Help me please?

If you aren't going to count calories, it doesn't really matter how many calories people tell you to eat.

Have you tried putting your data into MFP and setting your goal to maintain?

marissla wrote: »

For my whole life I've had trouble with maintaining my weight. I would either eat too much or too little. I'm at my goal weight right now , 5'4 and 117 pounds. I'm also 20. The problem is I don't know how much calories to eat, I'm terrified of gaining weight (all the effort for no reason) and I also don't want to lose weight..so the trial and error I don't know. I currently eat 1300~1600 calories a day.
Can I eat 1800 calories everyday, along with 30 minutes of exercise daily (low intensity, dancing) and maintain my weight. Oh yeah, I also don't want to count calories anymore, I know what everything is soo... I have a good understanding. I sit all day because of school then the computer, besides walking to the kitchen or classes, I don't move much. How many calories can I eat to maintain my weight? I'm so sick of stressing out over this, I don't want to lose anymore and definitely do NOT want to gain an ounce.
Thanks for any help!

The part I bolded kind of screams disordered thinking, unfortunately. Weight fluctuates. No way around that. You are not going to weigh exactly 117 pounds all day every day. It might be 115, it might be 120, too many factors involved to settle on 1 number.

As for suggestions, well, yeah, if you aren't going to weigh, measure, and count, then I can't suggest anything. Keep an eye on the scale. If weight continues trending up over a couple weeks, eat a bit less. If it keeps trending down over a couple weeks, eat a bit more.

Not much more to be said.

Why not keep logging? That would give you peace of mind.

If you are as concerned as you say you are about gaining (even an ounce), you're going to need some kind of action to accompany your goal.

If you're not counting calories, then giving you a calorie target doesn't make sense. And it's normal to fluctuate 2-5 lb. based on hydration, solid and liquid waste retention, etc.

You might want to look into intuitive eating. I don't have any experience with this program myself, but I've read things on MFP forums from people who have had success with it.

If your main concern is weight/fat gain, you could also consider getting an Internet-enabled scale that measures body fat. Those fat measurements are not very accurate—so don't freak out about the numbers that the scale gives—but you can use them to track the trend, with a site such as TrendWeight.com. What you can do is calculate (or have the site calculate) your exponentially smoothed moving average weight, and if the average goes up by more than 2 pounds, you know you're gaining weight. You can then see if the body fat has also gone up, and if either of the trends worries you, take action. That's what I plan to do as I transition to maintenance after having lost 64 pounds.

marissla wrote: »

I admit I do have some disordered eating, but it's a five year long journey. I don't care if the weight fluctuates, I just don't want to gain fat. I'm okay with weighing more, but I don't actually want to gain FAT. Counting calories everyday makes me obsess sooo badly, and I think about how much I'm eating, so I can't do it...it's so frustrating.

Then do it the "easy" way. Yes it's in quotes because it isn't really "easy." You said you weigh 117 right now. So add and subtract 5 pounds. So now you have a range from 112-122. Just eat, be mindful, but don't track if it sets you off. Keep an eye on your weight with weekly weigh ins. If you see your weight moving up, be ok with it as long as it stays below 122, because most likely it will move back down again the next time you weigh (remember, if you drink a 20 oz bottle of water, you've just gained a 1.25 pounds if you immediately jump on a scale, which is why I say set a range.) If you hit 122 or go above, cut back a little on what you've been eating to settle it back down. If you see it going down under 117, again, just keep an eye on it. If it bottoms out and hits 112, just eat a little more to see it head back up.

That's maintenance, in a nutshell. The key (and admittedly the hardest part) is not to panic at every fluctuation.

MyaPapaya75 wrote: »

I think you have to really take a healthy approach to eating/exercise if your not going to count calories...at least think before you eat (I'm not saying you don't now) but in order to maintain your going to have to be diligent lots of veggies, fruits, lean meats and plenty of water. Eat Smart...less junk less processed foods and certainly more than 30min of working out you are going to have to put in an effort to live an active lifestyle..

None of this is at all true. The OP's current eating choices and workout routines are just fine for her maintenance, regardless of whether or not she's actively counting calories or not. To suggest otherwise makes no sense at all.