The 2,000 calorie govt guideline is just nonsense, isn't it?

I'd end up gaining on 2,000, or maintaining if I pushed myself really hard at the gym.

Yes, the US has the same guideline, 2,000 cal. I'm 240 and I'd probably maintain, but 240 ain't healthy on a 5'3" person.

I'm 44 and 137 pounds....on days when I do an hour of kickboxing plus circuit training or zumba, my goal will be over 2000. On days when I only workout for an hour, it isn't quite that much. A friend who's one of those nutty conspiracy theorists thinks that "they" (that is, the gov't) want us all to be fat and happy so we won't notice how badly "they" are running the country. Sometimes I wonder if my friend isn't so nutty after all!

My maintenance is 1940 (with a 'lightly active' lifestyle), I'm 5,5 and 156 (I still have 10lbs or more to lose) and I'm using only my exercise calories as a deficit.

I burn around 400 a day and I've been losing more consistently since I ditched my deficit and trusted my exercise cals.

It takes all sorts but some of us aren't just greedy - we do need to eat more! :laugh:

I'm 44 and 137 pounds....on days when I do an hour of kickboxing plus circuit training or zumba, my goal will be over 2000. On days when I only workout for an hour, it isn't quite that much. A friend who's one of those nutty conspiracy theorists thinks that "they" (that is, the gov't) want us all to be fat and happy so we won't notice how badly "they" are running the country. Sometimes I wonder if my friend isn't so nutty after all!

There could be something in that theory because I recently noticed that we have a box of pasta that we bought in France...and on the box it says the guideline for women is 1900.....and they do strike a lot in France don't they....which could well be the direct result of eating fewer calories. :laugh:

It seems yet again that the goernment has high ideals for what Americans really look and exercise like, since most of us are weekend warriors at best that are above size 14. Maybe not everyone here kicking butt trying ACTIVELY to lose weight but that is the key....we are actively trying and putting in the time and effort. Major America is really not like that.

Where do they come up with this stuff....I'd like to know a woman who was 132 or whatever their baseline for the calories guidelines are. I don't know too many of those chicks and even stil I am sure they are not eating 2000 calories a day unless she feels like she put in the hard work daily to earn it.

Too Funny, Again the government falls short on representing the people.

Hey all remember when they also said 6-11 servings of grains and cereals a day was a healthy guideline too? HA HA not so for a chick with insulin resistance socking that away as blood sugar and fats if she can't use it all.....maybe that guideline was for a marathon runner and not an average American.....oh wait....doesn't the government support the grain industry and vice versa....oh well then there you go! Of course they are going to push where for where the $$$$ is.

I'm 44 and 137 pounds....on days when I do an hour of kickboxing plus circuit training or zumba, my goal will be over 2000. On days when I only workout for an hour, it isn't quite that much. A friend who's one of those nutty conspiracy theorists thinks that "they" (that is, the gov't) want us all to be fat and happy so we won't notice how badly "they" are running the country. Sometimes I wonder if my friend isn't so nutty after all!

You know...that doesn't sound so crazy! LOL! Not to mention it keeps people buying prescriptions and going to the doctor. Healthcare is big business baby! On no! I'm going conspiracy! :-D

I'd agree with it! I find that with my cals set at maintenance on a sedentary lifestyle are about 1650, which seems perfectly reasonable if i'm not doing anything. But then when I change my level to lightly active it goes up to 1790 and if I do any exercise above that i'm on or over 2000.

Also, I just spent the week staying with friends and eating what they ate. I'd often end the day on 2000-2500 and none of them were or are overweight despite eating that type of calorie intake every single day. And they were drinking calories too which I wasn't doing!

Not to be controversial or anything but I believe there's a reason skinny people are skinny people (genetics aside)! My friends would have a cookie and stop, because that's all they wanted. I had a cookie and would spend the next hour convincing myself not to eat the rest of the pack. My friends are naturally active, walking everywhere, going for bike rides, heading for hikes in the mountains and this was just normal for them. For me it was something to plan and log and account for and gear myself up to.

I've had quite a lot of days since I hit maintenance where i'm regularly consuming 1800cals+ and I haven't gained weight and my clothes aren't tight.

I am 5'5", 153 pounds (and 50 years old!!). I know exactly how much I burn because I wear a Fitbit. The average is 1950. I don't have any humongeous workouts, although I run (1 - 1 1/2 miles = 100 to 150 calories) 3x a week. I lift weights, but that doesn't burn huge calories either. I sit at a desk, working 2 jobs, for 11+ hours a day. On days I don't workout and sit around at home watching TV or playing on the computer, I might only burn 1800. On days I am active, on the go, and do some sort of purposeful exercise, I can easily burn 2100-2300.

I eat well, plenty of healthy snacks, occasional cake/ice cream/chips, but usually reasonably nutritious food. It's extremely easy to hit 2000 calories a day if you use olive oil to cook, have a carb with dinner, increase your protein serving size, eat less fat free or reduced fat products and have a snack of almonds every day.

So 2000 a day is just slightly higher than what I currently burn.

Not to be controversial or anything but I believe there's a reason skinny people are skinny people (genetics aside)! My friends would have a cookie and stop, because that's all they wanted. I had a cookie and would spend the next hour convincing myself not to eat the rest of the pack. My friends are naturally active, walking everywhere, going for bike rides, heading for hikes in the mountains and this was just normal for them. For me it was something to plan and log and account for and gear myself up to.

Nail meet head.

This in my opinion is exactly right. People go on about fast and slow metabolisms when, outside of metabolic disorders, most people metabolisms are roughly on a par (in fact obese people tend to have faster metabolisms then slimmer people)

However, slimmer people seem to have a finely tuned self regulation feedback loop. Its almost like they can sense when they have eaten too much and then stop be that on a daily basis or averaged out over a few weeks or so. In addition, they tend to do far more spontaneous physical activity (as opposed to planned exercise) then their heavier counterparts which they find enjoyable.

That person who can "eat whatever they want and still remain slim" if you tracked and followed by their food intake and activity over a sufficient length of time probably eats less calories and / or does more activity than is imagined...