MFP says 1410 calories to maintain.

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  • jackielou867
    jackielou867 Posts: 422 Member
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    Use the online calculators to check. Remember older people need to eat less than younger people. thinner people need to eat less than bigger people. People with more muscle need to eat more, hence my addiction to weights at the gym :-)
    Active people eat more than sedentary. If you work out, walk, run, anything like that, work out calories burned and add them in.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I am 63 inches 111lbs and MFP says 1410 calories to maintain current weight. I thought it would be more????

    Remember, if you are following MFP as the way it is set up then it expects you to eat back your exercise calories.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    heybales worksheet estimates my maintenance goals at 1600.... im 67 inches, 155-ish pounds

    My maintenance is around 1600 as well, based on my actual history. But I am 66 inches, 50 yrs old, and 183 right now. Mine includes some light to moderate exercise.

    At only 63 inches and 111 lbs, OP would have a fairly low maintenance level, but like others have said, exercising will increase that.
    Even at the same height, weight, and age, 2 people could have drastically different maintenance levels, just based on genetics alone. So just find a good number that works for you, and get in as much activity as you can.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Try this calculator.

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    I think it is more accurate. Make sure and switch it over to female because its default is for a man.

    This calculator does not take into account your body composition. Someone with more muscle mass will have a very different BMR than someone with very little.

    I calculated it with me being 50, female, 5'6", 183, sleeping 8 hrs and sitting the rest of the day, and it gave me a BMR of over 1550, and my TDEE at over 2100 My TDEE by history is only around 1600, and I am not completely sedentary.
    So all of the online calculators are strictly estimates. You have to figure out your actual numbers by your own experience.

    For me, the Katch-McCardle BMR calculators that take your BF% into account, are way more accurate.

    ETA, when I put in one hour of standing/walking (shopping, etc), and one hour of Light activity- (housework, etc), it gave me a TDEE of almost 2500 a day. That is just crazy.
  • jillianbeeee
    jillianbeeee Posts: 345 Member
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    I am 5 foot 2 and no matter what my activity level is 1200 a day is always what it comes back to. I think, its a curse for short women! I figure I will always be around 1200 a day even after I start maintaining. So i exercise hard and yes, i do eat some of those calories back because its a treat and I worked hard for them and its the only way i can eat over 1200 a day! Good luck and its so worth it!
  • TammyVieu
    TammyVieu Posts: 121 Member
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    I set everything to sedentary because I use a fitbit and this auromatically posts activity calorues. I eat about half of those which on most days means around 1590. I also find if I go above that I gain
  • wesleycneill
    wesleycneill Posts: 64 Member
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    I use several different calculators. There are several different formulas with different scientists names attached to them. Each will give you different results.

    On top of this, metabolisms vary from person to person at an average of about 10% overall. That can account for a couple hundred calories in men and close to that in women.

    If you want to maintain, you will have to experiment to find your sweet spot. Pick a calculator, then adjust week to week until you find the right number.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    MFP tends to estimate really low for most people. I have to set it to "very active" to get it even close to what I actually need.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    MFP tends to estimate really low for most people. I have to set it to "very active" to get it even close to what I actually need.

    When I was 33 I would have said that too. I could eat ANYTHING at that point in my life. In fact, when I was nursing, I couldn't keep weight on and had to push myself not to loose too much.

    Now I'm 54. The reason I gained the weight I had to lose is that my metabolism changed (first at 40, then again at 50). My eating didn't change (it may have gotten healthier), my activity levels went up, and I gained weight.

    MFP now overestimates my calories, which is why I'm set to sedentary and why people on this forum make snide remarks about me 'depriving' myself at 1200 net calories when I was slowly losing. People's bodies differ. MFP uses a model. You need to find the model that fits your body and find healthy, filling, enjoyable, delicious food that fits your own body's needs.
  • bethanyfranco1
    bethanyfranco1 Posts: 41
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    Oh, poo. That's exactly my height and goal weight. I was hoping for more too, lol.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    MFP's number seems about right. If you're exercising every day, and/or your activity level is higher than "sedentary," you'll be able to add calories on top of that. I usually have between 1600 and 1900 calories a day, after accounting for my exercise. I envy the women who can eat 2000+, but I am exercising a lot, not losing or gaining, and this is what seems to work for me.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Remember..... MFP calculations DO NOT include exercise. It only includes ordinary daily activity not including the things you do on purpose to work out. When you exercise, you need more calories. So, your maintenance is 1410, plus whatever your ordinary burn is from working out. If you work out for an hour every day and burn about 300 calories, then your maintenance is about 1700.
  • prdavies1949
    prdavies1949 Posts: 326 Member
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    It's at times like this I'm glad I'm 6ft 2 and male. I get to eat 2400 when I get to maintenance.
  • fitandgeeky
    fitandgeeky Posts: 232 Member
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    I'm 64 inches and 115 lbs and my maintenance is 1950. With that said, I lift weights 5 days a week, but I don't do any cardio. I think you have to account for lean muscle mass and activity level when figuring maintenance. The best way to do it is to walk your calories up a little at a time after you've been in a deficit for a while and track your weight until you even out. Everyone is different and MFP is only an estimate.
  • gimpygrampa
    gimpygrampa Posts: 1
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    63 inches, 122 lbs, 69 years old. Calories to maintain 1310.
    I have my activity level set at sedentary and sync with my Fitbit so that gives me bonus calories if I exercise.
    It is a great motivator. Gets me moving.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    MFP says my maintenance cals are around 1600, but it's actually 2000....
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Remember..... MFP calculations DO NOT include exercise. It only includes ordinary daily activity not including the things you do on purpose to work out. When you exercise, you need more calories. So, your maintenance is 1410, plus whatever your ordinary burn is from working out. If you work out for an hour every day and burn about 300 calories, then your maintenance is about 1700.

    Exactly. Logging exercsing and earning calories is a great motivator.

    I also really like the Fitbit (I have the zip), because it notes all the running around I do at work in addition to my big blocks of exercise.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    Or, if you know you are accurately logging what you eat, and recording your weight, you could use your actual data to design what you need based upon your body instead of some online calculator which are so generic they can tend to be wildly inaccurate for some people. My real results from my logging and exercise and weigh-ins is almost 700-800 calories a day more for my TDEE than any of the on-line calculators. If I used them, I'd be losing an extra 1.5 pounds a week I don't want to lose.

    Use your real data if you have it. It is the best source of info. That is the best benefit of logging what you have. Real world applicability.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Try this calculator.

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    I think it is more accurate. Make sure and switch it over to female because its default is for a man.

    This calculator does not take into account your body composition. Someone with more muscle mass will have a very different BMR than someone with very little.

    I calculated it with me being 50, female, 5'6", 183, sleeping 8 hrs and sitting the rest of the day, and it gave me a BMR of over 1550, and my TDEE at over 2100 My TDEE by history is only around 1600, and I am not completely sedentary.
    So all of the online calculators are strictly estimates. You have to figure out your actual numbers by your own experience.

    Muscle mass doesn't seem to make a huge difference in my case. I'm at 18% BF. I lift regularly, lift heavy, and put on muscle easily. I am maintaining my weight by eating the 1420 calories that MFP recommends (if I'm sedentary) without taking my lean mass into account, and eating back my exercise calories.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    67", 123 lbs, 60 year old female maintaining on about 1900 calories a day.

    I use a slightly tweaked Scooby's estimation of my TDEE now, but back when I was still letting MFP set my maintenance calories, I had to set my activity level to "Active" and add my exercise calories on top to actually maintain. I lost weight at "Lightly Active," which is closer to the truth. My job keeps me on my keister for most of the day, not my feet.

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