Light Petites Maintaining on 2000+ Calories...?

MegaMooseEsq

BattyKnitter wrote: »

Sounds like those who maintain at 2000+ are weight lifting and keeping active otherwise, which gives me hope!

I LOVE weight lifting and was really hoping that at 5'2" I could maintain with at least 2000. Right now I'm losing at 1700-1800, I know the less you weigh the less you burn, but it would make me really sad if by the time I lost all my weight I'd be eating the same amount to maintain as I did to lose!

I think it really varies by individual. I'm still some ways away from maintenance but I'm a data nerd and am pretty confident of my maintenance (also female and 5'2", currently 157 lbs). Assuming nothing dramatic changes in the next 27 pounds that hasn't happened in the first 51, I should maintain at a hair under 2000 when I reach 130 lbs. I am set to active at about 10k steps a day, and log around 175 additional calories a day from weight lifting and moderate cardio, which I usually "eat back" in wine form. I lost on 2200-2000 calories for most of last year and am cutting back to around 1750 for the final push.

ETA: Also, weight lifting is The Best.

LivingtheLeanDream

I don't know if 125lbs is considered light for a petite but I maintain that weight on near enough 2000 cals. I'm almost 49 and only lightly active. When I was really active I maintained on 2300. Less activity means I'm less hungry so around 2000 seems plenty.

ryenday

Yeah, unfortunately it is very individual. At almost 5”4 and weight over 140 pounds and moderately active I’d love to even have 1500 daily. Everyone is different.

Chunkahlunkah

I'd have to be much more active than is my norm to be able to maintain on 2000+ calories. About 1700 is my maintenance for a weight ranging from 107-120 pounds. (Where I fall in that range depends on how active I am.)

To provide some more details...
I'll be around 120 pounds if I'm lightly active in my daily life but not doing any deliberate exercise or just a little on the weekend.
I'll be around 115 if I'm lightly or moderately active in my daily life and exercising a few times a week.
I'll be around 107 pounds if I'm moderately active in my daily life and regularly doing intense exercise or if I'm highly active in my daily life (with or without additional exercise).

GottaBurnEmAll

I'm 5'1" and weigh 120. I'd like to lose 5-10 vanity pounds because my thighs are chunky. My TDEE is around 2300-2500, depending on the day.

I do a full body dumbbell routine every other day and get 30K steps a day. I'm a pretty antsy person, and walking is a stress reliever for me. I'm also cold all the time, so I walk a lot to warm up. Additionally, I keep moving to keep my arthritic joints limber. When I'm still, they stiffen up.

DomesticKat

I'm 5'1", 139lbs, and losing a pound a week at 2070 while nursing an almost one year old who definitely isn't taking 500 calories a day from me like a smaller infant would. So my actual maintenance is probably higher. I lift heavy 3 or 4 days a week and I'm like the Energizer bunny. I don't do any cardio. I just like staying busy and I don't watch TV much. That obviously pays off because I get to eat more. I never want to see the day when I have to maintain under 2000 calories. Increasing your day-to-day activity has that benefit.

BattyKnitter

JaydedMiss wrote: »

BattyKnitter wrote: »

Sounds like those who maintain at 2000+ are weight lifting and keeping active otherwise, which gives me hope!

I LOVE weight lifting and was really hoping that at 5'2" I could maintain with at least 2000. Right now I'm losing at 1700-1800, I know the less you weigh the less you burn, but it would make me really sad if by the time I lost all my weight I'd be eating the same amount to maintain as I did to lose!

sadly that right there is part of why we say dont lose to fast and dont eat in a way you cant sustain forever. When you lose enough your maintenance will be relatively close to your loss #. Youll get more, But sadly not as much more as we wish for

Darn! Oh well, the changes I've made I do believe are sustainable, I guess I was just being greedy :P

Chunkahlunkah

Chunkahlunkah wrote: »

I'd have to be much more active than is my norm to be able to maintain on 2000+ calories. About 1700 is my maintenance for a weight ranging from 107-120 pounds. (Where I fall in that range depends on how active I am.)

To provide some more details...
I'll be around 120 pounds if I'm lightly active in my daily life but not doing any deliberate exercise or just a little on the weekend.
I'll be around 115 if I'm lightly or moderately active in my daily life and exercising a few times a week.
I'll be around 107 pounds if I'm moderately active in my daily life and regularly doing intense exercise or if I'm highly active in my daily life (with or without additional exercise).

Sorry, I should've noted that at the bolded activity level, if I upped my calories to around 2,000-2,200, I probably would've landed between 115 and 120 pounds. I never tested it out bc my appetite held pretty steady, even with the increased activity. I'd have to make a deliberate effort to average a higher calorie level. But it would've been possible, so I should note that! That activity level isn't sustainable for me long term though or likely to happen again. I'm happiest at the middle level.