Calories to maintain my weight?

bananasyousay

I'm 18 years old, female, 5'9 and 131 pounds. I go on brisk walks every day as well as going to the gym later on in the day most days for weight lifting and sometimes more cardio. I consider myself lightly active. For the past two months I've been trying to maintain weight after purposefully gaining 7 pounds. I was a bit too thin for awhile and did not have my period so I put on some weight and got a period last month and am hoping to see it again this month although I haven't yet. Anyway, I've noticed I don't seem to gain weight on a weekly average calorie intake of around 1800-2000 calories. But, some calculators I've used say I need only a little over 1600 calories even though I exercise with regularity. I was eating just under 1500 calories when I was in the 120's and losing weight still. Should I stick with the 1800-2000 calories? 1600 calories is quite a small amount of food for a maintainer IMO...it's hard for me to stick to that. I'm just worried about gaining more weight. I'd very much like to stay where I am. What do you all think?

Siansonea

I say stick with 1800, it's a conservative number, but if you start to lose too much weight, up it to 1900. If you still see weight loss, up it to 2000. Mind you, watch your weight over weekly trends, not daily trends, and give each calorie total at least a few weeks before moving up another hundred calories. It's a calibration process, you'll find the sweet spot.

TavistockToad

i am 5ft5 and 134ish lbs and i maintain on 2000 cals plus exercise cals, so i would stick to 2000 for a few weeks and then you can go up or down depending on what your weight does.

geekyjock76

You may be exercising enough to be considered moderately active. In any case, maintenance, by definition, is the maximum amount of calories you can eat to relatively maintain your weight.