To think that women don't actually need 2000kcal a day

[Croissantsfordinner]

I am barely losing weight eating 1600kcal a day and most of the people I know who are slim and fit definitely do not eat 2000kcal (I am referring to family, friends, colleagues, what I read here on MN and also celebrities diet, lol). So where does this guideline come from?
Unless you are almost an athlete, I don't think all those calories are actually needed, AIBU?

and it was back then. LOL. Now I eat a lot. English breakfast, sandwiches, salads, cooked foods. Too much anyway

@Crikeyalmighty
I know. I’m not being judgemental of her. I am overweight and eat way too much. I used to smoke and I have replaced it with food tbh.
I think people these days are so focused on weight that they forget slim doesn’t always equal healthy. My dad is very slim, always has been and is extremely judgmental of anyone overweight but he is a recovering alcoholic of decades, smoked til it gave him cancer and has literally never exercised as as an adult and his diet is awful. Another person in my family is very slim and people don’t realise she has an eating disorder. She literally only eats three types of food. They have to be from certain shops/ particular brands, have to be measured out. She eats a small amount every three hours on the button and spends a lot of the time in between preparing her food and she exercises excessively to burn it off. She also smokes and does drugs yet she is constantly criticising me for my weight and thinks she’s the picture of health.

I think you should speak to your GP - you may have a thyroid issue, amongst other issues. I think you'd be a good candidate for semaglutide injections because that's likely healthier than consuming 400 calories a day to lose weight. These jabs have completely changed my life.

When i was a size 20 i only ate 1300-1500 calories a day, however, i also had a metric fuck tone of calories in drinks which i never bothered to count or acknowledge. The calories to gain always come from somewhere. My diet on WLI is more restrictive than before, however it was cutting out the calorie filled drinks thats made the biggest difference for me. Im hoping now i have killed that habit, gone through caffeine withdrawal, and found drinks i like that are low calorie but not filled with artificial sweetners as im allergic, i can maintain once off the WLI's

You’d rather women were fat, sick, eating themselves into an early death, with reduced mobility (and therefore dependent) and unable to fully participate in all aspects of life? With that invisible lead that chains them to the fridge? With their only life’s pleasure being yet another slice of cake?

Nah, fuck that.

For most women though, those aren't the 2 choices. Thin and surviving on lettuce or morbidly obese and chained to the fridge.

There's a middle ground that allows you to be a healthy weight and eat 3 satisfying meals a day with, dare I say it, a couple of snacks.

So you’re saying all kittens should be rounded up and eaten then? That makes as much sense as your daft deduction from what I said 🙄 Eating three healthy meals a day with a few treats over the month won’t make you fat. The size and content of your meals will vary according to your needs, but the idea that eating three meals a day makes you obese is so ridiculous that I don’t know where to start really.

You give yourself away with your comments about being chained to the fridge and pieces of cake. Your relationship with food sounds unhealthy - and I say that with sympathy not with criticism. But your attitude - starve or gorge - just adds to the societal pressure on women. Neither starving or overeating are good.

My relationship with food is excellent, sweetie. I’m at my ideal weight. I eat healthily, and don’t see cakes and doughnuts as a “treat”… but I guess that if you need that crap to feel a bit of happiness in life, then who am I to judge… 😂

I don't want this.

Nor do I want women to be thin, sick, starving themselves into an early death with reduced mobility (ie hip fractures and broken bones) and unable to fully participate in every aspect of life, with their only pleasure the virtuous feeling of self-denial.

Like other posters, I believe there's a whole lot of middle ground in between the two!

Sorry this was a mistaken post

It's so weird, the idea that if you like cakes or donuts then that must be 'your one pleasure in life'. Like, does that poster really think people can't just enjoy a bit of cake as part of the many other things they do and enjoy?

I think it’s all about finding a balance between really restricting your diet and allowing yourself some treats.

About a year ago I started counting calories and allowed myself 1200 a day. It was obviously really effective for weight gain but I was so miserable. I managed about 6 weeks before I thought “fuck this” and returned to my old ways.

I obviously then started putting the weight back on.

About 2 months ago I decided I needed to lose weight again as I was very aware I was eating way too much. I reduced myself back down to 1200 calories again but this time rather than be strict on every meal for every day of the week, for 2 nights a week I have a ‘normal’ evening meal. I have found that having something to look forward to every 3rd day makes it easier to sustain a more restrictive diet.

I have completely cut out snacking in the day, I don’t have crisps, biscuits or chocolates etc and I only drink water now.

I also make sure I walk 30-45 minutes a day at brisk pace and I do three home work-outs a week (just gentle cardio stuff).

I’ve been following this regime for about 9 weeks now and I’ve lost just over a stone, so it’s nice and steady.

I genuinely couldn’t cope with a life where I had to watch everything I ate and counted every calorie that went in me.

Today is one of my “normal evening meal” days and it’s Chip Shop night so I’m feeling very excited! 🤣

Different for everyone’s size and activity levels. My recommended calorie intake is 1580 so to loose a few pounds in limiting myself to 1200

I agree with you. I don’t think it’s helping the obesity crisis to tell women that they should be eating 2000 calories a day. If I ate that much I’d put on weight.

Animal fats contribute to heart disease. Yes, refined carbs aren’t good but carbs per se aren’t bad. I have Type 1 diabetes and I’m heartily sick of all this crap about ‘glucose spikes’; the selling of CGMs to the worried well; and the vast number of influencers with their stupid glucose hacks. Eat a healthy diet and forget that rubbish.

The most recent research is absolving animal fats (and other non-trans fats) from their old reputation to a large extent and placing the blame more firmly on carbs. The research in the 50s on heart disease in men which demonised animal fats was done in the US and has been shown to have been highly inaccurate and influenced by lobbying from American food producers with their own agenda.

As humans we're designed to eat animal fat in moderate amounts but not refined carbohydrates, so this makes sense to me. Carbs are also responsible for raising cholesterol and this has only come to light fairly recently.

I don't eat meat and I love carbs, so I have no axe to grind here personally! Yes - eating a healthy diet and all things in moderation is definitely the way to go, though.

@2andadog well I’m around 14 stone and only 5ft 4 - ( but I’m 63) so clearly I would like to lose some for health reasons- but although it’s hard to believe I do look pretty reasonable for my age in a quite trendy way and it’s kind of ‘all over’ rather than having a huge tummy or massive legs etc - I do have big boobs too but did even when I was 9 stone. I walk a lot as I don’t drive but apart from that don’t really excercise and yes you are right I need to ramp that up - I had long covid for 18 months which gave me neuro issues and kind of totally curtailed exercise- but yes I can maintain very easily indeed- unlike many others I do have willpower and I am not one of those who has constant ‘food noise’ - I do think rather more actual excercise would be the key- have to motivate myself on that I know!!

Has anyone ever told you that you should eat 2000 cals?
Do you really think people are counting 2000 cals and then eating them even if they are not hungry?

It's a guideline.

And I think it holds out in general (this thread is not representative of the population, or not of the one I am in) - a woman of average height and build who does the recommended amount of exercise is likely to maintain a healthy weight eating around 2000 cals.

I certainly can't lose weight on 1500 a day,on 2000 a day I actually gain. Not a massive amount, probably about a pound a month,but it all adds up.

Sounds like you’re the sweetie - or, rather, sugar fiend 😂 Who mentioned cakes and doughnuts? I said “treats” and “snacks”. It’s you who can’t see eating well as anything other than stuffing your face with refined carbs, and snacks as equalling armfuls of doughnuts.

Like I said, you have an unhealthy attitude to food 🤷‍♀️ You said anyone eating three meals a day must be obese and immobile and chained to the fridge (!), and now you can’t stop yourself obsessing about cake and doughnuts.

I’ve lost a substantial amount of weight using WLI over the past 2 years. I average 2000 calories a day and lose around 1lb a week on that.

I only eat healthy wholesome foods and no longer want rubbish UPFs. I find my weight loss is more about what foods I eat rather than the amount of calories.

Who said you have to eat 2000 calories a day? It’s the recommended amount for the average woman. Unless you’re Ms Average in height, weight, exercise, etc etc, you eat what you need.

You never hear men saying they just need one boiled egg and some herbal tea and that’s more than enough do you?
Still seems some women are stuck in the be as small as possible rather than exercise a bit, lift heavy weights and eat protein and protect your bones for later life

From your responses on this thread, you do not sound mentally well...

Some of the comments on here are absolute bullshit and not a kick in the arse off competitive pro-ana rubbish. One boiled egg all day, fuck off.

And that one boiled egg was described as more than enough. Like it's actually a bit greedy to eat a whole egg!