Can anyone explain why maintenance calories are so low?

I've seen people say that they are on maintenance and eating like 1,000-1,200 calories a day. Why so little? Every calculator I've ever seen says that to maintain a healthy weight it's more like 1600+/day for an average woman and that's with no exercise.

Does losing weight so fast and eating so little for so long ruin our metabolisms? Will we have to stay under 1200 calories the rest of our lives or gain weight? I'm sure exercise factors into it. But most of the maintainers here exercise too I think. 

Maybe I'm reading things wrong and getting the numbers mixed up. Can any vets chime in and set me straight?

Most of our metabolisms are ALREADY ruined...with that said you'll find that a NUMBER of people's calories work different depending on how long you were obese, your geneticts, your lifestyle, your sensitivity to carbs etc.

Please don't go by websites this will be a TRIAL and ERROR part of your journey...

Ms Shell

Eating small amounts lowers our metabolism, but those calculators are made for "normies" When you hit maintenance, you might LOOK normal, but you havent had a metabolism of someone who has been X size for all their years.  Also, losing weight so fast, you dont just lose fat, you also lose muscle.  Muscle uses more calories just to be, and so, you are losing fat burning potential also.

Most folks who say they need that amount realize that to increase calories, they need to have more exercise, more muscle mass, etc, but arent willing/able to do more than they do.

Me?  My maintenance calories are 2,000 to 2,500.  But I have put ON a bunch of muscle, so my calories NOW compared to this weight on my way down are much higher.

And no, most maintainers dont exercise, really.  Or they are sporadic.  But either way, if you can NOT exercise and dont care about eating X amount of calories (if its not bothersome) then I guess there isnt any burning reason to exercise, you know?  I know too, its one of those habit things, folks wish they had gotten into the habit, but since they didnt, they kinda write it off.

That's why a GOOD maintenance plan will have you add 100 calories to your calories and keep it there for a bit and do that to see where maintenance calories lie.

Height counts for much but BODY COMPOSITION counts for way more than just height and weight, calorically speaking!

OK, thanks for the replies. If I understand you correctly Brandilynn you are saying that dieting DOES decrease our metabolism? I understand that building muscle will increase it. If you're eating 2000-2500 cal/day then that is different from a lot of what I've read others say. That's great. 

All obese people do not have a slow metabolism already do they? I thought that was a myth. I'm thinking it is just the dieting that slows it down. Sure, I'm sure there are those with metabolic disorders that have problems with it but that's not the average obese person. At least for me I'm fat because I ate way too much and moved way too little. I own that. I have had my metabolism checked with those handle thingies and it's always been normal. Granted, I don't how accurate those things are. But I don't believe I've ever had a metabolism issue. I've never used that excuse for being fat.

So when we slow our metabolism by dieting, how long until it goes back to normal? Does it ever? Or do we have to exercise it back up to normal? if we exercise the whole time during weight loss does it still slow? Can you point me to any studies or articles about this? Thanks!!

Yes, my friend!

Very low calorie diets DO over a period of time decrease our metabolism, and if we arent actively building or maintaining our muscle we will lose it, ESPECIALLY if folks dont get at least their minimum protein in.  Folks think its only about the hair, but its not, its about muscle too and YOUR HEART IS A MUSCLE!! Arrr!  :}  So, minimums are what they are minimums!!

Those handle thingies are kinda like a magic 8 ball. To really know your metabolism you need to do a metabolism breathy test sort of thing, or get your body composition tested, but best is having tracked calories in and out and what you need to gain or lose and then you can be SURE. 

I would tell you my metabolism is as "normal" as it has ever been, better normal than it ever was.  I dont think it just magically pops back to "normal."  But honestly, 1200 to 1600 calories is a pretty typical food day for most folks who arent heavy or thin. 

Nope, I got no studies from you.  What I learned about studies was, they are taking a mean average.

I am no mean average.  If I want to know what is true for me, then I need to gather my personal data, so maybe someone will come along with good links for you!  But me?  I just only have my experience for this journey, and it has served me much better than a peer-reviewed something or other, because its not what is true about X out of X many people, it is what is true about me.  And honestly, the truth about me, about my intake adn whatnot changes!

But too about metabolism, we just have different rates, different folks. My husband can eat carbs like there is no tomorrow and he processes them.  In reality he has a "bad" metabolism, it keeps nothing for survival, while I had an "efficient" metabolism - my body just shuttled things right on into the fat cells!  If there was some sort of issue and we needed to resort to cannibalism, I was invited for dinner!  :} 

Any way, all of that to say, when folks say they need X many calories to maintain, if you peek back in "latest posts" and see if you can glean, do they exercise, did they just start now, how tall are they, what does their diet look like, all that sorts of stuff you can glean information from. 

Me?  I cardio'd hard until I said "now I shall start building muscle" because I am of the you dont build up and break down muscle at the same time school of thought, to do either well, you need to do one, or the other.

Or, better yet, to do it well I need to do either one or the other.  :}

Brandi,

How do you do that many calories and still stay low carb? or do you? I know you need to personally do more protein than the avg person because of your issues. So does that make up the extra calories?

400 to 500 of my calories a day are shake girlie, each shake has 3 carbs.  I do not mix them with anything anymore, except a few ounces of water and drink it like a shooter. 

**** here is something I put together the other day when Bubs asked a lady about her hunger.

What is your daily carb count?  During my losing phase 20 total a day, not net, but total.  Now because I have added more veggies in (since I have to drink shakes no matter how much meat I eat, so why not have some veggies) about 32 g total on a typical day, unless I add peanuts to 2 of my salads and have a bit of fruity nut bread for under my almond butter after exercise when its about 67 g total, this is on a heavier work out day, not just dog hiking day.

- What fruits and veggies are you eating?  Raw spinach, cooked spinach, romaine.  This fruity nut bread has black raisins in it. I was having some figs before the squirrels ate them all.  :}  My hunger is not more or less when I add the fruity nut bread to a salady meal after exercise, or an ounce or two of fruit to a salad once a day.

 

I'm lazy, hate working out, and while I'm active, moving around, I do zero formal exercise.

I need about 1200-1500 calories in maintenance to not lose weight. If I'd build more muscle, focus on losing my flabbiness, I might need more. But, for me, my lifestyle, that's all I need to maintain my comfortable weight in maintenance.

Wow Brandi, that's got to be the best explanation I've ever heard. It makes sense that protein and exercise will help keep your metabolism up. You have motivated me to break out the walking shoes today. I have been off and on with my exercise but I will keep this post to read when I feel like saying to heck with it. So as soon as I'm done with my protein soup I shall walk a couple of miles in your honor!

Well whooot whoot baby! 

If you ever get to the south side of town, I will walk some of those miles with you!  :}

I am also working on a secret experiment of one about exercise and motivation too.. you lemme know if you want I should share.

I love to share a good secret!  :}

And you *may* or may not have heard me say this, but honestly I started lifting weights mostly because I knew I would have extra skin, and plastics just wasnt in my future.  I had seen too many ladies go from freaking out about how big they were, to how soggly they were.

I wanted to give my extra skin the purtiest foundation I could grunt up, so it could like nicely over it.  :}

You walk you some miles (in the shade!  its hot out there!!) and keep your hydration UP!

go you gooo!