is this really the right amount of calories?

i'm 16 y/o female, almost 5'4 and 100lbs, i am trying to maintain my weight (i wouldn't mind if i gained or lost a couple pounds but yeah) but the thing on here says i should be eating 1900 calories a day?

i usually eat around 1500-1700 and have been mantaining at that weight, should i start eating 1900 or would i gain a lot of weight? i eat when i am hungry so the amount i eat now seems right, but i could easily (and gladly) go up to 1900 if it would be better

what do you think?

also i NEVER work out, but i walk around a lot to get places.

edit: i just realized that i guess a lot of people ask questions like this, so sorry to be boring haha

With a BMI of 17 you should really be aiming to gain weight, not maintain or lose.  Being consistently below BMI 19 means you could lose your periods if you haven't already.  If you don't eat enough you're also at risk from malnutrition problems.... hair-loss, chills, reduced immune system, bone-density issues.   If you're hungry, eat. 

I don't understand why you're calorie-counting, to be honest.  But if you want to go that route, 1900-2100 is the benchmark for someone your age and size that is reasonably active.  However, I'd strongly suggest you aim more for 2500+ a day and try to get your weight up by about 10-12lbs.  

i'm calorie counting because i used to have an eating disorder, but i've been eating normally & a healthy weight for almost a year but recently i started restricting and then as a result eating a lot the next day and i was just confused about how much i SHOULD be eating since it seems like i eat so much more than most of my friends

anyway, i'm not exactly 5'4 i'm more like 5'3.85 but i just round it up lol, and i've always been naturally thin, trust me my BMI has gone up MANY points since when i was put in rehab a year ago.

but yeah i think my weight right now is a good weight for me because i'm petite anyway (short, small-ish chest, etc) and if i eat when i am hungry i end up eating 1400-1700 calories a day. and no i haven't lost my period,  hair loss and all those other anorexia symptoms are long gone for me

but since this site i've started eatng closer to 1900 a day, seems like i've lost a little bit of weight since doing so but i really wouldn't mind if i gained a little weight, just not 10-12 pounds because for me/my body type that's not natural, i would have to over eat a LOT for a long time for that to happen

Hi Braindamage13 ~

Did you know that Calorie Count's tools are not geared towards teenagers?  The tools on this site are only aimed for adults (20+). 

This website has a great calculator for teenagers: 
http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml

I entered your information and got the following for you:

A 64-inch tall, 100-pound, 16-year-old girl has a body mass index (BMI) of 17.2, which is at the 8th percentile for age. Although being thin could be perfectly normal for this girl, she could potentially be at risk of being underweight, particularly if she has recently lost weight or has stopped gaining weight.

A healthy weight range for this particular girl would be from about 104-pounds to 143-pounds.

1640 Calories - Inactive (Never Active)
1960 Calories - Low Activity (Less than 1 Hour a day)
2250 Calories - Moderate (About 1 Hour a day)
2750 Calories - Very Active (More than 1 Hour a day)

You mentioned that you walked everywhere, you are more than likely moderately active if not very active.  How much do you walk a day?

Since you have lost a little bit of weight eating 1900 calories a day, try raising your calories to 2250-2500 calories a day.  It may sound like a lot but if you concentrate on eating healthy, calorie dense foods you can easily reach that number.

Also, it is not good to compare your eating to your friends eating.  Since you are not with them 24 hours a day 7 days a week, there is no way to gauge how much a person is actually eating or if they are eating a healthy amount.   

~ UTR

hm thanks, that actually helps

i'd say i'm probably low activity on some days and moderate-high activity on some days (depends if i go out or just sit at home all day haha)

i'll try raising it to 2200ish,  but i'm having trouble with just 1900, so i think i'm going to keep doing 1900 for a few more days and if i don't gain the weight back i'll raise it again.

Hi braindamage13,

I have very similar stats to you - 64 inches tall, 102 pounds, but im 22.... and im maintaining on 2300 calories a day. Im not doing any formal sports or have a gym membership, i guess im like you... some days im at home all day, other days ill go out and be more active.

But I really think you should eat atleast 2300 calories. We both need to gain, and you're in the teenage age bracket which means you'd be burning faster than me.

Goodluck darl:)

PS - And to up your calories, I have whole milk, chocolate, nuts & seeds, full fat cheese, dried fruit etc. Its possible to eat a small quantity of food (thats what you see in the grams column of the nutrition report) and still get a high number of calories. Just stick to calorie-dense foods like the examples ive given.

Gosh why can't I eat like that. I am 5'4, 105 lbs, and I gain weight if I eat more than 1300 calories. And trust me, I track religiously, every speck of food. It's not fair :(