Disappointing Realization of Maintenance Calories

sunny_d22 · November 2019

Happy Birthday!!

MadisonMolly2017 · November 2019

Yes, I went through this too. But then I remind myself of my increased energy, excellent labs, happy Dr. appointments instead of feeling embarrassed. I take a walk daily & have come to love it! It just takes a little while to adjust! You will do it!

PAV8888 · November 2019

Happy Birthday @AnnPT77 !

Further to what Ann wrote, the expectation would actually be, when you start maintaining, that you will be able to eat a little bit MORE than what your last few spans of weight loss would predict!

This is because your body weight actually changes dynamically, as opposed to statically, in response to energy imbalances.

The static viewpoint of -3500 Cal = 1lb of change is more than good enough for government work and will mostly get us to where we want to go if we keep adjusting our expectations based on our own data and results.

But it is not immutable and the numbers change depending on how long we have been applying the energy imbalance (i.e. losing or gaining weight) and on our body composition and relative fat level when we started up.

References to all this can be found by exploring the research around the NIH body weight planner: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/laboratory-biological-modeling/integrative-physiology-section/research/body-weight-planner

And don't be shocked if you discover that you may be able to eat 10% or even 20% more than what your weight loss would predict.

sijomial · November 2019

1martinimomma wrote: »

I am going to retire next June, so I should have much more time to ride the bike and even join a gym. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and taking the time to respond. I don't know what I was expecting at the end of my weight loss journey, but was hoping I would be able to eat more than what the charts say my daily calories will be in maintenance. We will see what happens in maintenance.

Retirement really is a lifestyle change.
I had to bump my activity level up a notch when I retired as I wasn't tied to a desk for a large chunk of the day any more. I simply spent far more time moving. The boost in exercise volume (more time and opportunity) wasn't a factor as I didn't use that for weight loss.

Also agree with @pav888 about coming off a deficit can surreptitiously boost your general activity enough to make a noticable difference to your calorie needs (it did for me). I'd regard the maintenenace calculation from your recent weight loss as far better data than using calculators and also regard it as the minimum you can reasonably expect.

Luke_rabbit · November 2019

So, to offer the alternative answer. Yes, I've accepted it. I'm 5'3", turning 55 in a month, currently about 129 lbs with a goal in the lower 120s (or until all my size 4s fit again). I get about 10,000 steps a day between regular activity and intentional exercise. I have *kitten* joints and connective tissue, plus other health issues, so my exercise is limited. I lose .5/ week on an average of 1350 calories (that's including extra for exercise). I figure once I reach goal weight, I'll be eating around 1500-1600 or so for maintenance, again that's including exercise calories.

Not accepting it is why I have to keep losing! I want to end that cycle.

cmriverside · November 2019

I know! What do you mean I can't have cheeseburgers and fries and ice cream (in the big bowl) every day??!?!?!?!!

I had to make a lot of changes. Well, just about everything since I came into this at 220 pounds and my current Goal weight/Maintenance weight is 140-145. I changed everything, it's a radically different life for me than my old ways of eating what I wanted when I wanted it.

I had to make a choice. Do I want to have food with few or no restrictions or do I want to be this weight?

The answer to that is a no-brainer, but implementing it is another story.

Just for a comforting end to this post, all the calculators say I should be maintaining at 1500 calories (female, older, retired, 5'7"ish, 140) but in fact I eat 2000-2500 every day and I'm satisfied with that...mostly. Some days I just say, "NO!" and eat 3500, but it all works out and I don't feel a need to do that very often. It may not be as difficult as you think. Wait till you're there.

J72FIT · November 2019

1martinimomma wrote: »

At 140 my BMR is going to be 1202 kcals a day and my TDEE set at sedentary will be 1442.

Don't be sedentary. Find a way to exercise. You should be exercising daily for health reasons anyway.
Exercise = more food to eat.
Problem solved...

SnifterPug · November 2019

I have often said how depressing it is to discover just how few calories are needed to keep body and soul together. Others have said that keeping active helps. If you are able to work on increasing your muscle to body fat ratio (when retired, if not now) that will give you a little extra wiggle room in the calorie department. It's also worth really thinking about your eating habits and finding a way to enjoy your allotted calories and make them satisfying. The biggest reason people gain weight back is because they stop the "diet" and start eating "normally" again. What you need to embrace is a lifestyle change. Feeling irked about being stuck on a diet forever could backfire if you get sick of it. The big trick is finding a way to stop yourself getting sick of it. Good luck, and very well done on the weight loss so far.

shira324 · November 2019

1martinimomma wrote: »

I am an IT Manager, so I sit a lot of the day. I do try to walk between our 2 buildings which is about 3 blocks when the weather permits. I live in Houston, so it's not always possible to walk because it's just too hot. I do walk my dog in the evenings, but she is old and can't really walk that far or fast. I thought about joining a gym, but honestly after a 10 hour day and a 45 minute commute, by the time I get home I am just not in the mood to leave the house.

Do you have a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor? If not, you should invest in one. (Fitbit is a great option, very user-friendly.) I bet you're burning more calories than you realize. You'll be surprised.

teresadannar · November 2019

My stats:
Female
Age: 61
Height: 5’
Started MFP 7/1/19 at 180
Today: 142.4
GW: 110

And you know, I was sharing the same thoughts as you, and for me, I told myself, I ate and drank everything I wanted the last 20 years and that is how I got myself in the shape I was in. At this point in my life, I'm ready to spend the next 20 years taking care of me even if it means weighing everything I eat and counting gum calories!

oocdc2 · November 2019

I, too, found that my maintenance calories are around what my weight loss calories were.

I'm probably going to get "Disagrees" piled on me, but IF really has made a difference for me. Same calories, nothing magical: I eat from 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm. This ensures two good-sized meals instead of three tiny ones with a lot of cheating at the end of the day, which I fell into for a while.

I agree with everyone that exercise does allow more calorie consumption along with health benefits, but until you get into a routine, you may find having an eating window helpful.

AnnPT77 · November 2019

shira324 wrote: »

1martinimomma wrote: »

I am an IT Manager, so I sit a lot of the day. I do try to walk between our 2 buildings which is about 3 blocks when the weather permits. I live in Houston, so it's not always possible to walk because it's just too hot. I do walk my dog in the evenings, but she is old and can't really walk that far or fast. I thought about joining a gym, but honestly after a 10 hour day and a 45 minute commute, by the time I get home I am just not in the mood to leave the house.

Do you have a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor? If not, you should invest in one. (Fitbit is a great option, very user-friendly.) I bet you're burning more calories than you realize. You'll be surprised.

I support that idea as a good one for input into the OP's thinking, but I'd point out that those little suckers just produce estimates, too, just more personalized ones.

My respected brand/model one (Garmin Vivoactive 3), which is accurate for many people, and that I do wear at all times 24x7 other than a very few minutes daily for charging, thinks I burn around 1500-1800 calories most days (and that's consistent with what MFP thinks). However, at 5'5", weight mid-130s (with 5+ years of careful logging data as support), I actually burn something like 2200-2400, if not a bit more. For sure, I lose slowly but steadily on 1850+exercise (with usual exercise in the 250-300 range. This is a very unusual experience; usually they're pretty close. But they aren't "calorie measurement devices", they're sophisticated estimators.

Estimates can be frustrating. And it's all estimates . . . except one's real-world experience under maintenance conditions.

spiriteagle99 · November 2019

FWIW, I'm 63, 5'6" and maintain at 121-125. MFP gave me 1400 calories for maintenance, but that was too few for me as I kept losing. I am mostly sedentary but do a lot of intentional exercise - mostly walking and running, but some stationary bike and exercise videos. That means I usually eat well over 2000 calories a day. I know how hot Houston is, but you could ride a bike or walk or hike on weekends, swim, join a gym and do classes or weights. I wouldn't wait until retirement. Winter is here, so take advantage of the mild weather and try to be more active while it is still comfortable to spend time outside. When you're watching TV or reading at night, get on the bike. You may find that exercising gives you more energy than it takes away.

AnnPT77 · November 2019

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

FWIW, I'm 63, 5'6" and maintain at 121-125. MFP gave me 1400 calories for maintenance, but that was too few for me as I kept losing. I am mostly sedentary but do a lot of intentional exercise - mostly walking and running, but some stationary bike and exercise videos. That means I usually eat well over 2000 calories a day. I know how hot Houston is, but you could ride a bike or walk or hike on weekends, swim, join a gym and do classes or weights. I wouldn't wait until retirement. Winter is here, so take advantage of the mild weather and try to be more active while it is still comfortable to spend time outside. When you're watching TV or reading at night, get on the bike. You may find that exercising gives you more energy than it takes away.

IMO, increase the odds of the bolded by keeping the pace easy to moderate (at least at first), gradually increasing volume from a modest start, and beginning with relatively frequent recovery days (like alternate day exercise at first).

Some people think they need to go at a punitive intensity every day to get benefits. That's the strategy that's most likely to be really exhausting. Start slowly, increase gradually, keep it energizing rather than exhausting: That would be my advice.

I didn't start being consistently active until I was in my mid-40s, after cancer treatment. The "gradual increase, keep it fun and energizing" approach really worked for me.

sgt1372 · November 2019

Calculators only "estimate" what your cal limits should be to maintain your wt.

Reality is somewhat different.

Sometimes you go over and sometimes you go under and sometimes you have to adjust what the limit will be.

You have full control over this by deciding what and how much you eat each day

However, logging accurately everything you eat each day and weighing yourself daily is the key (at least for me) to make sure you maintain control over your wt whether you are trying to lose or maintain it

yuko0407 · November 2019

oocdc2 wrote: »

I, too, found that my maintenance calories are around what my weight loss calories were.

I'm probably going to get "Disagrees" piled on me, but IF really has made a difference for me. Same calories, nothing magical: I eat from 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm. This ensures two good-sized meals instead of three tiny ones with a lot of cheating at the end of the day, which I fell into for a while.

I agree with everyone that exercise does allow more calorie consumption along with health benefits, but until you get into a routine, you may find having an eating window helpful.

Same for me. I'm 52yo, 5'3", with a sedentary work and very gradually adding intentional exercice, after almost 30 years of no exercice at all. I'm a few pounds from my goal weight and (very slowly) losing at 1250 cal/day. I've found that eating after 2-3pm (except on Sunday, to have lunch with my family) makes a lot easier to be satisfied with such a low calorie allottement. I can snack when I come back from work, and have a good dinner with my family in the evening.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Some people think they need to go at a punitive intensity every day to get benefits. That's the strategy that's most likely to be really exhausting. Start slowly, increase gradually, keep it energizing rather than exhausting: That would be my advice.

Very good advice, imho. It's the approach I'm trying to use.

Pipsqueak1965 · November 2019

That body weight planner is bang on for me! I'm around 106 pounds, female age 54, height 5 foot, do a fair amount of walking and gym a couple of times a week, so I got moderate activity - gave me 1710 calories to maintain (which is what I have been eating for the last year or so). Pretty clever.

koalathebear · November 2019

I'm a five foot tall female.

When I was in weight loss mode, my daily budget (without exercise) was 1200 calories. Now that I'm in maintenance (I have been for the last three months or so), my daily budget without exercise calories is 1370. I was also a bit shocked at first that it was so low.

However, I do zumba (youtube videos) and very, very leisurely walks to supplement my budget and frequently eat around 2000 calories. Even a very leisurely zumba session (think zumba gold) burns calories and I've found that I can pretty much eat everything - just in moderation. For instance, when I was in weight loss mode, I couldn't eat unscheduled food without throwing my budget out, but these days I can eat unscheduled food and juggle other meals that day and supplement with exercise.

Days that I don't exercise at all or don't exercise much, I just eat within my budget.

cheryldumais · November 2019

Sometimes I feel like the little black cloud but my experience has been different than some. I started at 251 and my lowest weight was 143. My goal originally was 135. I'm 5'5.5" tall. I'm 63. I realized that I could not get to 135 unless I was willing to cut my calories even more. I maintain around 1300 calories per day before exercise. I get another 150 or so for walking daily. I've gotten used to it. I'm at 155 right now and not happy about it (I gained when I quit vaping).

Everyone's experience is different but I feel one of the biggest mistakes I made while losing weight was not lifting weight to build muscle. I lost my weight over two years so it wasn't like I lost it fast. It just takes time and a complete mind set change. You may be one of the lucky ones or you may be like me but I can tell you that I will NEVER go back to being over 200 lbs. If that means I have to eat smaller portions the rest of my life so be it. But nonetheless I feel for you. Don't get too stuck on what might happen. Wait and see you may end up with alot more calories than you expect for maintenance and if you want to hedge your bets start weight lifting to build some muscle.

DogMom919 · November 2019

@AnnPT77 Happy Belated Birthday!

Disappointing Realization of Maintenance Calories

Replies

Categories