Maintenance advice please - cals for 5ft5” female

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  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    At 5"5" I reached my goal weight of 125 in September. Since then my body has settled in at 122 +/-. MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1390 at sedentary. I'm not sedentary as I lift 4 times a week as well as other stuff. But my exercise is still added as I wear a HRM when I workout. I weigh daily, which is important for me. I log some meals but not all. I figured my TDEE when I hit goal and I believe it was 1789. But I'm three pounds lighter now.

    All that is to say that simply stay on top of it. You are going to have fluctuations. If you eat salty a day or two, it will go up. If you get dehydrated, it will go down.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    Wow I envy you young ones.... I'm 61 5'5" and 145 pounds. I get 8000 steps plus 6 days a week. I maintain at 1350. Sigh, I've lost 105 pounds and probably some of that was muscle. I'm joining a gym this year and hoping for something better.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    cheryldumais wrote: »
    Wow I envy you young ones.... I'm 61 5'5" and 145 pounds. I get 8000 steps plus 6 days a week. I maintain at 1350. Sigh, I've lost 105 pounds and probably some of that was muscle. I'm joining a gym this year and hoping for something better.

    Definitely lift. You'll increase your bone density and can gain a little muscle, which will increase your TDEE over time.
  • sherylsloss64
    sherylsloss64 Posts: 1 Member
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    cheryldumais wrote: »
    Wow I envy you young ones.... I'm 61 5'5" and 145 pounds. I get 8000 steps plus 6 days a week. I maintain at 1350. Sigh, I've lost 105 pounds and probably some of that was muscle. I'm joining a gym this year and hoping for something better.

    I agree . Im 53, 5ft 5 have always been a runner, but as I am aging it harder to keep the weight on. Started lifting about a year ago and lOVE the increased muscle mass as well as the definition it has given my body.
  • laura9503
    laura9503 Posts: 43 Member
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    I think that for anyone it indeed would be best to just start at a certain amount such as 2000 kcal. If this is too much, eat a bit less until you find what works for you (and vice versa if you loose weight on 2000 kcal). As others have already said, there are so many factors that determine your required intake. For instance, I have had an eating disorder, I work out a lot, I am very active and am still studying. If I would throw all my data in a online calculator, it states 1800 kcal. Well, I eat 2200-2400 kcal a day and I am maintaining my weight. And indeed, your weight can fluctuate a lot. For myself (5 feet 659⁄64 inches to be exact, I use the metric system usually), I see my weight as stable as long as it is between 123.5 and 127.9 lbs. I also feel most healthy on this weight, which is the most important thing after all.
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    edited January 2018
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    cheryldumais wrote: »
    Wow I envy you young ones.... I'm 61 5'5" and 145 pounds. I get 8000 steps plus 6 days a week. I maintain at 1350. Sigh, I've lost 105 pounds and probably some of that was muscle. I'm joining a gym this year and hoping for something better.

    I feel you. I lost around 1 lb week on 1200 cal a day average. But I didn’t eat back my steps ( 12000/ day average) or eat my exercise calories ( usually 2-3 miles swim, 3 hiit sessions, 2 weight sessions + misc a week). So I’m guessing (just started maintenance and haven’t pinned it down) that my maintenance calories are somewhere around 1280 + 200 ish for activity and exercise, 5’3, 53 yr old 147 weight.

    Frankly, it just sucks. Using 5:2 IF to try to make it suck less. 3+ mos weights ( but only 2x a week) makies no noticeable improvement in increasing TDEE department. I doubt it will, anyway, doing weights for strength - TDEE improvement would be welcome bonus but I’m not expecting anything.


  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    I'm 5'5" and 144lbs. On days I'm just active running around but don't do formal exercise, I maintain at around 2000 calories.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    5'5 and 135. I've been hovering around 135-138 for the last 9 months. MFP gives me 1610 currently, and it seems right. I do a lot of deliberate exercise and eat most of those cals back, except for if I track strength stuff as I am suspicious of that burning as many cals as my watch says. For most of January I have been 1-200 cals under maintenance to get back to the 135 from the 136/7 mark and I got results. I can't imagine seriously trying to lose more. 5'5ers at 125, you crazy!
  • pkweier
    pkweier Posts: 349 Member
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    Melanie,
    I'm the same height and weight and MFP only gives me 1490 to eat. What setting do you have MFP set for? Could be your younger than me so gives you more. I agree 125 is to small for me. :smile:
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    pkweier wrote: »
    Melanie,
    I'm the same height and weight and MFP only gives me 1490 to eat. What setting do you have MFP set for? Could be your younger than me so gives you more. I agree 125 is to small for me. :smile:

    I'm 40 and have it set to sedentary, and I add exercise from my Watch.
  • pkweier
    pkweier Posts: 349 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    pkweier wrote: »
    Melanie,
    I'm the same height and weight and MFP only gives me 1490 to eat. What setting do you have MFP set for? Could be your younger than me so gives you more. I agree 125 is to small for me. :smile:

    I'm 40 and have it set to sedentary, and I add exercise from my Watch.

    Thanks I’m gonna be 60 soon so that could have something to do with my calories

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