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

_The_Lone_Wolf_ · August 2015

BusyMummy1984 wrote: »

I'm 5ft 2 and 126lbs. I'm a mum of 2 who works full times and doesn't exercise. I'm at goal and am 30 years old. To maintain I cannot eat over 1700 ca
lories on average per day or I will gain weight. Too loose weight I have to eat 1200 a day, which I still struggle to do

Gj!
From hot mommy to even hotter mommy

DeterminedFee201426 · August 2015

5'5 118lbs maintain eating 2000 calories i picked this amount and went with that.
mfp says i should eat 1770 but i knew it was too low so i tryed out 2000 for 2 months and there were no problems.I also ate 2150 on exercise days iam kinda active i dont sit around all day iam on my feet most of the time.

sun_fish · August 2015

Francl27 wrote: »

show previous quotes

sun_fish wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

sun_fish wrote: »

I was angry for a long time over the fact that my TDEE is lower than average, around 200 less than calculators show. Until I just accepted it for what it is - an average, an estimate. Some people will have a higher TDEE, some less, some right on the estimate.

For what it's worth, I'm 53, 5'1, weight around 120ish, not sure of body fat (at 110 I was estimated by Sidesteel and Sarauk2sf at 18%), and my calories are around 1500. I lift weights 3x a week, and do a few 2 mile walks and some yoga. My job is lightly active, though I usually get in 10k steps a day.

But do you weigh your food? I mean, I've seen people with stats comparable to mine who eat 300 less calories to maintain but when you see their diary... generic entries, cups etc.

Anyway, I'm 37, 5'5", 133-134 pounds, and I maintain around 2200 exercising pretty much every day (mostly incline walking and a bit of lifting right now). That includes exercise, obviously.

While I no longer weigh or log my food, I went through a long period of time where I did. In fact, I was so obsessive about weighing every morsel that went into my mouth, that is caused problems for me. That is why I eventually stopped doing it. So I think I was about as accurate as one could be in regards to my calorie count.

I believe that calorie estimations are just that - estimations. There will be a range for different individuals, and I just happen to be on the lower end of that range. It is possible since I lost a large amount of weight, this is a result of adaptive thermogenesis. If anyone would like to know more about this, here is an excellent write up explaining what that is:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1

I lost 80 pounds. I'm sure some people here have lost more. You're probably just eating more than you think, which is often the case when people don't weigh their food...

It's not a huge deal. It just doesn't necessarily mean that your TDEE is lower than others.

I know that is a common occurrence here on MFP - for people to be eating more than they think. I used to be one of them until I started weighing all my food. I find it amusing that you would say this is what you think it is for me when you know nothing about me or my previous logging habits. So you don't agree that TDEE can be a range? You think we all just magically have the same number according to our stats and if we don't we are just eating more than we think? Do you think the OP is eating more than she thinks?

Francl27 · August 2015

sun_fish wrote: »

show previous quotes

Francl27 wrote: »

sun_fish wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

sun_fish wrote: »

I was angry for a long time over the fact that my TDEE is lower than average, around 200 less than calculators show. Until I just accepted it for what it is - an average, an estimate. Some people will have a higher TDEE, some less, some right on the estimate.

For what it's worth, I'm 53, 5'1, weight around 120ish, not sure of body fat (at 110 I was estimated by Sidesteel and Sarauk2sf at 18%), and my calories are around 1500. I lift weights 3x a week, and do a few 2 mile walks and some yoga. My job is lightly active, though I usually get in 10k steps a day.

But do you weigh your food? I mean, I've seen people with stats comparable to mine who eat 300 less calories to maintain but when you see their diary... generic entries, cups etc.

Anyway, I'm 37, 5'5", 133-134 pounds, and I maintain around 2200 exercising pretty much every day (mostly incline walking and a bit of lifting right now). That includes exercise, obviously.

While I no longer weigh or log my food, I went through a long period of time where I did. In fact, I was so obsessive about weighing every morsel that went into my mouth, that is caused problems for me. That is why I eventually stopped doing it. So I think I was about as accurate as one could be in regards to my calorie count.

I believe that calorie estimations are just that - estimations. There will be a range for different individuals, and I just happen to be on the lower end of that range. It is possible since I lost a large amount of weight, this is a result of adaptive thermogenesis. If anyone would like to know more about this, here is an excellent write up explaining what that is:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1

I lost 80 pounds. I'm sure some people here have lost more. You're probably just eating more than you think, which is often the case when people don't weigh their food...

It's not a huge deal. It just doesn't necessarily mean that your TDEE is lower than others.

I know that is a common occurrence here on MFP - for people to be eating more than they think. I used to be one of them until I started weighing all my food. I find it amusing that you would say this is what you think it is for me when you know nothing about me or my previous logging habits. So you don't agree that TDEE can be a range? You think we all just magically have the same number according to our stats and if we don't we are just eating more than we think? Do you think the OP is eating more than she thinks?

Well TDEE will vary a lot depending on your activity, obviously. But you said yourself that you don't weigh your food, so yeah, I'm assuming that you're eating more than you think, which is more likely than adaptive thermogenesis.

Everyone always thinks that their metabolism is slow, when they're just eating too much in 95% of the cases. Just saying. I'm not judging or anything... but if you're not weighing your food, you can't be sure that you're not underestimating your TDEE.

sun_fish · August 2015

Francl27 wrote: »

show previous quotes

sun_fish wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

sun_fish wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

sun_fish wrote: »

I was angry for a long time over the fact that my TDEE is lower than average, around 200 less than calculators show. Until I just accepted it for what it is - an average, an estimate. Some people will have a higher TDEE, some less, some right on the estimate.

For what it's worth, I'm 53, 5'1, weight around 120ish, not sure of body fat (at 110 I was estimated by Sidesteel and Sarauk2sf at 18%), and my calories are around 1500. I lift weights 3x a week, and do a few 2 mile walks and some yoga. My job is lightly active, though I usually get in 10k steps a day.

But do you weigh your food? I mean, I've seen people with stats comparable to mine who eat 300 less calories to maintain but when you see their diary... generic entries, cups etc.

Anyway, I'm 37, 5'5", 133-134 pounds, and I maintain around 2200 exercising pretty much every day (mostly incline walking and a bit of lifting right now). That includes exercise, obviously.

While I no longer weigh or log my food, I went through a long period of time where I did. In fact, I was so obsessive about weighing every morsel that went into my mouth, that is caused problems for me. That is why I eventually stopped doing it. So I think I was about as accurate as one could be in regards to my calorie count.

I believe that calorie estimations are just that - estimations. There will be a range for different individuals, and I just happen to be on the lower end of that range. It is possible since I lost a large amount of weight, this is a result of adaptive thermogenesis. If anyone would like to know more about this, here is an excellent write up explaining what that is:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1

I lost 80 pounds. I'm sure some people here have lost more. You're probably just eating more than you think, which is often the case when people don't weigh their food...

It's not a huge deal. It just doesn't necessarily mean that your TDEE is lower than others.

I know that is a common occurrence here on MFP - for people to be eating more than they think. I used to be one of them until I started weighing all my food. I find it amusing that you would say this is what you think it is for me when you know nothing about me or my previous logging habits. So you don't agree that TDEE can be a range? You think we all just magically have the same number according to our stats and if we don't we are just eating more than we think? Do you think the OP is eating more than she thinks?

Well TDEE will vary a lot depending on your activity, obviously. But you said yourself that you don't weigh your food, so yeah, I'm assuming that you're eating more than you think, which is more likely than adaptive thermogenesis.

Everyone always thinks that their metabolism is slow, when they're just eating too much in 95% of the cases. Just saying. I'm not judging or anything... but if you're not weighing your food, you can't be sure that you're not underestimating your TDEE.

I guess you missed the part where I said (twice) that I used to weigh and log all my food. So it seems unlikely that while I was doing that, I maintained at around 1500, but when I stopped doing that, my TDEE magically went up 200 calories, just because I stopped weighing my food.

I never said my metabolism was slow. I was responding to the OP - that I maintain my weight of 120 eating about 1500 a day. I say "about", because no one, even those weighing everything, is going to know exactly how many calories they are taking in.

arussell134 · August 2015

I'm 5'7" currently 131-133 pounds and 20% BF. I need about 1700 calories to maintain. On workout days, I often eat about 2000 calories.

tigerblue · August 2015

Op weighing in here.

Good discussion everyone, and I am glad it is helping lots of folks!

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Calorie logging is always an estimate. For instance, if I have a steak, I can weigh it before I cook it (most accurate method, I have heard), but even that will not give me 100% accuracy. Because one steak may have more marbling than another. And when I cook it, more fat may drip off this time than the last time, because of cooking temp and time, etc. so it is still an estimate only.

Today I had trail mix. I weighed it. But unless I can know that the percentage of fruit vs. nuts is exactly the same as the sample from the database, again, it is not 100% accurate.

So we are dealing with best estimate vs. poor estimate.

But if you know serving size (by weighing or measuring orlong experience), and are using that to log, you are likely going to have a decent degree of accuracy.

2. In the same way, TDEE calculators are only an estimate. Not only do we have to take bodyfat and lean muscle into account, there is also bone density and skeletal size. So even two people with the same bodyfat percentage may not have the same lean muscle mass because of their bone density, and thus not the same TDEE. And I have even seen research about organ size affecting metabolism. I am guessing that a petite woman's organs are not going to be the same size as a larger woman's (and I am saying larger, not fatter, please understand. I am not trying to use a euphemism here! I am talking genetic size at comparable fitness levels). So again, a difference in metabolism. Which would affect TDEE.

3. And then there is the fact that some of us just move differently. Some people are never still, even when sitting. Others barely move. So there is another variable that can be hard to pinpoint with a calculator or a blanket TDEE.

I, for one, find a lot of logic in the variations that I am seeing posted. I have long suspected that we are not all machines that run exactly the same way. And I find it both interesting and comforting that there is variation.

sun_fish · August 2015

Great observations @tigerblue ^^^

worldofalice · August 2015

5"3, 103lb, maintaining on around 2100... I've still got a bit of weight and plenty of muscle to gain, so interested to see how much I maintain on when I get there!

gothchiq · August 2015

I'm five three and I maintain at 120. That's a measly 1440 calories. BLARGH

.... poop, I already said this. well, nothing changed.

worldofalice · August 2015

gothchiq wrote: »

I'm five three and I maintain at 120. That's a measly 1440 calories. BLARGH

.... poop, I already said this. well, nothing changed.

I bet you could reverse diet that number up pretty easily! I was maintaining on 1200ish around xmas, now I'm on loads more and haven't gained a pound...

tigerblue · August 2015

Comforting to know I am right in the middle of most everyone! It seems age counts a great deal, too! Blehh!!!

With that said, it seems that the calculators might be a bit off for us middle aged gals?? I thought my "allowance" was low at 1600-1700 a day (according to the calculators I should be maintaining at 1800-2100--47 yo, 132 lbs, exercise 30-60 minutes 5-6 days a week), but with what most of you are reporting ACTUALLY HAPPENS with your bodies, I think 1600-1700 puts me right in the middle, or maybe just a tad below the middle.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Francl27 · August 2015

tigerblue wrote: »

Comforting to know I am right in the middle of most everyone! It seems age counts a great deal, too! Blehh!!!

With that said, it seems that the calculators might be a bit off for us middle aged gals?? I thought my "allowance" was low at 1600-1700 a day (according to the calculators I should be maintaining at 1800-2100--47 yo, 132 lbs, exercise 30-60 minutes 5-6 days a week), but with what most of you are reporting ACTUALLY HAPPENS with your bodies, I think 1600-1700 puts me right in the middle, or maybe just a tad below the middle.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Always tough to say. I read somewhere that people who tend to move a lot even when sitting (moving their legs etc) end up burning 100 more calories a day than people who don't. And there's sleep too... I wonder how long sleep affects your TDEE, like, would you burn more being awake an extra hour or sleeping that time?

Michal833 · August 2015

I love this thread. I am 46. 5'3.5" after shrinking from 5'4". After losing 30 lbs I am now maintaining at 123-125 for over a year. I stopped logging or weighing my food but I watch the scale carefully. I have no idea of my body fat percentage. I guess I eat anywhere between 1500 and 2200 cal. I try to walk, swim or do the elliptical most days but if it doesn't happen I don't stress.

As for those who are mad they cant eat more, when I began to lose weight, I believed I would only be able to eat 1400 a day for the rest of my life if I wanted to maintain. So now that I can eat more, I feel lucky. The point is, because of my low expectations, it is like a bonus. I honestly don't think I could eat only 1400 because of all the food that is around and all the special occasions.

tigerblue · August 2015

Michal833 wrote: »

I love this thread. I am 46. 5'3.5" after shrinking from 5'4". After losing 30 lbs I am now maintaining at 123-125 for over a year. I stopped logging or weighing my food but I watch the scale carefully. I have no idea of my body fat percentage. I guess I eat anywhere between 1500 and 2200 cal. I try to walk, swim or do the elliptical most days but if it doesn't happen I don't stress.

As for those who are mad they cant eat more, when I began to lose weight, I believed I would only be able to eat 1400 a day for the rest of my life if I wanted to maintain. So now that I can eat more, I feel lucky. The point is, because of my low expectations, it is like a bonus. I honestly don't think I could eat only 1400 because of all the food that is around and all the special occasions.

Mindset is everything, for sure!!

GluteralGoddess · August 2015

arditarose wrote: »

show previous quotes

_Terrapin_ wrote: »

tigerblue wrote: »

Very interesting everyone! Keep it coming!

Friend on here is 5 ft 2 and she maintains at 2300 cals. I think she weighs 130-132; she lifts. . . . often. She runs. . . .once in a while. . . .and she is ripped. That is all. Carry on.

I have a friend like that as well. I think she is a bit taller and weighs a little less with an outstanding body fat%. She can eat like 2400 to maintain. How does that happen? Does the muscle you gain after running a bulk cycle really up your TDEE that much?

I'm sure LBM/body fat % has a lot to do with it. I lift 5x/week and am decently active (lunchtime walk to try to hit my 10k steps). 5'5", 130 lbs, 19% bf, maintain on 2300 cals.

arditarose · August 2015

GluteralGoddess wrote: »

show previous quotes

arditarose wrote: »

_Terrapin_ wrote: »

tigerblue wrote: »

Very interesting everyone! Keep it coming!

Friend on here is 5 ft 2 and she maintains at 2300 cals. I think she weighs 130-132; she lifts. . . . often. She runs. . . .once in a while. . . .and she is ripped. That is all. Carry on.

I have a friend like that as well. I think she is a bit taller and weighs a little less with an outstanding body fat%. She can eat like 2400 to maintain. How does that happen? Does the muscle you gain after running a bulk cycle really up your TDEE that much?

I'm sure LBM/body fat % has a lot to do with it. I lift 5x/week and am decently active (lunchtime walk to try to hit my 10k steps). 5'5", 130 lbs, 19% bf, maintain on 2300 cals.

Yeah I think I fall more in the lightly active range and my body fat is more like 22-24%

Cynthiamr2015 · August 2015

My dietitian told me to eat 1800 to 2000 calories a day or somewhere in between. I started at 240 and I am now 210 (under 2 months I lost 40 lbs.), height is 5' 4' and my calories are under 1800 most days. I do Strength and cardio during the week, chair exercises when I can not go anywhere.

Unknown · August 2015

This content has been removed.

_Terrapin_ · August 2015

arditarose wrote: »

show previous quotes

_Terrapin_ wrote: »

tigerblue wrote: »

Very interesting everyone! Keep it coming!

Friend on here is 5 ft 2 and she maintains at 2300 cals. I think she weighs 130-132; she lifts. . . . often. She runs. . . .once in a while. . . .and she is ripped. That is all. Carry on.

I have a friend like that as well. I think she is a bit taller and weighs a little less with an outstanding body fat%. She can eat like 2400 to maintain. How does that happen? Does the muscle you gain after running a bulk cycle really up your TDEE that much?

Yes I think so. I messed around with my TDEE last week and if I have an active job and plug in 2 hours of exercise(can it be more excessive?!?) I think my TDEE pops above 4,000. Two years ago I would have thought 2 hours would be too much. For endurance athletes, time on their feet, in the saddle, or water can take them over 2 hours. For lifting I have a few friends who have routines at 90-100 minutes for 5 days. So, not out of the realm for some.

d08t · August 2015

You need to know how many calories you burn each day and eat that amount, give or take.

arditarose · August 2015

d08t wrote: »

You need to know how many calories you burn each day and eat that amount, give or take.

Obviously

lindaloo1213 · August 2015

Francl27 wrote: »

show previous quotes

tigerblue wrote: »

Comforting to know I am right in the middle of most everyone! It seems age counts a great deal, too! Blehh!!!

With that said, it seems that the calculators might be a bit off for us middle aged gals?? I thought my "allowance" was low at 1600-1700 a day (according to the calculators I should be maintaining at 1800-2100--47 yo, 132 lbs, exercise 30-60 minutes 5-6 days a week), but with what most of you are reporting ACTUALLY HAPPENS with your bodies, I think 1600-1700 puts me right in the middle, or maybe just a tad below the middle.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Always tough to say. I read somewhere that people who tend to move a lot even when sitting (moving their legs etc) end up burning 100 more calories a day than people who don't. And there's sleep too... I wonder how long sleep affects your TDEE, like, would you burn more being awake an extra hour or sleeping that time?

This is interesting for me since I am a 3rd shifter. I only sleep about 2-3 hours during weekdays and get about 7-9 hours on weekends. Ive been stuck for about 1 1/2 months within this 3lb range and I think Its because Ive had a lot of vacation days meaning more sleep. I swear being awake those xtra hours helps me burn more especially since I am either working or chasing after 3 kids instead of resting. Ive lost 104# since September and havent had any stalls especially this long. Or maybe since its summer Ive had more bad days than average. Lots of variables I suppose. Cant wait to get this last 20# off so I can experiment with maintaining!

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

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