Maintainence Calories

msghens

I am 3 to 6 pounds away from goal weight. What has surprised me on my weight loss journey was when I started, I had trouble eating less than 2,300 calories. Now I have problems eating more than 1,800.

I track my output calories with a Garmin Vivoactive HR (activity class 6) and log my food on MFP.

On the weight loss part, I was supposed to eat net calories. If I was on maintenance, there is a possibility I would be able to eat over 4,000 calories to have my net calories at maintenance (BMR of 1,590 + 20% for being sedentary + over 2,000 activity calories).

I cannot imagine myself eating that much without regaining all my weight back. How do you handle the new lifestyle? I just do not want to be another statistic that gains back all my weight after I have lost it.

TavistockToad

How do you get 20% for being sedentary and then 2000 activity calories... You're either active of sedentary, no?

msghens

When using an activity tracker, you are supposed to set MFP to sedentary, then use the tracker to add calories back in. Garmin total calories is BMR + active calories = total calories. What I have notice and found on the web is that Garmin reports your base calories as BMR at a sedentary level. This is usually BMR * 1.2. Active calories is anything it reports over the base calorie level.

sijomial

What is your recent rate of weight loss? That's a huge difference between what you are eating now and what you think you need to maintain.
Your rate of loss will give you a good guide to your true deficit.

2000 "activity calories"? What are you doing to generate that apparent burn?

msghens

Base daily is 6-7 miles moderate pace walking, 1,500 meters swimming (first 1,000+), standing desk, other exercises. So far this week I have over 170,000 steps in since Monday.

sijomial

msghens wrote: »

Base daily is 6-7 miles moderate pace walking, 1,500 meters swimming (first 1,000+), standing desk, other exercises. So far this week I have over 170,000 steps in since Monday.

Wow - you are going to have to learn to eat!!

TimothyFish

I would suggest double-checking your calorie burn by taking your average daily weight loss in pounds, multiplying by 3,500 and then adding that number to your average intake. That will give you your average calorie burn. If it is close to the 4,000 calories you are expecting then you're good. If not, then you might want to readjust what you are counting as activity.

nxd10

I am a lot more active now (I've maintained almost four years). I eat way less than I used to but certainly more than when I was at a deficit. My body tells me what to eat. I do use a tracker and eat my net - and I'm way hungrier when I do a lot of exercise. I log everything but I most typically have to use my log to modify eating when it tells me that - yes you really are hungry and yes that's because you're way under your calories. EAT! It is nice that my log and my body are almost always in agreement about what should go into my mouth.

msghens

Thanks for the info. I plan keeping the habits that I have learned over the last year. I agree with the logging. It helps keeps me honest with my relationship with food.

J72FIT

I've used these formulas with great success. Some trial an error will always be a part of the process.
To figure out your calories, you multiply the numbers by your body weight.

Precision Nutrition Calorie Formulas
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Weight loss: 10-12
Weight Maintenance: 12-14
Weight Gain: 16-18

Moderately Active (3-4 times per week)
Weight loss: 12-14
Weight Maintenance: 14-16
Weight Gain: 18-20

Very Active (5-7 times per week)
Weight loss: 14-16
Weight Maintenance: 16-18
Weight Gain: 20-22

lorrpb

deleted

STEVE142142

Maintenance is a learning process. Remember the numbers mfp gives are based on a large population basis and everybody is different. I started and maintenance and I totally screwed it up my maintenance number was 220 when on maintenance and I lost an additional 12 pounds my current weight is 208, that happened around September 1st 2016

A male 6-foot for 208 and according to my fitness pal based on my activity level which the sedentary I should be eating about 2300 calories a day. I work out 4 to 5 times a week currently doing P90X and I'm eating a lot more calories than that and there are some days I'm hungry like a pig and I may go six seven hundred calories over my limit but somehow I'm maintaining my weight.

nowine4me

J72FIT wrote: »

I've used these formulas with great success. Some trial an error will always be a part of the process.
To figure out your calories, you multiply the numbers by your body weight.

Precision Nutrition Calorie Formulas
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Weight loss: 10-12
Weight Maintenance: 12-14
Weight Gain: 16-18

Moderately Active (3-4 times per week)
Weight loss: 12-14
Weight Maintenance: 14-16
Weight Gain: 18-20

Very Active (5-7 times per week)
Weight loss: 14-16
Weight Maintenance: 16-18
Weight Gain: 20-22

I get that it varies per person, but has anyone ever seen these numbers translated into calories? I could work out 3-4 times a week walking and burn 350 calories, or I could run, do pilates and lift 3-4 times a week and burn 1,000. These formulas aren't really helpful without some context.

cwolfman13

msghens wrote: »

Base daily is 6-7 miles moderate pace walking, 1,500 meters swimming (first 1,000+), standing desk, other exercises. So far this week I have over 170,000 steps in since Monday.

If you're going to move like that, you're going to have to learn to eat then.

I'm active and maintain on about 3,000 calories per day. Also, as you increase calories, your hormones are going to respond and your hunger ques will come back...they are hormonally driven...but yeah, if you're going to be that active you're going to have to learn to eat...and you also don't have to be that active to be healthy.

trigden1991

I maintain at 3800 cals and average 100k steps a week with 4 days lifting. You may be lighter but your exercise is far in excess of what I do.

Eating more is a MUST for you.

J72FIT

nowine4me wrote: »

J72FIT wrote: »

I've used these formulas with great success. Some trial an error will always be a part of the process.
To figure out your calories, you multiply the numbers by your body weight.

Precision Nutrition Calorie Formulas
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Weight loss: 10-12
Weight Maintenance: 12-14
Weight Gain: 16-18

Moderately Active (3-4 times per week)
Weight loss: 12-14
Weight Maintenance: 14-16
Weight Gain: 18-20

Very Active (5-7 times per week)
Weight loss: 14-16
Weight Maintenance: 16-18
Weight Gain: 20-22

I get that it varies per person, but has anyone ever seen these numbers translated into calories? I could work out 3-4 times a week walking and burn 350 calories, or I could run, do pilates and lift 3-4 times a week and burn 1,000. These formulas aren't really helpful without some context.

They've been helpful for me...

cwolfman13

nowine4me wrote: »

J72FIT wrote: »

I've used these formulas with great success. Some trial an error will always be a part of the process.
To figure out your calories, you multiply the numbers by your body weight.

Precision Nutrition Calorie Formulas
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Weight loss: 10-12
Weight Maintenance: 12-14
Weight Gain: 16-18

Moderately Active (3-4 times per week)
Weight loss: 12-14
Weight Maintenance: 14-16
Weight Gain: 18-20

Very Active (5-7 times per week)
Weight loss: 14-16
Weight Maintenance: 16-18
Weight Gain: 20-22

I get that it varies per person, but has anyone ever seen these numbers translated into calories? I could work out 3-4 times a week walking and burn 350 calories, or I could run, do pilates and lift 3-4 times a week and burn 1,000. These formulas aren't really helpful without some context.

They work pretty well for me...it's up to you to provide your own context...for example, if I walked for an hour 5-7 times per week, I wouldn't put myself as very active because I'm taking into account the actual intensity of what I'm doing.

Beyond that, it's all just a bit of trial and error as it is with any descriptor for activity. You just have to take a common sense approach to it...even though I have a desk job, I was never "sedentary" as per MFP's descriptor, even without exercise...while I do have a desk job, I also have two little boys I chase after at home...I have a home that needs cleaned and maintained...I have a yard that needs maintained...I cook a lot, etc. I was always closer to light active without exercise as per MFPs settings despite having a desk job.

These are all just estimates to get you started...after that, it's up to you to adjust accordingly.

J72FIT

cwolfman13 wrote: »

nowine4me wrote: »

J72FIT wrote: »

I've used these formulas with great success. Some trial an error will always be a part of the process.
To figure out your calories, you multiply the numbers by your body weight.

Precision Nutrition Calorie Formulas
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Weight loss: 10-12
Weight Maintenance: 12-14
Weight Gain: 16-18

Moderately Active (3-4 times per week)
Weight loss: 12-14
Weight Maintenance: 14-16
Weight Gain: 18-20

Very Active (5-7 times per week)
Weight loss: 14-16
Weight Maintenance: 16-18
Weight Gain: 20-22

I get that it varies per person, but has anyone ever seen these numbers translated into calories? I could work out 3-4 times a week walking and burn 350 calories, or I could run, do pilates and lift 3-4 times a week and burn 1,000. These formulas aren't really helpful without some context.

They work pretty well for me...it's up to you to provide your own context...for example, if I walked for an hour 5-7 times per week, I wouldn't put myself as very active because I'm taking into account the actual intensity of what I'm doing.

Beyond that, it's all just a bit of trial and error as it is with any descriptor for activity. You just have to take a common sense approach to it...even though I have a desk job, I was never "sedentary" as per MFP's descriptor, even without exercise...while I do have a desk job, I also have two little boys I chase after at home...I have a home that needs cleaned and maintained...I have a yard that needs maintained...I cook a lot, etc. I was always closer to light active without exercise as per MFPs settings despite having a desk job.

These are all just estimates to get you started...after that, it's up to you to adjust accordingly.

Yep...

sofchak

Spot on! I just did the calculation that J72FIT provided and it equates to exactly what I eat in maintenance at about 1950 calories a day. I've successfully been in maintenance since November, but it took a bit of tweaking my calories to come to that same conclusion on my own.... kudos, J72FIT