For when I reach maintenance

Pastaprincess1978
Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
edited November 25 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all

I'm nearly 40, female and mostly sedentary - and small build for 5' 6" (169cm). My goal weight is 60kg/130 pounds. I'm hoping there is someone out there with similar stats = how are you maintaining - how many kj/cals are you eating and how is it working?

Thanks guys - and congrats on reaching maintenance :)
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I am 5ft5 and 136 and maintain on net 1900 cals
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I'm 5'7" and 140. I've been maintaining (for several years) between 1500-1600 when sedentary. I eat more when active, of course.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,653 Member
    I'm 5'6" (167 cm) and in order to remain within my normal BMI range, I can consume 1500 calories/day when sedentary. Plus more when active. :)
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 402 Member
    I'm 42, 5'5, and have been maintaining around 137-139 lbs for a year now. My sedentary maintenance is around 1600-1700, and my active maintenance (I do 11000 steps a day) is about 2000.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o

    Doesn't seem that much to me, I eat 1900 when sedentary.
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    Thanks guys, I do get hungry on 1200cals - hoping my BMR is around 1500 but I will settle for 1400!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Thanks guys, I do get hungry on 1200cals - hoping my BMR is around 1500 but I will settle for 1400!

    You don't need to eat less than your BMR to lose weight...
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o

    My maintenance will be 2200-2300 when I am 140lbs. I work in care and I cycle to and from work and work out in the gym 3 times per week and sometimes do a couple of hour long walks. It depends what exercise you do on top of your normal activity level. I also doubt you would gain weight eating 1900 cals, especially with all that strenuous cardio...I will be 44 this year. I suppose it also depends on lean mass? I have been lifting heavy for years...
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    Hi all

    I'm nearly 40, female and mostly sedentary - and small build for 5' 6" (169cm). My goal weight is 60kg/130 pounds. I'm hoping there is someone out there with similar stats = how are you maintaining - how many kj/cals are you eating and how is it working?

    Thanks guys - and congrats on reaching maintenance :)

    Just to let you know. You are 167.5 cm tall. If you calculate your BMI that matters:)
    I am 5.55 and my goal weight is 150 for right now. I am 41.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    nexangelus wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o

    My maintenance will be 2200-2300 when I am 140lbs. I work in care and I cycle to and from work and work out in the gym 3 times per week and sometimes do a couple of hour long walks. It depends what exercise you do on top of your normal activity level. I also doubt you would gain weight eating 1900 cals, especially with all that strenuous cardio...I will be 44 this year. I suppose it also depends on lean mass? I have been lifting heavy for years...

    Oh, I definitely agree. If you are highly active, you will maintain at those higher numbers. It sounds like you're active. :)

    I'm just saying that if I did no activity (was completely sedentary) I would pack on weight at 2000 calories easily. OP says she's sedentary. I currently eat 2000 plus when I am exercising vigorously. I DON'T gain weight eating those higher calories with my strenuous cardio, but I DO if I'm just sitting around. My sedentary maintenance is around 1500-1600. I've been at maintenance for 7 years now so I know what the various calorie loads do to my body. ;)
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    edited March 2018
    I'm 61, 5'5" and 145 pounds. I maintain on around 1450 cal/day. I'm also sedentary but log an average of 10,000 steps per day 6 days a week.
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    edited March 2018

    I'm nearly 40, female and mostly sedentary - and small build for 5' 6" (169cm). My goal weight is 60kg/130 pounds. I'm hoping there is someone out there with similar stats = how are you maintaining - how many kj/cals are you eating and how is it working?

    Thanks guys - and congrats on reaching maintenance :)[/quote]

    Just to let you know. You are 167.5 cm tall. If you calculate your BMI that matters:)
    I am 5.55 and my goal weight is 150 for right now. I am 41.[/quote]

    ok thanks - I'm actually more like 169.5cm - I am more used to the metric system - I guess that makes me more like 5 7!
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    5'5, 40 years old and maintained one year at 135. I get about 1600 cals a day but generally add 2-400 of exercise also.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    5'5", almost 40, 150 lbs, and my sedentary maintenance calories are a measly 1700 calories.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    5'7
    37yo female
    135lbs, mostly fat with little to no muscle due to past health issues.
    1500cal sedentiary maintanance.
    Nowadays I usually burn around 300cals more through walking.
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    5'7
    37yo female
    135lbs, mostly fat with little to no muscle due to past health issues.
    1500cal sedentiary maintanance.
    Nowadays I usually burn around 300cals more through walking.

    I think your BMI is fine - well done on the maintenance and walking :)
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    Thanks for the replies all - I just have my fingers crossed my maintenance is closer to 1500 or more rather than 1200 :(
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Thanks for the replies all - I just have my fingers crossed my maintenance is closer to 1500 or more rather than 1200 :(

    How long have you been trying to lose weight at 1200 cals? Are you losing? How much per week? How accurate is your logging? Are you eating back exercise cals?

    I’m not sure why you think your maintenance cals would be so low, where did you get that number from?
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    andreaen wrote: »
    This is so individual that it won't really say much about you. By dieting your metabolism will adapt, and if you reverse diet after your diet you can probably build your metabolism to take between 1800 and 2200 calories per day with your lifestyle

    That seems like a ton of calories for a sedentary woman of her age, goal weight and activity level...I'm her age and ten pounds heavier than her goal weight and I eat that much when I'm doing my long trail runs or after strenuous mountain biking in the hills. I'm a relatively fit woman and I would pack on the pounds if I ate that much without lots of activity to counter it. :o

    Doesn't seem that much to me, I eat 1900 when sedentary.

  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    edited March 2018
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies all - I just have my fingers crossed my maintenance is closer to 1500 or more rather than 1200 :(

    How long have you been trying to lose weight at 1200 cals? Are you losing? How much per week? How accurate is your logging? Are you eating back exercise cals?

    I’m not sure why you think your maintenance cals would be so low, where did you get that number from?

    Yeah losing and pretty fast I think - approx 0.7kg a week. Only minimally (10% or less) eating back exercise cals.
    I log religiously and check everything. I think I overestimate serving sizes for lunch but dinners are on the money.

    My age (39), being female and my sedentary job (counsellor) make me worry about how low my cals are. Also I won't be able to exercise as much after June and I am quite a small framed person.

    Having said that though, when I consider what I ate from about 5 years ago up until about a month or so ago it kind of seems like a miracle I wasn't bigger to start with!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies all - I just have my fingers crossed my maintenance is closer to 1500 or more rather than 1200 :(

    How long have you been trying to lose weight at 1200 cals? Are you losing? How much per week? How accurate is your logging? Are you eating back exercise cals?

    I’m not sure why you think your maintenance cals would be so low, where did you get that number from?

    Yeah losing and pretty fast I think - approx 0.7kg a week. Only minimally (10% or less) eating back exercise cals.
    I log religiously and check everything. I think I overestimate serving sizes for lunch but dinners are on the money.

    My age (39), being female and my sedentary job (counsellor) make me worry about how low my cals are. Also I won't be able to exercise as much after June and I am quite a small framed person.

    Having said that though, when I consider what I ate from about 5 years ago up until about a month or so ago it kind of seems like a miracle I wasn't bigger to start with!

    I still don't understand why you think you'll have to eat so little to maintain. You could eat 1500 now and still lose, based on what you've said your rate of loss is?
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    I think my rate of loss is influenced by my increased exercise right now. That is unsustainable for me as my committments will change in June. I have checked my charts and I've used a few different scales - but generally it's approx 0.6-0.7 a week - and that is eating under 1200 and exercising.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I think my rate of loss is influenced by my increased exercise right now. That is unsustainable for me as my committments will change in June. I have checked my charts and I've used a few different scales - but generally it's approx 0.6-0.7 a week - and that is eating under 1200 and exercising.

    Have you tried not undereating?
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    No do you really think I am undereating?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    No do you really think I am undereating?

    massively. no wonder you're hungry. and the longer you do it the more chance you have of lowering your maintenance calories.

    i'd start with looking at the 'of refeeds and diet breaks' thread and go from there.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I've just had a look at your diary and there are a lot of cups and spoonfuls and 0.13 of a banana and a medium tomato, and generic entries for things.

    start weighing and measuring accurately so you know how much you're actually eating.
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