To ask your maintenance calories as a 30-something woman?

[PaddleBoardingMomma]

I know I know, I'm sure it varies by height and weight etc, but I can't help thinking the 2000 calories advised is a little on the high side for the average person? I'm desperately trying to know my own body better and at 2000 calories a day I'd certainly gain weight, and I'm not particularly inactive, I get in my 10-15,000 steps a day and have two kids to run around after.

Does the 2000 guideline suit you? Do you need more / less to maintain a weight you're happy with?

Thanks in advance!

I don't calories count day to day - but when I have counted just to see I reckon I eat about 1700 calories. I maintain my weight around bmi 21-22. I'm 5'4ish.

I have a Garmin watch which I use to track my fitness (mostly swimming and running) but it also tracks my period and sleep among other things.

I just checked and my resting calorie consumption is just over 1300. I'm in the top 5% of fitness for women my age group so imo 2000 is way over unless you are super active, because my base calorie consumption will be including energy needed for maintaining muscle even on days I dont do any exercise. On days I have exercised it adds another 1k roughly. So again, 2000 unless you are super active is far too much.

I think you’re right, I’m 39, 5ft3 and gain if I go over about 1700 consistently - I can get away with the odd splurge here and there though. I think the 2000 calories a day and ‘never skip meals’ advice has a lot to do with why many people struggle with weight.

Have a look at the James Smith TDEE calculator here. 2000 is way too much for me but then I’m short 😁

All the internet TDEE calculators put me at 2100 - 2300 to maintain.

I'm 48, 5'7, 13 stone, average around 10-15k steps a day. I definitely eat more than that but my weight is fairly stable. If I get my arse in gear and cut down to around 1700 I do lose weight, just need to stick at it for a few months and stop binging on crap.

But I suspect that @Natty13 is a lot shorter and lighter than I am.

1250 to maintain

1600/1700 to maintain generally. Currently on 1200 for a few weeks to get some stubborn lbs off still hanging about from Christmas.

Im 39, 5ft 4 and around 9.5st. I'm also pretty active. Up until about a year ago I was 8 and a half stone and could eat anything I wanted and never counted a single calorie. Didn't realise how lucky I was.

This sort of shores up my theory it IS less than 2000 for most people. I wonder where that number came from? Perhaps it is right and I don't move enough but I'm shattered as it is 🤣

2000 is way too much.

Mine is around 1600 per day. I'm 5 5

My Garmin tells me I burn between 1800 and 2400 calories most days depending on activity but I take it with a pinch of salt. I think the best way to determine this would be to track what you eat and see what your weight does and increase or decrease what you eat until you get the desired result.

Oh and I'm 5 foot 3 and half. Quite active but a bit chubby!

2000 is probably from when people were more active, walked more, used public transport more, had more physically active jobs?

You can get away with over 2000 if you lift weights and do a lot of exercise

I’ve been losing on 1300 but I have had a small blip and I am pretty sure I will gain just from 2 days off plan 😒

I maintain at 1150. Any more and I gain. To lose weight I can’t go over 1000 (and then it’s only around 1lb a month)
I’m 44, 5’6”, 11st and do between 8000 and 12000 steps a day.

I’m 31 and 5 ft 7 and 2100 is what I eat to maintain my weight of 11 stone. If I want to lose weight I eat 1700 calories on rest days and 1900 on exercise days (4/5 times a week) and would loose about a pound a week.

2000 with lots of exercise. 5,2.
1700.calorie deficit. Lost weight.

Around 1600-1700. I find if I consistently drop much below this then I start getting various negative side effects like dips in my BP/blood sugar, low mood, cravings for junk, etc.

I found the best way was to gradually increase my calories by around 100-200 week on week until I stopped losing weight and then stuck to that limit for two weeks to see if I maintained or gained. It took a little trial and error but I found the limit that worked for me. I allow myself +/- 5-6lb of my ìdeal weight too, basically for life (e.g., if I go on holiday I know I'll gain, if I'm having a stressful time I know I'll lose, etc).

I am now 44 but have been the same for ages, I am 5 ' 7 "" and currently 14 stone, 1200 is my maintenance calories, on that I struggle to lose a pound a month and put on v easy even at, for example, 1700 cals.

I have been on a meal replacement diet at 800 cals and lose about 1.4 lb a week on average which is a miracle for me tbh.

I have hashimoto (untreated as thyroid levels borderline) and pcos, I have a shit metabolism due to this.

Same as Maddening, PCOS, maintenance about 1200 calories. At that age I could only lose weight if I kept below 800 calories a day.

Now in perimenopause I can’t lose any weight… I guess I need to go down to 600 if I wanted to. 1200c a day is just about enough to make me get 5 extra kilos a year.

Mid 40's
5ft 8in
11st 5lb
1944 to maintain
1444 to lose around 1-2lb a week

Howmanysleeps
1150 seems low to maintain, particularly at your height.

I eat whatever I like as long as it sits within my calorie allowance. As I do intermittent fasting, I am spreading my calories over two meals rather than three.

I'm 5'8", 14 stone and would need to eat (apparently) 1790 calories to maintain.
However, just joined the gym and trying to addreas my Binge Eating Disorder (I was previously Bulimic), so looking to gradually reduce rather than maintain (or, God forbid, increase 😳).

I’m 40 and 170 cm and can lose weight on 1700 if I over-indulge for a bit. I think 2000 is probably about right, unless you are sedentary. Most people are, in my view. 10 000 steps a day is not evidence that one is active. For me that would be a quiet day at home with a walk, not a work day with moderate exercise included.

I’m currently quite seriously overweight because of having a baby and to maintain would need 1800.

2000 maintenance for me, as a short person who is way over - my maintenance when not doing loads of steps is around 1500-1600. When I lose I have to eat 1100 max and that’s with doing 20k steps per day. I don’t think there should be an average listed as many women might think 2000 is their allowance but for many it’s probably too many.

I personally get my maintenance calories from a TDEE calculator. Never by websites such as my fitness pal.

Hmmmm, I was going to say the opposite. I'm 42 and maintained my weight for five years eating a lot more 2000. I can lose eating 2000. I'm short as well and not particularly active. If I eat something like 1600 calories I am starving. Like I am going to pass out and die from low blood sugar starving.

I do wonder how people survive on 1200. What exactly do you eat? How do you get everything your body needs?

Those with health issues aside, I have to wonder if the people who maintain on less have just under eaten for so long, they panic if the scale goes up by a pound from bloat.