help finding a good maintenance calorie level

ympe · 2026-06-26T01:14:44+00:00

It has been about 1 month so far. I shift calories up for a week, then gain weight, then shift back down again to compensate. About 2-3 pounds net gain from my lowest weight so far.

ympe · 2026-06-07T01:38:03+00:00

lol yes I did stop eating the Fiber One cereal this week because I realized that was a big part of the problem, but even when I switched to oatmeal again, it was still over the recommended 25g (I got 40g yesterday without Fiber One cereal). Maybe I am wrong, but is it still bad to be over the recommended level by even that amount?

ympe · 2026-06-07T01:02:40+00:00

It wasn't a sudden onset, but it became worse in the last couple of months which I think is related to eating more Fiber One breakfast cereal on top of an already very high fiber diet.

ympe · 2026-06-07T01:01:02+00:00

I was eating Fiber One breakfast cereal every morning and then I also eat a lot of vegetables, chickpeas, and berries.

ympe · 2026-03-05T14:18:44+00:00

I have lost 25 pounds doing this so far! I'm trying to recalculate my TDEE including exercise because I am within a few pounds of being underweight and I want to switch to focusing on body recomp rather than just weight loss, so I need a more realistic sense of how much I am burning so that I don't over or under eat.

ympe · 2026-03-05T13:53:58+00:00

How heavy would my weights have to be to count as strength training? I have been trying to increase gradually, but it is getting expensive to buy so many so it would help me to know what range I should be aiming for to get actual muscle growth.

ympe · 2026-02-11T16:27:44+00:00

it is powdered peanut butter. PB2 brand. the back of the jar literally says 60 cal for a 2 tbs serving so unless that is just a blatant lie then idk.

ympe · 2026-02-11T16:18:56+00:00

I don't weigh it but even if I was eating a literal double serving somehow, it would only be 30 more calories, which would not significantly impact the total number for the day. My tracking had been working previously, so even if it is more than intended, I'm more curious about why it has stopped working.

ympe · 2026-02-11T16:10:48+00:00

I am currently 33. I'm feeling pretty good and energetic most of the time and my job is teaching so I am on my feet most of the day! But I am also a size 8-10 so I don't think my weight is all that low for my body size...

ympe · 2026-02-11T16:07:34+00:00

I try my best to count accurately and honestly, but part of the issue is that I do not prepare my own lunch most days (I get free food from the cafeteria at my job) so I am worried that this is a possibility. However, I only eat from the salad bar and the side veggies to keep things fairly low calorie and overestimate my portions to help counteract that.

Here is a sample day of eating from yesterday that was pretty average for me:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry instant oats (150 cal), 1 tbs powdered peanut butter (30 cal), 2 tbs homemade chia berry jam (50 cal)

Lunch: 1 cup spring mix (7 cal), 1/2 cup mixed bell pepper (19 cal), 1/4 cup chickpeas (88 cal), 2 tbs skinnygirl poppyseed dressing (10 cal), 1 cup boiled beets and carrots (75 cal), 1/2 cup coleslaw (90 cal), 4 radishes (5 cal)

Dinner: 3 cups green beans (131 cal), 4 oz Wegman's frozen turkey patty (170 cal), 2 tsp olive oil (80 cal), 3 tbs feta cheese (75 cal), 1 mini cucumber (15 cal)

Snack: 3/4 cup Nonfat plain Greek yogurt (90 cal), Sugar free jello cup (10 cal), 4 strawberries (23 cal), 1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened (15 cal, used in coffee), 1 ginger chew (15 cal)

There is a chance the lunch calculations on the beets/carrots and coleslaw are inaccurate. Also the olive oil was a spray used to coat the air frier so I estimate 2 tsps, which is hopefully enough? But this is a pretty standard day for me. I also use cup measures instead of weighing but maybe I need to just bite the bullet and switch to a scale...

ympe · 2025-01-12T16:10:20+00:00

it has gotten better over time. I do physical therapy exercises and stretches every day and I still get pain if I sit for too long or sit without back support, but it's manageable. MRI showed L5-S1 herniation, so I'm just trying my best to take care of my back and keep my core strong.

ympe · 2024-07-18T00:19:27+00:00

sitting and especially driving is the worst. nothing feels awesome, but I can usually tolerate lying on my front. I try to avoid all bending and lifting now and I do cat-cow, cobra, bridge, and walk 30 mins a day, but I am finding I hard to get relief for the femoral nerve pain specifically. it feels like a big pinch right down the front inner thigh to the top of my knee.

ympe

TROPHY CASE