Is 2000 calories a day too much?

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I’m once again trying to take control of my weight gain as I have been steadily getting bigger for the last 13 years.

I’m being honest on my fitness pal, and I come in at around 2300 calories every day.

without tracking calories I would have thought I was really healthy. I eat mainly whole foods, no upfs, and 3 balanced meals per day.

each meal is over 700 calories.

I’m wondering if I just pull it down slightly to 2000 calories per day would that be slow and steady way to live?

I’m around 75kg and 5’6.

im really active and run a lot. When I started running I slimmed down massively- it’s all piled back on though.

would love to get under 70kg.

I'm 5'7" and now weigh 150lbs, down from 182lbs 9 months ago. I've done it by eating 1400 cals a day, more or less. I'm quite flexible about it - and ok with losing fairly slowly - in order to not deprive myself of nice things like dinner in a good restaurant, a glass of wine now and then, etc. So I tend to aim for fewer than 10,000 cals over a week.

I don't really ever feel hungry unless I've really 'under-eaten' the day before, or if I've eaten complete rubbish, lots of sugar etc. Being a little bit peckish isn't the end of the world anyway, is it? It passes if I have a glass of water or a cup of black coffee, and then I enjoy my next meal even more!

My maintenance is just over 1500 and although theoretically I could increase that by exercise, exercise uses so few calories compared to what I then crave because the exercise makes me so hungry, it's counter productive and I put on weight. I need to lose at least 7lbs so will start off on around 1200, might wait until after Xmas

Where on earth is that from. What nonsense

Same here. Sticking to the lowest dose.
I have gone from 14st 4lbs to 13st in 2 months.
I’m planning to get just below my target weight to give me some wiggle room when I come off. Probably in the summer. Not starving at all because of WLIs.

I hope to have retrained my brain to understand what a healthy amount of food is for me. I have also started lifting weights - really helps with the peri aches & pains!

An logging everyday on MFP too OP. It’s a good thing you are doing so - you can aim to get a better understanding of what fills you up for longer.

If you don’t fancy WLIs (completely understandable) - try aiming for 90-100g protein a day and making sure you have 5 hrs between each meal.
Protein shakes for breakfast have really helped keep me full up - I like the Organic Protein Co.
Drink shed loads of water!

Cut out refined cards, sugar & alcohol whilst you are trying to lose weight - they will sabotage your efforts.

Sorry yeah of course if you're starting at a very high weight.

I am 5ft 4in and weigh 60.4kg. I am very active and exercise daily. My daily calorific requirement is 1700 k/cal. If I consume more calories I will gain weight.

I am aiming for 1450/1600k/cal daily to hit and stay at 60kg.

Bug remember the mumsnet competitive undereating.
Everyone us different. I would never recommend 1200 kcal for a healthy active person.
I recommend writing a diary for a week and see how many you currently eat and cut by 3-500. If weight isnt shifting after a few weeks reduce slightly again.

It’s not competitive under eating.
Just being honest about how much I need to eat to lose weight these days.

The WLI’s have simply shown me this fact. After years of eating, what clearly was too much!

I don’t plan to eat so low after reaching a healthy BMI. But am most definitely not going to get there eating any more.

We need less food as we age. We need to make sure we eat enough protein and try to retain muscle.

I’ve never counted calories in my life. Have always eaten healthy food - as much as I wanted. I can see clearly now that I seriously underestimated healthy portions as well as the hidden calories in certain foods. I’m nearly 50. Trying to reach a healthy BMI.

Nothing competitive about it 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you stop eating carbs you won’t feel hungry and it’s much much easier to stick to 1200 calories.

Ignore those telling you that you need carbs for energy. It’s codswallop. Carbs drive hunger.

Focus on fat and protein and you’ll be very satisfied. It’s literally the same thing that GLP1 does.

I am 43, 5ft6 and 57kg, i am on my feet constantly 4 days a week 17-20k steps, around 10-12k 3 days a week plus 3/4 gym classes a week. I have to eat under 1300 otherwise the weight goes up.

I’m 5ft 5 and 54 . Weigh 62 kg and no longer count calories but I estimate about 1500- 2000 most days.
Yesterday:
2 heaped dessert spoons of full fat Greek yoghurt, same of kefir, chia seeds, 3or 4 walnut halves, handful frozen berries heated.

half can chickpeas with salad vegetables,small amount crumbled feta, spritz of evoo, squeeze of lemon. Anapple

chilli con carne with lean pork mince, serving spoon of basmati rice.

green tea and espresso and water for drinks.

Anyone know the cals?

You need fibre. Veg and good carbs and fruit.

I agree! I eat 3 meals a day. No snacks and no unhealthy carbs. Lots of protein. Whole foods and 2 veg only, olive oil, no processed food.

If you eat properly you don’t feel hungry all of the time. The reason you feel hungry all of the time is because you are not eating properly. It’s not about the calories, it is about what you eat.

It has really helped with my menopause (I am on HRT).

I feel so much better and have lost 2kg and maintain it.

Yes it's too much

I think no two people are the same!

I gain if I eat more than 1500, and that’s not counting exercise calories - I don’t burn many anyway.

i’m in my fifties, 5’7, 60kg.
I have a sedentary job, but I walk at least 10k steps plus gym 6-7 days a week. Mainly strength and conditioning classes or weight training.

I don’t feel I burn many calories - eg, 45 mins class this week. In that time, I did 150 full burpees, 150 squats, 150 lunges,1 km assault bike, 1km run, 1km row, 1km ski erg. Calorie burn (garmin) - 190 calories. So I don’t add extra for exercise.

Also don’t eat eat processed food - lots of chicken and fish, wholegrains, pulses, fruit and veg etc. I do have dark chocolate every evening tho, and a bad Coke Zero habit!

You need far fewer calories than OP because you are much lighter

It’s loads for me unfortunately! If I want to lose weight I have to get down to about 1200 calories (which is probably why I am overweight!).
I am 5’4” and age 44, not super active but do have a dog so walk at least once a day

No, there is never a day when I do nothing. I go to the gym 5 days a week. I might not walk the dogs every day if my husband is home, but if I don’t go to the gym, I make sure I do at least one of their walks in the morning or evening.

Strength training!

I’m 43, 5”8 and lost a stone this year since starting strength training (a proper heavy lifting regime 3x a week). I’ve always done cardio but the strength work has really made the difference. I walk a lot too (15k steps per day average often more)

I ate 2000 Calories per day while losing the weight, I can eat 2700 and maintain my weight.

Some of the cals here are quite low but I suppose it depends on how much running you do and your muscle mass. I’m 5 ft 1 and about 50kg (49kg pre fuck it it’s Christmas) and I should be on 1750 to maintain - 39 yo, desk job, CrossFit 5/6 days a week so a good mix of strength and cardio training.

That's the beauty (or in my case a pain on the arse).of strength training. You have to get the calories in and they can be a lot more than we've been programmed as women since being young.

A dog walk is not exercise. You are doing mild to moderate exercise, not "loads", on most days and none on others.

Age has so much to do with it. I'm 65, 5'6 and run 20 miles a week, plus static cycling and Pilates. I have to absolutely peg my calories at 1500 just to keep my weight steady. Any more than this and it will pile on and be very very hard to get off again, even running every day.

ETA weight is holding at around 60kg and I'm a short legged solid build.

5 days a week in the gym isn't mild to moderate exercise.

It depends on what you do there. A lot of people don't do that much and probably burn fewer calories than someone who has an active job or goes hill walking for a few hours.