1400accurate maintenance?

For a 4"11 female does this seem accurate?
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Replies

  • Lovelifeyoulive
    Lovelifeyoulive Posts: 19 Member
    Possibly. Are you sedentary?

    Basically, samsung health says I burn 1322 and suggests I eat 1300, 1450 if i get 60+excersize mins [i definitely dont] but mfp says 1300 or 1460 [if active] . A dietician said anywhere between 1200-1500 but I'm trying to find a good number because I was losing hair at 1200.
  • Lovelifeyoulive
    Lovelifeyoulive Posts: 19 Member
    Start there and adjust. Your dietician should be your first clue.

    None of us know.

    It's an experiment we all have to run. 1400 sounds good.

    Do you know if a slight deficit of 50/100, (if the 1400 is wrong) could pose any negative effects? Suffered hair loss at 1200, really dont want thT again
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Start there and adjust. Your dietician should be your first clue.

    None of us know.

    It's an experiment we all have to run. 1400 sounds good.

    Do you know if a slight deficit of 50/100, (if the 1400 is wrong) could pose any negative effects? Suffered hair loss at 1200, really dont want thT again

    How much weight were you losing on 1200?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,905 Member
    Start there and adjust. Your dietician should be your first clue.

    None of us know.

    It's an experiment we all have to run. 1400 sounds good.

    Do you know if a slight deficit of 50/100, (if the 1400 is wrong) could pose any negative effects? Suffered hair loss at 1200, really dont want thT again

    You've gotten three pretty reputable sources that gave you numbers. Your device, your dietician and Myfitnesspal. Take all three and make a decision. There is no way for us to be able to dial it in any better than those three sources. No one has the answer for you.

    Unfortunately, 1200 is too low for almost everyone. I also had hair loss and other problems at 1200 and they don't show up until the damage is pretty far gone.

    I lost most of my weight eating about 1700-1900 per day including added exercise calories. My Net goal was 1550 on Myfitnesspal, and I exercised to get up to 1700 or more. I had one big day of 1500-2000 above and beyond that amount every week. So if I averaged out the week I was eating more like 2000/2100 daily calories, net. I'm 5'7", in my sixties and retired.

    Your results won't be the same. You're different. Find your spot...I'd say listen to your body though. If you are fatigued, irritable, always hungry, or having trouble concentrating or having energy issues or sleeping too much or whatever physical things are off? Eat. Don't ignore the signs.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift

    She must be a LOT younger than me. I maintain at a net of less than 1300. Maybe it's my logging, but I have been doing this a long time. I'm 5'10" and about to turn 60. When I was younger I could eat anything - I maintained a healthy weight until my late 40s without paying attention. But I started to creep up without changing my eating around 50 and had to start logging then to maintain.

    Now, that's NET. I eat a few hundred calories more every day and count activity - first with a pedometer, then a fitbit zip, now with an apple watch.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift

    She must be a LOT younger than me. I maintain at a net of less than 1300. Maybe it's my logging, but I have been doing this a long time. I'm 5'10" and about to turn 60. When I was younger I could eat anything - I maintained a healthy weight until my late 40s without paying attention. But I started to creep up without changing my eating around 50 and had to start logging then to maintain.

    Now, that's NET. I eat a few hundred calories more every day and count activity - first with a pedometer, then a fitbit zip, now with an apple watch.

    I'm 46, my net maintenance as sedentary is 1630. But I'm not sedentary, no where nearly, I run 30+miles a week, in total i exercise for around 3-4 hrs a day, which is why I can eat as much as I can. If I eat 2000 calories a day I lose 2lb+ a week.
  • admaarie
    admaarie Posts: 4,297 Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift

    Damn. I should start running 😂
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Every time we have this discussion numbers bounce around by 1000 calories. I think people log differently and their bodies are different and what they count - raw or net - differs. Bottom line: I think you need to start with what it tells you, log consistently, and weigh. If you loose weight add calories. If you gain weight, drop them. That's what I had to do.

    Frankly you can't damage your body that quickly - as in in a few weeks. You should be able to tell if you're hungry or feeling bad or losing weight and adjust your food intake. You have to trust your body and your data.

    I agree, but I think a great reason why the reported ranges are so different is that some people are maintaining a higher weight. Some people comment that they are short females maintaining close to 3000 calories, but then I realize that their goal weight is on the high end of normal or overweight. Taller people need to be heavier, and one tall person's BMR can be a lighter petite's TDEE.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    neldabg wrote: »
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Every time we have this discussion numbers bounce around by 1000 calories. I think people log differently and their bodies are different and what they count - raw or net - differs. Bottom line: I think you need to start with what it tells you, log consistently, and weigh. If you loose weight add calories. If you gain weight, drop them. That's what I had to do.

    Frankly you can't damage your body that quickly - as in in a few weeks. You should be able to tell if you're hungry or feeling bad or losing weight and adjust your food intake. You have to trust your body and your data.

    I agree, but I think a great reason why the reported ranges are so different is that some people are maintaining a higher weight. Some people comment that they are short females maintaining close to 3000 calories, but then I realize that their goal weight is on the high end of normal or overweight. Taller people need to be heavier, and one tall person's BMR can be a lighter petite's TDEE.

    not always true. the more active a person is the more they can eat in many circumstances.Im 5'6 1/2 and my BMR is a lot lower than others of my height and activity level. its even lower than what any calculator even mfp gives me. taller people dont need to be heavier per se. they may be able to weigh a bit more than say someone several inches shorter than they are but doesnt mean its a healthy weight.

    so ones person maintenance can differ due to activity levels.many women around my age and height can eat more than I can to maintain.even when I was very active I could not eat a lot. my maintenance is 1900 without exercise and around 2200 with exercise and thats burning wuite a bit of calories. even if I burn 3000 calories(including my BMR) I still cant eat more than 2200 or I gain weight. I dont know if its due to my health issue or not but thats how it works for me.

    I dont know if thats a rare thing or not but there are many women on here who are shorter than me who can eat more than I can.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    neldabg wrote: »
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Every time we have this discussion numbers bounce around by 1000 calories. I think people log differently and their bodies are different and what they count - raw or net - differs. Bottom line: I think you need to start with what it tells you, log consistently, and weigh. If you loose weight add calories. If you gain weight, drop them. That's what I had to do.

    Frankly you can't damage your body that quickly - as in in a few weeks. You should be able to tell if you're hungry or feeling bad or losing weight and adjust your food intake. You have to trust your body and your data.

    I agree, but I think a great reason why the reported ranges are so different is that some people are maintaining a higher weight. Some people comment that they are short females maintaining close to 3000 calories, but then I realize that their goal weight is on the high end of normal or overweight. Taller people need to be heavier, and one tall person's BMR can be a lighter petite's TDEE.

    not always true. the more active a person is the more they can eat in many circumstances.Im 5'6 1/2 and my BMR is a lot lower than others of my height and activity level. its even lower than what any calculator even mfp gives me. taller people dont need to be heavier per se. they may be able to weigh a bit more than say someone several inches shorter than they are but doesnt mean its a healthy weight.

    so ones person maintenance can differ due to activity levels.many women around my age and height can eat more than I can to maintain.even when I was very active I could not eat a lot. my maintenance is 1900 without exercise and around 2200 with exercise and thats burning wuite a bit of calories. even if I burn 3000 calories(including my BMR) I still cant eat more than 2200 or I gain weight. I dont know if its due to my health issue or not but thats how it works for me.

    I dont know if thats a rare thing or not but there are many women on here who are shorter than me who can eat more than I can.

    Hmm. I know BMI isn't the end all be all, but it's still a decent reference. It is not false that a tall person needs to be heavier; a 130 lb person is overweight at 4'11" but underweight at 5'11".
    Oh yes. I do know just how much activity affects TDEE. I'd be a miserable 5'2" lady on my sedentary 1400-1500 calories, but I'm active and eat around 2000 calories to keep between 110-120 lbs. I'm basing my statements from what I've read online and on a thread I made almost a year ago:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10641330/light-petites-maintaining-on-2000-calories#latest

    It's not unusual to be above 2000 calories, but people consistently pushing 3000 calories tend to be heavier.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    admaarie wrote: »
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift

    Damn. I should start running 😂

    but if you don't run you also don't need as much fuel either :smiley: - it all depends on your preference, move more to get to eat more...or move less and eat a bit less.
    I'm naturally active, can't sit still, always up and doing despite having a desk job and maintain on around 2000 calories (5ft 2/49yrs/126lbs).

    As others say, you'll know yourself when you have more data over a period of weeks what your true maintenance is.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    For a 4"11 female does this seem accurate?

    This may be accurate but depends on your maintenance weight and activity level. I am just under 5 feet tall and maintain at 112-115 on 1400 not counting exercise. I log all exercise separately.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would be surprised if it's that low. My wife is only a couple inches taller and she typically maintains on 2200 calories per day...she's a runner though and lifts weights as well.

    I'd love to meet your wife, I don't think I know anybody irl that can eat as much as me and still maintain.
    op it's possible I guess, I would be miserable though, I'm 5'1.5 and maintain on around 2500-3000 Calories, I also run and lift

    She must be a LOT younger than me. I maintain at a net of less than 1300. Maybe it's my logging, but I have been doing this a long time. I'm 5'10" and about to turn 60. When I was younger I could eat anything - I maintained a healthy weight until my late 40s without paying attention. But I started to creep up without changing my eating around 50 and had to start logging then to maintain.

    Now, that's NET. I eat a few hundred calories more every day and count activity - first with a pedometer, then a fitbit zip, now with an apple watch.

    My wife is 43. She runs about 20-30 miles per week and lifts once per week and does body weight stuff a couple other days. She is a former collegiate athlete (rugby) and has more muscle mass than I would consider average for a female. She has an athletic build and typically maintains at the top of the BMI scale most of the year...5-10 Lbs less in the summer usually.

    We also have two small boys and we're pretty active as a family in general and like to go on family hikes, rock climbing, swimming, etc...we get a bit of cabin fever if we're hanging around the house too much. Actually having a bit of that at the moment since we've pretty much been snowed in since last Friday.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    edited January 2019
    neldabg wrote: »
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Every time we have this discussion numbers bounce around by 1000 calories. I think people log differently and their bodies are different and what they count - raw or net - differs. Bottom line: I think you need to start with what it tells you, log consistently, and weigh. If you loose weight add calories. If you gain weight, drop them. That's what I had to do.

    Frankly you can't damage your body that quickly - as in in a few weeks. You should be able to tell if you're hungry or feeling bad or losing weight and adjust your food intake. You have to trust your body and your data.

    I agree, but I think a great reason why the reported ranges are so different is that some people are maintaining a higher weight. Some people comment that they are short females maintaining close to 3000 calories, but then I realize that their goal weight is on the high end of normal or overweight. Taller people need to be heavier, and one tall person's BMR can be a lighter petite's TDEE.

    I agree with others that it's weirder than that. Partly it's activity, but partly it's personal mystery. (Could have something to do with meticulousness of logging, but I'm not sure that even accounts for all of it.) All of these statistics tend to have some underlying bell curve (or analogous sort of distribution). I don't think we've captured all the things that put most people near the mean, and others out a standard deviation, or even two.

    I'm older (63), not tall (5'5"), not all that heavy (BMI 22-ish in mid-130s), and maintain hundreds of calories above the net MFP would give me as a sedentary to lightly active person (6,000 steps is a fairly big day for me; under 5,000 is common). I estimate and eat back all my exercise. I have no idea why this is true. I could speculate, but it would involve tacking together many factors each of which is only maybe worth a handful (<50) calories daily. My NEAT varies seasonally, but it seems to be averaging in the low 2000s, based on about 4 years of logging, when most calculators think 1500 +/-. Add exercise, 200-300 most days, and it can be mid-2000s.

    It's really individual, but (heh) most people are close to average.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Start there and adjust. Your dietician should be your first clue.

    None of us know.

    It's an experiment we all have to run. 1400 sounds good.

    Do you know if a slight deficit of 50/100, (if the 1400 is wrong) could pose any negative effects? Suffered hair loss at 1200, really dont want thT again

    A small deficit shouldn't be an issue. 1400 would be ~ the sedentary net estimate for someone 4'10"-ish and normal weight range. You would want to eat any NEAT (if any portion of your job has you on your feet or doing physical work/you have to walk to or from a bus or far parking spot/walk between work buildings/etc - these wouldn't be included in the 1400 as that is a truly sedentary estimate) and exercise calories back on top of that. If you don't eat back exercise and non-accounted for NEAT calories, then it could amount to a large deficit that could be harmful. A weight trend app/website will help show any trends that start to form (daily weight fluctuates a few lbs) so you can see if you are at maintenance.