If you are a female with a height of 5'8-5'10?

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I am 5'9 and weigh 177 pounds.
How many calories do you consume a day to lose weight?
Is 1500 too high if I happen to not exercise and want to lose 2 pounds a week?
I am open to all feedback.
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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    You and I have pretty similar stats. I'm 5' 8" and around 170-ish pounds. I'm also 32 years old. I lose 1 pound a week pretty regularly at 1700 calories with no exercise. I'll eat up to 2000 calories a day when I am exercising regularly and still lose that pound a week. 1500 calories does not sound too high to me. Why don't you try it for a few weeks and see how it works for you?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,649 Member
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    That 2lbs a week is probably too aggressive and that 1.5 a week to start reducing to 1lb and 0.5lb a week and not exceeding 1% of bodyweight loss a week probably makes more sense?

    That you don't win by losing the most while eating the least. And that especially without exercising having room to drop calories as you lose would be just about your only tool!

    By the way, do you have a condition that prevents you from, like, walking?

    Because if you manage to string together 1500-1650 steps in like 15 minutes... that would probably meet the definition of 15 minutes of moderate exercise. Repeat 4x a day... oh the possibilities....
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,649 Member
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    I see your other posts now.

    MFP assumes that you will eat back your true net exercise calories and that you haven't understated your non exercise daily activity level.

    If you are actually more active and exercise more you will be losing more.

    Why don't you try a week or two set at 1lb and see how it goes? Are you coping? Too week and hungry? Just fine? Losing? Not losing?

    Also weight your solids, measure your liquids, and absolutely weigh calorically dense condiments (lke mayo or salad dressing) or items (such as peanut butter tablespoons!!!!)
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    You and I have pretty similar stats. I'm 5' 8" and around 170-ish pounds. I'm also 32 years old. I lose 1 pound a week pretty regularly at 1700 calories with no exercise. I'll eat up to 2000 calories a day when I am exercising regularly and still lose that pound a week. 1500 calories does not sound too high to me. Why don't you try it for a few weeks and see how it works for you?

    I'm very nervous, but I will definitely give it a try for 2 or 3 weeks and see how I fare. Thanks.
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
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    I'm 5'8 and have lost 14 pounds on 1,200 calories. I was nervous at first but I've adjusted. I'm currently 136 pounds and am not sure when I'll begin maintaining. Maybe if I can get to 130 my goal will be to between 130-135.

    I'm also pretty sedentary. My only exercise is C25K and I have a desk job.
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
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    I was just about to start a thread about this! :smiley:

    I don't have much guidance to offer because I'm only 11 days into actively tracking my calories using MFP, so I'm just kind of experimenting with my calories right now. I'm 29 y/o woman, 5'10", 173lbs, and at 1.5 lbs/week and received a goal of 1240 calories. I have a desk job, but when I'm home I cannot sit still and I exercise most days, but I only eat back about 200-300 calories on those days. So far, I've felt pretty substantiated and content, but the past couple of days I found myself getting pretty hungry throughout the day and noticed my energy decreasing (maybe hormone related? who knows). I'm thinking about upping my calories to the 1400-1600 range too. From what I've been reading I think that should be a pretty reasonable range where you'll still be able to see weight loss. I'm not sure about how much though.

    Looking forward to seeing additional responses!
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    Apud85 wrote: »
    I was just about to start a thread about this! :smiley:

    I don't have much guidance to offer because I'm only 11 days into actively tracking my calories using MFP, so I'm just kind of experimenting with my calories right now. I'm 29 y/o woman, 5'10", 173lbs, and at 1.5 lbs/week and received a goal of 1240 calories. I have a desk job, but when I'm home I cannot sit still and I exercise most days, but I only eat back about 200-300 calories on those days. So far, I've felt pretty substantiated and content, but the past couple of days I found myself getting pretty hungry throughout the day and noticed my energy decreasing (maybe hormone related? who knows). I'm thinking about upping my calories to the 1400-1600 range too. From what I've been reading I think that should be a pretty reasonable range where you'll still be able to see weight loss. I'm not sure about how much though.

    Looking forward to seeing additional responses!

    My first month here, i ate 1200 calories a day exercised 5 times a week and never ate my calories. I was fine for a few weeks that way. Then I started to get sluggish. I upped my calorie count to 1350 and started doing better energy-wise but now, months later , I am getting that sluggish feeling again so I'm going to try out 1500 calorie days.
  • shaunte92
    shaunte92 Posts: 127 Member
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    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    jazmin220 wrote: »
    Apud85 wrote: »
    I was just about to start a thread about this! :smiley:

    I don't have much guidance to offer because I'm only 11 days into actively tracking my calories using MFP, so I'm just kind of experimenting with my calories right now. I'm 29 y/o woman, 5'10", 173lbs, and at 1.5 lbs/week and received a goal of 1240 calories. I have a desk job, but when I'm home I cannot sit still and I exercise most days, but I only eat back about 200-300 calories on those days. So far, I've felt pretty substantiated and content, but the past couple of days I found myself getting pretty hungry throughout the day and noticed my energy decreasing (maybe hormone related? who knows). I'm thinking about upping my calories to the 1400-1600 range too. From what I've been reading I think that should be a pretty reasonable range where you'll still be able to see weight loss. I'm not sure about how much though.

    Looking forward to seeing additional responses!

    My first month here, i ate 1200 calories a day exercised 5 times a week and never ate my calories. I was fine for a few weeks that way. Then I started to get sluggish. I upped my calorie count to 1350 and started doing better energy-wise but now, months later , I am getting that sluggish feeling again so I'm going to try out 1500 calorie days.

    I like to read this. I'm glad you are willing to eat more. 1500 may still be too low for you, but try it out for a bit.
    I'd encourage both the OP and Apud85 to look to the longer term goal, and be willing to consider lowering the amount you wish to lose per week to a more manageable and sustainable amount. Too aggressive a loss can cause you to either become discouraged, hangry, or give up because it's very difficult to sustain.
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
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    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    That's awesome! How do you structure your cheat days? Do you just do one meal and then stay on track the rest of the day? Or do you eat whatever you want, any time of the day? I think having a cheat meal would really benefit my peace of mind. There are some days when I can't stop dreaming about pancakes!
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    Wow that's impressive. What do you usually do at the gym and how long do you stay if you don't mind my asking?
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    Apud85 wrote: »
    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    That's awesome! How do you structure your cheat days? Do you just do one meal and then stay on track the rest of the day? Or do you eat whatever you want, any time of the day? I think having a cheat meal would really benefit my peace of mind. There are some days when I can't stop dreaming about pancakes!

    I was like that, craving pancakes for the longest lol. I went to target and found some protein packed (14grams per serving) pancakes with sugar free syrup, just 35 calories per 1/4 cup. They are amazing and keep me full for hours, all by itself.
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
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    jazmin220 wrote: »
    Apud85 wrote: »
    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    That's awesome! How do you structure your cheat days? Do you just do one meal and then stay on track the rest of the day? Or do you eat whatever you want, any time of the day? I think having a cheat meal would really benefit my peace of mind. There are some days when I can't stop dreaming about pancakes!

    I was like that, craving pancakes for the longest lol. I went to target and found some protein packed (14grams per serving) pancakes with sugar free syrup, just 35 calories per 1/4 cup. They are amazing and keep me full for hours, all by itself.

    Really?? I'll have to look for those next time I'm at Target. I've seen recipes that use protein powder and a smashed banana, but I have my doubts about whether they would taste as good as the original. Thanks for the tip!!
  • rungirl1973
    rungirl1973 Posts: 2,559 Member
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    I'm 5'8" and around 180 lbs. I eat 1,700-1,800 calories per day. I've averaged over 2 lbs per week since January 2. I do workout 5-6 days/week, so I would say 1,500 calories per day would give you a reasonable loss. I would personally never shoot for anything less than 1,500 calories per day, as that type of restriction would set me up for a binge.
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    Apud85 wrote: »
    jazmin220 wrote: »
    Apud85 wrote: »
    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    That's awesome! How do you structure your cheat days? Do you just do one meal and then stay on track the rest of the day? Or do you eat whatever you want, any time of the day? I think having a cheat meal would really benefit my peace of mind. There are some days when I can't stop dreaming about pancakes!

    I was like that, craving pancakes for the longest lol. I went to target and found some protein packed (14grams per serving) pancakes with sugar free syrup, just 35 calories per 1/4 cup. They are amazing and keep me full for hours, all by itself.

    Really?? I'll have to look for those next time I'm at Target. I've seen recipes that use protein powder and a smashed banana, but I have my doubts about whether they would taste as good as the original. Thanks for the tip!!

    No problem. The pancake mix is Kodiak protein packed pancake mix and the syrup is target's Market Pantry sugar free maple syrup. You can add an egg to the mix for 6 grams of extra protein :)
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
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    I'm 5'8" and around 180 lbs. I eat 1,700-1,800 calories per day. I've averaged over 2 lbs per week since January 2. I do workout 5-6 days/week, so I would say 1,500 calories per day would give you a reasonable loss. I would personally never shoot for anything less than 1,500 calories per day, as that type of restriction would set me up for a binge.

    Wow, that's great!!! Now I'm tempted to raise my calorie count higher.
  • kandell
    kandell Posts: 473 Member
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    I'm 5'10", 193. My TDEE is about 2000, my BMR is about 1700. That means that I can eat anything under 2000 and technically be in a deficit. Right now my goal is 1400 a day, but I normally get closer to 1500-1700 a day.
  • Sweet_Heresy
    Sweet_Heresy Posts: 411 Member
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    I'm 5'8" and 195, and I've been losing consistently 1-1.5lbs a week eating around 2000 calories. I decided it was just easier to use TDEE instead of worrying about eating back my exercise calories...though some days I eat closer to 2300 and still lose.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I'm 5'8/225 and eating 1500 on non-exercise days, more like 1700-1800 on exercise days. I lose just fine. When I was 180 I ate about the same and was still losing.

    ETA: If this is helpful, my BMR is around 1700 and my TDEE (non-exercise) is around 2000. On exercise days I tend to burn 250-350 calories and eat back 150-250 (I leave a margin for error).
  • shaunte92
    shaunte92 Posts: 127 Member
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    Apud85 wrote: »
    shaunte92 wrote: »
    5"10 ~ 167. I lose 2-3 pounds a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day. I usually have one cheat day where my calories are probably double this. But I workout 5 days a week and burn between 400 to 1000 each session. Most days I burn around 600-700 Cals.
    At 1500 with absolutely no exercise, I think you would definitely be successful, just not 2 pounds a week. I personally wouldn't go to much lower than 1500 though with or without exercise because it starts to feel too restrictive for me.

    That's awesome! How do you structure your cheat days? Do you just do one meal and then stay on track the rest of the day? Or do you eat whatever you want, any time of the day? I think having a cheat meal would really benefit my peace of mind. There are some days when I can't stop dreaming about pancakes!

    Honestly my cheat days aren't as structured as they should be lol! I've eaten whatever I wanted, but I usually still have a healthy breakfast. But in 5 weeks (currently I'm on week 6th of eating healthy/working out again after a pretty bad winter gain of 15 pounds