If 2000 calories is what we should be eating, why do so many people maintain/gain on less?
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It's just an average, plus these hypothetical circumstances generally include a lifestyle that entails actual more movement than most people could ever imagine.0
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I lose weight on 2,000 calories/day.
Everyone has a different metabolism, affected by their lifestyle, their exercise routine, their genetics, etc. I was logging more like 1500 calories/day when I first joined, and I lost over 15% of my body weight. I maintain on closer to
(young, 5'8" female here)0 -
I think 2000 calories is an average amount that factors in different body frames, ages, and heights.
I am quite slim these days, and I eat 1800 calories a day most days, but go up to 2,500 on occasion. I am not active, 27 years old, 5'4 118ish lbs. Medium size frame I think.
So I think 2000 is a estimate, but a "tweak as needed" number. If you are maintaining on 1500, then you must be older, more sedentary, shorter...than the average.
I have heard that a woman recovering from anorexia or starvation needs to eat a minimum of 2,500 calories a day, but I dont have a source for that.0 -
My scale certainly was a big eye opener, and also realizing how big I made my portions when I didn't have a scale.
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The following grammar lesson is brought to you by bacon. "Bacon, the addiction you don't need to hide."
When in doubt, use "who". Even when you're wrong, few people will notice. The word "whom" is an object. A quick check is can you replace it with "him" or "her" and have the sentence still make sense.
Thank you! I finally have a simple way to know if it should be "who" or "whom".
Can you help me with quotation marks? In the sentence above, does the final mark belong before or after the period?0 -
It depends on height/acttivity
For example, I move a lot. I'm also tall for a woman (5ft7.5) therefore I can eat 2000 calories a day and not gain weight.0 -
An average for industrialised countries is 3200 kcal/day for men under 65 and 2460 for similar women (reference below). Variability amongst women was 1/3 that of men.
The physical activity level ( = TDEE / BMR ) averaged 1.81 and 1,72 respectively.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021434/table/tbl1/0 -
Most people are just kidding themselves about the amount they are eating. You just need to look at the forums for that. The amount of people who guarantee that they are eating 1200 calories and not losing weight but when you actually look at their diaries they are just guessing what they are eatingI see so many people claim to eat 2000 calories and that's why they're gaining weight, or so many only eating like 1500 to maintain. After recovery for my eating disorder, lots of nutritionists have told me 2000 calories is actually only sufficient for post menopausal women, most women should be eating atleast 2300 to be in the healthy range and those under 25 2500+. Is it just a slow metabolism due to crash diets/ low calorie diets that lead to the issue of gaining on 2000/maintaining on way less?
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I think a lot of the people who gain at 2000 are older and sedentary. I walk a lot with a Fitbit and still my average daily burn is only 1600-1700.
If you put various data in the TDEE and/or BMR calculators out there, it's easy to see. Older, smaller, females without a lot of activity don't burn much.0 -
I would add it's not 'metabolism damage from crash dieting' or 'post-menopause'. It's just physics. Smaller things take less energy to move around. And older people usually sit at desks and move less instead of waiting tables and working retail.0
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My sons (16 and 17) eat literally twice what I do and are skinny, skinny, skinny. I ate that much then too. I never changed my eating habits or activity level, but I did change my AGE. Maintained slender until I was 40 with two pregnancies and no dieting. Gained 15 pounds then and maintained. Hit 50 and started to gain rapidly. With MFP I know that I need to eat less now - first t o lose and now to maintain.
I now maintain at a net of 1680 (more than two years and counting). And I'm a tall, active woman.0 -
And this is SO true. Big portions. Snacking. And not knowing what their high calorie items really are.
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The following grammar lesson is brought to you by bacon. "Bacon, the addiction you don't need to hide."
When in doubt, use "who". Even when you're wrong, few people will notice. The word "whom" is an object. A quick check is can you replace it with "him" or "her" and have the sentence still make sense.
Thank you! I finally have a simple way to know if it should be "who" or "whom".
Can you help me with quotation marks? In the sentence above, does the final mark belong before or after the period?
That's a stylistic or regional decision. Although, I am certain you're pointing it out because you believe it is incorrect. When end punctuation (e.g. a period) is not specifically part of what is being quoted there are two accepted ways to handle it. Generally, the US places it inside and the UK places it outside. The practice of placing it outside is gaining ground in the US, particularly among those who work in fields like programming where a period may change the meaning from what is intended.
In short, either is fine and both are considered standard English. If you're turning in a paper at an American school or university, prefer the inside placement unless you have prior experience with the instructor that confirms their awareness and acceptance of the outside placement.
As an aside, I spent a lot of time in a computer field where placing it outside was preferred. Because of that, I have a strong personal preference for outside placement. I believe it is more consistent and logical. But, English isn't known for being consistent and logical.0 -
I don't think it's accurate that everyone needs to eat at the 2000 calorie or more ... it does really depend on your basal metabolic rate (BMR) ... you can use the calculator here on MFP .... That would be the minimum calories needed and it varies based on gender, age and current weight.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
... What is your BMR?
Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.
Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise.
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equations to estimate your BMR which is believed to be more accurate than the more commonly used Harris-Benedict equation.
For example, a 23 year old woman weighing 145 pounds and measuring 5 feet 4 inches had a BMR of 1398 calories ... and then needs to fuel for all the activity she does ... but she would not want to drop below that amount. That same woman, at the same weight but now 70 years old has a BMR of 1163 calories ... because her metabolism has slowed down over the years. She could eat all she wanted as long as she burned off the extra calores and not go below her BMR. (I don't know what the medical repurcussions, if any , of eating below your BMR might be.)
Of course, if that same woman, was 250 pounds at age 23, her BMR would be 1874 and she probably would eat at least 2000 calories a day. While, at age 70 her BMR at 250 pounds would be 1639 ...
Check your own BMR out ... it's kind of fun to do.
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