Not many calories in maintenance!!
bigcraddock
Posts: 6 Member
So, this morning I have adjusted my settings to maintenance and the adjusted calorie target is only 1560. This is not much more than I had when I was losing weight. It’s not a problem- i just wanted to moan that I assumed it would be more!
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Replies
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Well done on reaching your goal weight!
If you were losing on average 1/2 pound a week towards the end you will only get an extra 250 calories for maintenance which isn't really much more than a snack really.4 -
Yeah that's maintenance for ya, a few hundred extra calories.
Congrats on getting to goal
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What was your average rate of weight loss over the last four weeks?
Also remember that calorie goal suggestion is only for a day with no exercise.10 -
If I actually had to eat only the amount of calories I am supposed to to maintain my weight, I'd soon give up tracking and go back to being fat. Fortunately, my TDEE is a bit higher than normal for my age (1600 vs. 1400, approximately) and I do a lot of exercise so ATM I can eat more than 2200 a day and still maintain.8
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Do you exercise at all? That helps.5
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spiriteagle99 wrote: »If I actually had to eat only the amount of calories I am supposed to to maintain my weight, I'd soon give up tracking and go back to being fat. Fortunately, my TDEE is a bit higher than normal for my age (1600 vs. 1400, approximately) and I do a lot of exercise so ATM I can eat more than 2200 a day and still maintain.
This!1 -
That was probably the biggest revelation of MFP for me: that going into maintenance meant adding a couple dozen almonds.LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Yeah that's maintenance for ya, a few hundred extra calories.
Congrats on getting to goal
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I’m thrilled to maintain at 1560. MFP gave me 1450 but I kept losing. For me, it’s helpful to know that I still need to eat quite mindfully and still track and log everything, because I don’t get that many cals as before. Keeps me from that “yippee, I’m in maintenance now I can eat whatever I want” trap.8
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Fortunately, I run a bit so yes I get some extra calories. I secretly thought maintainable meant McDonald’s with impunity though. Guess that’s how I ended up with 100 lb to lose!! Thanks folks. Cx17
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At 42 years old, 6'4, and 180 lbs I've managed to get my maintenance up to around 3000-3100 calories a day. I go high intensity in the gym 5 days a week and I road/mountain bike about 100 miles a month. I was around 2400 when I was cutting.2
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Oh, I feel your pain. I actually fell into maintenance by just not losing anymore. So actually I didn't get any extra calories at all in maintenance! But I have to say that I don't ever want that 100 lbs. back so I'll suck it up and live with it. Hang in there. At least as a runner you can earn alot more calories than I do as a walker, lol. The upside to walking I guess is it takes me so long that I have less time to eat.
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With my stats, when I select "Maintain Current Weight", MFP instructs me to eat 1200 calories and tells me I'll be GAINING! (I also inflated my exercise in the previous scenario to try and get something more hopeful.) It's quite discouraging since I'm still trying to lose.
Edited to say I'm nowhere near the low end of a healthy range for my height although I'm at a "good" place.2 -
cheryldumais wrote: »Oh, I feel your pain. I actually fell into maintenance by just not losing anymore. So actually I didn't get any extra calories at all in maintenance! But I have to say that I don't ever want that 100 lbs. back so I'll suck it up and live with it. Hang in there. At least as a runner you can earn alot more calories than I do as a walker, lol. The upside to walking I guess is it takes me so long that I have less time to eat.
You and me, too. I gained ten pounds on "maintenance" before I realized what was happening. At least we have the method down now... 3 -
cheryldumais wrote: »Oh, I feel your pain. I actually fell into maintenance by just not losing anymore. So actually I didn't get any extra calories at all in maintenance! But I have to say that I don't ever want that 100 lbs. back so I'll suck it up and live with it. Hang in there. At least as a runner you can earn alot more calories than I do as a walker, lol. The upside to walking I guess is it takes me so long that I have less time to eat.
You and me, too. I gained ten pounds on "maintenance" before I realized what was happening. At least we have the method down now...
Same! I've been trying really hard to lose another 10 pounds or so but I've actually been gaining. Which means my deficit is not a deficit and it's not even maintenance. I recently lowered my calorie target and let's see if that works! It's definitely a challenge6 -
Where’s that helpful thread about Increasing NEAT? I don’t know how to link it. But if you can up your NEAT then you can eat a little more. Or eat the same and lose a little. Depending on your goals4
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Here is the NEAT thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
Personally I found it a lot easier to reestablish old NEAT actions, and introduce some new, to get an extra 200 cals a day than do an extra hour purposeful exercise.
The extra hour exercise, upping me to 2-2.5 a day, left me tired and my NEAT went to pot as I was much happier sitting on the couch then driving to the shops, instead of walking over.
This meant, yes I earned 200 exercise cals, but they were offset by my not walking to the shop as usual (-80cal) and probably not going up and down stairs a couple of times doing laundry, throwing in a couple of 15 min watering/weeding sessions in the garden, etc etc.
I am the short old woman who doesn’t weigh much so I got 1200 for maintenance (sedentary) plus ~200 cals for exercise, equaling a 1350 TDEE. Subtly increasing my NEAT over time has me at ~1750cals.
(I found slowly pushing my cal envelope gave me more energy. More energy, more movement, more movement, more cals, etc, etc.)
Cheers, h.20 -
Mine is 1600 😩0
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Mine is 1560 and I’m thrilled, actually. I was at 1300 to lose and MFP set me at 1450 for maintenance. So I get 110 more thN that PLUS exercise calories. My maintenance might be a bit higher, I am new to maintenance and still tracking and adjusting.1
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Being small and old my BMR is only about 1000 per day (
). So I have to keep my NEAT up or I would just be the most miserable person on earth! I walk a fair amount, and try not to sit down too much (despite loving reading). 3 -
If you're losing .5 - 1 Lb per week, the difference between maintenance and losing would be 250-500 calories. A snack or two basically. I increased my TDEE by move more in general and doing more purposeful exercise. MFP gives me 2300ish calories to maintain...in reality I eat around 2800-3000 with exercise and doing little things to increase my NEAT.0
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Mine is 1360 - I had a sneak peek in advance now as I've notionally hit goal today but won't officially call it until Sunday which is my weigh in day. It's a bit sad as it's not much more than my weight loss minimum which was 1,200. That being said, I've been consistently eating more than 1500 ... up to 1900 a day and still losing because of additional exercise - so I suspect I shall continue using exercise to beef up my puny daily calorie budget
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