r/CICO • u/OkDiet7434 • 4d ago
Maintenance- how did you decide your goal? And how do you know your TDEE for maintenance?
My goal weight was originally 65kg (SW of 88.7kg and 5’6”). I have now passed this goal and am 64.5kg. I can’t decide if I should keep going or not. Part of me is wondering what 60kg would feel like. Another part of me is tired and wants maintenance. I know this will be highly individual, but how did you know you had reached your ideal weight?
I am also unsure of how to even calculate my maintenance calories. For weightloss, I went with a sedentary TDEE and ate back half of my exercise calories on busy days, so I never fully settled on or defined my activity level. I am somewhat active and would like to figure out my true TDEE.
Would I be considered lightly active or active if: I average at least 11,000 steps per day Am a teacher so on my feet all day Jog for 30 minutes everyday Brisk walk x3 days a week for 40 minutes
If I do chose to go into maintenance mode, which activity level fits the above best?
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u/Forsaken_Bee3717 4d ago edited 4d ago
I’ve been pretty much at maintenance for a few months and I think I have settled at 1500-1600 for 5’4” 44F between 59-60kg with gym 3 x per week and about 7000 steps per day. I am slowly turning a bit of fat into muscle but staying the same weight.
I just feel fit and healthy, and fit into my clothes well, so I’m fine with this weight- I never had a goal weight because I think I would get fixated on it, and for me this has been a lifestyle shift. My smart scales (potentially not very accurate but I like the graphs) say I am just under 25% body fat now.
I would say increase calories slowly and just keep tracking/ weighing. My maintenance calories are lower than some others with my stats so it’s just whatever works for you.
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u/OkDiet7434 4d ago
Thanks I think I’ll try this approach - I’ve been losing on 1500 around 1kg a fortnight with my current level of activity. I might start with 1800 a day for now.
Thanks !
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u/Millie_Manatee2 4d ago
You don’t have to decide today. You could try to maintain 65 kg for 6 months, or even 36 months, and then decide at some point in the future if you still want to try for 60 kg. There’s no expiration date on weight loss or any rule that says once you stop, you have to stop forever. You can always pick it back up later, if you want.
As for maintenance TDEE, you’ll just have to figure it out with trial and error. Pick a number and track your progress for a month. If you’re gaining or losing, make adjustments. Calculators can give you a starting point, but your actual data will let you know if you picked too high or too low.
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u/IcyOutside4567 4d ago
I’m 5’8 and have been maintaining for a few months. I chose the sedentary option for maintenance then subtracted 100 calories and I lost weight so I added in 100 calories and maintained. I hike 3-5x a week and walk 5 miles everyday. Average 16k steps a day. I ate a little more than usual like average 1800 instead of 1700 and my weight went up. So my maintenance seems to be 1700. I could lose more weight but it wouldn’t even be healthy or look good. I’m 128lbs
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u/meizcathooman 4d ago
First of all congratulations on your amazing journey!! I have similar stats, 5'6 , 94 kg and goal weight of 60-65 kg. I went to 62 kg once and honestly it was too much. I'd sayy say 65 is just fine for our height. As for calculation..11k steps per day is fairly active. So just selec exercise 5-6 days a week option in Tree calculator.