Maintenance ~(A Success Story) and Question on Maintenance C

mum2littledove

3 Months ago I posted a topic to find out how others "do" maintenance i.e. do they continue logging food etc. The reason I asked is that I was almost at my goal weight, but was starting to find that the continual logging of food was starting to stress me out a bit, and I felt that my relationship with food was in danger of becoming unhealthy, to the point where I may start binge eating.

There were mixed responses, but I decided to go with my gut instinct which was:

1. Stop logging foods
2. Set some rules, with some foods strictly forbidden (cold turkey is the only thing that works with me) and stick to healthy, low fat foods. Common sense rules, but eat what I wanted within those boundaries, with no logging.
3. Continue with my exercise regime, which was long distance running in my particular case (I'm not a member of a gym, and don't really like any other sport apart from running).

The good news is that following that approach allowed me to reach my goal weight, and I have stayed at that weight for 3 months, without having to stress out about calories or watching every mouthful. It is also comforting to find that as time goes on, the desire to eat forbidden food such as confectionary and cakes fades with each passing day (although the smell of toast gets me every time!).

I have also entered my first full (26.2miles) marathon, which is in 2 weeks time.

I have started logging again, temporarily. This is because I am now at a 2 week taper period in my training (recommended before a marathon) which means my exercise mileage will be drastically reduced for the next fortnight. As a safety measure, and also out of curiosity, I thought I would keep a food diary. My question is this.

I regularly see the recommended daily intake of calories for a woman at 2000. This is typically quoted on food packaging. Myfitnesspal has my maintenance calories at 1620. Why the difference? I have a sedentary part time office job, and commute by car (no viable alternative), but that is nothing unusual these days, so I'm slightly puzzled as to why that figure is so low.

andreaarose

I love your success story. Near my goal weight, and 9 months into daily logging, I'm ready to quit.

The daily allowances are averages. The number to focus on is your BMR (basal metabolic rate) specific to you (that's the number MFP gave you, around 1300). Some of the RDAs are way off what a person really needs to survive, but it gives a starting point.

Good luck with the marathon! Congrats!

foxxybrown

When you see that 2000 calorie recommendation, do you think they consider age? Those of us over 35 probably have reduced metabolisms.

TheKitsune6

2000 is an estimated "average" for "everyone". It doesn't take into account gender, height, weight, bone structure, BMI, exercise routine, etc. The reason it exists is because the FDA needs a number to base "healthy" amounts of each nutrient for the average person. Go with the more personalized number for sure