To my 5’3 girls, what’s your maintenance calories?

[timothy1212]

@childofgod222 Im not sure. How do i figure it out besides an online calculator?

 

[mj_1969]

@timothy1212 You can use any TDEE calculator to get an estimate. You go from there, and if you gain, decrease intake. If you lose, increase your intake. If you're weight stable, then you've hit maintenance.

There's a TDEE spreadsheet floating around that you can use, and also stuff like MacroFactor that takes weigh-ins and calories against each other to trend your TDEE.

 

[timothy1212]

@mj_1969 its hard bcuz if i eat over like 1700 cals ill gain weight but i think its cuz ive been in a deficit for so long. Like if i eat more than i am now ill gain weight but when does that balance out idk its confusing

 

[mj_1969]

@timothy1212 The key is to not focus on fluctuations. I only consider adjusting calories once per week, and my food selection is largely the same, so my weight only fluctuates within about half a pound (except for during my period, where it can flux between three pounds.) Glycogen is also definitely a thing post-diet, so expect that your weight will go up 3-5 pounds in water after a dieting phase. I focus on physique, so weight change doesn't really bother me.

Definitely do a reverse if you feel you need it! There's a lot of good resources from folks like Mike Israetel, Layne Norton, and Paul Revelia on how to reverse.

 

[tmthy21]

@timothy1212 Time for a diet break/maintenance period to reset?
https://rpstrength.com/blogs/articles/the-importance-of-maintenance

 

[timothy1212]

@tmthy21 yeah i agree. its hard bcuz i have a binge eating problem so i eat less cals during the week after big binges on the weekend. bad cycle

 

[rch6776]

@timothy1212 I use this spreadsheet to get a more nuanced idea of my TDEE. Be sure to make a copy of your own rather than filling out the original.

 

[timothy1212]

@rch6776 i have no idea how to fill something like that out, thanks anyway

 

[rch6776]

@timothy1212 Yeah, the spreadsheet took a bit to figure out.

How to copy a Google spreadsheet.

Once you make your own copy, you then start with the highlighted 'Start Date', and put in a date. I had my historical information, so I did a past date. Once you do, other fields pop up that allow you to fill in your local measurement data (lbs or kg, cal or kcal) and info like starting and goal weight.

From there, you'll see spaces for each day to put in your daily actual calories and your weight. It tracks your progress and it will calculate your TDEE based on how your body reacts to how much you've eaten.

I'm a spreadsheet nerd, so tracking this type of information works for me, but I can understand if the process of tracking is too much for some.