how to "maintain" your current weight!! (BASICS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW) !!

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AlvinsonFit1994
AlvinsonFit1994 Posts: 9
edited March 2015 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So you're here because you want to know what your calorie intake should be for you to stay just like you are ( maintenance ).

Maintenance means: you're NOT gaining any weight and you are NOT losing any fat.
You are just trying to keep your current shape/weight.

Here we go..

Remember this: If you're a active person that means " x17 "
If you're not a active person that means " x14 "

Step on your weight scale (lbs)...
Your end results ( your weight in pounds lbs)
you multiple it with 14 If your not a active person...
If you are a active person you multiple your end result ( your weight in pounds lbs) with 17.

Example.

My current weight is 185 lbs..
I'm very active i go to the a gym 6 times a week, so in my case i will be using x17.
My body weight (LBS) x 17.

185 X 17 = 3,145

so my calorie intake a day should be around 3,145Calories i will just go with 3,000 calories a day...Now Remember it's not accurate its now up to you to find you balance point.
If I'm tracking my weight for about 1 or 2 week i see that my weight has dropped im just going to add 250 calories up so than i will be eating 3250 calories a day.
And if I'm tracking my weight and i see i gained weight i willl just drop 250 calories of my daily intake.
so that i will be eating 2750 calories a day.
Remember I'm traing to maintain my weight.

hope this was helpful for you guys, i just think this is the basics everyone should know..

let me know if it was helpful or if you guys liked it and i will keep posting more helpful post for anyone who is trying to gain, lose, or maintain their weight.

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Replies

  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
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    Multiplied it by my lowest weight (105 x 17) and got 1785 (obviously haha). A bit accurate as I consume around 1750 cals a day and am maintaining. But would still go with TDEE calculators or what MFP recommends to begin and observe where maintenancr lies from there.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    "Maintenance means: you're NOT gaining any weight and you are NOT losing any fat.
    You are just trying to keep your current shape/weight."

    Disagree - there are a lot of us recomping, losing fat and adding lean mass slowly. Continuous improvement doesn't stop just because you have hit your goal weight.

    You really needed to state your formula is a TDEE formula - MyFitnessPal isn't a TDEE calculator. Don't really see any advantage in your basic formula over going to one of the many more sophisticated TDEE calculators that are available.

    IMHO changing the method you use to determine your calorie balance when you get to maintenance is absolutely the worst time to do so. You would be changing something that has worked and throwing away all your data. People hitting goal would be better advised to calculate their own TDEE from the last 4 weeks of their own data which would compensate for food logging inaccuracy.

    In reality all the calculators and formulas just give a start point so your formula would be a valid way for someone just getting started to come up with an initial TDEE goal from which to adjust based on results.
  • AlvinsonFit1994
    AlvinsonFit1994 Posts: 9
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    sijomial wrote: »
    "Maintenance means: you're NOT gaining any weight and you are NOT losing any fat.
    You are just trying to keep your current shape/weight."

    Disagree - there are a lot of us recomping, losing fat and adding lean mass slowly. Continuous improvement doesn't stop just because you have hit your goal weight.

    You really needed to state your formula is a TDEE formula - MyFitnessPal isn't a TDEE calculator. Don't really see any advantage in your basic formula over going to one of the many more sophisticated TDEE calculators that are available.

    IMHO changing the method you use to determine your calorie balance when you get to maintenance is absolutely the worst time to do so. You would be changing something that has worked and throwing away all your data. People hitting goal would be better advised to calculate their own TDEE from the last 4 weeks of their own data which would compensate for food logging inaccuracy.

    In reality all the calculators and formulas just give a start point so your formula would be a valid way for someone just getting started to come up with an initial TDEE goal from which to adjust based on results.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    why would you not just set MFP to maintenance and eat to that number and then adjust as necessary?

    Or, if you do TDEE use a calculator to figure out your maintenance level and eat to that number, and adjust as necessary? < that is who I figured out my cut/gain/maintenance levels and I have them down almost perfectly now…

    why do we need complex formulas?????
  • AlvinsonFit1994
    AlvinsonFit1994 Posts: 9
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    AlvinsonFit1994 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    "Maintenance means: you're NOT gaining any weight and you are NOT losing any fat.
    You are just trying to keep your current shape/weight."

    Disagree - there are a lot of us recomping, losing fat and adding lean mass slowly. Continuous improvement doesn't stop just because you have hit your goal weight.

    You really needed to state your formula is a TDEE formula - MyFitnessPal isn't a TDEE calculator. Don't really see any advantage in your basic formula over going to one of the many more sophisticated TDEE calculators that are available.

    IMHO changing the method you use to determine your calorie balance when you get to maintenance is absolutely the worst time to do so. You would be changing something that has worked and throwing away all your data. People hitting goal would be better advised to calculate their own TDEE from the last 4 weeks of their own data which would compensate for food logging inaccuracy.

    In reality all the calculators and formulas just give a start point so your formula would be a valid way for someone just getting started to come up with an initial TDEE goal from which to adjust based on results.
    sjio this is not only for bodybuild this may be for a person who just go to the gym to do a 30 min cardio session or that doest even gym.
    but remember your still burning calories by walking, talking, breathing, brushing your teeth.
    if your liftinf its obviously you will gain lean mass slowly and by slowly i mean SLOWLY it's gonna get frustrating because your not even going to notice it.
    And when your lifting and your on a maintenance session it's obviously you gaining mass but slowly.
    If you wanna gain muscle and your on a maintenance session you are going to gain mass but very slowly and it depends on what your macros are because if your low on protein i will guarantee you you wont see a difference for months. That why its called maintenance. If you wanna gains gast weight you go for " Clean bulking ".

  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
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    Maintenance means maintaining a current body weight. Body composition at that maintenance weight is variable, not fixed.

    My TDEE is approx. 1900. I determined this based on my calorie consumption and weight loss over a longer period of time.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,452 Member
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    The calculation doesn't work for me - I get too high a number. I would gain if I ate that much.
  • AlvinsonFit1994
    AlvinsonFit1994 Posts: 9
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    It works for me if i remove 250 cal but hey everyone has different body type so do what works for you
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    edited March 2015
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    AlvinsonFit1994 wrote: »
    It works for me if i remove 250 cal but hey everyone has different body type so do what works for you

    Not only body type differs, but age & gender are factors. My "multiplier" is about 12 - this with walking 4-7 miles mostly outside, every day, and weight training twice a week (NROLFW) - as determined by the data I have been keeping.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    AlvinsonFit1994 wrote: »
    AlvinsonFit1994 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    "Maintenance means: you're NOT gaining any weight and you are NOT losing any fat.
    You are just trying to keep your current shape/weight."

    Disagree - there are a lot of us recomping, losing fat and adding lean mass slowly. Continuous improvement doesn't stop just because you have hit your goal weight.

    You really needed to state your formula is a TDEE formula - MyFitnessPal isn't a TDEE calculator. Don't really see any advantage in your basic formula over going to one of the many more sophisticated TDEE calculators that are available.

    IMHO changing the method you use to determine your calorie balance when you get to maintenance is absolutely the worst time to do so. You would be changing something that has worked and throwing away all your data. People hitting goal would be better advised to calculate their own TDEE from the last 4 weeks of their own data which would compensate for food logging inaccuracy.

    In reality all the calculators and formulas just give a start point so your formula would be a valid way for someone just getting started to come up with an initial TDEE goal from which to adjust based on results.
    sjio this is not only for bodybuild this may be for a person who just go to the gym to do a 30 min cardio session or that doest even gym.
    but remember your still burning calories by walking, talking, breathing, brushing your teeth.
    if your liftinf its obviously you will gain lean mass slowly and by slowly i mean SLOWLY it's gonna get frustrating because your not even going to notice it.
    And when your lifting and your on a maintenance session it's obviously you gaining mass but slowly.
    If you wanna gain muscle and your on a maintenance session you are going to gain mass but very slowly and it depends on what your macros are because if your low on protein i will guarantee you you wont see a difference for months. That why its called maintenance. If you wanna gains gast weight you go for " Clean bulking ".
    I'm not a bodybuilder. Are there many 55 year old bodybuilders around?
    I lift for strength, health and enjoyment - plus maybe a little vanity. :smile:

    I'm mostly a cyclist (although granted not one with the typical cyclist body shape!). I neither want to bulk or cut as both would be detrimental to my performance. Recomp is not at all frustrating - it's living my life and enjoying both my food and my training.
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
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    Hmm yer 105 times 17 gives me 1785.. I would waste away on so few calories!!
  • AlvinsonFit1994
    AlvinsonFit1994 Posts: 9
    edited March 2015
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    Most important of all is to do whatever the *kitten* you wanna do
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Can't tell if you're pissed at me for telling you that formula just wouldn't work for me.. Myfitnesspal gives me 2020 I have at least that then a fair few of my excersize calories to maintain my weight and not lose..
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Bit simplistic as it doesn't take into account sex, age or lean muscle mass.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Scooby's calculator, personal records and a heart rate monitor for the win!

    Sorry OP thanks for trying, but we are all extremely experienced and it has taken many of us decades to all reach the same conclusion, hence the 'passionate' replies.
  • indexgoofy
    indexgoofy Posts: 7 Member
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    Actually, that helps me just in terms of a baseline. My 'passionate' reply is "Thank you."

    My calculation is about 2,000 calories/day to maintain. That feels a lot nicer than 1,200 when trying to lose major pounds. It is just good to have a basic sanity check. Everyone knows this advice is not gospel, and we have to find the balance that works for each of us. So let the haters hate. Others of us will appreciate!
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    That means at 152 and using the non active number I'd have 2128 calories to maintain. MFP gives me 1840. That's a huge difference. And I'm having a hard time doing the 1840. I never thought I'd be one of those that would have a hard time eating more, but I am.

    I'm not sure I want to try to eat 2128 and see what happens. But thanks for the pep talk.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    kristen6350 wrote: »
    That means at 152 and using the non active number I'd have 2128 calories to maintain. MFP gives me 1840. That's a huge difference. And I'm having a hard time doing the 1840. I never thought I'd be one of those that would have a hard time eating more, but I am.

    I'm not sure I want to try to eat 2128 and see what happens. But thanks for the pep talk.

    MFP gives you 1840 + exercise calories remember, not 1840 TDEE.
  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
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    I work out 6 days a week and sit between 141 and 146 on any given day...2465 cals to maintain....sounds frightening.
    I cut at 1850-1650 so 2400-2300 may be about right.
  • normadavy3
    normadavy3 Posts: 5 Member
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    Interesting discussion and good to know there is so much knowledge on the subject on here. My main worry, however isn't the so much the calculation method but the effect of suddenly having so many more calories. I reached my goal weight today and am ready to maintain but am so scared of gaining. I've recalculated using MFP and an additional 470 calories is recommended. Do I build up to this slowly or just change to the higher amount from today? It feels like a recipe for disaster so if anyone who has been through this could advise I would be so grateful.

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