Why so few calories on maintenance?

[swizzly 901]

I had a resting metabolic test taken. I had breathe into a machine out of my mouth with my nose clamped shut with some thing that looked like a clothes

pin. I couldn't exercise for 48 hours before the test. I had nothing to eat or drink before the test and it had to be done as soon as I awakened.

It came to 1200 calories. That means sitting around doing nothing, I only

burn 1200 calories. My metabolism has slowed down from all the years

of yo yo dieting. If I eat much above 1200 I gain weight. If I don't exercise regularly, I gain weight.

Oh, and I am only 5' 2"

If you really want to know how many calories you need in maint. have this test taken.

Yes, that's the same test I had, that gave the 1880 rate (I'm 5' 6.5"). I think this is due to the fact that prior to surgery I had NOT dieted in AGES. I had been maintaining at around 240 lbs (give or take 10, not more) for over a decade. But before that, I was the queen of hyper-caloric restriction, stupid GD diets, etc., and I'm just certain my metabolic rate was totally hosed back then, as I'd gain if I ate anything extra. So I'm HOPING that maybe my long plateau since the turn of the century (even though my body found a too-fat comfortable resting place as it were) helped "fix" my metabolic rate to a higher level. And thus I'm hoping that too-low-cal eating during the losing phase will NOT eff it up again. If I'm making any sense lol...

Only time will tell at this point. I am trying to not to way overexercise now, as I didn't pre-op either. Though it is inherently active to live where I don't use a car. I have added in walking to/from work and may do some strength training as well. I don't know, just thinking aloud...

[MINI-Me 196]

I think it really boils down to one day at a time. This is a journey, not a race or a pre-prescribed route. We have dietary guidelines given to us by surgeons and/or nutritionist. But, they are just that guidelines.

Focus on where you are now & what you need to do to lose.

Maintenance is another issue. What works for me right now, may not work for me in a year or two.

What works for me today, may or may not work for you when you are at maintenance.

The beauty (and frustration) of the human body is that we are all unique. And, I like being special.

[Rainydayz 27]

I asked the original question not to offend or cause an argument. I'm not sleeved yet and I'm still learning all I can about the operation and what happens afterward. Yes I realize we are all unique and that's great. But what I was trying to figure out for myself if I was going to spend the rest of my life living on 800-1,000 calories a day after I'm sleeved. I guess the answer is wait and see.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I agree Mini - we are all unique! I maintain my current weight on 1175 - 1225, but some days I get in 1375 (though it is shocking when I do) and some days I will do good to get 875. It varies.

I keep track of what I eat on line, seldom missing a day, but as somebody said, there are things I miss, like licking a spoon and when I pour milk in my coffee. At this point, it just doesn't matter. When I was in the losing stage, I DID count it, I did at least guesstimate what I was using. Now, I do not. If I were only getting in 1000 or 1100 per day, I'd continue to lose, if I got in 1350 calories per day, I'm pretty sure I'd see the scale start to go up a little at a time. I'm comfy and pretty steady at 1200. I go up and down 2 lbs but 135.5 - 136.5 seems to be where I always end up. It "feels" good.

I don't exercise much, I have a weighted ball that I use a few times a week and a band that I like to experiment with occasionally, but I'm FAR from an exercise guru. I did not lose weight from exercising - along with this "tool" we have, I made life style changes that I knew I could live with forever....forced Portion Control is just what I needed. I don't deprive myself of anything, but there are things I choose not to eat. I am in control now, food is not! Me - I AM IN THE DRIVERS SEAT!!!

[chilo1 62]

What happens when someone is at a proper weight and GAINS additional weight at 1000 calories? My wife is 4'11 and 120 pounds and gains weight if she goes above 1000 calories for extended periods. YES, 1000 is too low for a majority us but only YOU can tell once you've gotten to your target weight and setup a maintenance diet.

I think what you say is true, we are all different an what applies to me might not apply to the next person. HAving said that, a lot of other issues may be: underreporting the calories we actually ingest, which is very common, especially in obese women, hypothyroidism or other hormonal/metabolic disbalances, starvation mode, which many people don't believe in, but their is a lot of literature out there that confirms that it is possible, age, activity (or lack of it). What I'm saying is that that is the norm, no less than 1200 calories for an extended period of time, it's possibly as unhealthy as being slightly overweight, especially if yo-yo dieting.

[2bslimkim 11]

I had a resting metabolic test taken. I had breathe into a machine out of my mouth with my nose clamped shut with some thing that looked like a clothes

pin. I couldn't exercise for 48 hours before the test. I had nothing to eat or drink before the test and it had to be done as soon as I awakened.

It came to 1200 calories. That means sitting around doing nothing, I only

burn 1200 calories. My metabolism has slowed down from all the years

of yo yo dieting. If I eat much above 1200 I gain weight. If I don't exercise regularly, I gain weight.

Oh, and I am only 5' 2"

If you really want to know how many calories you need in maint. have this test taken.

I'm 5'5" (48 yrs old) and my OB had my metabolic rate also tested when I suddenly went from 125 to 205 at age 35 after second child was born. I had developed hypothyroidism and after the same testing you did was told my resting metabolic rate was 980... and i'm fairly active.

My Dr. said I may have to maintain on as little as 850-980 per day after my weight loss is complete.

Calorie intake is different for everyone.

[Rainydayz 27]

If we increase muscle does that raise the metabolic rate? I've heard that muscle burns more calories than fat.

[swizzly 901]

I'm 5'5" (48 yrs old) and my OB had my metabolic rate also tested when I suddenly went from 125 to 205 at age 35 after second child was born. I had developed hypothyroidism and after the same testing you did was told my resting metabolic rate was 980... and i'm fairly active.

My Dr. said I may have to maintain on as little as 850-980 per day after my weight loss is complete.

Calorie intake is different for everyone.

See, this just makes me feel totally gobsmacked. Why on earth does Oregon Daisy have 1200, you have 980 and I have 1880 -- and we're all not spring chickens anymore, we have hypothyroidism and other things in common. What on earth can explain this?? Science must have an answer for this and I just don't know it? If anyone knows what this is about, feel free to chime in. I'm thinking that these rates must not be constant but are somehow impacted by environment, behavior, medicine, and/or time? Did your doctors ever have any explanation as to why it was below 1000 (which seems like it should be physically impossible)?

Bodies are a trip.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

All I know is I wish that it wasn't so easy for me to gain. At the end of the month it will be 2 years since I was sleeved. I have had no trouble with continuing to lose after getting to goal.

[chilo1 62]

See, this just makes me feel totally gobsmacked. Why on earth does Oregon Daisy have 1200, you have 980 and I have 1880 -- and we're all not spring chickens anymore, we have hypothyroidism and other things in common. What on earth can explain this?? Science must have an answer for this and I just don't know it? If anyone knows what this is about, feel free to chime in. I'm thinking that these rates must not be constant but are somehow impacted by environment, behavior, medicine, and/or time? Did your doctors ever have any explanation as to why it was below 1000 (which seems like it should be physically impossible)?

Bodies are a trip.

I think that there is no scientific explanation, and that is why weight loss/obesity is not as straightfoorward as many people think (usually thin people who never have had a serious weight problem) it's not as simple as calories in calories out and that a negative balance unavoidably leads to weight loss is not true! Who knows what's in the environment as you say as well as our genetic makeup, how is it that some people (my brother who is adopted for example) eat loads of food and don't get fat and don't even exercise??

[Susanne 32]

I had developed hypothyroidism and after the same testing you did was told my resting metabolic rate was 980... and i'm fairly active.

My Dr. said I may have to maintain on as little as 850-980 per day after my weight loss is complete.

Somehow, that I don't understand. Your test came back with 980 calories for the BMR. That means, if you lay in bed 24/7, you'll burn 980 calories just to stay alive and keep your organs working.

Now, if you say you are fairly active, that should amount to another range of calories - even if you are a slow burner, that should give you another 200 to 300 calories at least (VERY low estimate for "fairly" active). Why do you have to stay at 850-980 calories afterwards to maintain which is below or at BMR???

[Tiffykins 672]

The only thing I do know is that for my body, my metabolism, my activity level, if I slip below 1500 calories for several days, I lose weight. I feel best around 1700-1800 calories. When I was struggling getting into maintenance, I started by increasing just to 1000, then 1200 and had to keep adding calories over a 4 month time frame to get my losing to stop. I've been in maintenance for a year, and haven't done any formal, consistent exercise for over a year. I'm active, but that includes lots of running errands, doing different activities, but definitely zero formal walking or exercise. All I know is that if I want to lose weight all I have to do is cut white carbs, and calories to drop below 1500 per day for about a week, and BAM I can drop anywhere between 3-7lbs in that week. It might not last forever as I age, I'll probably have to consistently for the rest of my life watch my intake, but I do not know very many naturally thin, fairly active women my age that can eat the way I did pre-op and not gain weight.

Edit to add: I'm only 5'2" and before pregnancy, I bounced on the scale between 125-130lbs.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

You're my hero Oregon - I hope it continues to be a "chore" for me to not continue to lose!!! What a problem to have. Never did I think THIS would ever be the part that would be the hardest part....well, this and getting all the darn Water in that I need to. OhMyGosh!!!!!!!!

All I know is I wish that it wasn't so easy for me to gain. At the end of the month it will be 2 years since I was sleeved. I have had no trouble with continuing to lose after getting to goal.

[Georgia 2,908]

is there a Maintenance forum?

[Margaret 4]

that helps me, as we are the same size. Well, I will be! but the small-boned thing is true. I'm just 11 days out and maybe 13 lbs down. Trying not to weigh and just to get the Protein in!

I am 5'6" and normally bounce between 125 - 128 in maintenance. I'm wearing a misses size 4 and x-small to small tops.

At the end of my losing stage, I was eating between 1200 - 1500 calories. In maintenance, I'm somewhere between 1500 - 2000 depending on the day and my activity level. During the week, I'm closer to 1500 calories, but since I eat out more on the weekends, I'm closer to 2000 on the weekends.

Hope that helps.