Help with Maintenance weight

DarianJP
DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
edited November 23 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Yesterday I decided I was happy with my progress and would finally go to eating at Maintenance, after about 4 or 5 months eating at a deficit of between 1300 - 1400, the jump to 1700 seemed pretty high. I know that seems about right to maintain because I’ve consistently been losing weight with the amount of calories I’ve been eating in the past but it just seems like it’s going to be hard eating up all those calories. I’m a pre-logger, I sit down for about 30 minutes once a week and pre-log all my food for the next week and I have a ton of calories left to eat. Any advice? And maybe some more specific advice from anyone who’s close in body composition to myself. Has eating 1700ish calories been too much? I’m 23 years old, 5 4’ and weight 109. Thank you!

Replies

  • maruby95
    maruby95 Posts: 204 Member
    I am almost your exact height/ weight (but 46 years old) and I maintain at about 1700-1800 with moderate exercise. Seems a reasonable starting point. You can always adjust.
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
    I’m 28, 5’3”, 120 lbs and maintain around 2300 calories, so no, 1700 doesn’t seem bad at all, but there are SO many more factors beyond height and weight that impact your daily burn. Activity, metabolism, hormones, body composition... the list is endless! I found after searching and searching and reading the maintenance calories of people my size that ranged from 1500-3000, that the best thing you can do is trial and error. Add 200 calories for a few weeks, see how that goes. Add another 100, etc. Just make sure you’re giving it enough time because those natural weight fluctuations can mess with your perception of it.

    I found having my Fitbit hooked up to MFP and using the burn it adds in with MFP’s maintenance calories was actually fairly accurate, but again, could just be that my metabolism happens to line up with MFP’s projections.

    Good luck!
  • DarianJP
    DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
    Thank you for your replies!
  • kirstens1984
    kirstens1984 Posts: 96 Member
    I'm 33, 5'4 and 114lb so pretty similar to you... I'm just heading towards maintenance and I'm finding adding a morning and afternoon snack uses my calories up nicely... I have things like a handful of nuts, greek yoghurt, oat cakes with nut butter, generally stuff that contains a decent amount of protein and/or is relatively calorie dense (especially the nuts). 1700 I'd say sounds about right but it will depend on your metabolism, activity etc. I've just increased from 1200-1300 to 1500-1600 this week (I still want to lose maybe another pound or so before xmas). At 1500-1600 I've still dropped about half a pound this week. I plan to increase to 1700-1800 in a couple of weeks. I guess it's trial and error... enjoy the extra food :) good luck! x
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    No 1700 doesn't seem high. I'm 2" shorter, 48yrs/126lbs/lightly active and maintain on 1950-2000 calories.
    Its a good starting point for you and you can adjust your calories up if you keep losing weight.
    Congrats on reaching your goal :smile:
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    I recommend using a weight trending app like Libra. My weight fluctuates throughout the month. Libra has been helpful for me to see my actual trend over time that way I don't get upset if the scale spikes up one day here or there.
    Also I would reverse diet into maintenance.
  • Armywife04_21
    Armywife04_21 Posts: 60 Member
    At your height and for the people of your same height, 114lbs is at the bottom of small frame, I wouldn’t go lower if I were you as it will be very unhealthy. Remember, the scale cannot tell you the muscles you have built. We consume ourselves with the scale and create such an unhealthy obsession, I know far too well about that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    DarianJP wrote: »
    Yesterday I decided I was happy with my progress and would finally go to eating at Maintenance, after about 4 or 5 months eating at a deficit of between 1300 - 1400, the jump to 1700 seemed pretty high. I know that seems about right to maintain because I’ve consistently been losing weight with the amount of calories I’ve been eating in the past but it just seems like it’s going to be hard eating up all those calories. I’m a pre-logger, I sit down for about 30 minutes once a week and pre-log all my food for the next week and I have a ton of calories left to eat. Any advice? And maybe some more specific advice from anyone who’s close in body composition to myself. Has eating 1700ish calories been too much? I’m 23 years old, 5 4’ and weight 109. Thank you!

    It's like 300 or 400 more calories...an extra snack...couple handfuls of nuts.

    I'd also guess that your maintenance is higher than that, particularly if you're at all active. My wife is 5'2"/5'3" and 42 years old and she maintains on about 2300 calories.
  • DarianJP
    DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
    Wow, thank you for all the input. Its good to hear everyone’s thought, I guess I just need to get use to eating a little more than usual and not feeling guilty about it.
  • cgolias120
    cgolias120 Posts: 8 Member
    @DarianJP I am a pre-logger, too. I create my eating plan the night before. i am in maintenance now and trying to figure out what calorie level is right for me has not been easy, but I'm starting to narrow it down. I am currently eating 2700 a day. I have this medication (Luvox) increasing my metabolism, so I am eating more so i don't lose too much. I am 36 years 8 months old, 5' 7" tall and weigh 138 lbs. I weigh myself daily to see how my calories need to be adjusted.
  • DarianJP
    DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
    @cgolias120 I took the advice of a few people and have started to weigh myself daily since I've gone into maintenance. I downloaded an app called Happy Scale and I've liked it so far, it tracks your trending weight over a period of time. But that's interesting that the medication your taking increases your metabolism, a lot of medications like that I've heard have caused people to gain weight so I guess it's a little plus that it's done the opposite for you. On the other hand, I'm sure it's not easy for you having to make sure to eat that much to not lose weight. Good luck to you though!
  • DarianJP
    DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    DarianJP wrote: »
    Wow, thank you for all the input. Its good to hear everyone’s thought, I guess I just need to get use to eating a little more than usual and not feeling guilty about it.

    Why should you feel guilty about eating the calories your body needs? The thing to feel guilty about would be withholding nutrition from your body, or trying to lose when at a healthy weight. You just need to reframe your perspective.

    I agree with you 100%, I make sure I’m getting all the vitamins and nutrients my body needs, I’m focused on hitting all my macros and micros more than anything. And I realize getting use to eating a little extra is more of a mind over matter situation.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • 92019start
    92019start Posts: 80 Member
    markbryant999 wrote: »
    I'm scared that when I move to the Maintenance calories that I will put all of my weight back on. I know it's a mental thing but I don't want to have to go through all of the effort again to lose weight

    Some people suggest increasing by 100 calories per week until you are no longer losing. More gradually approach that may work better for you!

    Yesterday was a better day. I embraced the food scale and ate 90% on plan, which is progress.
  • iheartmakeup01
    iheartmakeup01 Posts: 35 Member
    1700 seems a bit low to me, as 1600 calories is usually my cutting calories. Right now I’m doing a mini cut, I’m 5’3 106lbs at 28yo. WWhen I was maintaining at 109lbs I was eating at 2300-2400 calories. I would slowly suggest reverse dieting and increasing your calories weekly. You’re not going to put a lot of weight back on if you’re slowly increasingly your calories to find out your maintainence calories. However, you will gain a higher percentage of fat.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    markbryant999 wrote: »
    I'm scared that when I move to the Maintenance calories that I will put all of my weight back on. I know it's a mental thing but I don't want to have to go through all of the effort again to lose weight

    Yours not going to regain all the weight in 2 weeks, right? So if you weigh regularly and see an upward trend of 4-6 weeks, adjust your calories.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    1700 is quite low. Do you exercise? Unless you are sedentary it seems pretty low. I've been maintaining 105-110 for few years at 2100-2600.
  • staceyjames94
    staceyjames94 Posts: 7 Member
    I am also facing somewhat similar problem. I want to maintain, probably lose much of my weight before this coming summer as I have planned a vacation with my friends at beach side, where I want to wear a bikini. Currently I am following my diet chart, but looking forward for some more quick resulting solution. I exercise regularly and avoid calories as much as I can.
  • cassidymihalko
    cassidymihalko Posts: 3 Member
    ercarroll311 wrote: »
    I’m 28, 5’3”, 120 lbs and maintain around 2300 calories, so no, 1700 doesn’t seem bad at all, but there are SO many more factors beyond height and weight that impact your daily burn. Activity, metabolism, hormones, body composition... the list is endless! I found after searching and searching and reading the maintenance calories of people my size that ranged from 1500-3000, that the best thing you can do is trial and error. Add 200 calories for a few weeks, see how that goes. Add another 100, etc. Just make sure you’re giving it enough time because those natural weight fluctuations can mess with your perception of it.

    I found having my Fitbit hooked up to MFP and using the burn it adds in with MFP’s maintenance calories was actually fairly accurate, but again, could just be that my metabolism happens to line up with MFP’s projections.

    Good luck!
    ercarroll311 wrote: »
    I’m 28, 5’3”, 120 lbs and maintain around 2300 calories, so no, 1700 doesn’t seem bad at all, but there are SO many more factors beyond height and weight that impact your daily burn. Activity, metabolism, hormones, body composition... the list is endless! I found after searching and searching and reading the maintenance calories of people my size that ranged from 1500-3000, that the best thing you can do is trial and error. Add 200 calories for a few weeks, see how that goes. Add another 100, etc. Just make sure you’re giving it enough time because those natural weight fluctuations can mess with your perception of it.

    I found having my Fitbit hooked up to MFP and using the burn it adds in with MFP’s maintenance calories was actually fairly accurate, but again, could just be that my metabolism happens to line up with MFP’s projections.

    Good luck!
    ercarroll311 wrote: »
    I’m 28, 5’3”, 120 lbs and maintain around 2300 calories, so no, 1700 doesn’t seem bad at all, but there are SO many more factors beyond height and weight that impact your daily burn. Activity, metabolism, hormones, body composition... the list is endless! I found after searching and searching and reading the maintenance calories of people my size that ranged from 1500-3000, that the best thing you can do is trial and error. Add 200 calories for a few weeks, see how that goes. Add another 100, etc. Just make sure you’re giving it enough time because those natural weight fluctuations can mess with your perception of it.

    I found having my Fitbit hooked up to MFP and using the burn it adds in with MFP’s maintenance calories was actually fairly accurate, but again, could just be that my metabolism happens to line up with MFP’s projections.

    Good luck!

  • cassidymihalko
    cassidymihalko Posts: 3 Member
    I’m 5’9 at 118 and I feel like at 1700 I am maintaining, but I see girls who eat a lot more, upwards of 2000 calories but I am nervous to bump it up and gain..idk how to really tell if I am in maintenance. At the 1700 there are days where I binge a bit and don’t track but I also lift 4-5 days a week (no cardio) so I’m not sure if I should try and raise it? Idk I’m just confused honestly, any insights? I am a retired NCAA college b-ball player as well so my body is used to a ton of cardio
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    cassidymihalko wrote: »
    I’m 5’9 at 118 and I feel like at 1700 I am maintaining, but I see girls who eat a lot more, upwards of 2000 calories but I am nervous to bump it up and gain..idk how to really tell if I am in maintenance. At the 1700 there are days where I binge a bit and don’t track but I also lift 4-5 days a week (no cardio) so I’m not sure if I should try and raise it? Idk I’m just confused honestly, any insights? I am a retired NCAA college b-ball player as well so my body is used to a ton of cardio

    Well you are very underweight so its not surprising you maintain on a low amount of calories.... why are you trying to maintain such an underweight bmi? That is not healthy
  • OY74NmFGBL
    OY74NmFGBL Posts: 384 Member
    Moving into maintenance was scary for me too but I'm enjoying it now. I went from 1300 to about 1800 and some days 2000. When going up to 1600 I did find it hard myself to get the extra 200 calories in but have learned it's not so difficult with calorie dense foods like nuts, avocados, and PB. Oh and a glass of milk :) I moved into maintenance around October and I think I'm getting the hang of it. I don't weigh daily but maybe once a week to make sure I'm not losing.
  • DarianJP
    DarianJP Posts: 95 Member
    I’m getting the hang of maintaining but honestly I’m ready for the Holidays to be over. I’ve enjoyed myself to the point where I don’t feel guilty but everyone’s been trying to stuff fudge and cookies in my mouth everyday. And with the extra calories I have from starting maintenance, I’ve been having to stop myself from eating it all just because I have a lot of calories left.
  • cassidymihalko
    cassidymihalko Posts: 3 Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    cassidymihalko wrote: »
    I’m 5’9 at 118 and I feel like at 1700 I am maintaining, but I see girls who eat a lot more, upwards of 2000 calories but I am nervous to bump it up and gain..idk how to really tell if I am in maintenance. At the 1700 there are days where I binge a bit and don’t track but I also lift 4-5 days a week (no cardio) so I’m not sure if I should try and raise it? Idk I’m just confused honestly, any insights? I am a retired NCAA college b-ball player as well so my body is used to a ton of cardio

    Well you are very underweight so its not surprising you maintain on a low amount of calories.... why are you trying to maintain such an underweight bmi? That is not healthy.

    I am rather lean and that’s kind of just my body type. I keep this composition because I am an athlete. I wouldn’t mind putting on a little muscle but I look athletic, not super skinny (like it may sound). But overall I’m just trying to maintain this weight but eat more hahah
This discussion has been closed.

Categories