What are your real maintenance calories?

ILoveMyHotFatBody · September 2014

I maintain at around 2500 calories per day.

popsicklestar · September 2014

Unfortunately, my maintenance calories are lower than what I was hoping they would be, but they actually match up really closely with what the online calculators give me. My maintenance calories are 1500. I usually eat between 1600 to 1850 due to eating back exercise calories. The TDEE calculators (which already include exercise calories) give me 1800, so it's pretty much exactly the same.

levitateme · September 2014

Currently maintaining (within 5 lbs) at about 2700 daily. I am not at a goal weight, not even close. I was in a deficit for a long time now I am just focusing on strength for a while. Might do a cut in a couple months, but it's nice to know I could do it and eat 2400 calories.

StaciMarie1974 · September 2014

You have a certain amount of control, in my opinion, over your maintenance calories. Based on your level of activity.

I only have a few pounds to go (maybe, maybe not - its not so much about the # on the scale for me now as my body composition) and I use an activity tracker which estimates total daily burn. I know its an estimate, but I aim for 2000-2100 burn a day. It is not terribly hard to achieve this, yet I do have to work for it especially Mon-Fri with a desk job. I'm now eating at a slight deficit but figure 2000 or so is a good maintenance level.

I'm 5'5.5", 39, female, and now ~135 pounds.

peleroja · September 2014

I have a sedentary job, am pretty light (~118 pounds), and consequently maintain pretty low, around 1500 calories. But I've found the best way for me to deal with it, because I'm not interested in making time to further increase my exercise, is to eat at a slight deficit on weekdays so I can be a little freer on weekends. I don't use it as an excuse to pig out, but it's much easier to go out and enjoy dinner and drinks with friends if I have an extra 500 calories or so to play with. Eating 1200-ish calories through the week isn't difficult for me so I don't mind doing it in exchange for more carefree weekends.

The_Enginerd · September 2014

I would like to reiterate this. I just maintained for my first year and continued to track and workout because "that's what I should do", but it was getting to be a bit of drag. I am trying to lift more and run faster/longer and set goal that are reachable but challenging. Having goals really re-energized me, and I eat to meet those goals.

kwantlen2051 · September 2014

So true! I'm over 50 myself, 5"2" and at goal weight of 115-117, my numbers are not too far from yours. I find I can maintain at 1200 plus exercise calories. If I consume more than 1500 on 3 or more consecutive days I gain weight. I would have to exercise a lot to be able to eat more but I've learned to focus on things that I can sustain long term. So everything in moderation works for me.

TriLifter · September 2014

Are you changing the activity level in MFP? Set to very active, the calories given to me by MFP are spot on what my FitBit tells me my TDEE is.

anna1m · September 2014

When I use your TDEE calculator my BMR is 1136 and my TDEE is 1561. From what I have been reading on this site, that seems pretty low. How accurate is this?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · September 2014

Any calculator is just an estimate. That one is low for me. But also keep in mind that it's super vague-- 3 times per week exercise could mean 20 minutes of walking to one person and 90 minutes of lifting to another. Also if you're looking at the maintenance levels other people are listing they probably are including a good bit of physical activity. That looks like a sedentary TDEE level.

The best strategy imo is to pick one to start with and then adjust every 4-6 weeks as needed.

anna1m · September 2014

Nope it is for activity 3 times a week!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · September 2014

You must be tiny. What are your stats? Are you trying to lose weight?

SharpieV · September 2014

I find that MFP plus eating back exercise cals has been spot on for me. Then again, my 'true' TDEE may well be higher but I probably underestimate the portions that I consume and put into MFP too, so they at least cancel out to spot on, which is good enough for me!

anna1m · September 2014

I am almost 5 foot 2 and about 103-105lbs. I am trying to maintain and in the fall start a bulk. I would like to be and look stronger!

amusedmonkey · September 2014

Calculators are formulas based on population averages. Unless you happen to fall right into the average chances are your TDEE is different. See how some people here mentioned they burn more than what MFP tells them (metabolism faster than average) and how I said I actually burn less (metabolism slower than average). You may be in either team. The only way to know is to pay for it or test it out for yourself.

I did it through scooby spreadsheet, but you will have to be very diligent eating as close to target as you can manage for a whole month.

Here is how I did it step by step:
1. Go here:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Enter your data, pick "lose fat gain muscle" if you are maintaining and base your activity level on your job/daily activity other than exercise ( you will be adding exercise later). It doesn't matter which formula you pick, you are going to be coming up with your own number anyway so just keep it at default.

2. Go here and follow instruction:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator-calibration/

3. Download the spreadsheet from here:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/download/WeightCharting.xls

4. Go here and save it to your bookmarks:
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx

5. Log your weight every single day in the spreadsheet religiously and keep the calories you eat every day as close to the target given to you in the first step as you can humanly manage. Eat back your NET exercise calories. To find out your net calories: 1) Enter your exercise into MFP 2)Take the calories it gives you 3) Enter them into the website you bookmarked in step four, into the "gross" field 4)Eat back the resulting number.

6. After a month the line in your spreadsheet needs to be completely horizontal if you are maintaining, if it's not then your metabolism is faster/slower than average. Enter your info into the page from step 2 and get your "Calorie Correction Factor". Add it to your TDEE number from step 1 and you will get your own individual maintenance calorie value.

Edit: If you feel it's hard to eat the exact same calories every day go for weekly calories. Just multiply your given TDEE by 7 and that would be your budget for the week.

themedalist · September 2014

I think there is a perception that maintenance is harder than losing weight because maintenance has no endpoint. If you've changed the underlying habits that led to your weight gain and have healthier habits in place, maintenance can be pretty easy.

I maintain on 1800 to 2400 calories a day, depending in my activity level. I am 52 years old.

butterbear1980 · September 2014

MFP was about right for me. I did 12 weeks at maintnence. I'm 5'3" 140 lb large frame female. Very active. 2300-2500/day. Currently loosing.5lb/week at 2030. Active job + 3 kids+ cross fit 4xs/week. I hope a few years from now for my maintnence calories to be higher.... getting the metabolism on fire is one of my goals. Training hard and with consistent nutrition I have a lofty goal of gaining 5# of muscle in the next two years. I've run the numbers and if I cut 10# fat and added 5# muscle ending up with around 18% bf and maintain at 150 cals more per day...like an extra glass of milk....so it won't be a huge difference but I'll take it!

ForecasterJason · November 2014

MFP underestimates mine by about 250-300 calories, and a lot of other calculators underestimate mine as well. I think there are enough variations from person to person that make calorie estimates very subject to a fairly wide margin of error.

Linnaea27 · November 2014

When I went into maintenance last spring, I found that it was 50-100 calories too low for me, which made sense since I'd been losing weight at a slightly faster rate than predicted by MFP calculations all along.

I'm trying to lose a bit again and so far haven't lost anything (in a month or so). It is strange but I did just take up heavy (for me) weightlifting, so I am hoping this is water weight.

It's interesting to see that most others who have posted here found MFP maintenance calories to be a little too low for them, too.

popsicklestar · November 2014

According to online calculators, my maintenance calories are 1560 to 1780, and I've found that to be extremely accurate. Was really hoping they would by higher, but no such luck.

Rose6300 · November 2014

MFP sets me at 1510. My actual is 1850 (based on 3 months of maintaining, which ties in with most TDEE calculators). I am a 5'5.5, 128 lb., 51 year old female who lifts 4x a week and does no intentional cardio.

Joanjett88 · November 2014

I'm still trying to figure mine out so it helps to see what everyone else is experiencing. I'm 5'7" @ 135 lbs and MFP has me at 1970 for lightly active. I've just recently hit my goal weight so I've been trying to increase by 100-200 calories for a week at a time and then reassess. I just hate waiting through the fluctuations to see a trend, lol.

I know that my activity level has dropped do to busy schedule and cold weather, so I'm thinking that I might top out at around 1700-1800 due to the fact that I work a desk job.

One thing that I have noticed is that I am definitely hungrier now. I used to be able to eat 1200-1300 calories and be FULL, but now that I'm increasing my calorie intake all I want to do is eat more. I think it's because I've increased my carb intake and all I want to do is eat more carbs. If all I eat is meat and veggies it's hard to meet my calorie goal, however I'm a sucker for carbs and if I eat some I want to eat a lot, lol.

williams969 · November 2014

I've got months upon months of food and daily weigh in data. Analysis of my personal data points to a TDEE range of around 2000-2100 (as long as I'm doing my 3-4 hrs of training per week), which is darn close to what most online calculators predict for a "moderately active" person with my stats (5'6", 138-141 lbs range, 38yo).

JagerLewis · November 2014

MFP tells me 1660, my TDEE tells me more, so for me to avoid confusion I went with MFP and eat my exercise calories. I've been maintaining for a little over a month now, I know it's not long, but so far so good.

47Jacqueline · November 2014

MFP gives me about 1970 on a very active level, but usually my activity level increases that by about 1000kcal.

LivingtheLeanDream · November 2014

I'm maintaining on 2000 cals. Fitbit tells me I can eat 2400. MFP tells me I can eat at 1750 plus exercise cals which then would average 2300 when it syncs with Fitbit. I am not brave enough YET to eat that much nor do I feel I need extra cals.

I'm 5 ft 3 and 135lbs

pkw58 · November 2014

I am 5'8", 56 years old and my maintenance range is 125-135, but I generally stay within 128 to 131 after 3 years of losing and maintaining. Because my activity is set to sedentary, my stay at this weight calories is about 1530. I am losing a few extra pounds with fear of holidays coming upon us. I try to get between 300 and a 1000 calories of exercise/activity burned every day.

firefoxxie · November 2014

Depending on how active I am...2100-2400

FrankieFrench1 · November 2014

My maintenance is ment to be 1800 but given im 5'11' that doesn't seem right.

nxd10 · November 2014

The first year I maintained on 250 calories less than MFP said I should. Then I suddenly lost 5 pounds and have maintained that at exactly what MFP says I should. That's been another 8 months.

What are your real maintenance calories?

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