How Many Calories do Maintainers Eat?

[hatethesweatpants]

I'm 6'1" and weigh 151lbs. I shoot for 1500 on non-exercise days and 1800 on exercise days (the equivalent of a protein shake with skim milk and berries). Since some days I'm about 100-200 cals over, it evens out and I seem to maintain. The more I exercise, though, the more I tend to lose, so I have to increase my cals on an as-needed basis.

[paperclippy]

We seem to get this question every few months. Maybe a moderator could sticky this thread and then everyone's calorie counts would be in one place?

FWIW I am 5'4", 28 years old, 135lbs, I work at a desk job (literally sitting at a computer 40 hours a week), and I maintain on 1600-1800 weekdays and 1600-2400 weekends. I exercise 4-6 days a week for 30-120 minutes depending on if I'm injured or if I'm actively training for something.

Example: This week I lifted weights three times for 20 minutes each and swam once for 30 minutes. On the other hand, I'm working through two sports injuries and cardio is basically off limits except for swimming.

During the peak of my triathlon training last summer, I was running 30-45 minutes 2x/week, swimming 30-45 minutes 2x/week, biking 45-90 minutes 3x/week, and doing strength or yoga for 30 minutes 2x/week.

Obviously I was eating toward the top of my maintenance range when training, and I'm eating toward the bottom right now. To lose I have to eat 1400/day 6x/week with one day around 2000, at which point I will lose less than 0.5lb/week.

I'm also hypothyroid, although they say that since I'm medicated it doesn't make a difference.

[freelancemomma]

<<On cardio, a rule of thumb is that we expend 5-7 cals/min doing moderate intensity cardio, regardless of what the machine tells us. (Manufacturers have an incentive to overstate calories burned.) Half an hour of cardio per day will, in theory, give you 300 extra calories to play with at maintenance levels. >>

Just wanted to make some amendments to the math. If we expend 5 to 7 cals/minute doing moderate cardio (let's say 6 cals/minute), then 30 minutes of cardio will use up 30 x 6 = 180 calories, not 300. AND you have to subtract the calories you would have used anyway while being awake -- probably about 40 calories for 1/2 hour. This leaves you with only 140 extra calories to play with.

Freelance

[k8yk]

I maintain my weight at about 2400 calories a day for 1 year so far.
I work out mimimum 5 X week, 1.5 hrs each time. I weight lift mostly and a little cardio. I'm more interested in building muscle than losing fat at this point.

I'm vegetarian, mostly vegan and I do the whole foods clean eating thing (not sure if that makes a difference in how much you can eat, but maybe it does)

[fitmom]

I eat roughly 1900 cals on maintenance days and 2300 cals on training days. I've been maintaining for a few months now and it's been okay. It's sometimes tough to eat that much but if I don't, my energy levels drop especially on training days.

[lin43]

I eat approx. 2200 per day to maintain a weight of 135-137 (I'm 5 ft 3, 43 yo). I exercise 1-2 hours a day, 6 days a week.

[iluvbugstoo]

I eat around 1991 calories to maintain my weight. Sometimes I eat a little less,sometimes a little mor calories. Depends on what kind of day Im having.