How many CALORIES do you maintain at?

[joyfulloser]

Although I'm not a "maintainer" currently (down to the last 4 lbs). Recently, just this past week I've been eating an average of 2500 calories. It's been all "healthy" foods...but eating 12 times/day adds up!

Anyhoot...I haven't gained any weight (other than the pound or two normal fluctuation), and this has surprised me because I had a running injury, and only ran twice this week so far, and last week I ran only 15 miles (3 days). I normally run 5+ miles/4 days a week.

So..I have increased hunger, followed by increased calories...followed by decreased activity and no weight gain? Which leads me to ask this...perhaps this "maintainence thing" is not going to be that bad afterall...perhaps I can maintain on 2800-3000 cals/day...that would be INCREDIBLE!!!

Ok..so before I get toooo excited and burst over with joy...I'd like to ask you maintainers...how many calories do you maintain on? How many days/week do you exercise? For how long?

Thank you in advance for any help you can share.

[bargoo]

I maintain on about 1400 calories a day. Exercise is limited to walking due to an injury, but I walk every day, usually more than once a day. Walking is great exercise.
I am curious about your eating 12 times a day ?> Did you mean that ? I also thught 2800-3000 calories a day seened like a lot, but everybody is different, do what works for you.

[joyfulloser]

Originally Posted by bargoo

...I am curious about your eating 12 times a day ?> Did you mean that ?

Unfortunately...YES! I normally eat 9 times/day. I'm a big snacker. My main meals I prepare in advance and freeze, so I already know their caloric content (which makes calorie counting really easy for me). I usually have pizza once a week or bi-weekly...but other than that...I snack on things like nuts, protein bar, fruit, yogart, my "beloved" zero fat, high fiber pumpkin raisin muffins, and now...my newest addition to my "snack factory" SKINNY COW 100 cal bars!!!

My journey's been weird...I've kept a log since day 1, and it seems the further along I am, the higher my calories have gotten! I didn't do this purposefully, it was in sheer response or should I say...DEMAND of my body. I applaud you woman who can be satisifed off of 1200-1400 cals...I would knaw my own arm off! I'm just hoping to hear higher numbers and, am carefully watching the scale.

It's time like this when I get jealous of MEN...I know too many of them who maintain off 3K calories and are so muscular to boot! Grrrrh!

Thanks for your response.

[corazonas]

In maintenance before I was eating about 1800 cals... 2800 a day? I wouldn't have the time in the day to shove that much healthy stuff in my mouth!

[bargoo]

I eat about every three hours , 3 meals and 3 snacks,. I don't know where I would have the time to eat any more than that. I am short and small boned , my body dictates how many calories I need to maintain. I am quite satisfied with 1400 not to say that I don't sometimes exceed that but I know I will maintain on that.
Where do you get the high fiber pumpkin raisin muffins ?

[joyfulloser]

Originally Posted by bargoo

Where do you get the high fiber pumpkin raisin muffins ?

I make my own and freeze them. Here's where I store my recipes. WARNING: They are sooooo good!
http://caloriecount.about.com/pumpki...recipe-r488704

I think too that I eat more because I work from home. But by the same logic, I should have not been able to lose 55 lbs in 7 months being around all this food all day and at home. Oh...is there anyone else in the WORLD as weird as me!

Running actually helps curtail my appetite. At 1600-1700 cals/day I will lose 1-2 lbs/week. So, I'm hoping to be able to do at least 2200 cals. on maintainence.

[saef]

I have no idea how many calories I eat. I don't count & never have.

I think very hard about what I eat, and in general terms, about how much I eat, but I don't do any math.

Perhaps as a consequence of that, I exercise a lot. Seven days a week, about two hours, more or less, at each session. It's been quite a commitment. I can't believe how infrequently I miss a day. I can go months straight through before that happens.

[traveling michele]

I'm wondering how old you are? Perhaps if you are quite young, your metabolism is still higher so you can sustainably eat more. For myself (age 44), I am trying to lose a few pounds that snuck back on and I'm eating around 1200-1300 a day. I could probably maintain around 1400-1500? but I haven't been a calorie counter before (I do WW and just recently started logging my calories)so I'm not exactly sure of the figures. I also exercise most days for 60-90 minutes a day.

[Shannon in ATL]

I maintain pretty easily at 1800-1900. I gain, or at least bounce up and down, when I get up to 2100-2200. I start to lose when I get down to 1500-1600. I exercise 5-6 days per week for 60-90 mins per day, typically running 15-20 miles per week.

I also wondered about your age - you are tall, and if you are younger as well you may very well maintain right now on a high calorie count with your exercise level.

[ncuneo]

This is such a dangerous question IMO. I've asked it many times and it's caused me to think...oh my gosh I eat too much in comparasion to other maintainers and honestly it really messes with my head. I'll say I'm young(er) 31 and I exercise a ton, so that's why I can eat more, but in general, you really really have to find the groove that works for you so no matter what the cals are you have to be comfortable with them and not worry about what others are doing. Also, coming out of weight loss, don't give too much attention to what the scale is doing right away. There is a pretty good transistion period for you body to get used to a decreased/eliminated calorie deficit and getting used to exercising for maintenace vs exercising for weight loss. Just to give you an example, coming out of weight loss I dropped to 138 withing weeks of entering maintenance and today a few months I'm at 147 (yes above my "red line" thanks to TOM and some indulgent weekends recently).

Since you asked, I eat an average of 1800-2000 during the week *sometimes* more and a ton more on the weekend probably 2500-4000 if I'm being perfectly honest. I run 20-25 miles per week ST 2xs a week and do yoga 2xs a week.

[joyfulloser]

Originally Posted by traveling michele

I'm wondering how old you are? Perhaps if you are quite young, your metabolism is still higher so you can sustainably eat more.

THIS^^ made me smile for a minute...I actually felt "young"! My b'day is next week and I'll be 44 yrs old too!

Originally Posted by Shannon in ATL

I maintain pretty easily at 1800-1900... typically running 15-20 miles per week.

I also wondered about your age - you are tall, and if you are younger as well you may very well maintain right now on a high calorie count with your exercise level.

Again...I'd like to believe I am young...on the inside!

Originally Posted by ncuneo

Since you asked, I eat an average of 1800-2000 during the week *sometimes* more and a ton more on the weekend probably 2500-4000 if I'm being perfectly honest. I run 20-25 miles per week ST 2xs a week and do yoga 2xs a week.

Mmmmm...now we're talking....feeling less like a "FREAK OF NATURE" by the minute! There's hope yet!!!

Originally Posted by saef

I have no idea how many calories I eat. I don't count & never have. Perhaps as a consequence of that, I exercise a lot. Seven days a week, about two hours, more or less, at each session.

WOW...I got tired just reading how much you exercise! I admire your commitment...oh if only I weren't so lazy! Actually, I have a great home gym that NEVER gets used...if I didn't LOVE running so much...I'd probably gain all the weight back eating an endless supply of my healthy famous PUMPKIN MUFFINS!
and yes...working out like that you should definitely not have to "count" anything...

[Slim CB]

Currently I am a 1900 calories on average with 6hrs exercise per week. Maybe I can get away with eating more calories but currently I am quite satisfied with 1900. As I was told many times and as I have proven, you will have to experiment until you find the level at which you can maintain. I started out at 1500 and gradually increased to 1900 without any weight gain.

[tea2]

I'm not a maintainer either, but I was at one time and my daily count could be anywhere from 1900-2100. It was a bit more in the summer when I was doing long bike rides and runs (up to 2300 or so). I have noticed that running really revs my metabolism, but if I go a couple of weeks with fewer runs (say a couple instead of 4), things start to get clunky again, i.e., I gain. I gained back because I got busy at work and couldn't exercise as much and, well, I ate too many calories.

[evilwomaniamshe]

Hey young lady ... weeza the same age & similar height. . OK, the
maintenance number is going to vary from each individual being we are all
unique individuals. This ain't a one size fits all world we live in, despite what spandex says, one size fits all! Ahem.... NOT!!! ha ha ha I've read it here, some maintainers only get to consume 1000-1200
calories to maintain, , some others 1400-1500, some 1600-1800, some 1900-2100 etc & a few lucky ladies even get to nosh on a lot higher numbers & you my friend are one of the lucky ones that can get your EAT ON! . Myself, I typically maintain on 1900-2100 now that is a rough guesstimate for
most days with an hr workout tacked on. However, during my busiest work
season, when I'm working 14 hr daze/7 days a week of grueling hard work, I consume in upwards of 3500-4000 calories, I don't have time to count just a rough guesstimate & it is easy for me to maintain on those high calories during my insanity months of work, which I also get a full body workout all day long too! Consuming those extra calories is needed as I gotta fuel my bod for the brutal days. I gotta get my protein in for the pipes & it keeps me going for hrs on
end, and I eat long pretzel rods scooped into the peanut butter jar, sometimes then db
dunked into nutella also, yum! Greek yogurt with cacao nibs & dry oats, almonds & raisins, unsalted cashews & chocolate covered prunes aka trail mix, peanut butter & banana sandwiches, pouches of tuna & salmon, apple with
almond butter, kidney beans/black beans, water chestnuts & baby carrots to get my crunch on, also a blueberry or lemon Luna bar or kids cliff brownie
bars & lindt dark truffles & lindt dark chili chocolate are some of my favorite
extra's I consume during my insanity months of work! Yummo
**** I say, whatever works for you in the consumption department, stick to it
& I am sure many maintainers will be jealous of your chow downs!
. Jeeze, sorry to read about your knee, that sucks, injuries so suck the big kahuna! Taker easy and ease off on the running or you will probably further injure it & that won't be good. When your body talks, you gotta listen girl, k?
Happy goalio soon for you! . Woo hoo, Albeit you can almost taste it huh? ha ha ha
Our maintenance is so individual based on our caloric needs, what works for one certainly could never work for somebody else.... I believe we both have athletes bods and we need proper fuel to sail thru our days! So don't be worrying about what everybody else is consuming or not consuming and just concentrate on your body's needs & not worry your pretty lil head over anybody else's! k? .

[JohnP]

Maintinence is difficult to # to figure.

For me it appears to be somewhere around 2700 which is low for my height, weight and activity level. However 2700 is a lot of food so I'm not complaining.