To think 2000 calories a day is a crazy amount of food.

[HairsprayBabe]

The government guidelines are just not helpful when it comes to reccomending a healthy calorific intake. I have been dieting for the past 6 months and am proud to say I have lost over 4 stone not so stealth stealth brag

But anyway, the government recommends on average 2000 calories a day for women, even before I was watching what I ate I didn't eat that much (logged in MFP before diet proper started), and these days I would consider 1500 cals a treat day.

I know it is all linked to TDEE and BMR but I cannot believe that the average woman in the UK could happily eat 2000 calories a day and not gain weight! Where has this figure come from? It really is no wonder that obesity is on the rise.

So IABU is 2000 calories a normal amount of food or are my views skewed?

[TailEndCharlie]

OK people - it is this simple. The calories don't matter, it is the type of food you are eating. You can maintain / lose weight if your 2000 calories are made up of protein, fat and veg... but you will gain if the majority of the 2000 cals is carbs. They have now worked out that the calorie count isn't what is important. The NHS will catch up with its advise eventually, much in the same way it is with advise for diabetics.

[Laiste]

All i know for sure is that when the apocalypse comes i'll be maintaining my weight simply eating grass!

[Redpony1]

HairsprayBabe May i ask what your average day of food looks like?

Genuine question, i'm trying to lose weight but struggling staying under 1500 and still maintaining the energy i need to ride my horses, got to the gym and also run 4 times a week

[HermioneJeanGranger]

I think it really depends what you're eating as well.

A huge bowl of salad could easily only be 400cals and include several portions of veg, healthy protein and fat, whereas half a pizza is easily 500cals plus and wouldn't contain all those veg portions etc.

[Firesuit]

I think the OP is correct. I found a calorie calculator which said for a 5 foot 6 woman, age 30, sedentary, with BMI exactly in the middle of the healthy range, she needs to eat 1615 calories a day to maintain weight.

The NHS guidance is misleading.

caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/assessment-calculator/

[DuvetSofaTelly]

Well done you
You must be very proud of yourself

Low cal obvs.

[Alyosha]

Tailendcharlie...how can that work though? Does it take more energy to digest all that protein so the net calories you take in are less?

You would have to be taking a huge amount of energy to digest protein, fat & veg!

[SailAwaySailAwaySailAway]

Well you could write to them stating how you think their guidelines should be worded OP. Don't forget to add your credentials and peer reviewed research to back it up.
I'd be interested in their response.

[MoreThanUs]

I think you need to understand the term 'guidelines' better - it's by its very nature a generalised thing, so of course it's a ballpark figure.
I would also suggest that you are not moving enough if 2000 calories is far too much for you. It's not just about weight, but is important for your heart and whole body health.

[HairsprayBabe]

Red
I cut out carbs and did the Blood Sugar Diet.

Breakfast - Yoghurt and berries
Lunch - Soup or salad
Dinner - Protein and lots of leafy green veg and pulses

[manicinsomniac]

Like everyone else says, it depends.

I am 5ft 1 and weigh 6 stone. The only exercise I do is 5 or 6 hours of dance a week. I maintain my weight on just under 1200 calories.

My sister is 5ft 6 and weighs 10 stone. She plays rugby 3 times a week, runs to work every day and goes to the gym twice a week. She maintains her weight on about 2500 calories.

[LuxCoDespondent]

YABU. 2000 calories is not very much at all. Don't you perhaps think that if 2000 calories was a "huge amount of food" then there wouldn't be such an obesity problem?

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

and these days I would consider 1500 cals a treat day

Then either you have significant food issues or you don't know how to accurately count calories. Or both.

[buggerthebotox]

I'd be the size of a house on 2000 cals. I'd say I'm of average size and normally fairly sedentary.

It's normal for some, I appreciate that, but for many it will be too much.

I could probably maintain on 1500 cals.

2000 is very easy to reach. A sandwich can easily be 500/600 cals. Add a coffee from say Costa that could be another 150-200, perhaps even more. Add breakfast of a couple slices toast with butter and that's another 400. A Mars bar? About 250? Dinner of, say, pizza? 800? Glass wine? 150. Dessert? 300.

Easily done!

Add in a sedentary job and you're buggered.

[MoreThanUs]

But fire, being sedentary is a very unhealthy lifestyle and everyone should try to be as active as they can (notwithstanding physical limitations).

[SaltySeaBird]

2000 calories a day for me will see me gain weight quite quickly. That is despite the fact that I am very active and do a lot of running. I exercise at least five days a week and at least one of my weekly runs is half marathon distance or more. I'm 5"4 and have been checked for thyroid issues.

I can eat about 1800 calories a day to maintain, but if I'm injured and not exercising I'll gain weight at that amount.

I only lose if I go under 1200 calories and stick to it.

[Firesuit]

Just in case anyone missed the meaning of my last two posts, it looks like some of the calories that the NHS count as part of the 2000 a day are the ones that fat women must eat in order to remain fat.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I have no idea how many calories are in things or how many calories I eat in a day.

[Ginkypig]

100 calories are just that no matter which form they take!

You will have a lot less of some things ie pizza or crisps than say lettuce or carrots but but 100 calories of any of those foods are exactly the same.

As for the recommendations that's what they are recommendations! once you establish where you personally sit with these guidelines then you adjust accordingly. So one person will be able to eat 2500 another 2000 but there will be others who can only get away with 1500.

Those figures change depending on activity too so the 1500 person may be able to up it to 2000 if they add in 500 calorie worth of activity.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Most people underestimate their intake though (not saying you are). I eat 2000 calories a day, but I don't underestimate. I also exercise and am under 30.

[HairsprayBabe]

I don't think any of the nastiness is necessary, I was genuinely interested if people gained/lost/maintained on the 2000 and how realistic it is.

Obviously I know everyone is different, and I stated that I knew it was down to individual TDEE and BMR.

I also average about 8k steps a day and run three times a week, so not a total log lay about...

[amusedbush]

All this talk of slowing metabolism down etc is simply not true.

Not being cheeky at all but are you qualified to confirm that? I've spoken to NHS dietitians, I've read studies and I've seen Ted Talks on the subject. All agree that longterm reduction in calories affects your metabolism.

[Firesuit]

being sedentary is a very unhealthy lifestyle

I was just putting the parameter into the calculator that I thought best described most people.

I have now gone back and put the highest activity parameter, "moderately active", to be fair that does then change the figure to over 2000 calories.

[Firesuit]

So rather than assuming fat people should remain fat, maybe we could view the NHS figure as assuming that everyone is getting enough exercise.