Question for people In maintence.

[SpaceyCasey 97]

How many calories do you eat a day for maintence?? I see a lot of people saying 1200 but thats what I eat now and I'm still trying to lose 10 pounds. I'm on my fitness pal and 1200 calories is what that tells me to eat to lose and it says like 2000 to maintain. That seems like a lot for us sleevers.

[RickM 1,747]

What you need for maintenance is what you need for maintenace, which is quite individual (probably more so than for the loss phase,) The calculators on MFP and other such sites are pretty general and are optimized for semi-:"normal" people, while there is good evidence that overweight and formerly overweight people tend to run lower metabolic rates than the quoted rates, sometimes substantially so.

If you are still losing at 1200 per day, then 2000 is a good guess as to what you might maintain on, but I wouldn't depend upon it - you basically have to increase your intake to the point where you are no longer losing, but not gaining either. For me, that is around 2000, but I was losing fairly rapidly on 1100-1200 (down about 105 lb to goal in about seven months) and my old fat self was stable in the 2600-2700 calorie range. I also have the advantage of a guy's metabolism (which tends to run a bit higher than women's) and a fairly high lean body mass, which is a major factor in establishing one's resting metabolic rate (and why most successful weight loss programs emphasize strength training as a major part of the exercise portion of the program as that helps to maintain lean mass while burning fat.)

As long as you are trying to lose, try to keep that caloric deficit as high as tolerable and when you get to your goal start increasing intake to the point where things are stable.

If you are struggling to still lose at 1200, then your maintenance intake may be 1200-1500 range.

[pasquini 369]

I can tell you based on me only. I have been at goal just over a year. MFP calorie recommendations would have me fat again!

If I eat 1500 calories a day I gain weight and I run and work out regularly. On average 12-20 miles a week. If I am trying to lose I have to stay under 1000 a day.

Pasquini

[clk 3,519]

Yep, yep, yep. Good posts.

It's what you can eat while easily maintaining. Track your food and fiddle with your diet until you find that place. If you haven't already incorporated a more balanced diet, do it so you know how your body will react. Some people find they have to restrict how many and what kind of carbs they consume for the long haul. Some of us are much luckier and so long as we stick within a particular window we'll do fine.

The idea is to get where you can eat without having to restrict yourself. Maintenance is challenging in many ways but the biggest thing you can do for yourself is figure out how much you can eat early on.

I weigh daily in maintenance when I didn't in the loss phase. I no longer track my food daily so I need that immediate "feedback" on what's going on. Outside of this pregnancy, it was very easy to stay within a four pound range at any time of the month, regardless of what I choose to eat.

My calories typically ranged (in maintenance) between 1,200-1,400 a day, but I couldn't lose weight unless I was between 700-900 calories a day in loss. Again, this is all so individual that all we can do is offer tips on how to figure it out - we can't give you your body's magic number.

Good luck,

~Cheri

[NtvTxn 1,262]

Cheri,

Similar to you, I maintain between 1200 - 1350, but when I was losing, I was taking in between 700 - 850'ish. Early on, I did good to get in half the Water I needed and 400 calories. It was a challenge!!!

Life is pretty easy right now. I've never been on a diet in my life that is as simple as this has been. Lack of hunger makes a world of difference. Now I eat because I must and because it is still 'fun'.

Yep, yep, yep. Good posts.

It's what you can eat while easily maintaining. Track your food and fiddle with your diet until you find that place. If you haven't already incorporated a more balanced diet, do it so you know how your body will react. Some people find they have to restrict how many and what kind of carbs they consume for the long haul. Some of us are much luckier and so long as we stick within a particular window we'll do fine.

The idea is to get where you can eat without having to restrict yourself. Maintenance is challenging in many ways but the biggest thing you can do for yourself is figure out how much you can eat early on.

I weigh daily in maintenance when I didn't in the loss phase. I no longer track my food daily so I need that immediate "feedback" on what's going on. Outside of this pregnancy, it was very easy to stay within a four pound range at any time of the month, regardless of what I choose to eat.

My calories typically ranged (in maintenance) between 1,200-1,400 a day, but I couldn't lose weight unless I was between 700-900 calories a day in loss. Again, this is all so individual that all we can do is offer tips on how to figure it out - we can't give you your body's magic number.

Good luck,

~Cheri

[SpaceyCasey 97]

Thanks for the advice I do lose (slowly) at 1200 calories but I do burn 400 calories on the elliptical almost every day. I am gonna slow down on working out so I will probably have to lower my calories to 1000 or under.