Women who eat 2000 calories a day...

HowSheHeals
HowSheHeals Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
I am looking for women who actually eat 2000 calories a day! Recently, I have recovered from an eating disorder and am used to eating this amount daily...I find it nearly impossible to eat less than 2000 calories, and find myself quite hungry if I fall short! I exercise regularly and eat healthily 70% of the time...I probably am aiming for health more than weight loss.

I would love to have some friends who eat a similar amount, especially females! I have tried trawling through the site and I am quite shocked by how little some people eat...even though I know everybody's bodies are different. So, yeah, if there are females who eat out there I would love to get to know you and hear about your experiences. Have you gained weight, lost weight, do you feel better overall? This site makes me feel very panicky about eating 2000 calories a day!
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Replies

  • Rebeccas_Life
    Rebeccas_Life Posts: 58 Member
    Hi there! I consistently eat between 1800-2000+ every day and last week I lost 2.6 lbs. ... I am on my feet most of the day, however (I work with students), and so that's likely the reason I can eat that much and lose.

    I'm glad that you're recovering, and it sounds like you have the right mindset and activity level to hit those target calories. I enjoy food too much to drastically cut my calories ~ as long as I feel healthier and the scale moves slowly downward, I'm happy! :)
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I do! My goal has been set at 2000 cals a day for over two years now. I reached goal weight about two and a half years ago and I've pretty much maintained since then. I aim for 1800-2000 a day, depending on the day's activities.

    Current goal is to continue to lower body fat percentage bit by bit, and to stay fit, strong and healthy with regular exercise (weights and some cardio). My diary is open, feel free to check it out if you want - although there are some recent gaps and quick added cals, which are rare for me, but I have been very busy and doing some traveling the past few weeks, so made some exceptions to my regular, mostly accurate logging! :p
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I eat around 2000 calories per day. I am also more focused on health than weight, although I have happily lost a few pounds eating this much. Feel free to add me and check out my diary! Good luck with your recovery.
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    I aim for 1800 to 2000 kcal a day to lose a few kilos (slowly). I've started to lift weights in July so my goal has shifted from weight loss to losing fat, gaining strength and overall badassery :blush:
  • StraubreyR
    StraubreyR Posts: 631 Member
    Another 1800-2000 calorie a day person. I am losing--slowly, which is fine with me. I exercise quite a bit, and if I don't eat enough I run out of energy.
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    I do. I've consistently eaten between 1700-2200 the past 3 years. I lift heavy 3x week as my primary fitness. I'm continuing to work on body recomp.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Also have an ED history here. I eat from 1800 - 2800 calories or so, depending on my daily exercise. I am trying to lose a little weight, but not much, and being tall, I do not tend to go lower than 1800 a day. Feel free to add. There are a lot on here eating 2000 + a day, you just need to learn to filter out those who are eating the more traditional 'weight loss' calorie amounts or find people who are in maintenance.
  • Runcakes
    Runcakes Posts: 92 Member
    I do! I run a lot, so I'm usually eating between 1800-2100 cals a day. Like you, I'm also focusing on health rather than weight loss. I would constantly be hungry and I would not be able to function if I was eating less than 1500 calories a day.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    I can't function properly if I go below around 1700, and most days I eat around 2000. Im also in recovery so I try to focus on health and fitness. Being overly restrictive is just as dangerous for me as binging.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    I do. I'm 5'3" and 112 pounds. Unless I'm really inactive on a particular day, I'm losing half a pound per week on 1900 to 2300 calories per day, usually 2000+.
  • rachelwilliams355
    rachelwilliams355 Posts: 3 Member
    Me !! I'm still trying to find the right calorie intake but I typically eat about 2000 sometimes over, but never lower than 1700 and i lost 1.1 pounds this week ! I tried to eat the 1700 but found myself way too hungry! I too and so surprised by how little some people eat. However I do tend to subconsciously over estimate calorie jntake and underestimate my calories burned. But I'm on my feet 4 days a week at work at a hospital as a nursing assistant and lift twice a week. Occasionally Ill add in a run once a week and/or in an extra strength train day, or will hike if weathers nice... So I don't think I could get by eatif any less than I do. I'm trying just make nutrient meals that are filling but less calories, and also to cut out the useless snacks.. Like whe co workers bring in munchkins or the 4 drunk pizza slices
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    Runcakes wrote: »
    I do! I run a lot, so I'm usually eating between 1800-2100 cals a day. Like you, I'm also focusing on health rather than weight loss. I would constantly be hungry and I would not be able to function if I was eating less than 1500 calories a day.


    How much do you weigh and how tall are you? I also run and do a variety of exercises but have lost weight. Down from 168 to 145 but would still like to get down to 135-140. I am 5'6. Just wondering if I'm eating too low at 1200 calories a day. I feel tired and grumpy a lot lol. I had eaten at this calorie deficit to lose 21 lbs but now thinking I should increase my calories.
  • ekat120
    ekat120 Posts: 407 Member
    joobey wrote: »
    Runcakes wrote: »
    I do! I run a lot, so I'm usually eating between 1800-2100 cals a day. Like you, I'm also focusing on health rather than weight loss. I would constantly be hungry and I would not be able to function if I was eating less than 1500 calories a day.


    How much do you weigh and how tall are you? I also run and do a variety of exercises but have lost weight. Down from 168 to 145 but would still like to get down to 135-140. I am 5'6. Just wondering if I'm eating too low at 1200 calories a day. I feel tired and grumpy a lot lol. I had eaten at this calorie deficit to lose 21 lbs but now thinking I should increase my calories.

    I'm 5'7" and 140, and I would be miserable on 1200. According to my Fitbit, which seems to be pretty accurate for me, my maintenance is 2200-2300 (8-10k steps of walking most days, plus 20-30 miles of running most weeks).
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Hi Howsheheals,

    I eat around 2,000 calories most days. 48 years old, 5'9" maintaining 135 for now.

    Also recovered from eating disorder, 25 years now and guess what? Nothing blew up :) My lowest weight was near 90, lowest healthy weight 123, highest non pregnant close to 150 after 4th baby, and I settle around 130 most of the time.

    Why are you scared of 2,000? Do you think it will make you get too big? Or are you worried it's not enough? Talk to your doctor if you are really anxious about it.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I eat 2000 calories a day a lot....but it's because I'm over my calorie goal alot. lol. I'm only 5'3" and I sit in a desk all day. My actual TDEE without exercise is only 1900 or so....My daily limit is set at 1440, but I eat all my exercise calories, usually putting me around 1700 for the day.
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
    I'm typically closer to 1600, just due to satiety. However, I do hit around 2000 total (not net) when I work out. 1800 is my comfy place.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited May 2016
    I eat average of 2200 cals (I'm 5ft 2/46 yrs ). Some days I'll have 1800 and others 2300...it all balances out. Ice maintained my weight loss goal for 3 years.

    I no longer log my food, I don't have to :smiley: maintenance is a breeze because I'm so active/fit :smile:
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 423 Member
    ekat120 wrote: »
    joobey wrote: »
    Runcakes wrote: »
    I do! I run a lot, so I'm usually eating between 1800-2100 cals a day. Like you, I'm also focusing on health rather than weight loss. I would constantly be hungry and I would not be able to function if I was eating less than 1500 calories a day.


    How much do you weigh and how tall are you? I also run and do a variety of exercises but have lost weight. Down from 168 to 145 but would still like to get down to 135-140. I am 5'6. Just wondering if I'm eating too low at 1200 calories a day. I feel tired and grumpy a lot lol. I had eaten at this calorie deficit to lose 21 lbs but now thinking I should increase my calories.

    I'm 5'7" and 140, and I would be miserable on 1200. According to my Fitbit, which seems to be pretty accurate for me, my maintenance is 2200-2300 (8-10k steps of walking most days, plus 20-30 miles of running most weeks).

    So you're where you want to be right? I'm just wondering if when I get to where I want to be, if when I eat at maintenance which is more calories, if I will feel satisfied or is it hard sticking to that amount? I think my maintenance will be around 1800.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
    I eat between 1,750ish to 2,000+ calories per day. 5'2.5'/66 years old on maintenance at 127 lbs. I've lost 52 lbs. total. I'm most comfortable around 1,800 - 1,875ish per day; over that amount I start to feel really full. I use a Fitbit to determine calorie burn and average 25,000 steps per day -- this includes my gym works outs 4Xs per week of lifting & cardio. Online calculators guesstimate my TDEE around 1,850ish so they seem to be pretty accurate.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I am 5'2, age 41, and currently maintaining my 30 lb loss with a TDEE of 2200 according to my FitBit
    My calorie goal on MFP is still set at 1750, but I eat back all my exercise calorie adjustments. I probably average 1900-2100 most days, I leave a little bit of a buffer for weekend indulgences and to account for logging inaccuracy.

    There are a lot of people on MFP who set too aggressive of weight loss goals, selecting 2lbs/week rate of loss, and end up with a calorie goal of 1200. Many people get in a hurry to lose, so they are looking for the fastest possible loss. Additionally, others don't seem to understand the importance of maintaining a moderate deficit to preserve lean body mass, so they don't understand the "net" goal that MFP uses and that they should be eating back exercise calories.

    I often chime into threads about calorie goals and suggest that MOST people can lose weight eating more than 1200 cals. It is not always well received though... people cling to that 1200 cal level like a safety blanket for some reason.

    I also wish I could remember who coined this phrase so I could tag them, but there is a MFP Veteran who says, "the winner is the person who eats the most food and still loses weight". I have tried to follow that philosophy throughout my 3 year tenure here, and it has served me well as I achieved my goals and never felt deprived at all during the process.

  • she_lived_wholly_forevermore
    she_lived_wholly_forevermore Posts: 179 Member
    I was sticking to a set number between 1490 and 1750 even if I burned way more. I decided that I needed to focus on netting 1200 because I wasn't eating enough. I now eat between 1390 and 2300 depending on what my Fitbit gives me but even on rest days I can't make myself sit still for very long so I tend to eat at least 2k daily in general. I've only just started this test and fully expected a gain but instead the scale dropped so win-win for me. I love to eat.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
    What @WinoGelato says, totally, 100%. I lived by that rule -- eat the most food you can and still lose weight.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I mentioned this in another thread earlier today but I think I actually eat more now than I did before I lost the weight - because I am so much more active than I used to be. I have a desk job, so by MFP classifications I should be set at sedentary, but I walk and do circuit training, averaging 15K steps/day and that's how I've been able to get my TDEE up. I tell people on here all the time that I'm no special snowflake and I'm not killing myself running marathons or lifting extremely heavy weights. I just tried to increase my activity level a little bit at a time, and my calorie allowance and appetite has thanked me....
  • BellaNor
    BellaNor Posts: 13 Member
    Love this thread. Thanks OP! I average between 1900 and 2000 calories a day. I am 5'4 and a half and weight 148. Starting weight was 156 lbs. I would like to get down to anywhere between 124 and 130 but am in no hurry. I just set my minimum to 1800 because I am still nursing my toddler. I am happy to be losing weight eating as much as I am. Here is a post I made about my TDEE. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10380459/help-me-reverse-engineer-my-tdee

    I was surprised it was so high, but I am not complaining :smiley: . As @WinoGelato said, if I can lose weight while eating normally, more power to me :wink:
  • kgracesch
    kgracesch Posts: 33 Member
    Love this thread! I find so many women eat way too little calories and it makes me question myself sometimes :( . I eat between 1700-2200 a day depending on activity level. If I am working out consistently (5-6 days a week including lifting and cardio) then I am around 2,000-2,200. I maintain on over 2000 and lose if I eat under 2000. I am 5'10 and 146 lbs with a lot of muscle. If I eat under 1700 I am starving, moody and tired. It is so important to listen to your body day to day and eat. When I went to a nutritionist he said I had to eat between 1700-2000 for my "perfect" body fat percentage that I was going for, but not his recommendation per say. Healthy fat, complex carbs, lean protein, fruit, veggies, oils - eat up ladies! <3<3<3 Your body loves you, give it beautiful, filling, energizing and nurturing fuel and move it around a lot.
  • kgracesch
    kgracesch Posts: 33 Member
    edited December 2016
    I should add that when I do want to slim down a little I set myself for .5lbs (half a pound) a week and stick to 2000 calories. So it is slow but easily maintained, gradual and a gentle way for the body to shed a little extra cushion when summer comes. I used to be so hard on myself and push my body when I was younger. It took a lot of mental and emotional care to come to a place where health and compassion is more important than appearance and fast weight loss.
  • kgracesch
    kgracesch Posts: 33 Member
    this is the most inspiring thread I have found on MFP! Hooray for 2000 calorie eating and health.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,735 Member
    edited December 2016
    I eat about 1800-2000 most days, because I exercise a lot. MFP gives me 1200, with the goal of losing 1 lb. a week. I walk 2-3 miles a day and run 30-40 mpw so 1200 would kill me. I eat back all my exercise calories and am still losing weight. I'm currently 5'6", 130 lbs, age 60.
  • ChampagneBurst
    ChampagneBurst Posts: 14 Member
    I think that 2000 calories is probably considered normal for women on the taller side on the right side of 25.

    I can't add to evidence tho as I'm on 1000- 1200 as I'm crazy short and recovering from an injury and on the wrong side of 25.

    This is ok for my body. It feels good. I am not deprived or starving or lacking energy.

    But regardless of what is right for other people and what this app tells you - listen to what your body needs. The fact that you are able to state that you are recovering from an eating disorder means that you have developed good judgement. Listen to it. No one on here has going to have your body or has a better idea of what is right for it than you.

    I can't tell if this post is astonished shock at suspected widespread eating disorders or is genuinely concerned that she should be eating less but is still hungry.

    If it's the former don't bother reading on.

    You are recovering from an eating disorder. That is huge. You are courageous and amazing. You've already done the best thing for your wellbeing possible by getting diagnosed and treated successfully.

    You already know when to push yourself, when to not be too hard on yourself and how to self motivate. Use that. Trust it.

    I can imagine it must be hugely overwhelming to try and figure out what is "normal" food wise right now. But the thing is there isn't such a thing and it's always going to be what is normal for you. No one else's experience in their body is going to give you a map to yours.

    If you are hungry on your recommended calories. Then don't follow the recommendations so rigorously right now. They just express statistical averages applied to nutrition advice. Experiment with adding another 200. Then by adding more protein - it helps you feel fuller longer. Find the level where you aren't starving hungry and are satiated and are also losing weight (if that is your goal - if not ignore!)

    Drink water. Often things happen to confuse the brain about whether it is hungry or thirsty and I've heard somewhere that it's good to drink a glass of water before each meal to make sure the full signals get through after.

    Then in two months. Reduce the calories above 2000 by fifty a day. In another month or when it feels comfortable and you aren't hungry reduce it slightly again.

    It's the little changes you make over time that make the difference as you already know. Not if you kick all the goals straight up and nothing is going to work for you if you feel deprived.

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    ChampagneBurst wrote: »
    I think that 2000 calories is probably considered normal for women on the taller side on the right side of 25.

    I can't add to evidence tho as I'm on 1000- 1200 as I'm crazy short and recovering from an injury and on the wrong side of 25.

    This is ok for my body. It feels good. I am not deprived or starving or lacking energy.

    But regardless of what is right for other people and what this app tells you - listen to what your body needs. The fact that you are able to state that you are recovering from an eating disorder means that you have developed good judgement. Listen to it. No one on here has going to have your body or has a better idea of what is right for it than you.

    I can't tell if this post is astonished shock at suspected widespread eating disorders or is genuinely concerned that she should be eating less but is still hungry.

    If it's the former don't bother reading on.

    You are recovering from an eating disorder. That is huge. You are courageous and amazing. You've already done the best thing for your wellbeing possible by getting diagnosed and treated successfully.

    You already know when to push yourself, when to not be too hard on yourself and how to self motivate. Use that. Trust it.

    I can imagine it must be hugely overwhelming to try and figure out what is "normal" food wise right now. But the thing is there isn't such a thing and it's always going to be what is normal for you. No one else's experience in their body is going to give you a map to yours.

    If you are hungry on your recommended calories. Then don't follow the recommendations so rigorously right now. They just express statistical averages applied to nutrition advice. Experiment with adding another 200. Then by adding more protein - it helps you feel fuller longer. Find the level where you aren't starving hungry and are satiated and are also losing weight (if that is your goal - if not ignore!)

    Drink water. Often things happen to confuse the brain about whether it is hungry or thirsty and I've heard somewhere that it's good to drink a glass of water before each meal to make sure the full signals get through after.

    Then in two months. Reduce the calories above 2000 by fifty a day. In another month or when it feels comfortable and you aren't hungry reduce it slightly again.

    It's the little changes you make over time that make the difference as you already know. Not if you kick all the goals straight up and nothing is going to work for you if you feel deprived.

    OP posted that two years ago... regardless, I didn't get that she was struggling with her mindset about her eating disorder or what to do with her calories. She was looking for other women who eat a good amount of calories and still meet their weight, health and fitness goals - the responses have been very positive and encouraging toward people who have a misconception that certain people have to eat low calories in order to be successful. Even your statements that 2000 is only for taller women under 25 seems to perpetuate that misunderstanding, as I myself am petite (5'2) and over 40 and eat >2000 cals to maintain.

    Good luck with your injury recovery.

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