maintenance

hasilovess

MFP tells my maintenance is 3000, so i did a test last week and ate 3700 daily. obviously i slightly gained 1 pound over the week...
so my question is


eating 3000 calories will put me on maintenance?

is there another way instead of MFP to get my TDEE accurately?

stats

170 lbs
20 years
192 cm height

active-very active

I do Cardio every single day 80 mins with 8 min HIIT
I weight lift 25 minutes moderately every single day
also walk like 2km on college and study so i sleep 4-6 hours at night...

I dont want to bulk or lose weight... in fact i want to maintain and build some Lean Body Mass if possible.

Beckilovespizza

Hello!

Yeah there are loads of other websites that give tdee, just have a quick google! I like scoobysworkshop.com fitness frog.com and thefitgirls.com I generally look up my tdee on all and work out the average. Congrats on being on maintenance!

It seems like u may have found the right balance though, if 3700 made a very slight gain perhaps try 3200ish?

5pmsomewherenow

Ultimately, maintenance is about a lifestyle you can sustain and maintain. You may have to try eating the best fuel for your body for several weeks, logging everything, just to see what the calories stack up to be per day, and what affect it has on your weigh ins.

Most maintainers find success staying within about a 5 lbs range, something like 168-173 for you... Since you are already pretty active and want to maintain/build the lean muscle part - I think it may be more about the composition of your diet versus the calorie level. Is there a nutritionist at your school that can give you some macros help?

SezxyStef

I prefer to get my maintenance range from my own data...notice I said range.

maintenance is sort of a moving target and you have to allow for weight fluctuations as well.

Based on my own data (total calories consumed +(pounds lost x 3500)/21 days it is about 2200 ...I am in the process of reverse dieting up to my maintenance @1800 atm and will up to 2100 in a steady increase of 100 calories every 2 weeks...so in about 6 weeks I will be there...if I gain...I will cut back to 2000..if I still lose I will up to 2150 rinse repeat...

That is the way a lot do it here...just keep watching intake, weight etc.

Although scooby tdee and iifym.com are good sites to give you an estimate..although I find them on the high side...

hasilovess

Can i work with what MFP says? To be honest I cant stop logging stuff on MFP so thats sort of my "lifestyle" now. Should I use the 21 day range or the online calculators?

sijomial

Can i work with what MFP says? To be honest I cant stop logging stuff on MFP so thats sort of my "lifestyle" now. Should I use the 21 day range or the online calculators?

Did you realise that MFP isn't a TDEE calculator?
If you compare estimates then remember that the goal number MFP gives you excludes exercise whereas TDEE sites include exercise.

If you are filling in the data accurately they will probably work out about the same. Your current MFP goal as an example is 3000 cals plus eating back exercise calories.

Both TDEE and MFP methods work, you just need an element of consistency, patience and making adjustments based on actual results.

cwolfman13

these calculators are just a good starting point...as with losing, your true calorie goal should be based on real world results, not what a calculator tells you. Also, I agree with SexyStef...I don't eat a singular calorie goal day in and day out...I have a range of about 2600 - 2800 and as high as about 3200 or so. I've been maintaining for a year.

For me, I've learned to listen to my body and feel my energy needs. I also rock my nutrition and my fitness and have found maintenance at my current levels to be relatively effortless.

athensguy

these calculators are just a good starting point...as with losing, your true calorie goal should be based on real world results, not what a calculator tells you. Also, I agree with SexyStef...I don't eat a singular calorie goal day in and day out...I have a range of about 2600 - 2800 and as high as about 3200 or so. I've been maintaining for a year.

For me, I've learned to listen to my body and feel my energy needs. I also rock my nutrition and my fitness and have found maintenance at my current levels to be relatively effortless.

I agree. If you can manage to eat well measured calorie intake for 3 or 4 weeks (ie actually weighing every single item), you can make a spreadsheet and see how your weight has changed vs how much you ate. I would recommend keeping your salt intake relatively flat, as, for me at least, it can make a pretty big day-to-day difference in weight.

hasilovess

thanks all