Question:
# of calories needed to lose or maintain weight?

Okay, this is the deal. I am just abuot 9 months post op and have come to the dreaded slow down in my weight loss...and some of you graciously answered my question a few weeks ago about calories and exercise. Anyway, I read an answer to a question about a week, or so, ago that talked about your body needing fewer calories to maintain a lesser weight. So, this last week, I cut my calories back down to 600-800 (which some of you may think is just crazy) and I lost 2 pounds instead of yo-yoing. The question is how do you determine how many calories you need to still lose weight - then, ideally, to maintain your weight. And will this number be different depending on your weight....like if you weigh 150 vs. 130?    — eaamc (posted on October 24, 2003)

October 24, 2003
Hi Andrea, I found a couple of websites that showed how to compute calorie requirements. To maintain your current weight calculate your weight in lbs and multiply by the following for activity lifestyle: Sedentary: Multiply by 12 Light Exercise: Multiply by 13 Moderate Exercise: Multiply by 14 Moderate-Heavy Exercise: Multiply by 15 Regular Heavy Exercise: Multiply by 16 For every 3500 calories that you eat under the calculated maintenance level of calories, you will lose 1 lb. In my opinion, you shouldn't go down to 500-600 calories because your body might get into starvation mode. I know that you've gone back and forth with your exercise, but I would work on increasing that and being consistent. There have been weeks were you haven't exercised but lost a number of lbs and you've associated that weight loss with not exercising. But exercise speeds up your metabolism and although you might not see the benefits the same day that you exercise, your metabolism next week will be affected by what you are doing today. Having said that, I have to acknowledge that I too need to increase my exercise level! Good luck - you've done awesome so far.
   — Judy R.

October 24, 2003
Judy is right on the money as far as exercise (has to be heart pumping cardio) to increase the metabolism which burns those calories more efficiently. Andrea, just be careful not to cut too far as the body will eventually say "no way you are starving me" and it will start to hoard those remaining pounds. And, when you start increasing the calories again, you may gain. Better to eat healthy, and increase exercise. As far as how many calories per day you need to lose and maintain, you may not want to hear this, but throw out those charts because everyone is different. The same amount of calories for 1 person may not work for the next and that is because each person burns those calories differently. Some have faster metabolisms and can burn more, hence, they can take in more calories. And yes, you will be able to consume more calories per day to maintain 150 pounds than 130 pounds. The less you weigh, the less calories to maintain. When you get to a weight that is comfortable for you, watch the scale to determine what is maintenance for you - still losing, add more calories per day-gaining, cut back. I purposely stopped losing at size 10 because I like to eat. Could I have been a size 8 or less? Yes, but then I would have to deny myself calories in order to maintain that weight. I made the conscious choice to stay at a reasonable size/weight while still allowing myself the extra calories.
   — Cindy R.

October 24, 2003
Oh, Andrea, Andrea, Andrea ... what exercise can be so bad that you'd rather turn to a starvation diet than do it? I am weeping here! I thought we had you "converted" last time! Eat something, dahlink!! (Protein ... let it be protein!) :-D But seriously. My doc's nutritionist suggested that 1500-1600 calories a day would be maintenance for most post-ops, which obviously means eating less than that to lose. I was kinda bummed out about that because it seemed low to me, but I worked backwards from that number to keep my intake lower while losing. To my surprise, it turned I need 1900-2100 calories a day to maintain my weight of 130 lbs. I have since run across one or two online calculators that also say 1900 calories is right for my weight and activity level, on average, for maintenance (woo hoo! I'm finally average!). I think this really varies by individual, though. If you wanna really get scientific and accurate on what calorie level works for you, there's always tracking yourself on fitday.com, a real favorite among the anal-retentive among us. :-D I maybe think you're thinking too much and getting on the scale too much. Weight loss inevitably slows down at some point, and it's really, really hard to adjust to that after those early post-op months where it's so much faster. It's kind of like pulling off the highway into your quiet neighborhood street, where you have to reduce your speed for safety. ;-) It doesn't mean you won't get where you're going, just that there are different rates of speed along different parts of the journey. And here you are, trying to speed up in the school zone, with your 600-800 calorie experiment. ;-) Stop now, before a speed trap catches you and you get a $50 speeding fine (ack! yo-yo regain! yo-yo regain!). Stick with your exercise, track your food on fitday, watch the scale, and you'll have the info you need on what works for you.
   — Suzy C.

October 24, 2003
I think you are ultimately setting yourself up for failure here. It has been proven that eating less than 1200 calories a day will cause your body to release a hormone which will make you crave snacks and eat even when you are not hungry. It is suggested that adult women ingest 1400-1500 calories a day in order to prevent fat-storing mechanisms from kicking in and slowing down normal metabolic processes. Eating 600-800 calories a day is wrecking your metabolism. This might work for a couple of days (Question: how much of that 2 pounds was body fat pounds? Not much, I bet.), but you cannot live on so few calories, you will start to get crazy-hungry, and when you can't maintain 600-800 calories anymore will end up overeating. You will gain that 2 pounds back and will lower your metabolism in the process. Does this cycle sound familiar? It's what got me to the point of needing wls in the first place!!! Eat more calories and get that butt of yours into the gym and sweat away those pounds. I know I am being harsh, but I am exactly where you are; 9 months post-op, lost 102 pounds, but only 5 of those pounds in the last 2 months. I am still exercising and have thrown that darn scale in the garbage and know the last 30 pounds will come off, it might just take a few months. To answer your question, though: Go to fitday.com, go to activites, and find out what your basal metabolic rate is, add your exercise onto that rate and that will tell you how many calories you have to eat to maintain or lose that weight.
   — Kristen S.

October 25, 2003
I agree with the other poster about not dropping your caleries to low. Back around 1979 and 1980 I went on about 500 caleries a day. I ate one tv dinner just at night and a half cup of ice cream. I did this most of about 18 months of time. I lost my 25 lbs I wanted to, but my metabolism was shot from then on. NEVER could I eat normal again as weight came on fast. My guess is we should'nt go lower than 1200 after about a year post op. I never checked but I'll bet I'm eating around 1,600.
   — Danmark