please help with calories?!? so lost

chaarlotte289
chaarlotte289 Posts: 84 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So basically I lost some weight on 1300 calories give or take (just a high school student) at a healthy weight now. I'm trying to maintain however I keep loosing 1 pound per week even though I increased about 100 calories.
I'm at a TOTAL loss on what amount I need to maintain my weight. I'm 18 years old, a high school student and just do the basic activities. I ride my horse around 3-4 times a week for an hour to one and a half. I'm pretty small build and do NOT get hungry that often. I'm always full on 1300 for the night.
I really don't wanna gain any weight back so how can I maintain my weight without gaining?

Replies

  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    Add another 100 calories daily .. .... we all have to play around a bit to get to our right calorie level... If you have a slight gain, just reset to lose the pound or two you gain. We all fluctuate as we learn to maintain.
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    Put your weight loss goals on here to maintain and try eating that amount for awhile. I maintain around 1900 calories if that gives you any perspective. 1400 is not going to be a maintenance level for most people.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Put your weight loss goals on here to maintain and try eating that amount for awhile. I maintain around 1900 calories if that gives you any perspective. 1400 is not going to be a maintenance level for most people.

    I agree set it at maintenance and see what happens. After a month, you can adjust by going up or down a few hundred caloreis a day so you maintain. After each adjustment wait a week or two before making a change.

    I disagree with anyone who tells you what maintenance is going to be for you. We're different heights. We have different metabolisms. We are at different weights. We have different activity levels.

    You'll figure it out if you're patient and persistent.
  • ktliu
    ktliu Posts: 334 Member
    Add something calorically dense food, like chips, ice-cream or Pizza. or maybe something healthier like peanut butter? same size, calorically higher.
  • floareaciprian
    floareaciprian Posts: 46 Member
    "I'm 18 years old, a high school student and just do the basic activities...."

    good so far...but then

    "I ride my horse around 3-4 times a week"....holy crap :)) that's not even near basic for me :laugh:
  • TriTahoe
    TriTahoe Posts: 1
    Hi Horsesareamaz!

    The calories each person needs to lose, maintain or gain weight varies dramatically on that persons height, age, weight, gender and activity level.

    Your basil metabolic rate in basic terms is your body's caloric needs just to function. Then you add on any caloric needs for activities. It's generally accepted that it's safe to try and lose or gain up to a pound a week. Those wishing to lose need to create a 500 calorie deficit per day. Those wishing to gain need to add 500 calories per day and those wishing to maintain don't need to do either.

    There are many websites that have BMR calculators where you can plug in your individual numbers to determine how many calories you need. Then you can use the Harris Benedict Equation (a formula that uses your BMR) to help determine your total daily energy expenditure based on your lifestyle/activities you regularly complete.

    The following website has a BMR calculator as well as the Harris Benedict Equation to easily calculate your numbers.

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

    Check it out and let us know what you find out.

    ~TriTahoe
  • nhradeuce
    nhradeuce Posts: 168 Member
    If you are losing 1 pound per week, then your body is burning about 3500 calories more per week than you are eating. If you don't want to lose weight, you need to add in those 3500 calories per week. It sounds scary but it's really not that much. If you want to ease in to it, add 100 calories per day each week for 5 weeks. 100 calories a day is next to nothing so it won't be a big change if you do it gradually.
  • chaarlotte289
    chaarlotte289 Posts: 84 Member
    thanks anyone! How do i go about this "adding calories" to not gain weight back?
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
    as long as your loosing your burning more calories then you need to maintain so if you eat more your weight should stay about the same as long as your exercising the same.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    thanks anyone! How do i go about this "adding calories" to not gain weight back?
    You just have to find that sweet spot between the amount of calories where you are still losing, and the amount that will make you gain. You already added 100 a week, so add another 100 for a week or two, and then another. You weight will probably fluctuate a little, so that's why it can be helpful to stay a week or two at a certain intake. Do not panic if you suddenly gain a lb or even a couple - you will weigh a little extra simply by having more food/waste in your system, and from extra water retention. It doesn't mean you've gained fat. Keep experimenting and you'll find your maintenance level. Even if you ended up eating at, for example, 200 calories over your maintenance number, the weight gain would be very gradual. You are absolutely not going to suddenly gain a load of weight over night.

    1300 is not a lot of calories. If you end up maintaining on say, 1800 - that might sound like a lot to you now, but it's really not a huge amount. It's nothing to be afraid of. Chances are, at your age and activity level, it might be more than 1800. It's very common for people's appetites to reduce when they are on a calorie restriction. Equally though, once you start managing to eat more, your appetite should return.

    In the meantime, if you feel full on 1300 calories, the best way to increase is to aim for calorie dense foods like cheese, eggs, chocolate, nuts peanut butter, olive oil (salad dressings, and cooking with oil), full fat dairy, avocados, seeds etc. If you eat any foods that are labelled as "low fat" or "lite", then switch to the full fat versions. It's sometimes easier to drink your calories in the form of smoothies, protein shakes and full fat milk.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
    You can go into your goals and change the setting to maintenance and then your activity level I would set as active since you ride horses. If you still lose weight on that, do a custom calorie goal and add in an extra 100-200 calories.
  • alexveksler
    alexveksler Posts: 409 Member
    I bookmarked this page a long time ago. It has plenty of good information. It is worth checking out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/848374-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners-2013-edition
  • needtoloseafewpounds
    needtoloseafewpounds Posts: 161 Member
    I agree with the other posters that you should add 100 calories maybe once every two weeks. It'll be hard to judge in a day-1 week :)

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