Thread: Calories You Can Eat Without Putting on Weight

The other week I calculated the calories I can eat without putting on weight. I used a formula that was in the British Army Fitness book. It takes into account your age, gender, weight and activity level. Mine came out at 1380 a day. Shockingly low when we are constantly told that the GDA for a woman is 2000 calories a day. Also shocking when you consider that I do 3 or 4 heavy sessions at the gym a week goodness knows what it would be if I didn't do that! Partly it's because I'm 44 and the number of calories you can have as you get older decreases.

It gives me a new perspecitive on maintaining. I thought I'd probably be able to eat around 1800 and maintain. It appears not... It also explains why I'm around a stone higher than I want to be and why I've had some difficulty losing it through eating fewer calories - I wasn't eating few enough! Now I've set my calorie limit to 1200 a day and it's starting to shift.

My husband can have over 2800 calories a day. To think that before the diet I used to eat the same portion size...

Yes, that formula would be useful when it comes to maintaining.

1300, thats low, dont think I could do that forever................

I'll dig the formula out when I'm next at home...

I'd be interested to see this.

I'd also be very interested. I have 13lbs to go (I reset my goal back to 8st from 8st 7) as I feel I will need the buffer of 5-7 lbs once I refeed. I'm dithering about how to introduce food fully looking at slimming word using 5:2 fasting. However, I thin good old calorie counting with MFP may well be easier as I used this method during jan and feb when I was using slim and save and using real food In between. I really don't understand fully all the BMR and Tdee calculations.

I am scared I'm going to blow this now I'm so close. Two months is the longest after vlcd where I have maintained. I do not want undo this hard work now. I couldn't bear to regain and attempt vlcd again out of desperation.

Btw Adrian you look fab in your profile photo!

I have to say Adrian I've learnt to hard way! Since 2008 I've been up,and down like a yo yo in weight and "this" time I plan to maintain by incorporating a lifestyle change to the way I eat inclduing exercise. If I don't I fear I will go back full circle and I just don't want to that.

You not only look slimmer but younger! Now that's a great side effect of weight loss!

Weasey I would,love to,follow in your shoes as you are doing brilliantly since your weightloss. I appreciate you are 13-14 lbs higher than you'd like but you are still maintaining which is a great achievement and massive inspiration for the likes of me.

Thanks guys. Sorry I haven't posted the calculation yet but I need to be on my computer at home rather than my iPad as I need to enter lots of tables. I'm not at home much at the moment with mum and mum-in-law in hospital combined with a new job and a busy social life! I will get to it though - sorry again!

Hey! Weasey, that's not a problem. Hope your family are well, Ive spent last week visiting son in hospital and it is draining!

Hi all, thought I would pop in (as a maintainer-ish...)

I'm wondering if the formula Weasey mentioned is to calculate the Basal Metabolic Rate, otherwise known as BMR. Your BMR is the number of calories you burn in a day if you don't move at all. Once you have worked out your BMR you can use another formula called the Harris Benedict Equation to work out how many calories you should really be consuming- taking into account how much exercise you do.

Copy and paste this into your browser for a BMR calculator (sorry iPad playing up and can't do hyperlinks at the mo): BMR Calculator - Metabolism Calculator (Basal Metabolic Rate)
That will also show you how to do the HB equation.

And in case anybody wants to do it the long way round!

Formula for BMR:

BMR for Men = 66.47 + (13.7 x weight [kg]) + (5 x height [cm]) − (6.8 x age [years])
BMR for Women = 655.1 + (9.6 x weight [kg]) + (1.8 x height [cm]) − (4.7 x age [years])

Harris Benedict Formula:

Little/no exercise: BMR x 1.2 = Total Calorie Need
Light exercise: BMR x 1.375 = Total Calorie Need
Moderate exercise (3-5 days/wk): BMR x 1.55 = Total Calorie Need
Very active (6-7 days/wk): BMR x 1.725 = Total Calorie Need
Extra active (very active & physical job): BMR x 1.9 = Total Calorie Need


(Equations lifted from diabetes.co.uk- unfortunately I don't know them to hand!)