how many calories should i eat to maintain my weight?

hi all. this is my very first post at calorie-count.

im 16, 120 lbs. body fat %: 14.8.

i work out EVERYDAY, for about an hour: running, ab exercises, elliptical, stationary bike, weights (i vary it everyday).

i have been exercising like this for about 4 months in order to look more lean and gain muscle. so far, i have gained some muscle and am happy with how i look.

for about two years before i started exercising so much i was eating max 800 cals a day, sometimes only 500. i was also bulimic from dec 2007 to may 2008.

now, i eat anywhere from 1400 to 1600 a day, so my body doesnt retreat into starvation mode again. since the exercising and increase in calories, ive gone from 126 to 121.

i do not want to be still eating only 1400 to 1600 cals a day if its still too little. but if i eat something like 1800 or 2000 a day, i bloat up and gain weight so fast. so its confusing when sites tell me i need 1800-2000 a day.

so, some advice about what i should do? is the 1400-1600 a day enough?

It just depends on how much you move and the amount of activity that's in your daily routine.  I sit in an office all day and in order to lose weight I have to go down to 1200 cals/day and excersise 5 days/week.  I'm sure that you are using way more energy in school and with working out so much that 1400-1600 is fine, if not under the limit, to maintain your current weight.  I try and eat around 1300-1400 on days that I know I'm going to work out hard and I'll still lose even though I eat a bit more sometimes.  This website is great for making sure you're getting enough protien and fat in those 1400-1600 cals/day too, it's not just counting the calories that's important because 1200 cals of nutrient deficient foods isn't as helpful to your body as 1200 cals of good, nutritious foods. 50-60% of your cals should be carbs from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  25% of those cals should be from healthy fats like avacados, extra virgin olive oil and peanut butter.  25% of those cals should be from protein that is lean like chicken or tofu or fish. And don't forget to let your body have at least one day of active rest to repair and replenish itself, which is basically making sure you're not just laying on the couch all day on your day off!!   As young as you are you can easily sustain on 1400-1600, preferably more, cals/day.  Food is fuel for your brain and your body!!! 

you definitely need to eat more. if you get bloated when you eat "too much" though, just have more meals instead of more in each meal.

given your age and activity, you probably need more than 2000 to maintain.

here's a comparison:

i'm 21 (no longer a teenager), 115lbs (granted, i'm lighter), about 21%bf (so my lean body mass is actually much lower than yours). I exercise for 30~60min, 3~5 times a week, and my maintenance calories are estimated to be 1800~2000cals/day.

i'm guessing that yours might actually be around 2500 since you're still a teenager, exercising more, and with much more lean body mass than me... if you're looking to maintain, try upping your calories to 2000 (a pretty safe number) for at least a week, cause the initial "weight gain" is most likely to be due to fluid retention. You should be maintaining your weight, even losing at 2000cals. When you're assured enough, continue to increase your calories by about 100cals/day, a week at a time to find your happy spot. (: (seriously, food is so good, i'd love to be able to maintain at more than 2000cals/day. but it also means that i'll have to exercise like crazy, and i love sleep more than i love food. q:)

given your age and activity, you probably need more than 2000 to maintain.

 thank you for the replies! any help is needed.

but, the thing is, whenever i try to eat the recommended daily allowance for my height/weight/activities/etc., i end up gaining weight.

i eat 5-6 small meals a day, one meal every 2.5-3 hours. i try not to eat after 7, cuz i know eating close to bedtime is not good.

ive been trying to raise my caloric intake by 100 every week, as my severe starvation definiately took a toll on my body.

but, i dont wanna raise my caloric intake too much to where i gain all this weight.

is there any more ways i can prevent this?

Try 18x(desired weight) to start, and see how you do at that. Adjust up or down as needed.

Anyone who undereats (which you do) will gain weight short-term when they up the calories they consume.  But you can't afford to panic after a couple of days.  Give it 2 or 3 weeks of sustained extra calories before you judge.  Chances are that your body will speed up to match the extra food and that you'll stabilise at something close to the weight you are now.