Correct daily calorie intake

dane3785
dane3785 Posts: 3 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I’m new to maintaining weight. I’ve lost about 120lbs over the last year and have only recently started using MFP again. I’m a runner and when it’s not rainy season, I run 5.25 miles 4-6 days a week and throw in a 10+ mile about once every 2 weeks. My main question is, MFP shows that I need 2,990 calories to maintain my weight, it I hardly ever even get close to that. Is that correct for someone who is 5’10”, 160lbs, and 36 years old who runs like I do? I just don’t want to start putting weight back on.

Replies

  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    What did you give as your daily activity level? Remember, that is supposed to be your activity outside intentional exercise, so basically your work and home activity. If you sit at a computer all day, then watch TV at night, then your activity level is sedentary and you should log your runs separately. If you have a physically active job (i.e. construction) then you would be active even without your runs. If you don't want to log your exercise every day because you do the same thing every day, then use a TDEE calculator, not mfp's.
  • dane3785
    dane3785 Posts: 3 Member
    My job is very active, on my feet 10.5 hours a day testing rocket motors. Lots of walking and pushing and pulling on heavy stuff, up and down hills and such. My TDEE says just about the same as the MFP app. I’m just trying to make sure.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    dane3785 wrote: »
    My job is very active, on my feet 10.5 hours a day testing rocket motors. Lots of walking and pushing and pulling on heavy stuff, up and down hills and such. My TDEE says just about the same as the MFP app. I’m just trying to make sure.

    So MFP is set to Very Active for your work and perhaps home time (kids, pets, house care?).

    Set to maintain.

    And then you log the runs when you do them at correct pace (round down a level if between).

    Now how much is typical day.

    Is your current eating level causing weight loss?

    Have you tried to log, accurately, what that food is?

    Even if not logging - if you aren't losing weight, or gaining, over about a month time, and waist measurement isn't going up (you gain fat there first like most people?) - then you are fine.

    If dropping or adding slowly, find that rate and amount of time and do the math to see how much to add or drop from your eating amount to take care of it.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    The 5.25 mile runs should come in at around 530 cals at your current weight. Not too shabby, right? Thus the 10m runs would be nearly twice as much.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Even with the best of math and the best of logging, your calculated calorie goal is still going to be an estimate.
    Your calories in will always be an estimate.
    Your calories out will always be an estimate.

    So, as others have said, you just need to try the number MFP gave you for at least a month and monitor your weight. After that time period, adjust your calories up or down as needed to reach your maintenance level.
  • dane3785
    dane3785 Posts: 3 Member
    I log everything, even my water. 530 cals is somewhat accurate for my runs. MFP app clicks it at 638 which I know isn’t accurate. I will track and adjust after a month. Just trying to shake this fear that I’m going to gain weight. I’ve made a lot of progress over the last year and it would suck to gain, but, it’s all part of it. Thank you everyone for responding.
  • dianemeredith1072
    dianemeredith1072 Posts: 6 Member
    dane3785 wrote: »
    I’m new to maintaining weight. I’ve lost about 120lbs over the last year and have only recently started using MFP again. I’m a runner and when it’s not rainy season, I run 5.25 miles 4-6 days a week and throw in a 10+ mile about once every 2 weeks. My main question is, MFP shows that I need 2,990 calories to maintain my weight, it I hardly ever even get close to that. Is that correct for someone who is 5’10”, 160lbs, and 36 years old who runs like I do? I just don’t want to start putting weight back on.

  • dianemeredith1072
    dianemeredith1072 Posts: 6 Member
    You know best as you have the data. Look at your daily weight. Is the average over 2 weeks where you want it to be? Too low? Eat more Too high- calorie deficit.
  • coblujay
    coblujay Posts: 688 Member
    Congratulations @dane3785! That's fantastic.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 920 Member
    If you have an 'active' job and are running as much as you say -- absolutely I can see that being your maintenance cals/day...so seems about right. It's just an estimate so you could manually adjust that if you find you need to after a couple months.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    dane3785 wrote: »
    My job is very active, on my feet 10.5 hours a day testing rocket motors. Lots of walking and pushing and pulling on heavy stuff, up and down hills and such. My TDEE says just about the same as the MFP app. I’m just trying to make sure.

    I'm 5'10" and have a desk job. I cycle 4 days per week for about an hour and hit the weight room 2-3 days per week and my TDEE I eat around 2800-3000 to maintain...so yeah my guess is that your TDEE would be higher than that if you have a very active job and also exercise.

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