The 2000 calorie standard

TheGymGypsy
TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I watch a lot of "guilty" TV like Supersize vs Superskinny and Secret Eaters. They all make a point of saying that the average woman needs 2000 calories to maintain their weight, which seems to be massively overstated to me. I consider myself pretty average in height and weight, and if I ate 2000 calories a day I would be packing on the pounds. My maintenance point hovers around 1600-1700 calories a day. What do you guys think of the FDA's standard of 2000 calories a day for women and 2500 for men?
«1

Replies

  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    Maybe the 2000 is assuming you are quite active and so includes the calories you would be eating back as it were.

    I'm on that much at the moment to lose but got a fair way to go until im considered an average size.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Maybe the 2000 is assuming you are quite active and so includes the calories you would be eating back as it were.

    I'm on that much at the moment to lose but got a fair way to go until im considered an average size.

    This makes the most sense to me. They're assuming an active lifestyle.
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    Well the 'average' woman in the USA is overweight, so I think that's probably not too far off the truth
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    It's about right. A 5'5" female, 125 pounds, exercising vigorously 4 times a week is going to be right around 2000 calories/day.
  • beachbodycara
    beachbodycara Posts: 8
    I think the average woman probably does get 2000 calories per day...I know I was until I started using MFP! And frankly, less than 1800 seemed to be SO SMALL to me...but now that I've been at it for a month, it seems like a lot. It's perception and habit. And, a lot of processed food! Plus...focusing on the number when weight loss isn't a goal seems silly to me...it should be WHAT you eat, not how much. And yeah with 2000 calories they must be getting in a healthy dose of exercise daily!
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
    I have to make a targeted, active effort to burn 2000 calories in a day.

    I've only done it once in the last week. I usually burn between 1700 and 1900.

    My mom (in her mid 60s) would pack on about a pound a week eating 2000 a day.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    If I walk 20-30 minutes per day, I burn about 2000 calories total calories. More on days I exercise even more. Less on days I don't don't walk or exercise at all.

    According to the USDA, we actually eat an average of 2,700 calories per day in the U.S. So most of us aren't following the guidelines anyway. http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    I suppose if you were really active 2000 calories would be reasonable, but the majority of people don't make an effort to be very active outside their everyday lives. It's confusing because there is no disclaimer saying "2000 calories a day if you exercise". lol
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    With my activity I maintain right around 2800 or so...without exercise I maintain around 2400. I don't do anything crazy exercise wise either...I lift weights 3x weekly for 45-60 minutes and get out on my bike for 45-60 minutes 3-4 days per week for a ride. I usually go for a 30 minute walk at lunch on lifting days and that's about it unless I'm training for an event...in which case I need far more calories.

    My wife is 5'2" and 125 Lbs and pushing 39 and maintains around 2200-2300 with her activity. So I'd say for the average female getting in a little activity, 2000 would be about right...I think my wife is right around 1800 without exercise for maintenance...that's only a couple hundred calories off and she's a shorty.

    Really, I think it just assumes some general activity...I don't think it's balls to the wall exercising...just sorta lightly active I would say.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    My TDEE is around 2400. I'm 33, 5'9" and 160lbs.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    The 2000 figure is an average. I maintain on around 2400 (5'8'', 31F)

    ETA: I would have thought that the 2000 figure assumes the average person follows the recommended guidelines of doing 2.5 hrs of exercise per week.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    Maybe I'm just weird. My TDEE is 2100 according to online calculators but I have found it to be over exaggerated in practice.
  • fruitikay
    fruitikay Posts: 12 Member
    Meh. The FDA is a weird organization. I would just trust what you and/or your doctor says should be your target maintaining calorie intake.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I'm 5'8.5", 135 lbs, and 42 years old. I don't work out much at all - just walking and 2-3 days of moderate circuit training. I maintain on around 2250 calories a day.
  • sarrah_n
    sarrah_n Posts: 192 Member
    Keep in mind the FDA calorie recommendation is also based on the recommended amount of daily activity (roughly 30 mins of moderate intensity activity)...
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    It actually seems right to me. I'm 5'5", 129 lb and 37. My "lightly active" TDEE is about 2000 calories/day. I exercise daily and maintain closer to 2100-2200 cal/day.
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    after eating 1200 for a good half a year now, I struggle to think how I would even manage to eat 2000!
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    It definitely assumes you get 60 minutes of moderate activity. I'm taller than average at 5'8" and a healthy 140lbs but completely sedentary and my TDEE is only 1770.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I suppose if you were really active 2000 calories would be reasonable, but the majority of people don't make an effort to be very active outside their everyday lives. It's confusing because there is no disclaimer saying "2000 calories a day if you exercise". lol

    i don't think it really matters because all it really effects on the label is the '% of recommended daily intake'.

    i just look at cals and macros and do my own math.

    But i guess your saying that the government is trying to tell you that a woman should eat 2000 to maintain?

    i guess thats on some website or something? because all it says on my food lables is 'precent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet'.

    I don't see them differentiating between men and woman, nor saying that this is the amount of calories you should eat to maintain weight.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I am smaller than average but have a lot of lean mass. 2000-2100 is my estimated TDEE (i.e. maintenance at my current activity level). I think people who truly gain weight on less than that either have entirely too much body fat, are not nearly as active as they should be for general health, and/or do not count calories very accurately.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I'm 5'4", 185 lbs, and maintain on 2500-2800 depending on how much I'm running at the time.

    ETA: I find the 2,000 to maintain as arbitrary as the 1200 to lose...
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I am smaller than average but have a lot of lean mass. 2000-2100 is my estimated TDEE (i.e. maintenance at my current activity level). I think people who truly gain weight on less than that either have entirely too much body fat

    your everything else in your statement makes sense except for the excess body fat part. it takes a certain amount of calories to sustain the amount of BF on you, so i don't see why having more BF would make you gain at fewer calories.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    i don't see why having more BF would make you gain at fewer calories.

    I think she's saying a female at 150# with 33% BF burns fewer calories at rest than the same height/weight, but 18% BF
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    Female, 181 pounds not that active and my TDEE is around 2000 - 2100 so it would be bang on for me.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Well the 'average' woman in the USA is overweight, so I think that's probably not too far off the truth
    My maintenance is 2000 calories....and I am not overweight...right on the cusp and want to lose but to maintain it's 2k....

    ETA: I am 41, 5ft 7 and weigh 163lbs...I do about 30mins of cardio a week and 3 1hour weight sessions...hoping my maintenance goes up actually
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
    I've often thought about this, my maintenance calories with decent amounts of exercise are around 1600-1700 a day, but then I am pretty small!

    The problem really is that people don't seem to be able to take on board a more subtle message that includes disclaimers regarding height, weight, activity level. People take '2000 calories' as a blanket statement and gospel. I actually had a disagreement with someone the other day who told me I shouldn't eat more than 5 portions of fruit and veg a day because that's what the government recommends...
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    I watch a lot of "guilty" TV like Supersize vs Superskinny and Secret Eaters. They all make a point of saying that the average woman needs 2000 calories to maintain their weight, which seems to be massively overstated to me. I consider myself pretty average in height and weight, and if I ate 2000 calories a day I would be packing on the pounds. My maintenance point hovers around 1600-1700 calories a day. What do you guys think of the FDA's standard of 2000 calories a day for women and 2500 for men?

    I'm 35 yrs old, 5ft, 6in and I'm maintaining with around 2,200 calories. I do exercise 6 days a week, but just for 30 minutes a time/pretty low impact.

    Eta: my maintenance range is 117.5-120lbs.
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
    I wear a Fitbit to monitor my movement and according to my gizmo over the last week my lowest burn was yesterday at 1939 and my highest was 2843 on Tuesday (crazy busy day at work plus gym). I'm 5'6" and weigh 69kg. Even if my Fitbit is over-estimating then I think I'm still probably burning around the 2000 mark plus some.

    Edited for fat finger spelling:smile:
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i don't see why having more BF would make you gain at fewer calories.

    I think she's saying a female at 150# with 33% BF burns fewer calories at rest than the same height/weight, but 18% BF

    that i can get on board with, and i can read that in her post if i add a word or two, lol

    i'm sure that was her point
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    can someone show me where the FDA actually recommends women should eat 2000 calories?

    I'm thinking its basically an artifact of whatever TV the OP is watching.

    serriously, i tried googling it and i can't find an FDA.gov web page that says anyting other then 'daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet'.

    no where do i see them claiming this is the the amount the average woman should eat

Categories