how much will I be able to eat at goal weight?

Jennyisbusy

I know this is a weird thing to worry about, because I know I have room for improvement but... How much food will I be able to eat when I am at goal weight? Will I be happy with what I get (calorie wise) in order to stay there? I am trying to focus on small permanent changes but I keep coming up with this question.

melibea

I calculated mine using this site: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Says ~1500 for little to no exercise to maintain my goal weight in my case

EDesq

I know this is a weird thing to worry about, because I know I have room for improvement but... How much food will I be able to eat when I am at goal weight? Will I be happy with what I get (calorie wise) in order to stay there? I am trying to focus on small permanent changes but I keep coming up with this question.

I don't think it is to early to look at/have a plan for Maintenance (after all, it will be for LIFE!), as long as your focus is on wt loss right now. Keep first things first!

You can always go with the number of calories you are given when you in-put your wt-height-age-activity level in the calculator. That is a good starting point. Personally, because I know I am pretty different, I will use the South Beach TYPE method; that is add 100 calories every 3-4 weeks to what you are eating now. When you weigh, if you continue to lose weight add another 100 cals and so on UNTIL you become Stable (no wt loss and no wt gain.) Where your Stabilization Weight is, that is your Maintenance number of calories.

Example: Goal Wt : 150 lbs, Eating 1300 Calories and loss avg. 1.5 lbs. per week.
January 1: 150 lbs, 1400 calories
" 8 : 150 lbs., 1400 cal
"15: 149lbs, 1400 cals
" 22: 148.5 lbs. 1400 cals (3 Weeks Still losing Wt, add 100 lbs)
" 23: Begin Eating 1500 calories
Feb 1: 149, 1500 Cals
" 8: 149, 1500 Cals
"" 15: 149, 1500 Cals
" " 22: 149.2, 1500 cals
Chances are that 1500 Calories per day will be your Maintenance number for that 150-149 Range. BUT always weekly.

KeriA

I used the address above and got 1780+ calories if I exercised 5 days a week. I entered my age, height etc. and ideal weight. Not bad at all. However I will probably use MFP to figure it out when that time comes and adjust by what I know works for me. Goog luck with your goals on here.

susanswan

I thnk it is a very tricky question. It seems right now if I eat 100 calories extra it is reflected immediately in my weight the next day. I try to not eat more than my exercise calories. Then when I go under by 200 or so it usually drops about half of the gain.

In my case while I ask the very same question as you, I think it will be pretty much the same as I do here. Although the change will be that instead of looking to lose and panicking when I go up a pound over night now I will have to watch that the very same pound will go down in the next few days and not in fact start an upward trend. I confess I am a daily weigher, so I realize that I am trying to micromanage before things get out of control for me. My weight loss is so slow as it is, that I don't anticipate any big changes in doing what I am currently doing.

ANd like you Jenny, I am trying to develop daily good habits that I will carry on for life. I am not interested at this point at kicking in the exercise full bore as many of my friends do simply because I don't want to have to learn to adjust again. I like things steady and familiar. The less I have to think about it the better for me. The important lesson that I learned this time around is that I will never be "done". I'll never reach the goal and consider it over. It will take constant daily thought and effort to maintain my loss and active life style as it doesn't come as a natural process to me. I must fight my nature or else I'll regain everything and be one giant lump on the couch again! I refuse to go that way again! 50 years of that was enough for me!

angp7711

I think it also depends on how you eat to get there. If you lose your weight with a Huge daily calorie deficit you will probably have lowered your metabolism some and not be able to eat as much in maintenance. If you lose a lot of lean muscle in your weight loss that also effects the amount of calories that you would be allowed. I know that I'm probably one of few but I refuse to do anything to get to my goal that I won't be able to maintain in maintenance level. I know I could get to goal faster with more workouts (I already do 45-60 min 6 days a week) less food and/or cutting carbs WAY down. I have done it before but I can't keep it up so I'm not going there this time. I am only making changes that I can fully commit to as a lifestyle.

robin52077

I am 5'2" 108 lbs and I maintain at 1800-2000 a day, just with a job that keeps me on my feet and moving 40 hours a week. This does not include extra busy or exercise days. Those days I need 2200-2400 cals.
On a slow lazy lounge around the couch day I require 1600.

Jennyisbusy

and I am already at 1400 calories a day for weight loss except on my extra busy days I allow extra protein calories if I feel hungry. I have over 60lbs to lose - so I guess I will have to increase my exercise to make it all work, if I really want to get to my goal weight. Are these numbers weird or familiar to you guys?

BethanyMasters

Go to a bmr calculator like

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Put in your height an your goal weight.

Then multiply that by 1.2 and that will give you a rough idea of how many calories you'll be able to eat with little to no exercise.

Jennyisbusy

Go to a bmr calculator like

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Put in your height an your goal weight.

Then multiply that by 1.2 and that will give you a rough idea of how many calories you'll be able to eat with little to no exercise.

See that gives me 1612 and I am already only eating 1400ish. I guess the exercise is the difference? What happened to numbers don't lie?

robin52077

ahhh right, but except don't multiply it by 1.2, multiply it by 1.55...

1.2 = sedentary, someone who is a couch potato and does absolutely NOTHING all day long.
1.55 = moderately active, doing stuff around the house, dishes, laundry, going to the grocery store, etc. If you are on the go a lot you are NOT sedentary.
1.9 = very active, a job that keeps you on your feet all day and you are go-go-go. I run a dunkin donuts and I have to choose this one to get my maintenance calories to be high enough. I can eat 2200 some days easy...

xraychick77

my maintenance is around 1800 cals at 118 lbs..with my activity level. i actually find it quite difficult to eat that much each day.

schnarfo

I think everyone is Different and you will just have to slowly increase until u find a number that works for you. Personally I started maintaining on 1500 but found I was still losing weight an was really hungry on my non exercise days. I have since upped it to 1800 a day however on the days I exercise I rarely eat all my exercise calories back it's just too much. I find this is a good number for me. I have been around 105lbs for the last 6 months

soniams

I think it also depends on how you eat to get there. If you lose your weight with a Huge daily calorie deficit you will probably have lowered your metabolism some and not be able to eat as much in maintenance. If you lose a lot of lean muscle in your weight loss that also effects the amount of calories that you would be allowed. I know that I'm probably one of few but I refuse to do anything to get to my goal that I won't be able to maintain in maintenance level. I know I could get to goal faster with more workouts (I already do 45-60 min 6 days a week) less food and/or cutting carbs WAY down. I have done it before but I can't keep it up so I'm not going there this time. I am only making changes that I can fully commit to as a lifestyle.

I absolutely agree! My approach has been to develop new healthly habits during the weight loss period that I am also willing to commit to for the rest of my life. It's not too soon to think about maintenance. A book that I have found helful is Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher.

Best wishes as you proceed on your journey.