I’m still trying to figure out what my maintenance calories are. I wonder if it’s even possible to have a maintenance calorie of 1500 even if I’m working out lol
I feel like I’m gaining weight eating at 1400-1500
Activity:
- Lift 5x a week + 30 min treadmill zigzagging running and walking on incline
30 min walk 7 days a week
Yoga / Core 2x a week on rest days
I track food and weigh accordingly aiming for high protein at least 110g a day, I eat half my workout calories back
But the scale suddenly won’t budge (I weigh weekly) it’s been 2 months. First month I lost about 4 lbs but October was ehhh haha
Anyway, would like your thoughts and input on your maintenance calories!
@freds Are you measuring your body with tape? I wonder if the scale isn’t moving because you’re gaining muscle? Or potentially your cals are too low for your level of activity
@catherineelizabeth251 I agree with this. Always measure your body with tape. Our weight fluctuates too much. Do you have something like a dexa scan available near you? It is a full body scan of your lean muscle and body fat percentages. I found it very useful. It also provides daily calorie burn at rest. But "rest" means not moving at all!
@rosetyler I’ve been wanting to getting one of those! Or the bod pod but sucks there’s not one nearby maybe when I go on vacation I’ll look if there are places near by!
@freds May not be helpful but I'll share my resting metabolic rate. It's 1,370 cal/day. I'm 5'1" and 135lbs. Zero idea how many calories I eat. I do eat protein snacks and powder to maintain my muscles. I lift x2 a week, sprinkle in either yoga/pilates/cardio x2 a week. So about 4 times a week of movement.
@catherineelizabeth251 I actually did a few days ago since I was getting a bit annoyed lol I was hoping it was muscles but from what I’ve read going through threads and articles muscle isn’t built so easily
@twitike24 Before I started lifting weights I dieted at 1350 calories and plateaued (I had gone from 145>125).
When that happened I stopped tracking for a year and continued to lift weights.
I can now lose a half pound a week at 1600-1650 calories. (Which is how I went from 125>115)
@freds Correct, I don’t worry about what I’ve burned. Us short ladies don’t burn nearly as much as taller individuals. My watch might say 100 when it’s really more like 50 calories burned.
@freds 5'2" 120lbs 42 yo here. I maintain at about 2100 calories a day. I'm decently active. I lift 4x a week, I try to get in a short jog (~20 minutes) at least 3 days a week, do about a 45 minute walk with my dog everyday, and 1 long hike a week (3ish hours.) I don't track my calories really anymore, just my protein up to 120g.
The whole "your metabolism slows after 30" thing is a myth, btw. Metabolism is based on hormones and the energy required to maintain the various components of your body. Many people get desk jobs in their mid-20s, become more sedentary and start to lose muscle mass, then at around 30 they notice they gain weight more easily because they are more sedentary and carry less muscle and assume it's some sort of metabolic slow down. When you are postmenopausal, your metabolism will slow a bit, though not as dramatically as some claim.
@jacob2848 This is what I was worried about! Metabolism slowing down as we get older! Thank you so much for clarifying that. I was so scared that I’d be maintaining at 1380 or something lower. I will read more about that! And hello to your pup! my 30 min walks in the morning are with him the afternoon walks are shorter haha
@freds Well, worry no longer! I would go crazy eating under 1500 a day all the time! I just did a mini-cut for my Halloween costume and was eating on average 1500 a day for about 3 weeks, and that SUUUCKED. I had been just sitting at maintenance for at least 2 years before this cut, and I felt so fatigued during my workouts that last week.
Dogs are amazing for increasing activity levels! My dog is my hiking partner as well. She's a total athlete and keeps me on my toes! She actually gets the dog park in the morning and the 45 min walk at night. I used to hike and do dog park in the afternoon with her during covid restrictions, but when I got back in the gym I had to cut back on hiking. Too demanding on time and joints lol.
Dogs really are amazing! Mines getting a bit older and slower he’s actually why I started working out again because the vet said he was a bit overweight so then our walks got longer but then he taps out at like 1.5 miles and running may be too hard on his joints
@jacob2848 Oh wow! Yeeeep bodysuit spandex will definitely do it lol
And ooof! Hope your shoulder gets better! I bought a huge pregnancy pillow (I’m not pregnant or a mom) just coz sometimes I sleep weird and it looked so damn comfortable hahaha helped me a lot lol
@freds Yeah, I had one of those when I was pregnant and then sold it at a yard sale right after and am now kicking myself for it now. It would have been great for helping me swap sleeping positions.
don’t just eat 1800-1900 a day and disregard calories burnt during workouts?
my 30 min walks in the morning are with him the afternoon walks are shorter haha
he’s actually why I started working out again because the vet said he was a bit overweight so then our walks got longer but then he taps out at like 1.5 miles and running may be too hard on his joints