how do you calculate "maintenance" calories?

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rockinright
rockinright Posts: 241
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm FAR from this point, but it is more of a curiosity - how would I calculate my maintenance calories once I hit my goal weight?

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  • KaeChelle
    KaeChelle Posts: 576
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    You go to Goals, change settings, and then at the bottom, change your option to Maintain current weight, rather than lose however much your setting is on. Then it should calculate the calories for you.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    You can change your weight loss per week goal in MFP to stay the same weight. I have mine set at 1 1/2 pounds per week now, but if you change it to 0 pounds per week, it'll tell you exactly how much you should be eating.
  • rockinright
    rockinright Posts: 241
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    I found some outside sites and was surprised how high the number is (compared to what i eat now)...even to maintain my goal weight of 175. Then calculated what my maintenance calories were at my highest weight and it was almost 3000...so I had to be eating that or more before I started this journey.
  • rockinright
    rockinright Posts: 241
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    There is around a 200-calorie variance between MFP (lower) and some other sites I've seen...some match MFP and some give around 200 more calories for maintenance...

    Weird.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    My maintenance (female, 170'ish, 49yrs) is about 2200-2400 calories (according to my lab RMR test) with a fairly sedentary lifestyle. But that will also depend on how active I am in general. If I'm up and about a lot, I'll burn a bit more than if it's rainy outside and I am plopped on the couch, watching TV (or in front of the computer, posting on message boards :laugh: ).

    I think the best way to determine it is to gradually up your calories until you stop losing and don't gain either. That's what maintenance will be, in general.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    My maintenance (female, 170'ish, 49yrs) is about 2200-2400 calories (according to my lab RMR test) with a fairly sedentary lifestyle. But that will also depend on how active I am in general. If I'm up and about a lot, I'll burn a bit more than if it's rainy outside and I am plopped on the couch, watching TV (or in front of the computer, posting on message boards :laugh: ).

    I think the best way to determine it is to gradually up your calories until you stop losing and don't gain either. That's what maintenance will be, in general.

    Yes, it is hit and miss for a while I should imagine.

    Ironically, I've never done maintenance before, it's usually been along the lines of: lose the weight, eat "normally", put weight on. Lose the weight, eat "normally", put weight on, stuff face. Lose the weight..... etc :laugh:

    This time's going to be different though, I can't face going through all that again, ever. When I've lost my excess, I am going to stick to the maintenance for good :smile:

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