Maintenance and weight loss calories the same amount

chilli
chilli Posts: 211 Member
edited November 23 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Folks, help me out here. I am slightly confused.
When I have input my desired weight and other info MFP gives me the same amount of calories (1200) to maintain and to actually lose weight.
I want to try and keep to the weight I am now ( a couple of lbs heavier wouldn't hurt if they went on though).
If I want to gain it comes up with a higher amount as it should do.
Messed around with the figures a few times with the same result.
what is my pea brain missing here?

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Chilli, you are quite a petite woman, and, like me, a little older.
    This adds up to your calorie requirement for maintenance, as a sedentary person, being quite low.
    1200-1300 is probably correct, going by your avatar.

    Because MFP does not recommend anyone eating less than 1200, that is the minimal they will give anyone, including you and I (petite, older women) to lose weight.

    To lose, I would have to count accurately and exercise quite a bit, without eating all the exercise calories back, to make a small deficit.

    Don't be confused, the 1200 for a deficit is just a safeguard MFP has in place so people don't eat below a healthy minimum.

    Cheers, h.
  • chilli
    chilli Posts: 211 Member
    Thanks h
  • chilli
    chilli Posts: 211 Member
    Not wanting to lose any more, this is a minimum weight for me, not been this for around 30 years. Have a doc's appt next week as I have been losing too easily the past few months and I am now quite concerned. I have been on this site since 2008 apart from a few months last year, and know how hard it can be to lose when there is less of you, took a long long time to lose 10-12 lb. I just monitor what I eat, keeping to around the 1200 mark and eat back any exercise but it's been slipping off v quickly.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    chilli wrote: »
    Not wanting to lose any more, this is a minimum weight for me, not been this for around 30 years. Have a doc's appt next week as I have been losing too easily the past few months and I am now quite concerned. I have been on this site since 2008 apart from a few months last year, and know how hard it can be to lose when there is less of you, took a long long time to lose 10-12 lb. I just monitor what I eat, keeping to around the 1200 mark and eat back any exercise but it's been slipping off v quickly.

    If it's been coming off quickly at 1200, then perhaps that isn't your maintenance. Maybe increase by 100 calories and see if you still lose?
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    chilli wrote: »
    Not wanting to lose any more, this is a minimum weight for me, not been this for around 30 years. Have a doc's appt next week as I have been losing too easily the past few months and I am now quite concerned. I have been on this site since 2008 apart from a few months last year, and know how hard it can be to lose when there is less of you, took a long long time to lose 10-12 lb. I just monitor what I eat, keeping to around the 1200 mark and eat back any exercise but it's been slipping off v quickly.

    If you were losing at 1200 then that is not your maintenance point. Any number that MFP, or any other calculator gives you, is going to be an estimate based off of the information you provide, but again it is just an estimate. You will have to add a hundred or so calories and track meticulously for a couple of weeks. If you are still losing add another hundred and so on until you are actually maintaining your weight. That is going to be the only accurate way to find out what your maintenance calories really are.

  • chilli
    chilli Posts: 211 Member
    Thanks for the replies, will start increasing the calories tomorrow.
  • vicky1947mfp
    vicky1947mfp Posts: 1,523 Member
    I am 68 and 5'2". I am at 124 lbs and on maintenance.

    My cals were 1200 for losing and now they are about 1500-1600 to maintain.
    We older shorter women don't get many cals. But you have to just try to work out what is the number for you based on your activity level. It will be trial and error for a few weeks to find that number.

    Good luck.

  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    Definitely agree with what has been said. Because I'm small framed and don't have much muscle mass, I lose on 1200 and maintain on 1600.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I'm small too 5ft 2 / 46 yrs and maintain on 2200 cals. I'm very active though :smile:
    You can up your TDEE regardless of age/height by moving more/lifting heavy :smiley:
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