5'6" 19yo Maintaing Question

I hope someone will have the patience to help me :)

As the thread title says, I am 19, 5'6", and am currently about 123lbs.

I am looking to maintain my weight, but have no idea how many calories that requires.

I have used the CC calculator, as well as MANY from other websites, and have gotten answers ranging from 1300 to 2100.

The only exercise I get is walking to and from classes on a large university campus (totals about 45 minutes a day), and working at a cafe.

I eat very healthily and average at about 1500--about midway between what I've been told. But sometimes, I get so ravenously hungry that I think I might need more calories. However, I don't want to start gaining...It's just hard finding that range that works with me and my activity level.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

Assuming you're female, you should be able to maintain your weight on between 1900 and 2000 cals a day.  If you eat a lot less than that (as you are doing) then your body adapts to maintain your weight on fewer calories by slowing down your metabolism.   Ironically, doing this means it's easier to gain weight.   If you're getting ravenously hungry at times that means your body is playing catch-up and getting the missing calories in one hit.

Eat a little more, eat regularly rather than skipping meals and choose good quality, nutritious foods and you'll keep your weight under control.

Thanks, gi-jane!

2000 calories is normal, I know, but seems like so much since I've been used to fewer calories. I want to treat my body right--that's more important to me than gaining/losing weight. I hope I'll be able to reverse the damage I've done over the past years!

Bodies, especially young ones, are very resiliant and it's difficult to do permanent damage.  Look after yourself from now on and you'll be fine, I'm sure.  Just don't panic when/if you gain a few lbs.... stick with it for the sake of your long-term health.

I just don't know when I transition from "young teenager body" to "adult woman body" and my caloric needs changes from 2000 to (what I'm eating now) 1400.

I don't feel like a teenager, so I guess that's why I think I don't need that many calories.

There's no sudden transition and there's nothing to say that being an 'adult woman' means you automatically need a lot less to eat.  Don't know where you'd have read that but it's a load of junk.   Unless your lifestyle has massively changed for any reason (like you've suddenly become bedridden) then you don't need to slash the calories. As a 43 year-old woman I can still maintain my weight on 1900-2000.

That's so great to know! I guess I read that alongside some information about how metabolism slows down as we age...

Thanks for all the help!!

It does slow down as you age you but it's very gradual and can be offset by a little extra exercise.  If you docked 600 cals every time you hit another decade you'd be living on fresh air by the time you were 40!

Eat better, rather than less.  Enjoy your food.