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?

Get out of your car and walk your children to school. I'm amazed at how many women who live within a 10' walk of the school near me drive their kids in (they then moan about lardy-arses and thunder-thighs) when the half-mile there and another half-mile back would be very good for them and very good for their offspring.

I put on three stone in a year when I stopped walking the school run (increased hours at work). We're less than a mile from school but that added up to 15 miles a week.

2000 would be an awful lot for me - office job, exercising about 2-3 hours a week plus the odd walk. On a gym day MFP allocates me 1900 to maintain, 1600 to lose.

A 2000+ day for me involves a noticeably big/indulgent meal (>1000 cal in one go) or eating at least three meals, which I don't need.

Now the fasting research seems to support regular longer spells without food. I typically do 2x 23h and 5x 18h not eating in a week and that works well for my metabolism.

It's easy to know about calories without understanding them. You can know that an apple is about 80 and a KitKat 130 and a packet sandwich 400 without actually making the calculation "this lunch was over 500 calories" and mentally deducting that from your daily limit. I used to believe the Slimming World myth that foods are "free" and blithely eat the equivalent of a portion of chips in fruit without blinking.

I would struggle to eat 2000 a day, I don't eat that much at all,but still can't get rid of 2 stone which is sitting on stomach and hips!
Well done OP
How did you do it?

Everyone is different. I weighed 11 stone about 2 months ago. Wanted to weigh 10st 7lbs so cut my calories to 1300 and obsessed about every little thing I ate. Lost about 2lbs in two months. Got bored of diet controlling my life and went back to eating what I fancied and eating when I was hungry. I'm much happier, less stressed and lost a further 4 lbs in a week.

I lose weight if I eat what my body tells me to eat and stop when it tells me I'm full. Could be around 1800-2000 calories. If I eat 1200 calories my metabolism grinds to a halt, I bloat up and stop losing weight.

Also, for those that think that the body does not distinguish between 100 cals of carrot and 100 cals of cake, that thinking belongs in last century

Beg to differ. My best friend is very slim. Yet her diet consists of dairy milk and KFC. No exaggeration. She doesn't eat much, so she stays slim, but what she does eat is refined sugar and refined carbs galore. I'm sure her insides are fucked, but she's a perfectly healthy weight.

Weight loss is about calories. Sorry but it is. If I went on a diet tomorrow which consisted of a twix for breakfast, one slice of cheap white bread for lunch and a packet of crisps for dinner, I'd still lose weight as my calorie count would be minimal.

I personally think the key to sustained, healthy weight loss without "good foods" and "bad foods" is simply to get back in touch with eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full.

People have lost touch with what it feels like to be hungry. It's so easy to continue eating when you're full.

Every single naturally, life long slim person I know follows no specific diet but simply eats what they want when they fancy, stopping when full even if that means they leave half a plateful.

once On the other hand, 3000 calories could be about 15 bowls of thick veg soup, or 30 jacket potatoes with a smidge of butter - which would feel like a lot of food!

A jacket potato isn't 100 calories! More like 300 with a "smidge" of butter.

You are right though that different foods mean 2000 calories can look like loads or not much at all. All those saying "ooh, I've no idea about calories" or who think there's no point counting them - this is why. It's very hard to estimate actual energy intake just by looking at amounts of food. Personally I've found being aware of the calories in different food means I can actually enjoy my food, knowing it is within the calorie limit for the day, rather than vaguely feeling guilty for eating.

"Oh I ate a quarter of a salmon fillet and a broccoli florets and I am absolutely STUFFED, I simply can't fathom that anyone else might have a different appetite to me"

My speech goes rather more like this:

"I can't believe how little I can eat these days in order to shift weight. Older people warned me it would get difficult one day. My BMI used to be 19....sob! I never exercised beyond everyday walking. Now I have to try so hard. I still have the enormous appetite I used to have and a very low exercise tolerance due to a lung disease. 2000 is far too much for me to be a good weight. Okay for others, perhaps, but not me. How depressing!"

I eat 1800 day if I want to drop 0.2-0.5kg a week. I don't track my food when I'm not trying to drop weight, but I imagine i eat 2000-2300 a day and I more or less maintain.

I do do the recommended amount of exercise though (lift 3x week, spinning once a week, Pilates once a week and I walk about 4km a day)

I AM "overweight" though, BMI of about 29. But I'm very happy in my body and I look bangin'

Yanbu

According to that calculator I need over 2,200 calories a day to maintain. I have started doing MFP and I only hit 2,100 if I eat a packet of biscuits every day.

I think most women would put on weight on 2000 calories a day - whether that's a lot of food or just a takeaway, a pastry a bucket of coffee and half a bottle of wine.

All those saying "ooh, I've no idea about calories" or who think there's no point counting them - this is why

Lots of people don't need to know about calories, or count them. If you are a healthy weight and stay that way easily, why would you give a shite how many calories are in your pie?

I've been on both sides.

I never used to have a clue about calories.

Now I take an avid interest.

I preferred my previous life, quite honestly!

To be a size 8uk I have to be on 500-700 calories on some days with under 1000 per week.

Over 1500 normally, I gain weight and easily get to size 10-12 within 8months to a year. Especially during Christmas and winter months.
I would assume my height counts /5ft4 is the reason.

I don't expect a 6ft person to eat the same amount of food as I do.

Doesn't matter what you eat, it's joe much you eat. 100 calories of carrot is the same as 100 calories of cake as regards weight loss. I'm sorry but it is.

I was at my thinnest (10st) when I ate a mars bar for breakfast, pot noodle for lunch and fish fingers and beans for tea.

When I eat porridge and fruit, fat free yogurts, big salads and hearty casseroles - I will either maintain or gain weight.

A typical day for me was yesterday - McDonald's (cheese burger and small fries) for lunch and satay chicken and rice for tea. Worshipped every mouthful and I continue to lose weight. Never hungry and don't feel deprived (and therefore, don't suffer cravings!)

The number of calories means shit of you don't take the other part of the equation into account. How much energy (and after all, calories = energy) you use. So sit in bed all day + eat fuck all = don't lose weight. Eat loads + run a marathon = lose weight. It isn't rocket science.

To be a size 8uk I have to be on 500-700 calories on some days with under 1000 per week

You're starving yourself. Unless you're 2ft high, thats not enough.

Just done mine, I require 2081 to maintain. Not that I want to as I'm overweight.
I can eat 1581 calories per day and still lose weight. Can only think it's the exercise I do which makes the difference.

scientists have found that calorie counting is an extremely poor way to maintain a healthy body and mind. It causes stress even in people who say they enjoy it . It takes a lot of mental energy and calorie counters lose less weight than people who just eat healthily and don't count the cakories.

Zhan. You might stay slim eating McDonald's but your insides are getting an unhealthy diet. Health is about more than your body weight.

Zhan. You might stay slim eating McDonald's but your insides are getting an unhealthy diet. Health is about more than your body weight

Depends entirely on how much mcdonalds and what else you eat. A perfectly healthy diet can contain mcdonalds, and perfectly healthy people can eat junk food.

I eat way more than 2000 calories a day and am not overweight. Depends on your motabilism and amount of excercise. I've never been to a gym, but I walk everywhere. Or sometimes cycle.

The competitive non-eating is weird. Like how is that something to be proud of. I eat 2000 calories and have a BMI of 19.something and women heavier than me are constantly telling me how little they eat and how much I eat. Okay....

I gain if I eat more then 1500. I have to stick to about 1200-1400 just to maintain. I'm 5'5" and currently 12st (was 10st7lb before having my last 2 babies)
My body is clearly buggered. I can't begin to imagine eating 2000 calories a day!

The calorie deficit required to lose weight has definately changed for me. I have the same level of activity but when I was younger not eating between meals and not having dessert would lead to weight loss. On 1500 cals a day weight would fall off at 2lbs a weeek. Now I have to be @1100 a day to lose 1lb a week. I'm in my 50s and perimenopausal.

I train quite a bit and have a good muscle to fat ratio. To maintain my weight I require 1600 per day NET!! In the basis breathing, walking, blinking burns calories you can eat more. Depending on how active you are determines how much more.

I need very few calories to maintain my weight.

1,400-500 works well for me.

I am not awfully active but do work at a job where I never sit down and I'm on my feet constantly.

If I ate 2000 calories I would be the size of a house.