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What are your Maintenance Stats.... jkr0319
  Jul 09 2007 11:52
Just wondering if people can post their stats and their maintenance calories.
Me:
5'1, F, 32 y, 103lbs, ????Cals/day for maintenance.
 
That's why I've posted, as I don't yet understand how to determine my maintenance calories.  The expenditure tool on this site is definitely inaccurate. I thought it would be better to learn from all of you. Thanks.
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#1 shiptona Jul 09 2007 14:19
5'8, F,  51 years, 128 pounds,  1550 calories per day.

I do weight training 3 x week, hike or bike most other days, otherwise sit a lot.

I first lost weight when I was 23, so I have been at this a while, have refined over the years. Have had a couple times I needed to re-lose 20 pounds. I have been maintaining this weight for about a year... most days within a half pound either direction.

I agree with you about the expenditure tool on this site, and you will notice that one of the most common concerns is that people seem to think something is wrong if they can't eat that many calories.

If you've just finished losing weight, look at the calories you ate  and rate of loss just before reaching your goal. If you were losing a pound a week, in theory you could add back 500 calories per day, to maintain. Life might not be so tidy.

I have been collecting the maintenance data you asked for.... for people of all body weights. The number of calories per pound people need varies from about 12 to 17... few outside that range. Obese people fall mostly within these numbers too. Occasionally some 11s, occasionaly slim people much higher if people are extremely active.  So if I multiply your weight by 12 and 17, likely you need between 1296 and 1836. You see, even using real numbers from real people, it is a very wide range... it all depends on your personal metabolism and how active you are, not just intentional exercise but how much you move all day long.

Say you were dieting at 1200. First week of maintenence do 1300, second week do 1400.  Up it every week until you stabilize. You might continue to lose a little at first. Once you think you've stabilized, keep tracking it over a period of months.  It might go up more as your metabolism rebounds. Or you might find you are gaining or losing ever so slightly.  I eat 1500 per day, then any day I am under 128 I eat 200 extra, then at the end of the week do an average for the week. So I regulate in this way, it is also an incentive for me to do extra exercise.

You will always need to continue to tweak this, as your life changes,  your diet or activity level might change.  I started taking green tea capsules for my cholesterol, didn't know it might alter my metabolism, couldn't figure out why all of a sudden I started needing about 100 calories more per day. I could track it in my records back to when I started taking the capsules. I switched brands, then it stopped working, so will go back to the first brand. So, there are good reasons to continue to track your calories and weight. Important not just so you don't gain, but so that you don't lose more. If you keep good records over months and even years, you won't regret it.





#2 jkr0319 Jul 10 2007 00:09
Shiptona...you are incredible.  Thanks for the volume of information you posted.  I admire your perserverance (and your stats!!!) 
#3 avgpunk767 Jul 10 2007 03:58
Hey there, I'm 5'9", 18 years old, and eat anywhere from 2500-3500 calories a day.

For exercise, I bike daily, 20+ miles, and walk for at least an hour in the evening.

This seems to be where I am most comfortable, without being either too hungry and weak or too full.
#4 ornellanicole2007 Jul 10 2007 22:37
Hewwo, Im 5'8", 110lbs (small frame) and 17 years old and regulary consume 1600 calories (sedentary maintnance calories)

i work out 10mins cardio and 20 mins strenght training 3x a week.
#5 dm84 Jul 11 2007 01:38
I'm 22 M 6'1" 160lbs i eat 2300-2600 to maintain but I may need to up that a little to stop losing. I do 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins of strength training 4-5 days a week.
#6 nads27 Jul 11 2007 09:54
Female, 44 years old, 53kg (118 pounds I think), 5 foot 3.  Exercise for an hour a day or a little more, usually walking or dancing.  Maintenance calories usually 2400 calories (as long as I've exercised).  Maintained for a few months so far.
#7 shansen10 Mar 27 2008 01:16

5'2", F, 63 y, 102-4 pounds (no clothes, first thing in the morning), maintenance 1500-1700 calories, I think.  I am new at this; just discovered CC about 2 months ago but like keeping track of calories, weight and exercise.

My weight seems to fluctuate as much as a pound, pound and a half from day to day.  Don't know if it's calorie intake, amount of exercise or what; I'm still working on figuring it out.

My exercise consists of:  working out at gym (weight class or free weights, 2 miles on the treadmill; 2-mile walk, or lately, strenuous gardening (digging, weeding, turning compost). 

My weight used to be about 128; in 2004 I started losing slowly, down to 110, then 107, now I want to maintain at 102-104.

#8 kacka Mar 27 2008 15:12

Female 39, 5'9", now 135. So far I had hard time to increase my calories so I ate about 1600-1800 a day and stayed 138, but last week I got sick and dropped from 138 to 135. I guess I have to really get to at least 2000cal. I work out 3 times a week and the rest of my time is very busy with kids.

It's good to see and compare.... Thank you.

#9 sprout21 Mar 28 2008 00:55

Gosh now i feel large in comparison to everyone else!

18 years/female/ 5'8" / 135 lbs / 1900 cals/

Wow should I be losing instead of maintaining?
I am pretty muscular for a girl though...i work out 5 days a week.

#10 misty1993 Mar 28 2008 11:59
Original Post by jkr0319:

Just wondering if people can post their stats and their maintenance calories.
Me:
5'1, F, 32 y, 103lbs, ????Cals/day for maintenance.

That's why I've posted, as I don't yet understand how to determine my maintenance calories. The expenditure tool on this site is definitely inaccurate. I thought it would be better to learn from all of you. Thanks.


We are very similiar! 

5'1", F, 27y, 100lbs

I start out with roughly 1500 calories as a base number and then add back any exercise I do that day.

Example:

M - kickboxing 45m (325 calories)...eat about 1825

T- run 3miles (225 calories)...eat about 1725

W - weights 45 m (100 calories)...eat about 1600

R - kickboxing 45m (325 calories)...eat about 1825

F - weights 45m (100 calories)...eat about 1600

Sa - kickboxing 45m (325 calories)...eat about 1825

Su - weights 60m(125 calories)/run 3m (225 calories)...eat about 1850

Of course my routine can vary some depending on what is going on in my life, and so can how much I eat.  I try not to worry if I go over my calories on occasion, as there are also days that I am under.  I am starting to wonder if I might should start off with a higher base number, but I am just going to have to play with it and see.

#11 quasicamel Mar 28 2008 15:50

I'm female, 28, 5'7", 134, and eat around 2,000 to maintain.

I burn about 200-300 cals 3 days a week, 500-700 cals 3 days a week, and have 1 rest day. I'm a runner, so this is running and walking/alternative workouts.

#12 gi-jane Mar 28 2008 17:47
I'm female, 43, 5'6 and about 154lbs.... sedentary job and not much exercise.  Maintain on between 1600 and 2000 cals a day.
#13 jules817 Mar 28 2008 17:50
sprout 5'8, 135 and muscular is FAR from large! IMO that's the ideal body! maintenance sounds like the right track for you for sure! 
#14 flatline Mar 29 2008 13:22

I'm female, 32 yrs, 5'2", and maintain 100 lbs...it fluctuates up/down by around 2 lbs depending on time of month, how much salt i've eaten the previous day, whether I've had any alcohol the day before, whether I've eaten more carbs than usual, etc. I eat anywhere between 1400-1700 calories per day.

I used to eat less calories than that, but since finding this site and logging my food and weight I've realized I can eat more without gaining weight! Hopefully the trend will continue and I'll be able to increase my calorie intake even more without gaining.

#15 yaggablues Apr 03 2008 06:39

Age: 19
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 128-130 depending on the time of the month
Calories: I eat 1700-2000 on weekdays and I don't count what I eat on the weekends and basically eat tons of sweets, but all-in-all it evens out somehow.
Exercise: 30-40 minutes of cardio and 10-15 minutes of weight training 4-5 times per week

#16 feanor Apr 03 2008 06:49
Original Post by sprout21:

Gosh now i feel large in comparison to everyone else!

18 years/female/ 5'8" / 135 lbs / 1900 cals/

Wow should I be losing instead of maintaining?
I am pretty muscular for a girl though...i work out 5 days a week.

Um, no, you sound like you are at a great weight, especially if you are muscular. Remember that those extra inches really make a difference haha.. I hope you enjoy being tall. XD;

#17 rachelrobin Apr 03 2008 18:45
I'm a little premature for maintainance, but am so excited that I am almost here!  I love to come over to this forum and dream about being at maintainance, lol. 

 I am 5 ' 0 and weigh 103 lbs.    Working hard to get back down to 95 pounds at least.  It's slow going when I eat 1200 calories, so I try to zig zag and eat anywhere between 800 and 1200 a day.  I'm managing to lose a lb a week and hope to be able to move into maintainance soon.  :)  I love Lean Cuisines, and have one everyday.  Along with plenty of fruits and vegetables.  I love fish, cod, halibut, etc.  Fish is  low in fat and calories, and very nutritious. I love Chicken too, grilled.    I take One a Day Vitamins and also Calcium 600 + D. 

Rachel
#18 meganr Apr 03 2008 19:19

5'5" F, 51, 144 lbs.  I eat around 1800-2100 cals/day depending on how much I've worked out.  Run 5 days a week, weight training 3 days a week. Usually on the weekends when not running I will take a long walk or hike just to enjoy being outdoors.

#19 tani24 Apr 08 2008 23:28

25 (one month off anyway), 5'6 and 3/4 (they count), and sit up and down and around 127 with 1500 cals (1300-1400 during week, 1600ish weekend.)  At least two 45mins jogs, two 60mins walks and one 1 1/2hr yoga p/w.

Maintained for twoish months now. by default (see post)

#20 jo_bee Apr 15 2008 13:19

hi

5'2'', 22 years old, 103 pounds, 1450-1650 depending on exercise level. (walking, biking)

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