Trying to maintain weight, calories i should be consuming?

Ulwaz
Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Im 22 in 2 weeks
im female
5 foot 9 inches
57kg

How many calories do i need to maintain?

I work in a hospital on an eye ward, im on my feet/walking up and down most of the day
I also do 15-30 mins of cardio a day

I put my activity as lightly active, which says i need 1970 calories to maintain
I log my exercise calories but i dont eat them back

does this seem right or should i be eating more/less?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Eat that for a couple of weeks and see if you gain or lose or stay the same. Adjust if necessary.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I would say that at least you need to eat back some of your exercise calories because that is the way MFP is designed regardless of your weight control goals. I'd also say that even without deliberate exercise you are more than light active. I have a desk job and sit a good chunk of the day...I'm still light active without exercise.

    beyond that, as the other poster stated...just make adjustments as necessary...none of these calculators are gospel...nobody has a calorie requisite of exactly XXXX calories per day...it's pretty variable and ultimately you have a range of caloric intake that will work.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I don't understand why you are using the site to estimate your calories and then over-riding the answer it gives you.
    If MFP says 1970 + exercise calories why are you deciding to do something else? It's a bit like entering your height as 5'6" instead of 5'9" and expecting the answer to still be correct.

    If you want to eat the same calories every day then enter your details into one of the many TDEE calculators instead.

    Whatever number you decide on is only an estimate and you will have to experiment to find the right number that keeps you in a range of weight (don't try and set a single number as your goal weight or natural fluctuations will drive you mad!).

    Do you know how many calories you ate in the last month of weight loss and what rate you lost your weight? That will likely give you a good idea of your maintenance calories.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    MFP had me at around 1920/day (I'm about your height) and then I upped it to 2000. Then I eat back my exercise calories, even if it's just walking. So I think 1970 + eating back exercise calories is a good place to start...

    ...then see where it goes.
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    thanks everyone :)
  • SuperstarDJ
    SuperstarDJ Posts: 442 Member
    Hey,

    You have said here before that you are in ED recovery. I am 15 years older than you. I am not doing a job that is as physically demanding as yours, and I need to be eating a lot more than the 1,970 kcals that you mention in order to recover, physically and mentally.

    You need to speak to somebody who knows your physical requirements in a lot more detail than strangers on the internet do. In recovery, our nutritional needs are, a) higher than a 'healthy' person of the same age, activity, etc. and, b) very unique and need to be tailored to our individual needs, activity levels, age, health, etc.

    Nobody here can - or should - be advising you on what is right for you.

    Please - I beg you - seek out professional help first xx

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