calories while in maintenance mode

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MJ7910
MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
in Food and Nutrition
ok so I am about 5'4" 127 lb for my goal weight, 3lb to go but nearly in maintenance... workout about 6x a week for about 30 minutes each time. I want to keep up the exercising but might only do it 5x a week. Was wondering if any of you have similar goals of maintaining and around the same height/weight/exercise goals, and if so what are you doing for maintenance calories? I am just getting a rough idea. I know I will get a bunch of responses saying "everyone's different" and this I know. I have no idea what it should be but i know 2000 sounds like a lot to me right now. also have a problem when i have that many calories to eat that i am worried i'll eat junk. I know you can estimate it on here too but I don't find that to be 100% accurate for me and want to hear real world examples.

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  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    One option would be to start increasing calories slowly, for example you could bump cals by 150 for a week and then again the following week and monitor your weight change in the process of doing so.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    One option would be to start increasing calories slowly, for example you could bump cals by 150 for a week and then again the following week and monitor your weight change in the process of doing so.
    This.

    It took me 2 1/2 months to get the hang of maintenance and I still find that a calorie range works best for me rather than an exact amount.
  • jfcarlson713
    jfcarlson713 Posts: 108 Member
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    I am close to maintenance too. 5'4" - goal weight is 145. To calculate my maintenance calories I wore my HRM for 24 hrs straight on 3 different non-exercising days to find out how many calories I am actually burning in a day. My average is 1700 - 1800. I know age plays into this too. I am 52 (really it's just the 22nd anniversary of my 30th birthday!) Hope this helps.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    One option would be to start increasing calories slowly, for example you could bump cals by 150 for a week and then again the following week and monitor your weight change in the process of doing so.

    i think 150 would be scary to do... but i'm increasing by 50-100 a day to see if it makes any difference. i am at 1500 currently, 1550 next week, 1600 week after was what i was thinking
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Options
    One option would be to start increasing calories slowly, for example you could bump cals by 150 for a week and then again the following week and monitor your weight change in the process of doing so.

    i think 150 would be scary to do... but i'm increasing by 50-100 a day to see if it makes any difference. i am at 1500 currently, 1550 next week, 1600 week after was what i was thinking

    Up to you but consider that you can easily be off by 50kcal in counting errors. If you're at a 500kcal deficit it would take you 10 weeks to get to maintenance by upping 50/week. I'd increase AT LEAST by 100, as much as 200. But, that's just my opinion.

    There's nothing to be afraid of, you're not going to go from a deficit to a surplus with that small of a calorie increase.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Options
    One option would be to start increasing calories slowly, for example you could bump cals by 150 for a week and then again the following week and monitor your weight change in the process of doing so.

    i think 150 would be scary to do... but i'm increasing by 50-100 a day to see if it makes any difference. i am at 1500 currently, 1550 next week, 1600 week after was what i was thinking

    Up to you but consider that you can easily be off by 50kcal in counting errors. If you're at a 500kcal deficit it would take you 10 weeks to get to maintenance by upping 50/week. I'd increase AT LEAST by 100, as much as 200. But, that's just my opinion.

    There's nothing to be afraid of, you're not going to go from a deficit to a surplus with that small of a calorie increase.

    ok you have convinced me. i did 1600 today and will do it all week, then i will bump to 1750 if i have not stayed the same (if i lost weight this week). i must confess, i am worried i will gain weight this week because i am not used to eating that much. we will see what happens.
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
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    I had moved from losing 1 lb per week with 1510 calories to losing 1/2 lb per week on 1640 calories. That got my metabolism adjusted and I reached my GW. I'm 5'5" and 135 now. This site has maintenance at 1880 for me but most other sites I checked were at least 1950 calories for maintenance. I went from 1640 to 1700 for a week then to 1800. I still just can't eat 1880 because I am too full. It has only been about 3 weeks since I went to maintenance and I am still at exactly 135. I am also still trying to eat my exercise calories back, but so far it's trial and error. I will say I am glad I am in maintenance at this time of the year when there is extra food everywhere, but I just think about my day in the morning so I can judge which snacks to take to work (low cal fruits if I have an event with food that day or fruits with crackers and cheese if it's all my homemade food for the day).

    Honestly, my stomach just doesn't let me eat "crap" without getting severe, painful bloating and "tummy troubles" that evening, so I haven't had trouble saying no to extra junk food just because I have the calories.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    ok so I am about 5'4" 127 lb for my goal weight, 3lb to go but nearly in maintenance... workout about 6x a week for about 30 minutes each time. I want to keep up the exercising but might only do it 5x a week. Was wondering if any of you have similar goals of maintaining and around the same height/weight/exercise goals, and if so what are you doing for maintenance calories? I am just getting a rough idea. I know I will get a bunch of responses saying "everyone's different" and this I know. I have no idea what it should be but i know 2000 sounds like a lot to me right now. also have a problem when i have that many calories to eat that i am worried i'll eat junk. I know you can estimate it on here too but I don't find that to be 100% accurate for me and want to hear real world examples.

    I think the amount of exercise we do is similar but I'm a bit smaller so I'll just give you my "real world example". The maintenance MFP gives me is way too low at 1250. My BMR varies between 1007 and 1100. I don't do all that much during the day - I'm lazy and lie around reading books a lot - but I do things like water plants and move potted plants around, chase my cats, daily house work/shopping, some volunteer work a few times a week, and so on. MFP still didn't give me enough calories even when I changed the setting to "active". I think it was 1450? I still lose weight at 1450, and I'm barely 100 pounds.

    For 3 months now I've netted 1900+ calories daily and according to MFP that's averaging 3500 weekly over my maintenance so you'd think I would have gained a pound weekly. No, I've barely gained 3 pounds in 3 months, and that might change in a day or two. I'm estimating my current maintenance to be about 1700+ but I'm still in the process of determining that. ;)

    What I'm trying to give you here is less of a reason to be scared of 2000 calories daily, but things like sentences aren't working well for me at the moment. lol

    * I remember you from the 30day JM challenge, I'm so happy to see that you're reaching your goals! :)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    I would estimate around 1800 to 2000 but possibly more because of the exercise.

    I found MFP's maintenance was lower than actual compared to my bodymedia fit by about 400cals.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Options
    ok so I am about 5'4" 127 lb for my goal weight, 3lb to go but nearly in maintenance... workout about 6x a week for about 30 minutes each time. I want to keep up the exercising but might only do it 5x a week. Was wondering if any of you have similar goals of maintaining and around the same height/weight/exercise goals, and if so what are you doing for maintenance calories? I am just getting a rough idea. I know I will get a bunch of responses saying "everyone's different" and this I know. I have no idea what it should be but i know 2000 sounds like a lot to me right now. also have a problem when i have that many calories to eat that i am worried i'll eat junk. I know you can estimate it on here too but I don't find that to be 100% accurate for me and want to hear real world examples.

    I think the amount of exercise we do is similar but I'm a bit smaller so I'll just give you my "real world example". The maintenance MFP gives me is way too low at 1250. My BMR varies between 1007 and 1100. I don't do all that much during the day - I'm lazy and lie around reading books a lot - but I do things like water plants and move potted plants around, chase my cats, daily house work/shopping, some volunteer work a few times a week, and so on. MFP still didn't give me enough calories even when I changed the setting to "active". I think it was 1450? I still lose weight at 1450, and I'm barely 100 pounds.

    For 3 months now I've netted 1900+ calories daily and according to MFP that's averaging 3500 weekly over my maintenance so you'd think I would have gained a pound weekly. No, I've barely gained 3 pounds in 3 months, and that might change in a day or two. I'm estimating my current maintenance to be about 1700+ but I'm still in the process of determining that. ;)

    What I'm trying to give you here is less of a reason to be scared of 2000 calories daily, but things like sentences aren't working well for me at the moment. lol

    * I remember you from the 30day JM challenge, I'm so happy to see that you're reaching your goals! :)

    thanks - i am so happy to finally be where i want to be... i just need to stay there. if you are doing 1900 and you're a little smaller than me, sounds like 1900 may be right on target for me. i guess i will just gradually increase and my body will stop losing/let me know when i'm done! :)
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    I would estimate around 1800 to 2000 but possibly more because of the exercise.

    ^ I agree with this. OP: If you gain at 1600 I am willing to bet it's not fat.
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
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    Just to compare: I'm 39, 5"5', 141 lbs and have been maintaining at an average of about 2200 for the last month or so. Oh and I don't work out. At all. So how can you say 2000 is a lot?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i am 5ft5 and maintaining 123-126lbs. i usually work out for 20-50 mins 5 times per week and NET 1800 cals - which is eating around 2000-2100.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    Just to compare: I'm 39, 5"5', 141 lbs and have been maintaining at an average of about 2200 for the last month or so. Oh and I don't work out. At all. So how can you say 2000 is a lot?

    i think it just seems like a lot when you're used to about 1400. i know i can do it and need to, i just have a hard time wrapping my mind around such a big number in my head. it's all in my head...
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    i am 5ft5 and maintaining 123-126lbs. i usually work out for 20-50 mins 5 times per week and NET 1800 cals - which is eating around 2000-2100.

    ok so i think maybe this is closest to me.... sounds like 1900-2100 is going to be about right for me. of course, we will have to see. if i don't work out as much it will definitely need to be adjusted. but i am planning on starting another exercise dvd program in january (insanity) so i think i will need the 2100! :)
  • merryfaith
    merryfaith Posts: 81 Member
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    I know calorie calculators aren't perfect, but it could help you get a good idea?
    http://www.superskinnyme.com/calorie-calculator.html is one. you can maybe compare that to what MFP gives you for maintaining and use those numbers to get a good idea of where to start? I do like the idea of slowly increasing as well, though.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    I am close to maintenance too. 5'4" - goal weight is 145. To calculate my maintenance calories I wore my HRM for 24 hrs straight on 3 different non-exercising days to find out how many calories I am actually burning in a day. My average is 1700 - 1800. I know age plays into this too. I am 52 (really it's just the 22nd anniversary of my 30th birthday!) Hope this helps.

    Most heart rate monitors are not designed to be accurate when you're not exercising. The ones that are supposed to be used that way are like BodyBugg, BodyMediaFit, etc. The ones that are designed to be used during exercise only are not made to be accurate when you're sitting around the house, sleeping, etc.
  • Gunff
    Gunff Posts: 47
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    maintenance calories that MFP give you don't include excercise, I would bet that if you take the Maintenance and calculate excercise calories and eat them back you'll be in pretty good shape.

    Also as stated above, if you are gaining weight it isn't going to be fat. When you hit your goal make sure to measure again, arms, waist, etc. So if you do notice you have gained a little on the scale you can get a good idea if it is all muscle or not. I would guess you could also do some kind of body fat % test that would be able to tell you this.

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