Anyone know a good online calculator to find out what calories I will need for maintenance?

I've always used the one from the Mayo clinic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cal...ulator/NU00598

No online calculator is perfect though - you're going to use trial and error to figure out the right number for you.

Just as no calculator can tell you exactly what to eat to lose at a precise rate, none can tell you a maintenance level. If you are counting calories to lose, try adding 100-200 per day for a week. If you are still losing, add more.

Another way is to generalize from how fast you are losing. If you average a pound a week, you have a deficit of 3500 calories over the course of a week. That means that if you keep your activity level the same, you can add 500 calories daily. Beware- this method really doesn't work if you lost a significant amount of weight. Most of us who are maintaining weight losses of more than 20% of our original body weight have discovered that we can't eat anywhere near what we should theoretically be able to.

I think it's a lot safer to slowly add HEALTHY calories until you find the level that works.

Mel

The problem with calculators is that none of them take into account genetics, which we know play a big role in how many calories we can eat to maintain our weight. I know people that are of similar height and build as me, but are able to eat quite a bit more than me and exercise quite a bit less and still maintain their weight. They just have a faster metabolism or something. Yet, a calculator would tell us we can both eat about the same amount to maintain (or would tell me I can eat more since I exercise more). And the reverse is true as well; I know folks that are also of similar height and weight and have to eat less than me to maintain their weight.

Finding the right calorie level for maintenance is an art, not a science. You have to keep adjusting until you find what works for you.

I just calculated mine on the daily plate site and it told me 1790 calories Wouldn't that be wonderful!!!!! I maintain on a bit over 1425 and exercise like a fiend- both cardio and heavy weight lifting.

The one Glory posted is pretty accurate for me, it told me I would maintain on 1900 with light activity. When I am working out harder I can maintain on more, but when I don't workout much, since my job is 100% sedentary, 1900 is about right.

Yeah, I wish I could keep my weight at 1850 calories per day! Sorry, Mayo calculator! 1400-1500 with an hour of moderate exercise daily works for me. Stinky, buy true. I wonder if it will drop to even less as (many, many moons from now) I enter my 40s and 50s. Now there is a lovely thought. Long time success gals- have you had to lower calories from your original level as the years have progressed?

Hmmm, Mayo gave me the same 1800 calories to maintain my goal or maintain where I am - with pounds lose! Weird. It also gave my DH, who is shorter than me, but weighs less than me (sigh), and is much more active than me, only 100 calories more to maintain.