How many calories do YOU eat to maintain around 130 lbs?

tigerblue
tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
edited November 22 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm not asking what the CALCULAOTRS say you should eat to maintain. I'm talking real life results here. Let me be specific--

If you are a middle aged (45-55) female, weigh in the low 130's with a bodyfat of 25-30% how many calories do you eat to maintain your weight? Please include information about your exercise routine also.

I seem to maintain at least 200 calories BELOW what any calculator predicts I should be eating. I am wondering if this is true for others who are my age also. I've read that hormone shifts around menopause cause significant changes in BMR , etc. and I am wondering if that is what is going on.
«13

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I am 32, 5ft5 and 133ish lbs, and I maintain on net 1900 cals exercising 3-5 times a week, mostly running.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    If possible please post gross calories as well as net cals! But either is helpful to me.

    Thanks everyone!!
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    I'm 5,4", 128 lbs, around 25% bf and 49yrs old.
    I maintain on around 2000 cals a day.
    I lift weights 3 times a week (stronglifts 5x5) with a short 15 min HIIT/circuit workout afterwards and run 3 times a week (for 35-40 mins).
    The TDEE calculators estimated me a tad lower actually!
    I haven't reached the dreaded "M" yet :# , but yeah that could change things i guess.
    Would be interesting to see what other Ladies have to say.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,708 Member
    edited August 2015
    tigerblue wrote: »
    I'm not asking what the CALCULAOTRS say you should eat to maintain. I'm talking real life results here. Let me be specific--

    If you are a middle aged (45-55) female, weigh in the low 130's with a bodyfat of 25-30% how many calories do you eat to maintain your weight? Please include information about your exercise routine also.

    I seem to maintain at least 200 calories BELOW what any calculator predicts I should be eating. I am wondering if this is true for others who are my age also. I've read that hormone shifts around menopause cause significant changes in BMR , etc. and I am wondering if that is what is going on.

    !

  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    I am 5'5", 137 pounds, 44 years old and 23% body fat. I maintain on 1900-2300 (winter when less active is 1900, summer is more like 2300). I think the "variance" between people who are roughly the same age and height and weight is very very much the body fat %... Because low body fat implies higher muscle mass - and you can maintain on a lot more calories if you have more muscle.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Most people who maintain on less typically just underestimate their calorie intake.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    I'm sorry, I don't fit the age, cause I'm 19, but I maintain on 2400, though I ride horses twice a week and lift 3-4 times a week.

    I am currently 132 pounds, 5'4'' and around 23% bf, far from lean looking.
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    40 years old, 5'7". Calculators say my body fat is at 26%, but looking at pictures of different fat% builds for women, I think I am a little lower than that. I maintain 130 pounds with 1620 calories.

    I like to eat a lot more than that so I workout to burn an average of 500 extra calories a day, giving me around 2100 calories to play with.
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    OP, thanks for asking this question. I'm not at goal yet so I won't post my stats, but I am middle-aged and wonder about this very thing.

    So, a lot of these calculators depend on height and I was very upset at my last physical to learn I am half an inch shorter than I thought I was (always think of myself as 5'4", but they said 5'3". How dare they?!! That takes away some precious calories from my TDEE!

    So anyway, this is not what you asked, but just thought I'd share the following article for anyone else hitting this age group:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-sarver-dolgen/posture-top-3-ways-to-prevent-shrinking_b_3295232.html1

    More reasons to keep exercising! ;D
  • pita7317
    pita7317 Posts: 1,437 Member
    Age 56. 5'7. Maintaining at 136-137 for 5 months now.
    Daily calories. approx 1400. Some days a couple hundred more.
    Don't workout. Play golf eight months out of the year.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    edited August 2015
    I'm 43, 5'5 and a little below 135, not sure of BF but I'd guess around 24%, and I'm still losing slowly at 2100 total calories. (I only log during the week and take weekends off, so even if I'm below 2100 during the week, I'm sure I make up for it on weekends with wine and ice cream.)

    I lift 2-3 times a week and run 3x a week, usually about 15 miles per week.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I'm 40, 5'2, maintenance range 121-124, net about 1800 cals/day and eat close to 2000-2100 each day. Exercise is walking, I average 14K steps a day, and circuit training with Dumbbells about 3 times a week

    FitBit daily burn is about 2200 so I think it's pretty accurate.

    I don't use a food scale so I keep my goal a little lower than the calculators say to account for my own inaccuracies.
  • Danni3ll3
    Danni3ll3 Posts: 365 Member
    I am 57, 5'5" tall, weigh 129.6 as of this morning (maintaining between 125 and 130 for the last couple of years) and eat 1400 calories without exercise. My exercise varies from day to day. This may include Pilates for 50 minutes, walking anywhere from 5 to 10 km, or a half hour of circuit. I eat most of those calories back so I end up eating 1500 to 1800 calories per day depending on how many calories I earned with my exercise. I envy those who are able to maintain at 2000 per day.
  • ScreeField
    ScreeField Posts: 180 Member
    edited August 2015
    I maintain a bit less (around 122 right now). My net calories swing a lot because my workouts are all very different in duration and intensity. The last day on the chart below (today, August 1) is incomplete. I'll probably eat at least another 1,000 cals today. The calories are probably close since I measure my food by weight in grams and use a heart rate monitor with exercise. But, I also don't believe nutrition information (even USDA tests) are all that accurate to start with. And, most of the foods I eat are unprocessed (vegetables from my garden make up the most food in my diet).

    6f2uy1hpwr78.png
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I'm very similar stats to you. 46ys/ 5ft 2/ 132lbs.

    I eat average gross cals of 2000-2200. I don't work in net cals as I follow TDEE method and Fitbit calculates that pretty accurately.

    I'm pretty active, run/walk alot and average 21000 steps /10 miles a day.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    ncfitbit wrote: »
    OP, thanks for asking this question. I'm not at goal yet so I won't post my stats, but I am middle-aged and wonder about this very thing.

    So, a lot of these calculators depend on height and I was very upset at my last physical to learn I am half an inch shorter than I thought I was (always think of myself as 5'4", but they said 5'3". How dare they?!! That takes away some precious calories from my TDEE!

    So anyway, this is not what you asked, but just thought I'd share the following article for anyone else hitting this age group:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-sarver-dolgen/posture-top-3-ways-to-prevent-shrinking_b_3295232.html1

    More reasons to keep exercising! ;D

    For men the list is easier:

    1. Avoid cold water at ALL costs

    2. Do not forget #1

    Sorry OP I couldn't resist :)

  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I'm older than all of you :) , 5'3" currently 124lb, (goal range 126 - 130) which is under my goal due to some mouth surgery. I am very active, aim for a baseline of about 2,000 calories, usually burn an extra 300 to 650 a day, depending on what I do. Body fat depends on the machine and they don't calculate for female athletes over 59. Most of the calculators put me around 26%
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    ncfitbit wrote: »
    OP, thanks for asking this question. I'm not at goal yet so I won't post my stats, but I am middle-aged and wonder about this very thing.

    So, a lot of these calculators depend on height and I was very upset at my last physical to learn I am half an inch shorter than I thought I was (always think of myself as 5'4", but they said 5'3". How dare they?!! That takes away some precious calories from my TDEE!

    So anyway, this is not what you asked, but just thought I'd share the following article for anyone else hitting this age group:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-sarver-dolgen/posture-top-3-ways-to-prevent-shrinking_b_3295232.html1

    More reasons to keep exercising! ;D

    For men the list is easier:

    1. Avoid cold water at ALL costs

    2. Do not forget #1

    Sorry OP I couldn't resist :)

    Lol!

  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Very interesting everyone! Keep it coming!
  • bmchenry02
    bmchenry02 Posts: 233 Member
    34, 5'8" 127lbs maintaining at 1880 lift now 5 days a week with 3-4 days light cardio. Cardio for me just started on my current 12 week plan so I might need a slight increase. So far so good.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
    edited August 2015
    66 in a couple of months, 5'2.5", 129-130lbs almost to maintenance with TDEE around 1700-1750 cals; work out 4Xs per week, weightlifting and some cardio. Staying under TDEE so eating around an average of 1450-1650 depending upon calorie burn with exercise. Body Fat % around 25.3 (caculator guess).
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
    Just my thoughts on weight maintenance in general...

    I have been in maintenance mode going on 3 years now after losing a ton of weight.
    My maintenance at 180 is around 4000 calories per day, so it would not be productive to use other guys' intake at this weight. Most people maintaining at 180 are way below me. I have a crazy metabolism and am very active.

    I suppose if I were just curious, sure, but the key to finding my "zone" for weight loss and maintenance was through trial and error, using MFP's recommendations as a guide.
    Maybe that helps, and sorry if I seemed to butt in.

    Good luck to you!
    :)
  • stenisch
    stenisch Posts: 1 Member
    Wow so many are able to maintain a good weight with decent amount of calories! I'm jelly...I'm almost 5'5 and 28yrs old and cant go above 1400 cal to maintain 130ish to 133 and thats with exercise and weights 4 times a week. Maybe it's because i only stick to it 6 to 12 months at a time and could maintain lower weight sticking to it for good? And my life and job are already a constant motion...no sitting.
    Also sleep is part of maintaining also!
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    5'1, exercise 5x a week, mix of weights and cardio, maintaining 107lbs or so at 1700ish/day
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Five three, age 46, 120 lb, 1450 cals a day. I work out every other day doing both cardio and weights for at least one hour.

    Kinda sucky really.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Also a lot of women's thyroids tank around menopause time. If you burn way too few cals, get your thyroid checked. Mine was dead as a doornail.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    Eager to follow this thread...I'm 55 (56 on Friday) and 5ft 5.5 inches. I have no clue what my BF% is unfortunately.

    I am trying to maintain (it's not working, am still losing it seems) ...only thing I do religiously is walk (at least 10K steps daily on my trackers)....currently sitting at #122....my MD would like to see me at #130. Eating about 1700-1800 a day if I can find enough hours to eat but some days I'm under that so no shocker I'm still losing.

    I really don't trust the calories from working out and my past history is a yo- yo dieter so trying to avoid putting the weight I lost (#150) back on ...am sure that's affecting me trying to maintain vs lose.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I'm a little younger (29) but 5'4", 130-133 lbs. I seem to maintain on 1800-1900 calories. I haven't pushed it to 2000 yet but am curious to try. From the data I have, I don't think 2000 is going to work. I lift 4 days a week and do no cardio. Lightly active.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    I maintain around 120-125 and am in my 40s. Around 1700 on average, gross, not net. With on average 3-5 hour exercise per week. Used to be a lot higher when younger, although how much is caused by ageing alone or because of spending more hours at work (desk job), I could not tell.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I've been maintaining for well over 4 years now. I'm over 40, 5'7", between 130-133 depending on time of the month. My maintenance calories are set to 1700 plus exercise calories. I don't exercise every day, so 1700 is what I shoot for, then I give myself extra when I work out. :)

    It's so interesting how we are all so different when it comes to maintenance. You just have to find your own sweet spot through experimentation, and then you should be set. Tweak the numbers as needed. I haven't had to change my maintenance calorie goal since I set it years ago...
This discussion has been closed.

Categories