Maintaince question?
Replies
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I agree with others that if what you are doing today is giving you the results you want, then no, you don't have to change anything. However as Erickirb is pointing out, you very likely are eating more than you think. I don't use a food scale either, but I know that I'm likely off by about 20-30% even if I use measuring cups. There are a couple great YouTube videos that maybe someone has handy which show the differences between weighing and measuring and how it can impact your calories, even on packaged foods.
The other reason to consider trying to be more accurate and get a better handle on your true maintenance levels is so that when you are talking to others, in real life, or in forums like these, you don't give other people the impression that someone as active as you truly has that low of a TDEE because it could be unhealthy for someone else.0 -
Ok. You all make good points. And again I am eating my activity calories. And why would I lie about my activity?? MFP is set at 1100 if I burn 600 calories running that day then I do eat those back. So yes I do eat more then 1100 on most days. But not as much as most people say I should. However, I am maintaining. I will continue to do what I am doing. Unless I increase for my weight lifting. I don't lie about my activity or my food.... Who would that benefit? I have maintained on this calorie for 1-2 years. I am very careful what I eat. I eat to live. Unless I am over eating 500-1000 calories in grilled veggies I think I am pretty accurate. Maybe off a little. Thank you again for your replies.0
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jlewisrn74 wrote: »Ok. You all make good points. And again I am eating my activity calories. And why would I lie about my activity?? MFP is set at 1100 if I burn 600 calories running that day then I do eat those back. So yes I do eat more then 1100 on most days. But not as much as most people say I should. However, I am maintaining. I will continue to do what I am doing. Unless I increase for my weight lifting. I don't lie about my activity or my food.... Who would that benefit? I have maintained on this calorie for 1-2 years. I am very careful what I eat. I eat to live. Unless I am over eating 500-1000 calories in grilled veggies I think I am pretty accurate. Maybe off a little. Thank you again for your replies.
No one says you are lying. We are saying you are eating more than you think you are due to not weighing everything.
What some of us would be afraid of is you telling people you maintain on 1100 when your 1100 is probably more like 1400 if weighed. Essentially people may think you are pushing a Low Cal Diet if you mention 1100 when you probably eat more. Not a good thing to tell people they should only eat 1100 cals. That is all we are getting at.0 -
I was47Jacqueline wrote: »Maintaining long term on 110 calories is unrealistic. Maintaining on 1100 calories is not only unrealistic, but unhealthy.
Given your stated level of activity, there is no way you are maintaining. And if you are, you are either not eating that little or you are lying about your activity.
I was referring to this. ^^^
Ok so yes I am eating probably 1400 since I am eating my workout calories. I have set MFP at 1100. However, I am not eating what MFP and what everything on the Internet says I should to be eating for maintance. But, I am maintaining anywhere from 110-113. All I'm saying is I am not off 800 calories a day which is the difference between what I set MFP and from what it says I should eat. I think my question was lost some how. Thank you again for your responses0 -
You're just eating more than you think, and probably overestimating your calorie burn too. It's fine, as long as you feel good and you're maintaining.0
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I thought maintenance calories were supposed to be a bit more generous than 1400. Ugh, I would hate that. I am losing on 1800 calories and will definitely "up" that when I get to maintenance.0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »I thought maintenance calories were supposed to be a bit more generous than 1400. Ugh, I would hate that. I am losing on 1800 calories and will definitely "up" that when I get to maintenance.
They should be and probably are even for this OP. She's eating back 500-600 cals above her 1100 which is likely already lower than what she's already consuming.
I am 5'2, 123 lbs and maintain eating around 1900-2100 cals with not a ton of strenuous activity. I don't weigh my food either which accounts for the inconsistency between that and my FitBit daily burn which says my TDEE is more like 2100-2300.
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WinoGelato wrote: »
I am 5'2, 123 lbs and maintain eating around 1900-2100 cals with not a ton of strenuous activity. I don't weigh my food either which accounts for the inconsistency between that and my FitBit daily burn which says my TDEE is more like 2100-2300.
That sounds more like it!
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So question.... If I am eating 1100-1500 calories and that's what I log and everyone else is eating 1900-2300 calories and that's what they log who's to say they aren't also underestimating their calories? And who can assume that I am? I could eat more if my maintaince weight was 123 at 5'2 but mine is 110-114 at 5'4. So it seems pretty accurate to me based on the previous posters numbers. If I increased my calories I could weigh 123 also. However, that is a 10 pound weight gain for me. So if you are maintaining at 1900 calories at 5'2 and 123 who's to say I'm not maintaining at 1100- 1500 calories at 5'4 and 112? I guess it just depends on fitness goals and what an individual would consider their maintaince weight.0
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If you don't feel hungry eating at that amount then continue on, I think what others are trying to say is you could be maintaining your weight yet eating a bit more than you do - your body is just used to having only that amount and doesn't try to burn off more, if you wanted you could add a few hundred cals over a few weeks and I'm sure you still won't gain.
Perhaps it would be worth a try??
Everyone is different we all know that, it's just a matter of finding which number you can eat at to remain same weight
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jlewisrn74 wrote: »So question.... If I am eating 1100-1500 calories and that's what I log and everyone else is eating 1900-2300 calories and that's what they log who's to say they aren't also underestimating their calories? And who can assume that I am? I could eat more if my maintaince weight was 123 at 5'2 but mine is 110-114 at 5'4. So it seems pretty accurate to me based on the previous posters numbers. If I increased my calories I could weigh 123 also. However, that is a 10 pound weight gain for me. So if you are maintaining at 1900 calories at 5'2 and 123 who's to say I'm not maintaining at 1100- 1500 calories at 5'4 and 112? I guess it just depends on fitness goals and what an individual would consider their maintaince weight.
You make a good point about fitness, calorie consumption, and weight maintenance. There have been several studies that correlate weight maintenance and health. If maintenance is your goal, and what you're doing is working for you well, ...if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Do get your regular checkups, including blood work, to ensure that everything's in good working order. MFP is an important and useful tool, but nothing can replace yearly medical exams to ensure that all is well. I'm 5'2", 109 lbs, and MFP set my maintenance calorie limit as 1295. (To clarify, I did not choose this number; MFP came up with it based on my profile and maintenance goal.) I've been using MFP for almost a year, started because my cholesterol was extremely high and my Dr wanted to put me on drugs to manage it. I asked for a one year reprieve to try getting it within a normal range sans medication. Happily, my latest blood test showed that thanks to daily logging of every crumb that passes my lips, I've Slayed the cholesterol dragon! My doctor was astonished that my numbers were so changed and so good.
Food logging is a daily task now, no different than brushing my teeth or taking a shower, and it is already showing measurable health benefits. Keep up your own good work, listen to your body, and enjoy the benefits that accrue with healthy eating.0 -
If what you're doing gets results, forget what others say.
I have always believed that results trump an opinion.0 -
It seems like you are doing fine. You say your goal is 1100, but you actually eat 1500 and - I can't quite figure it out - that seems to be net. You exercise a lot. You are maintaining your weight. Whatever you're doing seems to be working.
The way people talk about calories differs a lot depending on whether we talk about what we eat or what we net (eat minus exercise calories). I also think different people measure somewhat differently. I am almost always way under my net calorie goals - by 1000-3000 most weeks. But I'm not hungry at all and I maintain. It may be my metabolism is low. Or it may be that my logging is low. It doesn't matter. What I do is stable and reliable and so is my weight.
Go with it. It seems to work for you.0 -
gardenesseligson wrote: »jlewisrn74 wrote: »So question.... If I am eating 1100-1500 calories and that's what I log and everyone else is eating 1900-2300 calories and that's what they log who's to say they aren't also underestimating their calories? And who can assume that I am? I could eat more if my maintaince weight was 123 at 5'2 but mine is 110-114 at 5'4. So it seems pretty accurate to me based on the previous posters numbers. If I increased my calories I could weigh 123 also. However, that is a 10 pound weight gain for me. So if you are maintaining at 1900 calories at 5'2 and 123 who's to say I'm not maintaining at 1100- 1500 calories at 5'4 and 112? I guess it just depends on fitness goals and what an individual would consider their maintaince weight.
You make a good point about fitness, calorie consumption, and weight maintenance. There have been several studies that correlate weight maintenance and health. If maintenance is your goal, and what you're doing is working for you well, ...if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Do get your regular checkups, including blood work, to ensure that everything's in good working order. MFP is an important and useful tool, but nothing can replace yearly medical exams to ensure that all is well. I'm 5'2", 109 lbs, and MFP set my maintenance calorie limit as 1295. (To clarify, I did not choose this number; MFP came up with it based on my profile and maintenance goal.) I've been using MFP for almost a year, started because my cholesterol was extremely high and my Dr wanted to put me on drugs to manage it. I asked for a one year reprieve to try getting it within a normal range sans medication. Happily, my latest blood test showed that thanks to daily logging of every crumb that passes my lips, I've Slayed the cholesterol dragon! My doctor was astonished that my numbers were so changed and so good.
Food logging is a daily task now, no different than brushing my teeth or taking a shower, and it is already showing measurable health benefits. Keep up your own good work, listen to your body, and enjoy the benefits that accrue with healthy eating.[/quote
Thank you!!
And thank you to the last 3 posts as well. I act silly didn't even want to read them when I saw the notification because I didn't want anymore "your not logging right" you eat way more then you think" and "your lying about your activity" ugh! Yesterday I was to the point where I felt if MFP is so far off and I am logging wrong then what's really the point of logging at all. I could probably do it on my own. In reality just like the previous poster it has become as normal as brushing my teeth and not sure I can not NOT log. Thanks again for all the advise and suggestions.0 -
My guess is that your body has adapted to your long term caloric restriction, "allowing" you to maintain your weight even though you're eating at a theoretical deficit. Somebody else under the same circumstances but with more fat to lose and a different mindset would be complaining that they've hit a plateau and that they can't lose weight even though they're eating at a deficit.
Your body gradually adapts to calorie restrictions in the form of (I'm borrowing from the article I'm going to link below):- Your basal metabolic rate slows down
- The “thermic effect of food” decreases
- You burn less energy through “spontaneous” physical activity
- You burn less energy through exercise
If that's what's going on, and I'm pretty sure it is, you should be able to eat more and still maintain your weight. The idea is gradually increase calories by around 100 daily, then increase by another 100 each week until you've reached your TDEE.
If you haven't already looked at your TDEE, try this online calculator which puts your TDEE at around 1732 calories given your stats and 6 workouts per week: iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
And this is the article I was talking about. It's about reverse dieting and targeted toward people who want to eat more, which would be most people, but I think it applies to you as well: muscleforlife.com/reverse-diet/
I agree with Jim.You're just eating more than you think, and probably overestimating your calorie burn too. It's fine, as long as you feel good and you're maintaining.
Francl27, not necessity.
Here is what happened to me a few years back, 6' tall male, I was in my forties, about 230 lb, and didnt know anything about nutrition, BMR, TDEE back then. I decided to lose 30 lb and started eating around 1000-1200 calories. I lost the weight I wanted but it was soo hard. Once at my goal I could only increase calories by no more than 200 and if I went over - I gained. Does that mean my TDEE was 1400? Hell no! I wholeheartedly believe Adaptive Thermogenesis is a very real thing and it might be what keeping @jlewisrn74 at her low calories level.0 -
My guess is that your body has adapted to your long term caloric restriction, "allowing" you to maintain your weight even though you're eating at a theoretical deficit. Somebody else under the same circumstances but with more fat to lose and a different mindset would be complaining that they've hit a plateau and that they can't lose weight even though they're eating at a deficit.
Your body gradually adapts to calorie restrictions in the form of (I'm borrowing from the article I'm going to link below):- Your basal metabolic rate slows down
- The “thermic effect of food” decreases
- You burn less energy through “spontaneous” physical activity
- You burn less energy through exercise
If that's what's going on, and I'm pretty sure it is, you should be able to eat more and still maintain your weight. The idea is gradually increase calories by around 100 daily, then increase by another 100 each week until you've reached your TDEE.
If you haven't already looked at your TDEE, try this online calculator which puts your TDEE at around 1732 calories given your stats and 6 workouts per week: iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
And this is the article I was talking about. It's about reverse dieting and targeted toward people who want to eat more, which would be most people, but I think it applies to you as well: muscleforlife.com/reverse-diet/
Great advice!0 -
Thank you all. I decided to take the average of what I have been eating over the last month since I stated I do eat my calories burned. Average over the last month is 1600. I changed MFP goal to 1600 and won't eat my calories burned and see what happens. Hoping this also helps some of the anxiety of seeing my calorie allotment go down so fast. I'm going to try this over the next month and see if I'm still able to maintain.0
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1600 still seems like a lot less then what is recommended for someone to eat to maintain at my fitness level. But it seems to be working.jlewisrn74 wrote: »Thank you all. I decided to take the average of what I have been eating over the last month since I stated I do eat my calories burned. Average over the last month is 1600. I changed MFP goal to 1600 and won't eat my calories burned and see what happens. Hoping this also helps some of the anxiety of seeing my calorie allotment go down so fast. I'm going to try this over the next month and see if I'm still able to maintain.
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I feel like if it's working for you then you're doing great. I also doubt your maintenance calories are that low with your amount of exercise. But the actual number doesn't matter as long as your weight is staying within an acceptable range. The method doesn't really matter as long as the results are the same.
Agree with others... Everything should be weighed (in grams) not measured. Packaged foods included! Maybe you can come back to this if your weight starts changing later on down the road.
It sounds like you've done a wonderful job listening to your body and learning good habits for your future. I definitely wouldn't worry about the numbers (unless you're curious)!0 -
Wow I thought my Marcos where low lol but yea I think that is way too low. U might actually lose weight of u were to eat more since your body is surviving on so little fat & calories for your size & amount of training u do. I think it should be atleast 1500, high carb & low fat since u workout 5 times a week. I am 5'1, 106lbs & eat about 1500 & 37 fat to maintain so since u are taller I think u could get away with going a little higher ok calories & still maintain. I also workout 5 times a week, mostly weight training & a little cardio. I also maintain by having a cheat day every 6 days0
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