5'5 women maintenance calories?

Just got to maintenance and struggling! Curious what women in 20s are maintaining on? How much more do you eat on active days?

Replies

  • LisaTcan
    LisaTcan Posts: 410 Member
    I'm 5'6'', I'm currently pregnant but prior to pregnancy I maintained on 1700 - 1800 a day without adding extra calories for exercise. I cycled or walked for 90 minutes daily and weight trained three times a week.
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    Depends on the weight you want to maintain. I'm 5'6'' and i stayed at 130 pounds for a while eating around 2000 calories a day and lifting 4 times a week, no cardio or maybe 10 minutes once in a while.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Look for a few TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. These are maintenance estimates including activity. This will give you small range of calories. Start at the bottom, use that estimate for a few weeks. Then if you find you are still losing add 100 more. Repeat as necessary.

    Some people use an activity tracker (FitBit). That's an estimate too. You would use that number for awhile. If you gain, then lower by 100. Repeat as necessary.
  • rdrettig1
    rdrettig1 Posts: 62 Member
    Not counting exercise, a little over 1500 :/ I will be trying to add muscle for the next couple years lol. Hopefully I can get that number up higher!
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
    Well I just turned 30, but last year before getting pregnant I was maintaining on 1400-1500 calories without exercise while around 120 lbs. For exercise, I'd do half of what my Fitbit recommended.

    Congrats on reaching maintenance! :)
  • jessicarobinson00
    jessicarobinson00 Posts: 414 Member
    Very little cardio here: mainly strength training and lifting and I would place my maintenance around 1850-1900.
  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 483 Member
    I'm 30 y/o, 5'5", 156 lbs, and am losing weight easily at ~1600 kcal/day. I lift weights three times a week (I have a decent amount of muscle) and sometimes do spin or elliptical for cardio (1-2 times per week.) I can maintain at >2200 kcal/day, but I doubt I will stay that high when I get to my goal weight of 145 lbs.

    About 6 years ago when I had very little muscle and weighed ten pounds more than I do now, my maintenance was closer to 1900 kcal/day even with activity. Strength training FTW!
  • vdarcadia
    vdarcadia Posts: 1 Member
    Hi i'm italian, i'm 43 and i started with myfitnesspal in september 2014. Last year in april i lost 10 kilos (i was 65 - 143 lbs, i reached 55kg - 121 lbs).
    I started with 1250calories, and then when i reached my goal the app passed to consider 1800, but it's no good for me because it is to much for my metabolism. Now it's almost one year that i manteined this weith. I maintain it at 1.350 kcal/day. i do not so much activity,1 hour/week of pilates.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    5'6, 116lbs. Winter (non active) TDEE is a sad 1650-1750. Spring and Summer when I'm more active, I'm closer to the 2000 mark, maybe slightly under. That is with lifting 3x a week and daily walks with my dog.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    5'6", 145lbs. Maintenance is about 2100/2200 for me. 3x/week strength training and 60 min daily brisk walking.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    5'5 105, 2000-2500, I workout 3-4 times a week
  • minno3
    minno3 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm 5'5" - 44 years old, currently weigh 130lbs and on a cutting diet at around 1600. Maintenance for me is between 1800-2000. I lift heavy 4 times a week and do no cardio. If I didn't lift heavy I would have to do cardio, which I hate!
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    I'm 5'6 140lbs and maintain on about 2400 (average....I eat less during the week more on the weekend regardless of activity level). I lift and or crossfit 5x a week and do yoga everyday. Cutting now at around 1800 calories to 135lbs.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,238 Member
    I'm way older (60), 5'5", quite active, muscular for my age but probably not for your age. I just went to 1800 net, which gets me to 2000-2100 gross with exercise, most days. (I was still losing slowly at 1700.) I eat back all my exercise, but am conservative in how I estimate it. I'm at 118 pounds now, but want to gain 2-5lbs back (slowly!).

    I'm staying with the net calories method because my activity varies quite a bit, so that's easier for me. (YMMV, as it does for many, but I found the TDEE calculators to be way off, for me - estimates were too low.)
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
    Just marked this thread for future reference - will be in maintenance in a few months.
  • RebeccaNaegle
    RebeccaNaegle Posts: 236 Member
    Im 5'4", 32 years old, and still cutting. I eat around 1220 now, and guessing soon when I go to maintenance, I will be eating around 1600. Cant wait!!!
  • mom2ava07
    mom2ava07 Posts: 186 Member
    5'5 and 30 years old...A few months ago I was maintaining on an average of 2000 per day with no exercising...now exercising I am up 5 lbs and struggling to maintain eating 1800-1900 a day. Strange
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    64, 5'2-3/4". Maintenance a little over 2 years 1600 calories. 130#
  • Kullerva
    Kullerva Posts: 1,114 Member
    I'm 5'4.5". Fitbit says my overall average caloric burn for the past 6 months is around 2350 per day. Since I've been losing on what my Fitbit tells me, I trust it. :) I run 3x a week, take karate classes twice and get at least 12,000 steps every day.
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    edited March 2016
    5'4.5, 165lb and my maintenance is about 1800
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    5'6, 160,2200-2500 im 27
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    43, 138 lbs, thought I was maintaining at the last few weeks at 1800 but just whooshed a little over 2 pounds, so I guess I'm still in a small deficit with 3 days Stronglifts 5x5, 15-20 miles/wk running and 15,000 steps every day. Fitbit says 2000-2200 cals per day. It might actually be right.
  • Scrappincarla
    Scrappincarla Posts: 52 Member
    edited March 2016
    49, 5'5", 135 lbs, My daily calories are around 1350 calories, and I get on the elliptical 2x a week for 30 mins each. I am very happy at a size 2/juniors 5.
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
    I'm 5'5" and 137lbs, maintaining on about 2100 calories. I lift 3 days a week, and jog 3-4 miles 5 days a week. I'm trying to eat about 1900-2000 calories a day because I think that will be about maintenance at my goal weight of 125lbs.
  • sparklyhippos
    sparklyhippos Posts: 38 Member
    I'm 23, 135-140lbs. My maintenance is about 2000 calories per day (maybe a smidge more), with cardio 1-2 times a week, strength training 2-3 times per week. My job is fairly active/on my feet.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    34, 125lbs. My maintenance is around 2100-2200 a day. I have a basic office slug job, however, my work has a gym, so I run 4.1 miles a day and row about 1800m. Weekends and evenings, I am pretty active on my feet most of the day doing lots of housework, meal prepping, shopping, or hiking. I have to go caucus tomorrow. How many calories does that burn, MFP? ;p
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    5'6, 120-124lbs. Maintenance is 1650-1700 if I'm sedentary, and anything up to 2500 with exercise.
  • karebare180
    karebare180 Posts: 21 Member
    27, 5'5, 1500 cal daily, 126 lbs. I stay away from exercise, too lazy... For workouts I do 15 minutes whenever I feel like it of weightlifting, nothing major I just use dumbells.
  • Noot30
    Noot30 Posts: 54 Member
    38, 5'5, exercise 5 times a week, 4-5 miles a day, weights and circuits. Maintaining about 2100 cals a day. Some days a bit less..