What are your maintenance calories?

ObsessedMonster

I'm having a hard time figuring out how much I should eat to maintain. Currently eat ~1580 cals a day while being set as lightly active. (weight lift 2-3 times a week) Is that enough? I don't eat back exercise calories. How much do you eat to maintain your weight?

Melly_enright

have you checked out your BMR?? that will give you an indication of haw many cals you should eat if you want to lose, maintain or gain weight.

sijomial

Not sure that other people's numbers will help you! For example I seem to be efficient at extracting every last calorie of energy out of my food but compensate with loads of exercise (I seem to be an outlier when using any calculator).

You can find your maintenance calories by trial & error - walking up your calories over time until you maintain within a weight range.

Or if your numbers were accurate during your weight loss (i.e. gave predicted rate of weight loss) set MFP to maintain weight.

Or use your own data to workout your TDEE (look back over the last 6 weeks, work out average and allow for weight lost).

Or just work from recent weight loss results (if you recently lost on average a pound a week you will probably need to bump your calories by 500/day.

lisab64mfp

Easy way to tell if (approx) 1580 is enough for you is............................by your weight. If you are maintaining - then it's a good number for you. If you are losing, then it's not enough. Gaining, too much.
LOVE the amount of fiber you eat a day!!!

KarenJanine

I'm having a hard time figuring out how much I should eat to maintain. Currently eat ~1580 cals a day while being set as lightly active. (weight lift 2-3 times a week) Is that enough? I don't eat back exercise calories. How much do you eat to maintain your weight?

There are many factors that affect maintenance calories: height, weight, muscle mass, activity, etc.

If your weight is stable then you have found your maintenance level. If you are losing, then you are in deficit.

1580 sounds low for maintenance though, especially as you do not eat back exercise calories. Is your MFP profile set to 'maintain'?

xidia

It depends, but as an example, I'm female, 5'4" and weigh 132lbs. I'm not particularly muscular. I eat 1650-1700 on a sedentary day, and up to 500 more than that on a training day. That's maintenance, for me.

einzweidrei

At least 2K/day without adding back any exercise calories, which for me would just be walking. 1500s sounds too low.

47Jacqueline

MFP gave me maintenance calories of 1750 based on my age and activity level. I also added my daily exercise. It seems to be working. If I don't exercise for the day, 1770 is pretty close to not losing weight. If I add exercise, I have to eat more to maintain instead of losing.

nxd10

Not sure that other people's numbers will help you! For example I seem to be efficient at extracting every last calorie of energy out of my food but compensate with loads of exercise (I seem to be an outlier when using any calculator).

You can find your maintenance calories by trial & error - walking up your calories over time until you maintain within a weight range.

Or if your numbers were accurate during your weight loss (i.e. gave predicted rate of weight loss) set MFP to maintain weight.

Or use your own data to workout your TDEE (look back over the last 6 weeks, work out average and allow for weight lost).

Or just work from recent weight loss results (if you recently lost on average a pound a week you will probably need to bump your calories by 500/day.

Like he says. Even normative information has to include height, sex, and age. Then we vary from there depending on exercise and our own bodies.

In addition, depending on whether folks use TDEE or add in exercise or change their activity level, people report that base calorie numbers really differently. What I eat and what I net are hundreds of calories apart.

MAFJackson

Use a BMR calculator to determine how many calories you need to maintain your body. There is a link to one in MyFitnessPal.

Meerataila

Roughly 1450. If I get a bit of leisurely strolling in, it's around 1500. I'm short and slothy. I'm betting yours are higher what with the weight lifting. Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, but it does burn more calories.

editorgrrl

Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find the number of calories at which your weight will stabilize. So eat 1,580 for several weeks, then reevaluate.

Your weight will fluctuate, so pick a goal window. (For example, +/- 2.5 lbs.) Whenever you go outside your window, cut or add 100 lbs. per week until your weight stabilizes.

ErinMcMom

Mine is 2230 as an active, 5'8", 135lb, 30 year old. I also wear a fitbit and on days that I run I get some more calories added on top of that. Everybody's maintenance calorie levels are going to vary widely though, so I'm not sure what you're looking to glean from the answers to this question.

BlueBombers

Over 2000 calories a day and yes I eat my exercise calories back.

F00LofaT00K

My maintenance calories are around 2300 because I have a very physical job in a warehouse and I'm always going out and moving around on weekends. My best friend works at a desk all day and sits on her couch all weekend. I imagine her maintenance calories will be a whole lot less than mine. Other people's maintenance calories will be of no help to you. You need to know your BMR (how many calories you burn each day just to exist) plus the calories you expend each day through daily activities. The two together equal your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and your TDEE is maintenance. You can find a million and one calculators online to figure out an estimate for this number, but it will always be just an estimate. There will be a bit of trial and error on your part to get it down pat. Personally, I think it will be easier for me (once I'm at my goal) to eat a bit below my maintenance and allow room for eating out on weekends or having a few unexpected beers with friends after work.

ETA:: If you're calorie goal is your maintenance and you are trying to maintain your weight, you need to eat back your exercise calories; otherwise, you will continue to lose weight.

47Jacqueline

If your not helped by this thread, I recommend going to a dietician and work with her to come up with a personalized plan.

KateK8LoseW8

2200-2500 per day. 5'5" 123 lb female.

MissKris14

I eat around 1500 to maintain my weight of 135 (5'4" female).

Emmaa233

Losing weight is all about calories. The human body is only capable of losing 2lbs a week of body-fat. When trying to lose weight you must try to eat between 300-600 calories below your maintenance levels. For example... Im a big guy and my Maintenance calorie levels are 2600 now in order for me to lose weight i have to eat 2100 calories. Now that i know how many calories i need to eat to lose weight slowly and safely i have to choose a diet with types of food that will all add up to 2100 calories...

Charcharlottey

everyone is different.

I net anywhere from 1600-2300 and have maintained a 30 pound loss for almost 7 months.

metacognition

I find myself shaping up at 1630 calories on inactive days; this is probably too low on days that I exercise. I maintain around 110 lbs.

I have a standing job. I can eat up to 1900 on work out days and still lean out.

SezxyStef

I maintain on about 2100-2200 a day...I lift 3x a week, cardio (bike/walking) and if I am feeling ambitious..HIIT.

sfbaumgarten

Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find the number of calories at which your weight will stabilize. So eat 1,580 for several weeks, then reevaluate.

Your weight will fluctuate, so pick a goal window. (For example, +/- 2.5 lbs.) Whenever you go outside your window, cut or add 100 lbs. per week until your weight stabilizes.

QFT! I've had to do some adjusting, but I've found that 1800 net calories (I typically eat all of my exercise calories back) works pretty well for me at 5'5" and 130ish pounds. I try to wait at least 4-6 weeks between making these adjustments. You might find that you'll initially gain when you increase, but that's normal and will likely drop back down after a couple weeks. If you keep gaining for 4-6 weeks with nothing but a calorie increase, I'd suggest cutting back down a little at a time until you find that sweet spot.

That's just what works for me though...

DeterminedFee201426

iam close to maintience and i've decided to make it 1650 cals

jess17587

i think you should start of 2000 calories and see what your weight does in the first two weeks and reduce or incresse by 200 calories it is a slow and paticent way.
if you are scared of gaining a few pounds dont be because no one will notice, it will shed of when you decrease you calories and also it is highly unlikely you will gain because your a average height woman with a very good amount of exercise in the fist week your weight might go up by 0.6 kg because you will have a sudden increase to the 2000 calories but the second week your body will go down...

ttcbelieve

Hi

There are lots of online calculator that can give you what you need. Google them. Here are a few

I like this the best as it give calorie zig zag options: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Others are

http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/weight-loss-calculator.php
http://caloriecount.about.com/tools/calories-goal
http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
http://www.shapefit.com/calorie-intake-calculator.html

Goodluck

LolBroScience

About 3100 cals or so

rsclause

2200 Cal a day but with exercise I usually eat about 2800. I did set my maintenance for 1/2 pound loss a week to cover the occasional overage. Seems to be working for me.

cece5300

I'm 28 years old, 5'4 and 123lbs. I set my MFP to Sedentary and it gives me 1600 maintenance calories which I have no problem eating, then if I work out I will eat a little more. Now that I'm in maintnance I just want to eat and eat and eat so it's more important now than ever for me to track.

Then again, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right because so many other people eat 2200. If I exercise I will eat around 2000 or 2200 but I'm still so used to the weight loss mode that I get nervous to eat more. I'm getting there!

linsdog

Approx 2200 per day with no exercise.

With exercise I am typically around 3000 for maintenance.

QuietBloom

I am 5'6" and 124. Maintenance is anywhere from 1450 to 2000 per day depending on activity. I use a FitBit my activity.