real teenage calorie question- update, confirmation of daily calorie intake please!

I have heard before that teens need more calories for growing each day, somtimes 1000s more.

I am 16, but I am not growing anymore, I'm 5'8" now, and will be forevermore. I also have a womanly fingure, and do not think of myself as needing any more calories than anyone else with my stats that is just 5 years older. I am 149-155 lbs now depending on the scale, down from 170 in january. I am trying to get to about 140, and then maintain. I have, however, stoped loosing weight for the past month and a half due to binging too much. I think this could be becasue I have restricted calories to much. I had about 1300-1600 each day, with a BMR of 1,800 (as an adult), and excersizing about an hour a day, 4 times a week.

Is this two low simply for being a teenager? If i raise my calorie intake slowly without binging can I loose weight significantly (1-2 pounds a week) on a greater amount of calories?

it is hard to stick to a 1500 a day lifestyle when a little voice inside my head is saying, "it could be wrong". please help me settle this question once and for all!

thank you, and sorry the post is so long, i hate long posts, but I hope you read it anyway, because I NEED to know.

We don't mind long posts, the more information, the better we can help.  Some people will be able to post some Teen sites for calorie needs.

Yes at 16 you are still growing, just in ways you cannot see.  Bone density, organs (like your brain), and lean muscle tissue are developing in their prime at your current age.  Getting the correct amount of calories is so important.

I'll brb, I'm going to calculate your BMI.

EDIT: it's around 22 (for an adult), so 140 is probably going to take awhile to get to, but it's still considered healthy.

1500 is way to low for you.... and also maybe you wont grow in height anymore but you bones muscles organs are still developing and you need a specific amount of calories so that no damage is done..... you can eat more and still lose weight....  im almos sure you houldnt be consuming less than 2000 calories

You should be eating more. Actually you are already at a very healthy weight for your height. Did you use the tools on this site to see how many calories you need. click on tools, then expenditure, that should tell you how many you need, then you have to add back some on workout days. Rule of thumb is NEVER be more than 500-800 calorie deficit in a day. Even if you think you're finished growing, you probably aren't. At 16 you have a ways to go.

BG

Hi Yado

Here's a calculator for teenagers that includes calorie information

http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml

You will continue to grow, even if you don't gain any height....  It may not be apparent to you now, but when you are older and look back, you will definitely see the change.  So your calorie needs are different than an adults' and the International WHO standards for adults and teenagers are different.

Check it out :)

the last link does not work on my computer

So, what would be your advice on a calorie intake that would maintain my weight right now? 2,000 on sed days, and 2500 on excersise days?

??? is that right? ^^^

it didn't work for me either.  try this...

http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml

when i put in age 16, 150 lbs and 68 inches for 5' 8", it shows that you would be in the 75th percentile for your age with a bmi (body mass index) of 22.9. 

it shows that your calorie requirements would be:

• 1960 sedentary
• 2330 low activity
• 2670 moderate
• 3250 very active

Hope this helps :)

THANK YOU! :-D
helps very much so

you're welcome :)

"kidsnutrition" - it feels kind of patronising, like you're a 10 year old lol. But then again, most of this site is - whether it's meant or not.

Anyway, for me at 16:
Sedentary - 1770
Low - 2140
Moderate - 2480
Active - 2990

I refuse to eat that many calories in a day. It is impossible. Period. I struggle like hell to get to 1400.  

Can I ask you teenagers who restrict your calories, do you not get hungry? I used to get home from school and eat half a loaf of bread just for an afternoon snack. I grew very quickly between 10 and 14 to 5'9" and it took the rest of my body a while to catch up but I remember being constantly hungry- you don't feel that at all?

Be aware that you may be seriously slowing down your metabolism by restricting so much- 1400 cal?! at your age. I didn't start to noticeably put on weight until I was in my late 20s and I believe that my healthy appetite as a teenager had a lot to do with keeping my metabolism really fast until I got older. I still have little or no trouble staying at a good weight as long as I exercise- I am on this site because I am interested in tracking protein intake vs carbs etc.

The info that says teenagers need more than 2000 calories a day to develop healthily is based on serious scientific research. They are not trying to trick you into eating more so you will get fat!

If you restrict now to a level as low as 1400 cal you are setting yourself up for lifelong problems. It is not worth it.

i'm still a teenager, and even back in the day when i was normal and not restricting, i don't think i've ever eaten 2000 cals. it was always whenever i was hungry. 

they like to believe their not hungry and convince themselves that theyre not, i used to

but now i understand hunger

i used to think 1800 was alot

now i eat no less then 2500

sometimes up to 4-5000 depending on if i got ice cream in the freezer or not ^^

believe me it may seem like alot to be eating 1500-2000, but your growing, you need soo much more

im 15 5'8 only 110 pounds and i eat like a pig, no actually more like a duck, pigs tend to chew...

of course i also skateboard for 30min - 2 jours a day, drink about 10 cups of green tea a day, and smoke =/ so that might be it

oh and i usually go on 2 or more hour+ walks a day