What's your maintenance calorie number?

JadeQuetzal

MFP will calculate your caloric needs, but it's not going to be 100% accurate for everyone.
So question out of curiosity;
For those who have found their maintenance calorie number, what is it, and how different is it from MFP's calculation?

Need2Exerc1se

I don't count so I'm not exactly sure, but mine is about 300-400 higher. But, my activity level is all over the place so I wasn't sure what to put in MFP.

ladyhusker39

Right now it's around 2600 calories/day. I'm pretty active so I get a decent number of extra calories from my physical activity. I still have about 13 lbs to my healthy weight range and I'll probably go to around 10 lbs below that slowly. I'm guessing my calories at maintenance weight will be in the 2300-2400 range. I eat around 2000-2100 now.

LivingtheLeanDream

My maintenance calories are a bit higher than what MFP predicts but its not far off (80-100 cals).

susanp57

My TDEE is 1789 which accounts for some exercise. MFP gives me 1410 which is sedentary and exercise is logged and added.

I got my TDEE using a spreadsheet which I believe I got from the recomp thread. It averages several methods of figuring.

JustRobby1

According to most estimators, my TDEE is around 2800 with "moderate" exercise and 3100 "heavy" exercise. MFP was in this same basic range also.

NorthCascades

It's different every day. Very stormy and rainy so no bike ride after work. When it's dry out I get a lot more calories to eat.

My Garmin says I've eaten 3,400 calories per day over the last week.

Keladelphia

Mine is somewhere between 2300-2600 calories (5'6 140lbs). I'm not sure what MFP would set it at as I haven't ever used their default settings.

Mycophilia

Mine's around 2300 calories. No idea what MFP would set for me as I don't use it. Edit: Just checked and MFP put mine at 2390 which is surprisingly close.

kristen8000

Without exercise 1800. It's pretty on point with what MFP says.

kgirlhart

I have no idea. Mfp gives me 1640 at lightly active and 1830 for active. Fitbit says I burn an average of 1816 per day. If I eat what fitbit says I keep losing weight. I manually set my goal at 2100 and I have been averaging around 1930. I was hitting closer to 2000 for a while. I'm guessing my maintenance is closer to 2200. Honestly I am finding maintenance to be more difficult than losing was. But I guess to answer your question I find that my maintenance is not at all what mfp or fitbit says it should be.

spiriteagle99

MFP gave me 1470 and I continued to lose weight, so I increased the base to 1600 net. Since I get a lot of exercise, my actual intake most days is around 2300. I'm loose about measuring and have a lot of days when I'm slightly over the 1600, so reality is I'm probably closer to 1750, but I've been maintaining 120-123 for about 6 months.

RoxieDawn

MFP gave me 1430. Way too low. At my current weight, height and being older this what the calculators think I should be around.

That said, TDEE can be a moving target. I am about 1700-1750 when exercise and my day to day activity remains constant.

NoLimitAsLimit

Mines roughly ~2,800. Beautiful amount lol.

Maxxitt

Mine's about 1625 - that is with my usual 4 miles of walking a day.

Trex5009

MFP gives me 2460 a day.. I eat mostly 1900 to 2100

DX2JX2

About 2200 before any exercise. That seems a little high. I think it's closer to 2000 based on my maintenance results thus far.

CoachJen71

I'm 5'2", 120ish, 46yo. 1300s sedentary, 1800-1900 for 20K steps on a work day when I am up at 4am, and 2400 or more if I hike at least 10 hilly miles.

pkweier

Mine is 1550 which I'm still trying to eat and I never ate back any of my exercise calories

tonyjnav

At work = 4000. Not at work = 2800

SummerSkier

I am 5,1" +something. Maintenance between 100 and 105. My TDEE cal says 1825 now but as I am just starting maintenance I don't have a good # and I am not up to eating at full TDEE yet. I believe because of my age 59 that it may end up lower. Betting somewhere between 1650 and 1700 when I have been maintaining for a year. Summer and winter will probably vary also as just walking in >100 deg heat in the afternoon is work. LOL (Hi Texas summer here).

mjglantz

Mine is higher than what MFP gives me. I aim for about 2100 - 2200 cals/day because I exercise pretty aggressively every day. I'm 5'8" and goal is between 142 +/- 2 lbs. and have stayed there for over 4 years.

misnomer1

What mfp gives me is pretty much accurate. 2700 for 5'11 male 30yrs. Activity level closer to 'active'

Noreenmarie1234

It is interesting seeing if other's numbers align with what calculators tell them. All calculators as well as my iwatch say maintenance is about 1300 (BMR) plus my exercise for the day which ends up being about 1700-1800 TDEE. I have been eating 2100-2600 (depending on hunger) for 2 years and have maintained.

Graelwyn75

Mfp underestimates for me and always has done, whether losing or maintaining.
It would have me at a 1860 base, set to lightly active, I have it set to 2090 base. I am still working out what my true TDEE is and I think the only way I will achieve that is by sticking to a set amount of exercise per week and a set number of calories per day and seeing what happens after a few weeks.

LivingtheLeanDream

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

My maintenance calories are a bit higher than what MFP predicts but its not far off (80-100 cals).

I didn't answer the question fully doh! my maintenance calories are between 1950-2000 calories. I'm 5ft 2/ 48 yrs/ pretty active.

drawaimfire

I want to celebrate the 'Maintenance' portion! Its a lovely state to be in isn't it? No matter how you got there, up or down.

5'6"
138 (+/- 3 pounds, dependent on life/stress/travel etc.)
1700 ish a day

Mostly lazy AF until snowboard season but Archery days I eat like a I may never again, two forks, one chicken and my face!

Everything seems to balance out, no complaints to report. Has anyone found any large discrepancies between sites/tools?

cwolfman13

JadeQuetzal wrote: »

MFP will calculate your caloric needs, but it's not going to be 100% accurate for everyone.
So question out of curiosity;
For those who have found their maintenance calorie number, what is it, and how different is it from MFP's calculation?

Maintenance isn't really a bang on TDEE number...it's a range. Mine is anywhere between 2800-3000 depending. Your maintenance weight is also a range...body weight isn't static.

I didn't use any calculator for my maintenance...I used my own data and then just made adjustments either way as per trends on the scale. I only logged maintenance for about a month...I've maintained for about 4.5 years.

J72FIT

TDEE IMO is on a sliding scale. At the moment, 2700 calories per day keep me at around 178lbs, at 5'10". I am moderately active at the moment. I do yoga every morning for about 20-25 minutes and strength train 3 times per week. I am recovering from knee surgery so at some point I expect my activity level to increase when I add back more conditioning work.

Spliner1969

2600-2700/day for me based on my height, weight, age, gender, and weekly exercise.

nexangelus

I do not work with mfp's calcs, I use my TDEE calcs for my weight and activity level. Not found my maintenance number yet, but will be doing that balancing act in about 2 weeks. Looking forward to it. I estimate it at my weight and height, activity levels, etc (167lbs by then and 5 foot 5, pretty active)...it will be in the region of 2500. I recall at a similar weight with heavy training (triathlon) a few years back, I was consuming 3000 calories some days (fitbit calculated) and maintaining....

I am eating 1900 - 2200 and losing 1lb per week at the moment...(using TDEE and variable activity per day as a guide)