Eating at goal maintenance?

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ambiences
ambiences Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hiya friends. i know there are probably plenty of posts about this but i'm having difficulty finding them.
i'm 201 pounds, and 5'2, age 18 (female)
my goal weight as of right now is 135-140 pounds.
my current calorie goal is 1350. my current maintenance is is 1976.
however, wouldn't it make sense to eat at the maintenance of my ideal weight? or maybe 100 cals below it?
at 140 pounds my maintenance would be 1644.
can someone give me some advice on the calorie goals i should be setting? is 1350 too low? i don't want to crash and burn and go back to my old habits after reaching my goal!

Replies

  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    It makes sense to me. I always kept my goal weight numbers in sight. It really comes down to how fast you want to lose. If you are patient, and can enjoy good meals at the 1644 number, I say go for it. You will also be training yourself on how to eat for life.
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
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    You can absolutely eat at your goal weight maintenance, just understand that it'll take longer to get down to your goal weight. It might be a good introduction into calorie counting though. Tr it for two or three months and see how it feels. If you're losing and feel good, maybe drop it down some. If you like your rate of loss, keep it there. I think it's referred to as "Eating for the New You".
  • ambiences
    ambiences Posts: 65 Member
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    Yeah! Thank you guys! Maybe I'll eat just under that maintenance to speed it up little, maybe around 1500!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    figure out how much weight you are comfortable losing per week, say you have a 1.5 lb weekly goal. One lb fat is 3500 calories so you would want to lose 5250 calories off your weekly total so the deficit should be 5250/7 days = 750 calorie deficit per day. At 1976 your goal should be 1226 to lose the 1.5 lbs per week. Now if you are exercising and burning 250 calories you can increase your intake by 250 and still reach your deficit. It can be tough in the beginning but it will get easier and eventually become a way of life. You will feel so good when you reach your goal (and during the process) you won't want to go back. Clear?
  • ambiences
    ambiences Posts: 65 Member
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    Yes that is very clear! Maybe I'll stick to the 1350 and use that as my goal because 1226 seems almost impossible since I don't exercise much.. However, when I go back to school I'll definitely be burning more because I can utilize the gym!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    lots of things are exercise. Walking somewhere instead of driving, climbing stairs instead of elevator. Start with the little things because they are so easy
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I'm going to assume that you are talking about net maintenance for being sedentary - no exercise included. Your numbers sound like low estimates to me. Even without exercise involved my maintenance at your goal weight is higher than what you currently claim to be your maintenance now, and that's just because I get a few hours of walking and standing every day on average. Nothing more though than walking to/from class (like half hour in a day), walking home from the bus, and standing around at home while cooking and showering.

    You can eat at your estimated maintenance for goal weight, but just understand that it might not actually be your end maintenance. It would probably be easier if you ate at your currently estimated maintenance for a month to see if you actually maintain, and if you do then go ahead and subtract 20% from that. But at 200lbs I'd bet that you maintain on more than 1900 even though you are short, unless you legit only move to go pee and spend the rest of your life in bed and in chairs.

    I just estimated your maintenance using a calculator that tends to estimate lower for higher weights, guessing 10hrs of reclining/sleep and 1.5hrs of standing/walking a day (very feasible for most), and the rest sitting. It estimates your maintenance without exercise as over 2300 calories.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Weight loss slacks off for many people around the six month mark. If you are eating as little as possible now, what will you do then?

    You might want to give yourself some room to drop, if you can.

    Try to lose slowly. It may help your skin keep up with you. It gives you time to learn new eating habits, which takes time! New habits require tweaking and paying attention to what works and what doesn't.

    My best advice is to pay a visit to the doctor. He will help you set good calorie goals and can answer your basic weight loss questions. All weight loss journeys should be overseen by a doctor.

    There are many places online to get estimates of what might be right for you, if you want to g that route.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    How do we figure out our goal weight maintenance?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You were given the 1350, based on the goals you set. The more aggressively you try to lose, the less calories you will be allotted.

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