Quick question that needs a quick answer!

OK stats...118lbs, 5'6",24 years old....I work out 5 times a week, and burn roughly 400-500 a day. I also am doing a strength training program 3 times a week. ( included in calorie calculation) I have ben eating 1600 calories a day and haven't lost or gained any weight....waffling between 116.5-118.5. So my question is how am I maintaining with such a high exercise program and a calorie count that is supposed to be my sedentary level?....Have I boosted my metabolism so I should eat more and if so how much? ..My goal is not to lose weight but to boost my metabolism enough to maintain on about 2,000 calories a day and be able to tone up....How do I do this?

So long story short...should I eat more to boost my metabolism more? if so how much?

I would say that you need to eat more for a bit so that your metabolism gets the idea.  You are definately not eating enough to be doing that much exercise so your metabolism is likely holding onto whatever you give it.  That is what I am guessing anyway.  You might gain a little right away, but I don't think that it will stick and your body will catch up pretty quickly.  I actually did not even get the initial weight gain when I did it, so you might not either.  Good luck!

Yes, you need to eat more, but I can't give you the magic number.  Start by upping it 100-200 calories for a week.  Let your body adjust.  By that, I mean, do not start cutting back the second you see the scale go up a pound.  Give it a week or two.  If your body has adjusted and your weight is still about where you want it to be, up it again.  You'll just have to play with the numbers until you find what works for you.

Thank you very much!! I appreciate the advice. It is very weird to actually be nervous to up my calories....before I started dieting ( for no reason, I really didnt need to lose weight) I could eat whatever I wanted and was still at 125, and never past that. Now I think I have done some damage to my metabolism....I will up them and see how I do. Im not too worried about the number on the scale, just how I feel in my clothes, and look in the mirror. Also as I get older , I want to be the healthiest I can be as I plan to have children in the next couple of years..So if you have any tips for boosting my metabolism back, let me know! THank you again!

find out ur BMR (they offer this at most gyms). it could be that u have a high body fat percentage and little muscle, so you'd need to eat less. or it could be that ur solid muscle, so you'd definitely need to eat more.