Maintaining
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Question about maintaining my weight


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I have been reading posts and find this site very helpful but this is my first time posting.  I wanted to know what an appropriate calorie intake would be for me.

My stats are: I am 22 years old, 5ft 6in and about 124 lbs.  

I exercise on an elliptical machine for about an hour (burning roughly 700 calories) 5 to 7 days per week.  I am on my feet all day at work, I work retail so I am constantly moving.  I also bike everywhere.  I live in the Chicago and don't own a car so I bike at LEAST a mile everyday.

My problem is that obeseity runs in my family genetically and I have worked really hard to avoid my genetic predisposition.  I am fine with the weight I am at and am looking to just maintain.  When I used the tools on this site it suggested a calorie target of 1600 but I am not sure if this is accurate due to my family history.

Any input or advice would be helpful! Thanks!

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1600 would let you lose weight.... For someone your age, height, weight and with that level of activity 2200 would be more appropriate to maintain your weight, have the energy to function  and get the right nutrition.  Few people are 'genetically' overweight.   Your build, height and frame/skeleton are genetically determined but the amount of fat on that frame is really down to the individual.  Most simply inherit poor diets and sedentary lifestyle patterns from their parents that lead them to being obese.  If your 2200 daily calories come from healthy foods and you carry on being as active as possible there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to continue to buck the family trend.
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