Maintaining my weight is driving me crazy.

khalidenriquez · August 2014

Hi! I'm new here! (Yay) But I have been using the MyFitnessPal app for months now and lost 20 kgs. I'm 5'6", 58 kgs., and 19 years old. I'm a guy, btw.

Moving on, I'm trying to maintain my weight but I'm not sure how. After updating my progress in the app, MyFitnessPal tells me to eat at least 2,100 calories per day. Do I really have to eat 2,100 calories to maintain my weight? My BMR is 1,400 calories per day. Should I follow the app or my BMR? I'm so confused.
ETA: I'm also afraid to eat more than 2,100 bc I think I'll get fat. But most of the time, I eat fish and a lot of fruits.

P.S. My body is fine, I'm thin, but my face seems bloated? A little bit especially in the sides (near my ears).

Another question, is eating Oreo bad? Haha!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · August 2014

You should gradually increase your calories until you're no longer losing. It may be hard to tell at first because increasing calories (and carbs, especially) will make you retain a little water at first. So go slowly to minimize that. I'd probably add 100 calories per week.

As for getting that many calories, add fat. If you were eating anything "diet" (low sugar or low fat) you can go back to the regular versions to add calories. Use full fat dairy. Eat nuts, legumes, avocado, olives, cheese, etc. These foods will give you more calories without adding a lot more volume. Another thing you can do is to eat more often.

At first it seems like a lot of food but you'll adjust and it won't see like much at all.

eta: also you're a 19 year old male so you'll likely need more than 2100. I need about that usually to maintain and I'm 5'4" 125 lb woman.

Spiderkeys · August 2014

2,100 isn't much if you plan on maintaining your current weight for the rest of your life, I was shocked when MFP, only gave me 2,200, but doesn't hurt to occassionally go over here and there, some days Ill eat 2,500 and some days only 2,000, Im ok with this, as long as I don't eat 2,500 everyday.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · August 2014

Also, no. Eating Oreos isn't bad, provided you're hitting your calorie, macro, and micronutrient goals. Personally I prefer ice cream.

mchlsmit · August 2014

Find an online calculator that will tell you your TDEE and go from there.

stephanieluvspb · August 2014

Oreo's are actually the opposite of bad.....they are awesome!!

yankeedownsouth · August 2014

Oreos with ice cream is even better!!!

2100 seems pretty low. I tend to maintain around that and I'm a girl and old!

DopeItUp · August 2014

He's your size so it sounds like he's in the ballpark. It's also his base calories (no exercise) so I think it's just about right. Low 2000s for a 125lb male as a base rate is reasonable.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · August 2014

I missed his weight-- it does seem like a reasonable starting place in that case.

waxon81 · August 2014

Try 2100 for a few weeks, at the end of that period you should know exactly how accurate it was and by how much you will need to adjust if needs be

icrushit · August 2014

Hmm.. 1400 seems very low for your BMR, are you sure that's right ? I'm 35 & 5'10, and my BMR is something like 1950, give or take.

In any event, you do realise BMR is the amount of calories your body would need if you were in a coma ? I'm sure you're more active than that, and a good rough benchmark I've seen is to multiply your BMR by 1.2 if you're sedentary, by 1.4 if you're lightly active, and so on.

Anyway, up your calories slowly would be my suggestion, by perhaps 100 every week, so 1500 every day, then 1600 every day the following week, and so on, until you hit the point where you'r weight is remaining stable. Also by doing it this way, you will be giving your metabolism time to increase, ala reverse dieting theory out there.

khalidenriquez · August 2014

Thanks for the replies, guys! Right now, I'm trying to eat as much as 1,500 calories per day. I don't know why but I can't seem to exceed 1,500 a day and reach what MyFitnessPal has suggested to me (2k calories per day).

Another concern of mine is that I'm also afraid to eat a lot bc my face gets bloated fast. I don't want that to happen.

DYELB · August 2014

You're 19. Eat, drink, and get laid. That's really all you should be worrying about.

llposton · August 2014

OMG, I would not worry about calorie intake to remain at that weight I weigh more than you at 65KG at 5'5 !!! Gutted

I hate when males weigh less than me.. xD

SezxyStef · August 2014

I have one of my own and that's what he does too...doesn't worry about the food unless there isn't any.

@llposton I hear you...*grumbles*

witsend79 · August 2014

At 19 your body is still maturing- your face will fill out, it's absolutely natural and absolutely not fat. Please don't fight that, you'll make yourself really stressed and ill if you do.

I married a man who has always been slim. He's got twin brothers who were always very slim. All 3 of them hit about 20 and their bodies widened. They didn't get fat, they developed their adult bodies with more muscle. It's attractive, go with it

DavPul · August 2014

You're 19, you don't get to maintain weight because your body is still growing.

nxd10 · August 2014

As the mother of two sons who bracket the OP's age, I'm not super happy about the quality of comments the OP gets v what older guys get. Just sayin'. Maybe I'm an old fart. Okay, I AM an old fart. But I still don't like it. It's condescending.

It's easy to get your calories up by eating calorie dense food that's healthy. Drink whole milk - tons of calories and lots of calcium because you may still be growing. Beans. Nuts. Rice. Avocados. Figs. And there are always oreos. Or milkshakes or smoothies (which taste a lot better to me than oreos).

Good advice about slowly upping your calories.

You might think about starting to build some muscle. Lifting and running will both strengthen bones as well as muscle. This is the time in your life to do it. Worry LESS about your weight (if you look at the body charts, you'll see other people are right and that your whole body is going to change and you WILL gain weight as it changes from teen to adult.). Worry more about looking in the mirror or using a tape measure, imo.

erickirb · August 2014

BMR is maintenance in a coma, the minute you wake up move, exercise, walk, sit, you burn more than BMR so if you want to maintain you need to eat maintenance or you will continue to lose. That said you may find your maintenance is closer to 1800 or as high as 2400 it will take some trial and error to pin it down.. I would add though at your weight and height you are near underweight. In my profile pick I am 5'6" 140, now at 148.

Oreo s are not bad, provided you are meeting all of your vitamins, minerals and protein with the remainder of your diet.

dakotababy · August 2014

^ and this is the problem with america. Lets drop the "dont give a **** about your weight" mentality. Child obesity is an issue, incase you missed the memo.

DavPul · August 2014

but....is the OP obese? or even anywhere near obese?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · August 2014

He's about my size. So no.

DYELB · August 2014

Context is also an issue, in case YOU missed the memo

paulperryman · August 2014

Just find out what your TDEE is on a non exercercise orientated day and eat at that, if you are dilligent and weigh everything, you should be able to maintain, but the thing is its not an exact science, you are gonna gain or lose weight, but dont worry aslong as you are staying around your goal weight what does a kg here or there matter not like it's gonna kill you lol.

I'm finding i can't eat enough to maintain now unless i don't exercise at all other then my job which is physical.

itsbasschick · August 2014

your BMR is 1572.44, and that's what your body burns when you're completely at rest - no typing, walking around or going to the bathroom. you should be eating at least 1883.52 if you're doing very little, 2000 or more if you do stuff.

http://www.calories-calculator.net/Daily_Calorie_Calculator.html

if you feel your face is bloated and it's continuous, see a doctor, but if you see it all the time, it could be just the shape your face is. i believe you may need therapy or counseling - your fear of gaining weight doesn't seem healthy, and you seem like you're finding excuses not to eat. please take care of yourself and be well!

khalidenriquez · August 2014

For the past three days, I've been binging on junk food. It worries me so much. I ate 2,500 today and it makes me anxious. I'm afraid that my man boobs will be back if I start gaining weight again.

cwolfman13 · August 2014

I'm 5'10" and pushing 40...I maintain on 2800 calories per day. Your BMR is the calories you burn just existing...you burn those calories if you did noting but sleep and never moved. Of course you have to eat more than that.

Your calorie requirements are dictated by your stats as well as your activity...the more active you are, the more energy (calories) you need. Think of yourself like a car...if you don't go very far and rarely move then you don't need much gas....if you move a lot and cover great distances then you need a lot of gas.

ExRelaySprinter · August 2014

To me, it sounds like you're underweight [as a Male] for your Height.
And at your size, i can't imagine you having "Man Boobs"! Lol
Why not eat reasonably (2200-2500 cals) and healthier foods and just do a bit of weight training a couple times a week to stay toned?

firstsip · August 2014

Or the problem is that the popular mentality thinks puberty ends at 18, and both young men and women get trapped into the horrible cycle of ignorance of nutrition and development, since development is still happening into the early to mid-20s.

OP, I also question your BMR calculation. Where did you get 1,400 from?

colors_fade · August 2014

This just sounds like an unhealthy relationship with food.

Listen - being fit is a lifetime journey. It's a lifestyle you have to life forever. You don't get to lose a few pounds and then suddenly jump on the junk food train. If you do, then yes - you'll gain it all back. And people do. History tells us this.

This is why I caution people so much: don't starve yourself on a diet to lose weight, don't restrict food groups, and form a healthy relationship with food while your'e cutting.

Now that you've reached some kind of goal weight, I have to ask: Are you working out at all? Doing any resistance training? You should be. This is a lifetime event.

Be active. The benefits of physical activity go way beyond creating a calorie deficit for losing weight, or retaining lean muscle mass while cutting.

Eat healthy foods for the majority of your calories. There's nothing wrong with cake, ice cream, chips, whatever - but in moderation. Know your caloric needs based on your activity, and fuel yourself. You don't want to restrict any foods (that's a food disorder waiting to happen), but you don't want to "binge on junk food" either. That's a quick trip back to overweight.

The biggest issue now is just building a healthy relationship with food. Learning how to eat normal portions without having to weigh everything. Learning what full really feels like, and when to quit; when to say, "I'm done."

You have a long life ahead of you. You're young. This is just the beginning.

DavPul · August 2014

2500 ain't no binge. congrats, you finally ate at maintainence. and eating a bunch of junk food isn't unusual for a 19 year old either. make mostly solid food choices, enjoy the junk food when you can, lift something heavy, get good grades, and try to get laid. nothing else really matters right now.

Maintaining my weight is driving me crazy.

Replies

Categories