Women who eat more than 1800 calories a day !!!!

I'm 5'9" and yes think that about 2,000-2,200 is maintenance for me if I'm working out once a day on average. That is eating to maintain the 135 I am now, up from 125. Basically, added one latte a day and 3-4 drinks a week, instead of all diet coke n water, paid slightly more attention to protein and did heavier workouts, added 8lb muscle 2lb fat, and this is where I landed, and where I seem to be staying. Stronger, just as lean, but heavier.

I'm 5'6" and gross over 1800 calories when I'm active.

5'4 ~105-110
maintain 2100-2600 workout 3x a week
lost on 1500-1600

This is my new favourite thread.

5'11, netting about 1500 for the month of August. Eating about 2450 gross. Was maintaining 145-148, but haven't weighed in a couple of weeks (clothes are fitting a little better, in fact). And I am somehow showing more definition. Workouts have been superb and intense - have never felt better or had so many PRs. A crazy ton of energy.

retirehappy wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

I don't think I ever responded to this thread, but I am in this category...

5'2 - currently maintaining b/w 118-120 with a TDEE of ~2100.
Lost most of my weight (30+ lbs) eating b/w 1600-1900 cals.

Love your screen name.

So glad you posted this, so many short ladies think they have to eat 1200 or less daily to stay at goal weight range.

Thanks!

It is definitely something that I try to mention quite often, as I agree, people seem to believe that if you are petite you are destined to a lifetime of low calories in order to lose, or even maintain weight.

A wise rabbit here once said, "the winner is the one who eats the most and still loses the weight". I've tried quite successfully to excel at that game!

I eat about 2000 a day, but my daily calories are 1600ish before exercise (to loose 1lb/wk). So I do two bike rides a day to commute to work and that gives me some wiggle room. I also have a hunger rotation: every 3 days I am STARVING so I eat a lot that day, then on the days I'm not so hungry I eat much less. One week before I know PMS is going to start I try to avoid everything I'll be craving for the next week so everything balances out, relatively. I've been on MFP for 2 yrs, lost 50 pounds and did maintenance for a yr. Now looking to lose the last 15lbs, slowly.

Just curious - for the shorter people (5'3 and under) eating more than 1,800 calories, what on average were you burning through exercise while you were losing?

I know I need a healthier relationship with food, but just the thought of moving to 1,650 calories while trying to lose 15lbs is terrifying, I can't imagine eating over 1,800!

sbl1881 wrote: »

Just curious - for the shorter people (5'3 and under) eating more than 1,800 calories, what on average were you burning through exercise while you were losing?

I know I need a healthier relationship with food, but just the thought of moving to 1,650 calories while trying to lose 15lbs is terrifying, I can't imagine eating over 1,800!

Um, hard to say as those numbers are determined by my FitBit adustments with MFP. My exercise is mostly walking (~15K steps/day) and circuit training with light weights. MFP estimates my NEAT maintenance calories to be 1860 (Active), and so my adjustments are usually 200-300 cals/day.

For anyone wanting to test if they can eat more and still lose, I recommend upping the cals slowly and giving it a couple of weeks to see if you still lose. I never would have guessed, when I started on MFP, that as a petite woman I would be able to eat 1800 and still lose, but I worked hard to increase my activity level (and not just through exercise, my daily activity is much higher than when I was overweight and truly sedentary).

prettypeach790 wrote: »

So I am 26 5'10 and my net calories are 1240, but lately I haven't been able to stay there, and have been eating between 1300-1500...

I was eating between 1100-1200 and was losing well, but it seems like my body won't let me do that anymore, so I have raised it up a little.

I workout (walking, biking, and only do LIGHT weights once a week), and do not do heavy lifting.

I have lost almost 50 lbs total...

Should I start to lift and eat more or am I ok with what I am doing currently?

Most days I am not hungry, and other days I am really hungry.

Your metabolism slows the longer you eat at those lower numbers. There is a whole group dedicated to eat more, loss weight. They suggest upping your calories 100 per week for each day so if 1200, then go up to 1300. You keep doing this til you gain. It is amazing to see how much more some people can eat. I personally went from 1200 to 1850 without gaining, in fact I lost a few pounds, I however I went off the wagon, put on 15 lbs. I am now working on losing those and heading to my goal weight. The experience really changed my relationship to food. I found I do much better with LCHF eating than what I had been doing. My meme sums up what I really want

gemiwing wrote: »

I had to ask myself WHY was I more comfortable with starving myself than with feeding myself? Who told me that I was worthless and should STARVE and why the heck did I believe them?

I started reading this thread from the beginning, and I'm sure as I go on I'll find more people to quote and inspire me, but this got me.

Bumping as most of the original posts are from 2012. I'd love to read more 2016 posts!!