every number in between. So, is there an actual calculation I could do to figure this out? I think it *should* be around 1400-1500 per day, since I'm losing quite well (avg 2.12 lbs per week) on 1310 - though I don't often get the full 1310, and probably average more around 1200. I'm 5'3", female, with a desk job but working out 20-60 minutes per day, which I want to maintain at goal weight as well. My goal weight right now is 140 but I'm pretty sure I can get to more around 129-130.

jacquifrench304

To get an idea try reset MFP stats to your goal weight , and to maintain . Any calculator including MFP can only estimate.
As you get closer to your goal try to keep your intake very close to goal for about 6 weeks , record how much you lose in that time as well. using this calculate your true maintenance number . Better than any calculator .
I am the same height as you and around the same as your goal weight. I maintain on between 1440 when sedentary to 1900 when active . Tend to hold steady at 1750. I am 42 and female .
This all varies from person to person , it really is worth working with your own numbers

MeiannaLee

Online calculators can be extremely inaccurate. I would just recommend adding 100 calories a week to your budget until you start gaining again. Then subtract a hundred from your gaining limit.
My online calculator said my weightloss calories were 1000 and my maintenance was 1300. Lol!
I eat 1900 to maintain!

pliler

Weight in lbs divided by 2.2 multipled by 26-30 for sedentary or 31-37 for light to moderate activity = tdee
From bodybuilding.com
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981

RoseTheWarrior

Thanks for the info!

juggernaut1974

RoseTheWarrior wrote: »

I think it *should* be around 1400-1500 per day, since I'm losing quite well (avg 2.12 lbs per week) on 1310 - though I don't often get the full 1310, and probably average more around 1200. I'm 5'3", female, with a desk job but working out 20-60 minutes per day, which I want to maintain at goal weight as well. My goal weight right now is 140 but I'm pretty sure I can get to more around 129-130.

Trial and error is going to be the most accurate way.

That said, based on what you said above, if you're losing 2.12 lbs per week on average, that means you're eating at a deficit of 7,420 calories per week on average (2.12 x 3500)....or 1060 calories per day.

If you're eating 1200 daily now, and losing 2.12 lbs per week, then it would work out that your maintenance would be somewhere around 1200 + 1060 = 2260, assuming you maintain the same average activity/exercise level you are doing now.

WinoGelato

I agree with the suggestions above - any or all of the above should help you get a basic idea but trial and error is the best way.

1. Change your settings in MFP to get an idea of what it thinks is your maintenance (keeping in mind that is your non-exercise NEAT level - are you tracking and eating back exercise calories today?)
2. Look at a reliable calculator like Scooby to estimate your TDEE (this includes your exercise so it should be different than what MFP tells you).
3. Consider getting a FitBit - I have one and find it to be fairly accurate for estimating my total calories burned, I used it for losing the last 20 lbs of my weight and am currently using it to maintain.
4. Use the math that @juggernaut1974 provided above - based on your actual results with losing and your current intake, your maintenance level should be about 1000 cals above that based on current goals.
5. Trial and error adding in 100 cals at a time. Actually, as close as you are to goal, you should probably be adding in more calories even for the remainder of your loss. If you have less than 20 lbs to go, you should have your deficit set to about 250 cals. Maybe start by upping your cals to 1500 for a few weeks, then 1750?

For what it's worth - I'm 5'2, have a desk job, and my maintenance level according to my FitBit is about 2300 cals/day. I walk about 15,000 steps/day and do some light weights a few times a week.

Good luck!

RoseTheWarrior

Hmmm, I'm waiting for my Polar A360 to arrive, but it's not 24 hr HRM, only when you work out.

I'm not that close to my goal weight yet @ WinoGelato. I have a long ways to go. I'm planning ahead

@juggernaut1974 , thanks for the calculation!

Upstate_Dunadan

I have the Polar A360 and it does a nice job estimating calories burned based on your activity/steps and any workouts you track with HRM. You don't need 24x7 HRM to get an accurate calorie burn. If you're doing anything that remotely resembles real exercise (i.e. raking leaves, cleaning house, etc.) you can always turn the Training mode on and set it to a profile like Other Indoor or Other Outdoor. I'd review the burn it calculates and determine if it's reasonable. I'm in maintenance (running a slight bulk) and based on TDEE calulator (http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm) using the option with body fat % the calorie burn I came up with was with a dozen calories of last month's average calorie burn (granted first part of the month I was using my M400 + H7 chest strap and second part using the A360).

Yi5hedr3

The best calculators use Age, Height, Weight, and your current body fat percentage to do the calculations. Any lessor calculator will be much less accurate.

lynn_glenmont

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

RoseTheWarrior wrote: »

I think it *should* be around 1400-1500 per day, since I'm losing quite well (avg 2.12 lbs per week) on 1310 - though I don't often get the full 1310, and probably average more around 1200. I'm 5'3", female, with a desk job but working out 20-60 minutes per day, which I want to maintain at goal weight as well. My goal weight right now is 140 but I'm pretty sure I can get to more around 129-130.

Trial and error is going to be the most accurate way.

That said, based on what you said above, if you're losing 2.12 lbs per week on average, that means you're eating at a deficit of 7,420 calories per week on average (2.12 x 3500)....or 1060 calories per day.

If you're eating 1200 daily now, and losing 2.12 lbs per week, then it would work out that your maintenance would be somewhere around 1200 + 1060 = 2260, assuming you maintain the same average activity/exercise level you are doing now.

^^This, with the proviso that 2260 would be your maintenance level at your current weight and activity/exercise level. It's going to be a little less at 130 lbs (goal) than at 140 lbs (current) -- probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 calories less (using a per-pound coefficient of about 42 pounds for BMR and a "light activity" factor of 1.375), so call it about 2200 calories for maintenance at goal weight.

RoseTheWarrior

You guys are all so helpful! Thank you!

ryry_

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

RoseTheWarrior wrote: »

I think it *should* be around 1400-1500 per day, since I'm losing quite well (avg 2.12 lbs per week) on 1310 - though I don't often get the full 1310, and probably average more around 1200. I'm 5'3", female, with a desk job but working out 20-60 minutes per day, which I want to maintain at goal weight as well. My goal weight right now is 140 but I'm pretty sure I can get to more around 129-130.

Trial and error is going to be the most accurate way.

That said, based on what you said above, if you're losing 2.12 lbs per week on average, that means you're eating at a deficit of 7,420 calories per week on average (2.12 x 3500)....or 1060 calories per day.

If you're eating 1200 daily now, and losing 2.12 lbs per week, then it would work out that your maintenance would be somewhere around 1200 + 1060 = 2260, assuming you maintain the same average activity/exercise level you are doing now.

This right here.