To think this calorie calculator can’t be right ?

[Yellowdaffodilss]

I want to lose some weight. I have always been quite slim , over past few years I have averaged 10st ( I’m 5ft6.5 ) and always been ok with that . I have gone up and down with a few diets over the years. Last year I did keto as I had gone up to about 10st10 and I went down to 10st4 . I would estimate now I’m probably around 10st10 - not certain as I don’t own scales , purposely. I mainly just want to slim my tummy and arms ( my arms , I hate ! ) . I don’t think I’m massively more than last year as I don’t have any clothes I absolutely can’t fit in. I can get in to some 10s - albeit snug - and some 12s but some 12s are too big. So what I’m trying to say is whatever weight I have gained has been slow and over a year or so.

Now I am a terrible eater ! I want to change for health reasons too. Weekends are the worst. I decided I would start a calorie deficit and I thought around 1500-1600 per day ( I don’t want anything drastic as I will not be able to stick to it ) but I’ve done a calculator and it says my maintenance calories are 1668. I take that to mean have less if I want to lose weight and if I have more I will gain weight. However , I must pretty much always be over that , so how am I not bigger ? That cannot be my maintenance calories surely ?! Admittedly I do have some days where I’ve ate less as I’ve been busy but on the whole I mostly surely go over !

This is an average work day ;
overnight oats ( around 300 cal ) , lunch has lately been a meal of around 400 ( chicken, rice and halloumi or a Caesar salad etc ) but probably over as I don’t measure. Then I’ll always have a bag of crisps , maybe a piece of fruit and I pick at biscuits . Then on an evening I usually have a ready meal of around 500 calories , then some garlic bread that probably takes it to 700. Usually add unmeasured grated cheese. Lots of times though I’ll be busy, and sit down late and end up having something carb heavy like a sandwich and a sausage roll , or toast, and almost always crisps - can be one bag or 3 depending on mood - and I’ll have coffee throughout the day and don’t measure milk.

Weekends you can add in take aways! If I’m alone I’ll snack worse. Today actually felt like a day I ate less as I had no lunch but when I look at it it’s not - 2 slices of toast with butter and pate around 11, with a coffee , a Coke Zero and a few of my sons chips when out( so far not much ) then I got home and had chicken and bacon pasta , lots of cheese on top , 2 slices of garlic bread , half a large bag of tortilla chips and about half of a tub of Caesar loaded dip ( 600 calories for the tub ) .

So I have to be having more than my maintenance ?! Over Easter I was having breakfast out , takeaways , so many Easter eggs , snacking continuously .

so what I’m saying is how do I know my maintenance calories ? I must have around 2000 each day and some days more if my maintenance is 1668 then over a week I’m having loads more?

Am I missing something ? I don’t want to drop to 1200-1300 as it feels far too limiting

Yep I think your maintenance, if completely inactive would be closer to 1900.

Most people aren’t very good at tracking calories; why not try to focus on adding in more fruit and veg and reducing portions, reducing biscuits crisps etc, as a start?

I’m going to really try and count etc because I know I’ll just lie to myself otherwise ! I’m the sort to tell myself I deserve the entire cheesecake because I had an apple at lunch instead of crisps 🤣

That sounds better!

I did say I was inactive on the calculator. I am up and about a lot at work, but can also spend hours at my desk. My “ up and about “ is in my work building which is quite a small setting anyway. I do go to the gym occasionally - and plan to start more - but I’m not doing crazy workouts

You're within a healthy weight range, so any weight loss you need would only really need to be slow. A 250 calorie deficit (so half a pound a week, roughly 2lb a month) would be fine for you. It sounds about accurate if you're largely sedentary.

I would be happy with that! I know I’m likely to fall off the wagon on the weekends but I’m hoping by going slow with a manageable change , I can just bring some habits into the weekend too. I’m 39, my children getting older now - almost all out of primary - so I want to still enjoy life , have the popcorn at the cinema , enjoy a meal out - I don’t want to be saying no because I have no calories left ( been there , done that , doesn’t work for me ) .

I just thought when I saw my maintenance at that, that it couldn’t be right otherwise I would have been over pretty much all the time for the past year so surely would have gained more weight

The calculator doesn't know anything about your individual metabolism. Guesstimate a number of calories, stick to it and let the scales tell you for certain.

You really don't need all that counting and calculating! If you're staying the same weight and want to lose some, eat less. If you're gaining weight and don't want to, eat less. And by 'eat less' I mean either reduce portion size or swap fatty, sweet or stodgy foods for vegetables, fruits, whole grains etc.