maintaning at 1400???

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jeandinco
jeandinco Posts: 32 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Before you all say that I am doing it wrong, please read my post.

I came from the 1200 calorie diet and increased it slowly to reach maintenance. (MFP said that my maintenance calories is 1600. I tried to reach it slowly, but I gained weight when I reached 1600--so I had to cut back)

I have been on the 1400-1450 diet for 3 weeks and the scale is no longer moving. Isn't 1400 still too low though? Well, I can now eat 500 grams of vegetables everyday, two pieces of Bakpia (Asian Pastry), milk, nuts and all the things I could eat before I even started my diet (except meat; I am a pescatarian now).

Thanks.

Stats:

Activity: Lightly Active: Sedentary Job and 1-2 exercise/week (15 mins cardio, 15 mins weight-lifting)
Eating Habits/Food Choice: Pescatarian, fasting 12-hr period
Height: 5'6
Weight: 55 kg
Body Fat: 18.8%

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Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I ran your stats using an online calculator and did sedentary and lightly active and came up with:

    TDEE - sedentary 1657 (desk job little exercise)
    TDEE - light active 1825 (1-3 hrs exercise a week)

    What are you using to measure body fat and coming up with 18.8% body fat percentage? The katch-mcardle calculator uses body fat percentage, and I ran your TDEE using this and it came to 1600 calories.

    Something seems off in your numbers to me. Do you weigh and log the the food you eat? The exercise you do is not very much to warrant and activity level of lightly active, so do you have a active job?

    Secondly what is your question to the forum, if it is asking if 1400 is too low is the only question, then yes to me this sounds low at your stats.

  • jeandinco
    jeandinco Posts: 32 Member
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    @RoxieDawn yes, I weigh everything, even sauces and ketchups. I used the underwater thingy for fat percentage. My job is sedentary.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
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    I mean, I guess it could be possible considering you have minimal activity. However, I would think it could be possible to have some water retention due to increase in calories but 3 weeks seems like a bit.

    Considering you have a desk job and only work out 2x a week with 15 minutes cardio and 15 minutes weight lifting, I don't think that truly counts as lightly active. Someone else, correct me if I'm wrong.

    Keep eating 1400 calories for a few weeks more and see how your weight responds. How quick were you losing when eating 1200?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
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    jeandinco wrote: »
    @RoxieDawn yes, I weigh everything, even sauces and ketchups. I used the underwater thingy for fat percentage. My job is sedentary.

    Well based on your stats you should be eating around 1600 to 1650 to maintain your weight. Why you are 200 calories less than that I am uncertain, other than you really are not moving a lot in the day time to burn much more than you BMR calories of 1330.

    The 15 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of lifting is not enough to even bump the calories up to equate to a lot of calorie burning. My best guess is on these days you burn maybe or not even 80 -100 more?

    I can only say that if you do maintain at 1400 - 1450 and this is your "real number", then it is what it is. I am no expert or doctor to say if there is anything medical that is causing this such as hormonal imbalance or metabolic issue.

    Keep running at 1400 and see how you feel in a few more weeks. I do know that on my completely sedentary days (and I mean basically a couch potato and only running to the bathroom a couple of time) I do not burn very much more than my BMR calories (maybe 100 or more)..
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Alternatively try eating at 1600 and see if you get an ultra slow trend upwards gaining just 2lbs in 35 days.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited July 2016
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    It depends. If you're truly sedentary, then 1400 may be maintenance. If I did not make an effort to move, be more active: I'd average 2000-3500 steps a day and maintain on ~1450. I choose to be more active because being that sedentary is not healthy IMO.

    Edited to add I'm 41, 5'5.5" and ~130. Just a few pounds heavier than you but not a significant difference.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    How long did you eat 1600 for, and how much did you gain?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Also keep in mind the bmr/activity level calorie calculators are estimates on some fictional 'average' person. Reality can be a little higher or lower.
  • catstratch
    catstratch Posts: 18 Member
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    Up your intake to at least 1600 for at least 2 weeks. Any initial weight gain is only food and water weight, which you will lose when your body stabilizes at the new intake. You WON'T GAIN any REAL weight. 1400 is not enough for you at all.
    I'm also 55kg and 5'5 (so shorter than you) and I'm maintaining at 2000-2200 a day.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
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    I ate 1200-1500 to lose, I overshot my goal because I knew when increasing back to maintenance you gain a few lbs of water weight and glycogen stores. I gained a few lbs (like 3-5) when transitioning to maintenance at 1800. Then, not too long ago I increased to 2200-2500 because I was always hungry and had urges to binge and didn't gain anything and now have more energy. I count VERY accurately too and it boggled my mind I could maintain on more than I was eating. It is probably because when eating more I have more energy and my body uses the calories to perform bodily functions better.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I don't find 1400 surprising at all for a relatively petite woman. That's about what I'm eating, and I'm more active, and shorter, than you. I fast for 12-14 hours too, and find it makes it easier to eat less.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,528 Member
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    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    Also keep in mind the bmr/activity level calorie calculators are estimates on some fictional 'average' person. Reality can be a little higher or lower.

    Absolutely this. The calorie level at which you can eat and stabilize your weight is, by definition, your maintenance calories. It doesn't matter what the calculators say; it doesn't matter what others your size do: Your maintenance calories are individual.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
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    I'm a lot older and shorter, but about the same weight (between 120-122 lbs), and I would say I maintain at about 1400 on a day with only light activity (a 30 minute walk) and standing job (teaching). On days when I'm sedentary, I use only around 1200, which is what most people must eat to lose weight! I use a fitbit to track my burn.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I exercise quite a lot, cardio and lifting, and being on my feet for much of the day, and 1450 still isn't too little. If I could be 8 inches taller, I would. Intermittent fasting allows me to feel full once a day.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I guess the moral of this story is to exercise more so you can eat more.

    ^^This^^ I am working on maintenance right now and know that if I really want to eat more than I have been, I have to put more effort into exercise and just daily activity in general. I am still being meticulous about my logging as I never want to go back to where I was 6 months ago. If I can maintain for the next year, then I can say I have succeeded.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
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    lithezebra wrote: »
    I exercise quite a lot, cardio and lifting, and being on my feet for much of the day, and 1450 still isn't too little. If I could be 8 inches taller, I would. Intermittent fasting allows me to feel full once a day.

    Have you tried eating more and seen a gain? That seem like so little. I am only 5'4
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    lithezebra wrote: »
    I exercise quite a lot, cardio and lifting, and being on my feet for much of the day, and 1450 still isn't too little. If I could be 8 inches taller, I would. Intermittent fasting allows me to feel full once a day.

    Have you tried eating more and seen a gain? That seem like so little. I am only 5'4

    Yes. I don't gain uncontrollably at 1600 a day. I settle in at about 124 pounds on 1600 a day. If I want to maintain what I consider to be my ideal weight, I have to be pretty strict.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    OP has not been back to her thread in 6 days. I wonder what she decided to do?

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