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MyFitnessPal Community

1500 calories a day

sawguoyi923

Hi! As you can tell from the title, i take in only 15000 calories a day.. which is bad? I think im not really sure.. i lift 5 to 6 times a week, 30minutes fasted cardio daily and cheat once per week. Need help on getting my calories up, APPRECIATE any advice

Replies

CharlieBeansmomTracey

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

sawguoyi923

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

Hey, thanks for the tip.. but i feel bad when i eat fats.. like nuts, cause of pimples, butters just utterly feel ugh, and i steam everything i eat. Try having a look at my diary. Cause i know this is sounding stupid

CharlieBeansmomTracey

sawguoyi923 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

Hey, thanks for the tip.. but i feel bad when i eat fats.. like nuts, cause of pimples, butters just utterly feel ugh, and i steam everything i eat. Try having a look at my diary. Cause i know this is sounding stupid

your diary isnt open to the public and what do you mean you feel bad when you eat fats? pimples are mostly caused by hormone issues,bacteria,your skin producing too much oil, and certain meds. sure it can be caused by consuming a lot of refined sugars in some people and carbs such as breads,chips,etc but thats not usually the case(it can be though like I said). there are all kinds of healthy oils you can use such as coconut oil,olive oil,avocado oil,peanut oil(if you dont have a peanut allergy),etc.healthy fats usually dont contribute to acne. you may have an allergy or intolerance to nuts if it makes you feel bad. can you eat peanut butter,almond butter,etc?

cwolfman13

sawguoyi923 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

Hey, thanks for the tip.. but i feel bad when i eat fats.. like nuts, cause of pimples, butters just utterly feel ugh, and i steam everything i eat. Try having a look at my diary. Cause i know this is sounding stupid

Dietary fat is essential to proper nutrition.

Michael190lbs

cheat 5 times a week..lol..

https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/highest-calorie-foods.php

jmaidan

Avocados, Greek/Turkish style yogurt, Bananas, Lamb, Duck, Seeds, Nuts. All calorific.

Unfortunately fatty foods tend to be most calorific although they shouldn't effect your acne, could it be something else?

If you really must avoid fats then start munching bread, rice, porridge and potatoes but I dont think many people get on well with high carb diets...

Are you trying to get swole? (Guessing from your profile pic). If so you're going to have to get used to force feeding lol

kendahlj

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

Why is it the bare minimum? Why do you need more calories? If it's all about a calorie deficit, which is all over these forums ad nauseam, then why does he need to eat more calories, esp if he's trying to lose weight? What if he's not hungry, does he still need more calories?

CharlieBeansmomTracey

kendahlj wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

healthy fats,oils,nuts,seeds.nut butters.whole grains,greek yogurt,dairy,cheese.meats.avocado just to name a few. 1500 is the bare minimum for men(who are sedentary) and if you are lifting that often then you definitely need more calories.

Why is it the bare minimum? Why do you need more calories? If it's all about a calorie deficit, which is all over these forums ad nauseam, then why does he need to eat more calories, esp if he's trying to lose weight? What if he's not hungry, does he still need more calories?

because for a man to get the right amount of nutrients he needs at least 1500 calories just to keep his body alive(your body burns calories to keep your organs and everything else running smoothly). so eating too little he wont be able to keep his body running efficiently and risks malnutrition,a man has more lean muscle compared to a woman so to keep from burning the lean muscle he needs to eat more and get a decent amount of protein to prevent losing lean muscle mass(your heart is also a muscle).
you lose some when in a deficit,but it would be even more on less calories,also the faster you lose the more muscle mass you can lose. Im a 5'6.5 tall woman who eats 1700+ calories and I still lose weight on that. the more active you are the more calories your body needs to fuel that and other workouts as well. if you eat too little you can also cause health issues.

if you arent eating enough,your body is not getting energy from food and will start using fat and muscle to fuel it. all a person needs to lose weight is a 500 calorie deficit(some lose slowly and choose a 250 calorie deficit) which is usually deducted from their TDEE. so if a persons TDEE is say 2500-500 then they would need 2000 calories and can lose weight that way. MFP gives you your deficit built in without exercise which is why when you exercise and log it, it gives you calories, and extra macros. you are supposed to eat that back(you will still be in a deficit),but most eat 25-50% to make sure they arent over estimating calorie burns. now if hes not hungry one day then he should be fine but you dont want to eat too little long term its not good for anyone.

kendahlj

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

if you arent eating enough,your body is not getting energy from food and will start using fat and muscle to fuel it.

Isn't the whole point of dieting...to get your body to fuel itself from fat stores?

I'm not trying to be argumentative...I guess I'm just not seeing the logic or agree it. If I don't "eat back" the calories I burn from exercise, I'm not going to die. My body is going to turn to another source for what it needs, and hopefully that source is my fat stores.

janejellyroll

kendahlj wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

if you arent eating enough,your body is not getting energy from food and will start using fat and muscle to fuel it.

Isn't the whole point of dieting...to get your body to fuel itself from fat stores?

I'm not trying to be argumentative...I guess I'm just not seeing the logic or agree it. If I don't "eat back" the calories I burn from exercise, I'm not going to die. My body is going to turn to another source for what it needs, and hopefully that source is my fat stores.

Of the weight people lose, most want to maximize the fat and minimize the muscle. Since there is a limit to how much fat your body can break down at a time larger deficits wind up targeting muscle, which doesn't produce the type of results most people want (and, if it's very large, can even be harmful to health).

kendahlj

According to MFP, I need to eat 1900 calories a day to lose two pounds a week. I'm eating low carbs (no sugar, bread, rice, pasta, or items with flour) and have increased vegetables and fruits and eat protein at every meal and I can't eat 1900 calories. I don't want to nor do I feel like I need to. If I actively tried to eat to that amount, plus eat back what I burned exercising, I'd feel like I was overeating. Occasionally I will feel hungry and eat a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese or a piece of fruit and I'm fine. I just don't feel like I should force food down the gullet just because there is some arbitrary bare minimum that my body needs to survive...

janejellyroll

kendahlj wrote: »

According to MFP, I need to eat 1900 calories a day to lose two pounds a week. I'm eating low carbs (no sugar, bread, rice, pasta, or items with flour) and have increased vegetables and fruits and eat protein at every meal and I can't eat 1900 calories. I don't want to nor do I feel like I need to. If I actively tried to eat to that amount, plus eat back what I burned exercising, I'd feel like I was overeating. Occasionally I will feel hungry and eat a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese or a piece of fruit and I'm fine. I just don't feel like I should force food down the gullet just because there is some arbitrary bare minimum that my body needs to survive...

I'm not sure why you think this is an "arbitrary" number -- the principle behind it (lose more fat, lose less muscle) has been explained. Even when you're losing weight, your body needs calories to exist. If you don't want to eat sufficient calories, then don't. You're an adult, you make your own choices. You don't want to "force food down" in order to survive? Okay. (Although something tells me you are capable of eating at least 1,900 or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight now . . . ).

But this thread was started by someone who *was* looking for advice and since he is lifting, I think he probably wants to eat enough to survive *and* to keep as much muscle as he can while losing fat.

kendahlj

janejellyroll wrote: »

kendahlj wrote: »

According to MFP, I need to eat 1900 calories a day to lose two pounds a week. I'm eating low carbs (no sugar, bread, rice, pasta, or items with flour) and have increased vegetables and fruits and eat protein at every meal and I can't eat 1900 calories. I don't want to nor do I feel like I need to. If I actively tried to eat to that amount, plus eat back what I burned exercising, I'd feel like I was overeating. Occasionally I will feel hungry and eat a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese or a piece of fruit and I'm fine. I just don't feel like I should force food down the gullet just because there is some arbitrary bare minimum that my body needs to survive...

I'm not sure why you think this is an "arbitrary" number -- the principle behind it (lose more fat, lose less muscle) has been explained. Even when you're losing weight, your body needs calories to exist. If you don't want to eat sufficient calories, then don't. You're an adult, you make your own choices. You don't want to "force food down" in order to survive? Okay. (Although something tells me you are capable of eating at least 1,900 or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight now . . . ).

But this thread was started by someone who *was* looking for advice and since he is lifting, I think he probably wants to eat enough to survive *and* to keep as much muscle as he can while losing fat.

Yes I "could" eat 1900 calories. Nice putdown though... You make it sound like if I don't get the recommended amount of calories, I'm going to die. Is this really what's going to happen to me? I'm going to die?? That's scary... I haven't felt this good and had this much energy in a long, long time and I'm eating fewer calories than what someone says I need and not eating back calories burned exercising. Explain that to me...

janejellyroll

kendahlj wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

kendahlj wrote: »

According to MFP, I need to eat 1900 calories a day to lose two pounds a week. I'm eating low carbs (no sugar, bread, rice, pasta, or items with flour) and have increased vegetables and fruits and eat protein at every meal and I can't eat 1900 calories. I don't want to nor do I feel like I need to. If I actively tried to eat to that amount, plus eat back what I burned exercising, I'd feel like I was overeating. Occasionally I will feel hungry and eat a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese or a piece of fruit and I'm fine. I just don't feel like I should force food down the gullet just because there is some arbitrary bare minimum that my body needs to survive...

I'm not sure why you think this is an "arbitrary" number -- the principle behind it (lose more fat, lose less muscle) has been explained. Even when you're losing weight, your body needs calories to exist. If you don't want to eat sufficient calories, then don't. You're an adult, you make your own choices. You don't want to "force food down" in order to survive? Okay. (Although something tells me you are capable of eating at least 1,900 or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight now . . . ).

But this thread was started by someone who *was* looking for advice and since he is lifting, I think he probably wants to eat enough to survive *and* to keep as much muscle as he can while losing fat.

Yes I "could" eat 1900 calories. Nice putdown though... You make it sound like if I don't get the recommended amount of calories, I'm going to die. Is this really what's going to happen to me? I'm going to die?? That's scary... I haven't felt this good and had this much energy in a long, long time and I'm eating fewer calories than what someone says I need and not eating back calories burned exercising. Explain that to me...

Was this response meant for someone else? I never said you were going to die. You were the one who said you were not going to eat the "arbitrary" number of calories your body needs to survive. And I never put you down, so take a deep breath. This defensiveness isn't necessary. This is your choice. If you're happy with it, why seek out drama?

Do you have advice for OP? Your question has been answered and if you want to continue to discuss your situation perhaps start another thread. OP is a young man who is lifting weights. He probably wants a calorie level that will support his muscle retention and his best health. If you're in a different place, discussing it in another thread would be a better choice.

cgrout78

you might feel good for now, but in 6 months you probably won't feel as good, your muscle will start to deteriorate, you won't be getting PR's the way you are now, and your metabolism will slow down. You'll have to actually eat LESS than you're eating now to see the results you're getting now because your body thinks it needs to hold on to every calorie it gets in order to keep you upright and moving.

But what do I know, you feel great now, so as previous posters said, not sure why you're even on here since you don't want to add more calories, don't want helpful advice, and don't believe in science.

cgrout78

sawguoyi923 wrote: »

Hi! As you can tell from the title, i take in only 15000 calories a day.. which is bad? I think im not really sure.. i lift 5 to 6 times a week, 30minutes fasted cardio daily and cheat once per week. Need help on getting my calories up, APPRECIATE any advice

Have you tried maybe fattier cuts of meat? Chicken thighs instead of breasts? Beef? A nice steak will have a decent amount of fat in it. Pasta is great for boosting calories...

JeromeBarry1

Nice bod shot. I eat just under 1500 most days, although today is a little higher. 30 minutes fasted cardio also. I do push-ups every day which isn't much for strength training. If you don't want to add fats, can you add bread? It's generally a nice round number of 100 calories per slice. No bod shot from me because I don't want to be hunted down for disturbing the public order.

kendahlj

janejellyroll wrote: »

And I never put you down, so take a deep breath.

janejellyroll wrote: »

(Although something tells me you are capable of eating at least 1,900 or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight now . . . ).

This is a putdown. Passive aggressively.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Do you have advice for OP?

My advice to the OP as per his question of whether it's bad that he's only eating 1500 calories, is no I don't think it's bad. I think it's just fine. That is the entire point of my discussion... If it's 1500 calories of donuts, then no. If it's 1500 calories full of nutrients and vitamins, then it's fine. If the OP has no stored fat then yes, it might not be great. If he has plenty of stored fat, the body will turn to that for anything it needs that it's not getting from calories. I'm not scientist, dietitian, trainer, etc. It's my opinion based on my past and current experience.

I'm getting my muscle mass and fat percentage tested on Thursday. I'll have it done again in six months and necro this thread with the results. Unless I'm dead.

janejellyroll

kendahlj wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

And I never put you down, so take a deep breath.

janejellyroll wrote: »

(Although something tells me you are capable of eating at least 1,900 or you wouldn't be trying to lose weight now . . . ).

This is a putdown. Passive aggressively.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Do you have advice for OP?

My advice to the OP as per his question of whether it's bad that he's only eating 1500 calories, is no I don't think it's bad. I think it's just fine. That is the entire point of my discussion... If it's 1500 calories of donuts, then no. If it's 1500 calories full of nutrients and vitamins, then it's fine. If the OP has no stored fat then yes, it might not be great. If he has plenty of stored fat, the body will turn to that for anything it needs that it's not getting from calories. I'm not scientist, dietitian, trainer, etc. It's my opinion based on my past and current experience.

I'm getting my muscle mass and fat percentage tested on Thursday. I'll have it done again in six months and necro this thread with the results. Unless I'm dead.

I apologize you read that as a putdown. It was meant as a basic statement of fact. All of us here for reasons related to weight loss are here because we regularly ate more than we were burning. If I was putting you down, I'd be putting down myself and dozens of other posters, including some that I hold in high esteem.

I understand that you think it is fine for an active man to eat the bare minimum based on your personal experience. But is there anything beyond your personal experience that is leading you to give that advice? If you are getting your muscle mass tested for the first time, you can't even provide anecdotal information about retaining muscle mass while eating at or below 1,500 calories because you don't know yet if your plan will result in accelerated muscle loss.

If OP has plenty of stored fat (and his profile picture indicates that he may not), there will still be a limit to how much his body can use at a time. Once he hits this limit, he will lose muscle. This is why high deficits aren't a great idea for many people, especially those who are already close to or at a healthy weight. I understand this doesn't match your opinion.

RoxieDawn

You want to eat some food.. calorie dense is where you need to be looking..

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

And I have skimmed some other comments, and the best thing I can ask is are you lifting to make gainz on 1500 calories a day? You know this ain't gonna happend on 1500 calories and lifting weights 5 - 6 times a week..

Is that you in your profile pic? I would like to understand the back story?

JeromeBarry1

kendahlj wrote: »

Isn't the whole point of dieting...to get your body to fuel itself from fat stores?

I'm not trying to be argumentative...I guess I'm just not seeing the logic or agree it. If I don't "eat back" the calories I burn from exercise, I'm not going to die. My body is going to turn to another source for what it needs, and hopefully that source is my fat stores.

Consider the way your body actually works. Everything serves the brain. The brain burns 40% of the energy in your BMR. Sugar and carbs are rapidly converted to glycogen and stored in blood and tissue ready to be diverted to serve the brain. The brain has a backup energy source, which is ketone bodies from the breakdown of fat, which is a slow process. When the brain needs ketone bodies, the brain gets the priority for the ketone bodies. 60% of you BMR and all the rest of your TDEE goes to your muscles. That glycogen is how you can do 30 minutes of fasted cardio. When the glycogen runs low, and it will, the fat breakdown starts and the brain is served. The muscles also need energy, glycogen is low, fat's being monopolized by the brain in a slow process, and the only remaining source of energy is protein stores. Hence the ammonia odor of an intense workout. That protein might be circulating in your blood from the food you've recently eaten, and it might be your own tissues broken down to create energy.

If you don't get the ammonia odor of an intense workout, you can still lose weight by letting the calorie deficit do the work of keeping glycogen stores low and allowing the slow fat-burning to occur as needed.

And no, I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. I'm just pretending to know.

cgrout78

RoxieDawn wrote: »

You want to eat some food.. calorie dense is where you need to be looking..

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

And I have skimmed some other comments, and the best thing I can ask is are you lifting to make gainz on 1500 calories a day? You know this ain't gonna happend on 1500 calories and lifting weights 5 - 6 times a week..

Is that you in your profile pic? I would like to understand the back story?

That's what I was wondering...he'd need to be eating almost 1000 calories just in protein to make any gainz if he's trying to build muscle?

RoxieDawn

cgrout78 wrote: »

RoxieDawn wrote: »

You want to eat some food.. calorie dense is where you need to be looking..

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

And I have skimmed some other comments, and the best thing I can ask is are you lifting to make gainz on 1500 calories a day? You know this ain't gonna happend on 1500 calories and lifting weights 5 - 6 times a week..

Is that you in your profile pic? I would like to understand the back story?

That's what I was wondering...he'd need to be eating almost 1000 calories just in protein to make any gainz if he's trying to build muscle?

He has muscles and not much body fat that I can see..

He knows how to build muscle (if that is him) and obviously knows how to eat and lift to get them muscles? He does not look like he needs to dieting.

I am really confused by why only 1500 calories (18 years old and looks like that)!!!