daily calories after 3 years?

Hello, I haven't posted here in a long time, but wanted to come back and get some help/advice. I am almost to my 3 year mark. I've lost 145 pounds, most in the first year and a half. I have been stable for the rest of the time, but not yet at goal. I want to finally lose the last bit of weight. I am wondering...how many calories should a 3 year RNY person have an a daily basis for maintenance, and also for weight loss? I know I still have the tools and ability to lose, I just like having numbers to shoot for LOL Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi There! The only way to know for sure is to have your metabolism tested.  Many fitness centers or doctors office offer this service for around 60-80 bucks.  You just blow into a machine and wear a mask tat is hooked up to a computer and in 15 mins it spits it out.  New leaf technology is the one I used.  You can google for it and find a location near you.  Also, in the meantime, try going to sites like thinnerself.com.  Plug in your data (how active u are, how tall, how much you weigh, your gender, etc) and then it spits out a number called your BMR (basal metabolic rate) this is the number of calories it takes for your body just to exist.  It does not account for any activity at all (like even getting ready and showering each day) and then also exercise it doesn't accnt for.  There will also be a number given to you for your maintenence calories.  This is a very rough estimate but its a place to start.  Many do not eat enough and do their bodies injustice by lowering their BMR's inadvertently.   If you only eat 800 calories a day your body will start to only want that.. and thats sad b/c it isn't healthy for the rest of your life.  Try also adding muscle, lifting weights. More muscle burns more calories at rest.  I weigh 140-145 and wear a size 4 b/c i lift weights.  Terri R on the RNY board has tremendous muscle and has to eat upwards of almost 3k a day to maintain her weight.. it all goes to show we are all so different.  Good luck and hope this helps!

Hi Cricket! Do you know how much you consume now? Like the previous poster said, it's all individual. I'm eating anywhere from 1500 to 2300 calories a day and maintaining but it took some time to find where my own happy medium was. I"m not losing but I'm also not gaining either, which is my real goal (although some days, I fight that).  It really depends on your fitness level, your muscle tone and your activity levels...Each of us is different.

This seems to be a frequently asked question these days around here. Its so different for everyone so there's really not a clear cut answer. It really depends on where you are weight wise, how much you exercise, etc. I agree that having your metabolism tested is the best way to figure it all out. There are some mathmatical equations that are commonly used and here's a few links to sites that might help you out~ http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ http://www.thinnerself.com/files/calculator.htm http://www.thedailyplate.com/ Hope this helps!

Thank you all for the input and the sites. I consume probably 2000-2500 calories depending on the day, which keeps me maintaining, so I know I need to cut that back to get going again. Thanks so much!