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?

I manage quite fine on 1200 calories a day.

Calculators work by estimating your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories required to maintain basic bodily functions) based on your height, weight, age gender. Then they add a number of calories (again an estimate), associated with your level of activity. The resulting sum is the volume of maintenance calories.

Basal metabolic rate will vary between any number of people of the same weight, height, age, due to other factors like metabolic health, proportion of muscle mass, history of previous dieting especially where a person has been in a deep calorie deficit on and off throughout their life. Unless one gets tested in a lab, it's impossible to know what the exact number is for each person.

Some variance will come from the above and some from the estimate of the level of physical activity.

Do the people with low calorific requirement also have low muscle mass? I think that makes a significant difference. My lean mass is high/body fat low and I have a basal requirement of 1233 cal a day (Hume body pod) - this is the requirement if I sit still or lie in bed all day - although I assume it wouldn't be for long as my muscle would degenerate given my age (65). So (as I said before) I'm eating 2200, of which about 1000 is due to movement/exercise. At my age I've tested this enough times to know these values are about right. I've been fat and thin.
It's a chemical reaction at the end of the day and one person's chemical reaction is unlikely to differ from the next person's, so it's either down to people miscalculating the amount they are eating, actually needing less because they move less or requiring less to move because they have less muscle to activate in order to do so.

No matter - there must be a logical scientific explanation and people should not seek to justify their inability to lose weight in ways that are just wrong.

Appetite control is a different matter - depends on what you're eating too and biome.

I'm 5ft4 and 9st 2, so pretty average.
I guess on reflection I eat more at weekends - maybe a bigger, more indulgent dinner and a bigger treat that day. I might accurately track it all soon as a scientific experiment for myself!
But no, I never feel depleted and always have a tonne of energy.

Absolutely this. It’s bonkers.

It can't be underestimates how much, biologically speaking, our bodies consider losing weight to be a Bad Thing To Be Avoided At All Costs.

Weight loss occuring in nature is because you are ill or because you can't get enough food.

Because we are in an obesegenic society, many people need to lose weight, but your biology doesn't give a stuff about that. There's no natural human biology to make you lose weight for no reason.

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.

Yes, visceral fat is bad, but women who eat 2000 calories a day don’t necessarily have visceral fat. My body fat percentage is very low. You say most people don’t need three meals a day - I do, and - shock horror - I also eat snacks too! My BMI is 19.6 because I just checked. This fake horror at women eating normal amounts of food is so sad.

More than that, it distracts from the aim - to be healthy. It also demonises food rather than appreciating it for the vital fuel it is.

@MisterMeeseeks yep I know someone like this too -exists on a few sweets, one reasonable meal a day and the odd couple of biscuits and a banana or a few grapes but she doesn’t drink . Never has what I call 3 healthy balanced meals a day but is always an ok healthy weight , never overweight. I can’t help but think unless you eat a lot of salad and just fruit that eating 3 nutritious healthy meals a day with plenty of protein as advised, many who eat well would struggle to get under the 1250 that many need to actually lose weight. I’ve always ate really well , lots of healthy stuff and have struggled since40 with putting weight on - I can maintain it easily but struggle to lose and I think it’s my mental version of the ‘3 meals a day ‘that’s doing it- I’m on my 2nd week of mounjaro too but won’t go beyond the initial 4 weeks as it makes me feel sick constantly- not really lost anything either - so am going to switch to 2 meals a day of 500 each plus a small bowl of fruit and a small dollop of Greek yoghurt - I’m overweight by quite a few stone but ironically my friends in their 40s and I’m 63 say they think I look great and look well if not exactly slim - I asked them for very honest feedback - sometimes as you say ‘some’ very slim people aren’t always slim through good habits that contribute to overall well being

I've had an eating disorder most of my life, and you're talking absolute bullshit. You aren't size 20 consuming 400 calories a day. You're not a size 10 consuming 400 calories a day either. A size 10 - 20 wouldn't be able to hack 400 calories a day for a month. What's your 400 calories coming from in a day out of interest?

Is there a medical reason you're trying to lose weight? If you can maintain easily, and look healthy, it would suggest your body is happy where it's at... maybe increase activity rather than decrease food?

Same here! Have three kids, but never really understood what people meant by “running around”.
I get it that you might not get the chance to sit still for very long, but even when you take the kids to the park or a playground, how much actual running around do you do as a parent?

Agree. I’m a healthy BMI by eating everything more or less in moderation and exercising five times a week.
I’d have to eat less to be teeny tiny, like I have been in the past, but I was mostly eating salad back then and didn’t even have energy to exercise.
Definitely not worth it for me.

I am size 20 now and eat 1500; when I am size 10, I literally eat two porridges a day, even topped with banana, nuts, honey - these two are about 300. Fruit, veg, meat ( I am not meat eater so will be fish couples of times a week)

so basically on top of the two porridge portions I eat fish, veg, diary and fruit into small portions. A boiled egg sometimes, not all in one day, but over a week. I put in very fast once I add 1 slice of bread to this type of eating.

And so I was 10 when first married. Since then I have had to cook varied menus and as I come from a country in which we eat each cooked meal with bread, I just put on too much, having added some bread to my overall eating. This is why I do not trust the official measurements or calories they put on labels. Nor trust any labels for that matter. My own experience is the test here.

Maybe gluten intolerance and the bread is causing inflammation?

Haha this is me with my small children, I eat loads but am relatively slim (and short). It's not running exactly but I am constantly up and meeting various needs/demands, plus they do often head in two different directions so I'm herding them... Constantly moving rather than sitting. Also have to pick them up a lot so have huge biceps 😆

Thank you, it might be the case. Will check it out

I dropped to 1500 calories a day with next to no exercise (desk job) and lost two stone in a matter of months but I am 5'10" and 55. A maintenance intake of 2000 would probably be fine for me.

There is a lot to be said for avoiding inflammatory foods and giving time to rest your gut. A lot of people graze on rubbish all day (biscuits with tea, cake day at work). Some willpower is required and your body will reward you by breaking it's sugar addiction and reducing your cravings for rubbish. Not eating stodgy carbs in the evening is also very important.

The thing is with these threads posters claim they don’t eat anywhere near 2000 calories are probably living in denial, unless you weigh and measure every single morsel that passes your lips and count every single drop of liquid, (even zero calorie drinks have calories) then you are more than likely consuming a lot more than you think, accurate calorie counting is a job in itself, not many people do it with precision at all, how many people weigh their portion of broccoli or carrots for example, the “I eat nowhere near 2000 calories” brigade probably eat more than that, they just don’t know it.

I'm sorry but you don't get to a size 20 eating 1500 kcals either. You're killing yourself whatever you're doing anyway - my diet wasn't as bad as you're describing, as an anorexic.

Absolutely this.

I think I might have issues with gluten....so it is a different ball game

I think there's an interesting argument for refining the calorie advice system. Lots of people are vastly unaware of it!

I'm 5'3, losing weight for medical reasons. I eat 1200 calories a day and burn on average 2,800. I don't 'eat' my gained calories, apart from feeling they will mop up any of my underestimation.

I think the calories are restrictive, but absolutely fine. A normal day would be greek yoghurt (the proper stuff) and berries for breakfast. Cottage cheese/eggs and salad for lunch and fish, rice and veggies for tea. I'm learning to build in treats- I had a well earned galaxy bar the other day 🤣. I'm out for a meal tonight - I've looked at the menu (chain restaurant)

I think the brutal reality is we're designed to expect treats and we associate 'treat' foods with rewards - take away, g+t, chocolate whatever your vice is!

I think people also underestimate how active they are- many people drive everywhere and fail to notice their watch ticking over when they're moving slowly!

There is no magic wand to lose weight - it's eat less and move more. Of course people who do large amounts of exercise and are much taller will need more.