Daily calorie budget on maintenance

[Anders]

I've been chatting to the guys in my LL group who are on maintenance about who many calories a day they can eat without putting on weight and have been quite shocked to discover that it seems to be as low as 1200-1400 calories a day.

From what I have gathered, men should need between 2000 - 2500 calories a day, and I have heard that 1500 calories a day is a weight loss diet for men.

Our LLC has told us that the idea that some people can eat what they like and not get fat is a myth - the idea being that we get fat because we eat more than people who don't get fat (or do a lot less exercise)

It makes more sense to me to assume that some people just need fewer calories a day than other people..

Any ideas? I'd be interested to know how few calories other maintainers (men and women) need to keep their weight stable

 

[Blonde Logic]

I found for me, between 1300 and 1500 maintained my weight as long as I exercised 3-4 times a week.

 

[Foxtrot]

I think everyone is individual and you have to find your natural balance.

One thing you will learn on this diet is give and take. If you have something a bit naughty you will naturally balance it with something extremely good either at the next meal, which you won't skip just because you were naughty!, or the next day. It will become a habit. This is how you get on with a wonderful, normal life and you are not on a diet just careful, healthy eating.

Your tastes will change probably quite dramatically too. Once you are weaned off the highly addictive and dominating bad stuff and overdoses of carbs and sugar you will begin to appreciate things in a whole new way. It's very exciting!!! (No it's not sad, honest.)


I had asked for some recipes and the lovely people on here have obliged. They are a good guide and I have been more or less following their strategy and maintaining my weight where I am happy at the moment. I wouldn't like to say what the calorie intake is though. 3 meals, 2 snacks and lots of water. No worries.

I suggest you read Sean's wonderful diary here http://www.minimins.com/route-management/87925-quiet-here-isnt-seans-rtm-journey.html He has had an interesting journey and is very talented at getting the info across.

 

[Anders]

Thanks for the replies - I have noticed some changes in my tastes already - I inadvertently drank a mouthful of coffee with milk in it the other day and didn't like it..

I've read Sean's diary and find it a great help. I'm starting RTM in a few weeks and am starting to psychmyself up for it...

 

[KD]

I have about 1800 calories a day, which is about right for my age, height etc.

Finding your correct maintenance level can take a bit of tweaking. I know I can also maintain on 1500 (or it can appear to be so), so I had to push the boundary up to get my metabolism to go a little bit faster (with food, not necessarily exercise, though I do walk a fair bit).

Some people will tell you that they maintain on very low calories, but this often happens because they have stayed on that level (often after raising it on a VLCD), and perhaps their body has got used to it, or they eat 1100 cals a day, but have forgotten they have an extra big blow out some days

I think it's quite rare for someone's maintenance levels to really be less that 1500 calories after they have really settled into maintainance. Well, unless they've stuck at that point and not tried to raise it.

I found a very interesting article once about raising the old maint. calories. I'll see if I can find it again.

 

[Anders]

I guess that since vlcds reduce your metabolic rate (or is that just because your muscle mass reduces because you aren't carting all that lard around?) you may need to take steps to kick-start your metabolism again by increasing your muscle mass- I intend to start running once I'm off abstinence and take up a martial art of some kind - I fear I may be one of those who has to maintain on a low calorie count - this is what my wife thinks anyway - she seems to be able to eat more than me without putting on weight.