Ladies maintaining around 135lbs at 5'7-- how many calories do you eat?
SandraNancy
Posts: 127 Member
I thought when I got to maintenance I'd be pumped about being able to increase my calories, but to be honest, it's freaking me out.
My loss isn't a big one-- from 150 to 135 at 5'7. I lost a little over a pound a week eating 1500 calories and only eating back some exercise calories. It didn't feel particularly restrictive-- just made me consider more carefully the food I was eating, weigh for portion sizes, and not drink as much.
At the beginning of the month I bumped up to 1700 calories to see how that went. I've since lost another pound, down to 134, so not as much as if I were still on 1500/day, but obviously not quite maintenance either. I'm thinking of going up to 1900 at the beginning of October to see what that does. I'm pretty active (I bike about 50km/week and do yoga/HIIT classes about 10 hours/week) but have a desk job.
I'd be curious to hear from other ladies maintaining who are around the same height and weight. What's your number? How long did it take you to find that sweet spot?
My loss isn't a big one-- from 150 to 135 at 5'7. I lost a little over a pound a week eating 1500 calories and only eating back some exercise calories. It didn't feel particularly restrictive-- just made me consider more carefully the food I was eating, weigh for portion sizes, and not drink as much.
At the beginning of the month I bumped up to 1700 calories to see how that went. I've since lost another pound, down to 134, so not as much as if I were still on 1500/day, but obviously not quite maintenance either. I'm thinking of going up to 1900 at the beginning of October to see what that does. I'm pretty active (I bike about 50km/week and do yoga/HIIT classes about 10 hours/week) but have a desk job.
I'd be curious to hear from other ladies maintaining who are around the same height and weight. What's your number? How long did it take you to find that sweet spot?
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Replies
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It's day 1 for me. Hit goal (actually lower) this morning. And I'm having a hard time, after eating at 1200-1300 calories daily wrapping my head around eating 1800-1900.
I'm taller at 5'11, maintaining at 150. I have been losing for 2 months and lost 13lbs. By brain and body got used to how much I ate the last 2 months and isn't ready to eat more. I do know though, that if I don't slowly progress the calories up, I'll continue to lose.
Now, history. I believe I've hit "goal" about 4 times in the past 6 years, so I've been here before. Each of the other times, I had no game plan. I went at maintainance as "eat more celebration party". I know better now and wish to never have to lose gained weight again.
My plan this time? Increase my calories per day by 100 calories for 7 days. So, this week I'll eat 1400 daily, next week 1500 daily, the next 1600 daily and so on. I do realize I will still lose doing this, but honestly I can't mentally jump from a max of 1300 daily to 1800+ daily.
According to MFP my maintainance is 1810 with no exercise. This is more that likely really close, but all those other times I reached goal, I've quit logging...so I'm not so sure. I haven't exercised much during the time I was dedicated to losing, but I'd like to increase my activity, which adds even more calories.
Most people would love this problem, eat more. But on Day 1, it's taxing.
Good luck, OP. We'll all get there...eventually.3 -
Good afternoon! I am a man (and weigh a lot more than 135lbs) so I likely do not count! Ha! What I am offering here is a brief overview (which you likely have already) of a starting point (which it seems like you have down pat....for the most part):
Basal Metabolic Rate 1,365 calories per day
Sedentary 1,638 calories per day
Light Exercise 1,877 calories per day
Moderate Exercise 2,116 calories per day
Heavy Exercise 2,355 calories per day
Athlete 2,593 calories per day
So, this is the TDEE of a 30yo female who is 5'7" and 135lbs. Please note that this is VERY different from the way MFP does things (these numbers are the 'real' numbers - for lack of a better word. There is no 'eating your exercise calories back' in the above). As I always state, the above numbers are a starting point. You would have to play with the above numbers to see what works for you.
So, to get this straight....
On September 1st, you increased caloric intake from 1,500 to 1,700. While you were at 1,500 calories, you lost one pound a week (apparently over 11 or 12 weeks). That all stopped on Sep 1 and in the almost 4 weeks since (read: since Sep 1) you have lost a total of 1 pound. It sounds like that number (1,700) is pretty darn close to your maintenance calories.
I would bet that if you increased from 1,700 to 1,900 on October 1 that you would find that you gained weight. Probably about 1 pound (maybe a little bit more) over the course of the month of October. So, if you are going to increase, maybe increase from 1,700 to 1,800?
Just a suggestion!
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I am not the same height weight but 1700 seems way too low since I am shorter and weigh about 30lbs less and my maintenance is 2100-2600 and I bike ride/elliptical 3-4 days a week and do yoga 3-5 days. I think you could easily maintain on 2000 or more.3
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kristen8000 wrote: »It's day 1 for me. Hit goal (actually lower) this morning. And I'm having a hard time, after eating at 1200-1300 calories daily wrapping my head around eating 1800-1900.
I'm taller at 5'11, maintaining at 150. I have been losing for 2 months and lost 13lbs. By brain and body got used to how much I ate the last 2 months and isn't ready to eat more. I do know though, that if I don't slowly progress the calories up, I'll continue to lose.
Now, history. I believe I've hit "goal" about 4 times in the past 6 years, so I've been here before. Each of the other times, I had no game plan. I went at maintainance as "eat more celebration party". I know better now and wish to never have to lose gained weight again.
My plan this time? Increase my calories per day by 100 calories for 7 days. So, this week I'll eat 1400 daily, next week 1500 daily, the next 1600 daily and so on. I do realize I will still lose doing this, but honestly I can't mentally jump from a max of 1300 daily to 1800+ daily.
According to MFP my maintainance is 1810 with no exercise. This is more that likely really close, but all those other times I reached goal, I've quit logging...so I'm not so sure. I haven't exercised much during the time I was dedicated to losing, but I'd like to increase my activity, which adds even more calories.
Most people would love this problem, eat more. But on Day 1, it's taxing.
Good luck, OP. We'll all get there...eventually.
Glad to hear someone else finds the extra calories daunting as well. Not like I CAN'T eat that much, but there's always the worry about the "eat more celebration party", as you so perfectly put it.
Good luck to you, too!0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »Good afternoon! I am a man (and weigh a lot more than 135lbs) so I likely do not count! Ha! What I am offering here is a brief overview (which you likely have already) of a starting point (which it seems like you have down pat....for the most part):
Basal Metabolic Rate 1,365 calories per day
Sedentary 1,638 calories per day
Light Exercise 1,877 calories per day
Moderate Exercise 2,116 calories per day
Heavy Exercise 2,355 calories per day
Athlete 2,593 calories per day
So, this is the TDEE of a 30yo female who is 5'7" and 135lbs. Please note that this is VERY different from the way MFP does things (these numbers are the 'real' numbers - for lack of a better word. There is no 'eating your exercise calories back' in the above). As I always state, the above numbers are a starting point. You would have to play with the above numbers to see what works for you.
So, to get this straight....
On September 1st, you increased caloric intake from 1,500 to 1,700. While you were at 1,500 calories, you lost one pound a week (apparently over 11 or 12 weeks). That all stopped on Sep 1 and in the almost 4 weeks since (read: since Sep 1) you have lost a total of 1 pound. It sounds like that number (1,700) is pretty darn close to your maintenance calories.
I would bet that if you increased from 1,700 to 1,900 on October 1 that you would find that you gained weight. Probably about 1 pound (maybe a little bit more) over the course of the month of October. So, if you are going to increase, maybe increase from 1,700 to 1,800?
Just a suggestion!
Thanks for such a detailed answer! Perhaps I will go to 1800 instead of 1900 to see what happens. No particular rush to get to a new caloric level, though 1800 does seem like a low level of maintenance. Then again, I suspect I have a lower metabolism so maybe it's so.4 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am not the same height weight but 1700 seems way too low since I am shorter and weigh about 30lbs less and my maintenance is 2100-2600 and I bike ride/elliptical 3-4 days a week and do yoga 3-5 days. I think you could easily maintain on 2000 or more.
This is interesting. Of the yoga classes I do most are ashtanga/hot flow so a more active style, with about 2 a week that are yin/hatha. What type do you typically do? I do find the more strenuous classes to be a good workout-- heart rate gets going, sweating, etc (whether it's a hot class or not).0 -
SandraNancy wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am not the same height weight but 1700 seems way too low since I am shorter and weigh about 30lbs less and my maintenance is 2100-2600 and I bike ride/elliptical 3-4 days a week and do yoga 3-5 days. I think you could easily maintain on 2000 or more.
This is interesting. Of the yoga classes I do most are ashtanga/hot flow so a more active style, with about 2 a week that are yin/hatha. What type do you typically do? I do find the more strenuous classes to be a good workout-- heart rate gets going, sweating, etc (whether it's a hot class or not).
I like to do hot vinyasa/poweryoga or bikram ! I really love it and find you really get out of it what you put into it. Really helps me stay limber and my legs/hamstrings/etc never tighten up from exercise. 1 -
I'm 5'7" and maintaining mostly around 132 (128-133 is my goal range). My maintenance number only seems to be around 1750-1850 (does vary a bit depending on exercise level), which is a little lower than I expected and way lower than what my Fitbit Charge 2 estimates for me. But it is definitely nicer than the 1350-1500 I lost on! (I started at 154.)2
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Oh and I did reverse diet up to maintenance, which took maybe a month or so. (That was last March.)2
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SandraNancy wrote: »I thought when I got to maintenance I'd be pumped about being able to increase my calories, but to be honest, it's freaking me out.
My loss isn't a big one-- from 150 to 135 at 5'7. I lost a little over a pound a week eating 1500 calories and only eating back some exercise calories. It didn't feel particularly restrictive-- just made me consider more carefully the food I was eating, weigh for portion sizes, and not drink as much.
At the beginning of the month I bumped up to 1700 calories to see how that went. I've since lost another pound, down to 134, so not as much as if I were still on 1500/day, but obviously not quite maintenance either. I'm thinking of going up to 1900 at the beginning of October to see what that does. I'm pretty active (I bike about 50km/week and do yoga/HIIT classes about 10 hours/week) but have a desk job.
I'd be curious to hear from other ladies maintaining who are around the same height and weight. What's your number? How long did it take you to find that sweet spot?
I'm also 5'7" & was weighing in right around 135-138 lbs for the past year. My coach has me lifting 4 days a week & eating between 1500-1650 calories. 135g protein. Also drinking 3L of water a day. I've been doing this for 5 weeks now & am down 4-5 lbs (fluctuates). But I can tell I'm building muscle! Staying consistent in the gym + getting plenty of Protein & water seems to be working!2 -
macchiatto wrote: »I'm 5'7" and maintaining mostly around 132 (128-133 is my goal range). My maintenance number only seems to be around 1750-1850 (does vary a bit depending on exercise level), which is a little lower than I expected and way lower than what my Fitbit Charge 2 estimates for me. But it is definitely nicer than the 1350-1500 I lost on! (I started at 154.)
You sound very similar to me-- interesting that your maintenance also sounds like what mine should be. It's baffling that some can maintain at 2100 calories while someone else at the same height and weight is 1800, but I guess that's the wonderful weirdness of the same thing not working for everyone.2 -
dwhitehead3025 wrote: »SandraNancy wrote: »I thought when I got to maintenance I'd be pumped about being able to increase my calories, but to be honest, it's freaking me out.
My loss isn't a big one-- from 150 to 135 at 5'7. I lost a little over a pound a week eating 1500 calories and only eating back some exercise calories. It didn't feel particularly restrictive-- just made me consider more carefully the food I was eating, weigh for portion sizes, and not drink as much.
At the beginning of the month I bumped up to 1700 calories to see how that went. I've since lost another pound, down to 134, so not as much as if I were still on 1500/day, but obviously not quite maintenance either. I'm thinking of going up to 1900 at the beginning of October to see what that does. I'm pretty active (I bike about 50km/week and do yoga/HIIT classes about 10 hours/week) but have a desk job.
I'd be curious to hear from other ladies maintaining who are around the same height and weight. What's your number? How long did it take you to find that sweet spot?
I'm also 5'7" & was weighing in right around 135-138 lbs for the past year. My coach has me lifting 4 days a week & eating between 1500-1650 calories. 135g protein. Also drinking 3L of water a day. I've been doing this for 5 weeks now & am down 4-5 lbs (fluctuates). But I can tell I'm building muscle! Staying consistent in the gym + getting plenty of Protein & water seems to be working!
I'm gonna join you in the weight room soon! I used to do stronglifts two years ago but fell off. I'm in the midst of a yoga 30 day challenge right now (and with 2+ classes a day plus biking everywhere, I can't imagine throwing weight lifting in). Looking forward to starting again!1 -
The numbers that I provided are from a calculator. So, as I *usually* state, they are a starting point. As we are all different (sometimes very different) you should play with them and see what happens. Pick a number - maybe 1800 - and see what happens. And, to be clear, it is not just throwing numbers against a wall and seeing what sticks. You have a lot of work already in so you have a really good idea of what works for you....now it is a matter of getting really close to your numbers. That will be awesome.
And, once you find your number (number range, more likely - just like with 'weight goal') just know that it might change over time. Metabolism is a funny thing.....it responds to what you give it!1 -
Watching this thread with interest. I'm a minimal exercise here, 5'7", 53 years old. I am losing very slowly on 1600 calories. I started at about 156 and seem to be stuck at 146. It is looking like "maintenance" for me will be around 1700 calories.1
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@dwhitehead3025 - congrats on your first post. Now that you have that one out of the way.....
And great job on the work put in. Are you doing a program? Not to hijack this post....but please do tell what is working for you. Specifically (we know about the four times a week and the 3l of water a day - AMEN to both!).0 -
I'm the same weight and height and I struggle to always hit my 1,200 goal on a daily basis. I'm maintaining at the moment (lost 3st) but I also freak out about increasing my intake. I'm not super active and don't exercise a lot but I work 4 days a week where I'm on my feet all day. I always have breakfast, a light lunch and a bigger dinner and haven't really raised my intake goal a lot over my weight loss journey1
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