Calorie Issues

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spencerrhees
spencerrhees Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My recommended calorie intake per day is 2200, I eat normally, feel very full, and workout and can barely consume 1500 calories. Is my recommended wrong or am I just not eating enough?
Any and all help/advice is appreciated. Thanks!
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Replies

  • dwilliamca
    dwilliamca Posts: 325 Member
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    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    How accurate is your logging? Are you using a food scale for all solids? Measuring cups/spoons for all liquids? Using accurate entries? Logging everything you put in your mouth?

    If your logging is 100% accurate start looking into eating more calorie dense foods - full fat dairy, nuts, nut butters, avocados, nothing "diet", etc...
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    If you wish, provide stats:
    • sex
    • age
    • height
    • current weight
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    are you trying to gain or lose weight? stats?

    im a 5'1 40 year old female and maintain on 1500-1600.
  • spencerrhees
    spencerrhees Posts: 9 Member
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    dwilliamca wrote: »
    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.

    I measure everything that I consume, I eat mainly meats. I'm a male 19 6'1 268 lb, I run a mile a day and workout for 30-45 minutes a day. I just physically can't eat that many calories.
  • taco_inspector
    taco_inspector Posts: 7,223 Member
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    spencerrhees wrote: »
    dwilliamca wrote: »
    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.

    I measure everything that I consume, I eat mainly meats. I'm a male 19 6'1 268 lb, I run a mile a day and workout for 30-45 minutes a day. I just physically can't eat that many calories.

    How stable has your weight been while doing all of this on 1500 cals/day (and over what period of time) ?
  • WhereIsPJSoles
    WhereIsPJSoles Posts: 622 Member
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    Maybe open your diary? If you eat mainly meats it's possible that you are actually eating more than you think because the entries in MFP for meats can be wildly different.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    spencerrhees wrote: »
    dwilliamca wrote: »
    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.

    I measure everything that I consume, I eat mainly meats. I'm a male 19 6'1 268 lb, I run a mile a day and workout for 30-45 minutes a day. I just physically can't eat that many calories.

    Based on that, assuming your goal is to lose weight, 2200 calories is not wrong. I am 51, 240ish pounds, 5'10" and lose on 1900 or so calories.

    There are two possible issues I can think of. First, you are eating more low-calorie high volume foods which fill you up with their volume. Second, you are actually eating far more than you think you are because of mis-measurement of your portion sizes or using incorrect database entries or some combination of the two.

    Is what you are eating a big change from what you ate before? If so what were the changes. I can eat 1900 calories no problem even eating nutritious foods.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Unless you had a medical issue or something else you're not sharing, eating 2,200 calories shouldn't be difficult unless you've restricted too many foods from your diet.

    If you open your diary or share what some typical days of eating look like for you, we may be able to help with offering some suggestions for foods to help you get to your goal.
  • spencerrhees
    spencerrhees Posts: 9 Member
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    standenvernet wrote: »
    spencerrhees wrote: »
    dwilliamca wrote: »
    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.

    I measure everything that I consume, I eat mainly meats. I'm a male 19 6'1 268 lb, I run a mile a day and workout for 30-45 minutes a day. I just physically can't eat that many calories.

    How stable has your weight been while doing all of this on 1500 cals/day (and over what period of time) ?

    Since October 1st and little over 40 pounds lost.
  • spencerrhees
    spencerrhees Posts: 9 Member
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    rileysowner wrote: »
    spencerrhees wrote: »
    dwilliamca wrote: »
    Without giving any information other than being a male it is hard to say, but most younger, average size men eat in the 2000+ range. 1500 is the bare minimum for a man and even low for many women. Your calorie determination is based on your BMR (sex, age, height, and weight) times your activity level less your chosen deficit. It appears you just started counting, so it is most likely that you are under estimating your foods. It is highly recommended that all foods be weighed rather than measured or estimated (therefore 1 medium apple). Also make sure you choose good entries (green checks are verified). Also, you are meant to add on exercise calories and eat those as well. You can open your diary to friends or public and have others take a look if you like.

    I measure everything that I consume, I eat mainly meats. I'm a male 19 6'1 268 lb, I run a mile a day and workout for 30-45 minutes a day. I just physically can't eat that many calories.

    Based on that, assuming your goal is to lose weight, 2200 calories is not wrong. I am 51, 240ish pounds, 5'10" and lose on 1900 or so calories.

    There are two possible issues I can think of. First, you are eating more low-calorie high volume foods which fill you up with their volume. Second, you are actually eating far more than you think you are because of mis-measurement of your portion sizes or using incorrect database entries or some combination of the two.

    Is what you are eating a big change from what you ate before? If so what were the changes. I can eat 1900 calories no problem even eating nutritious foods.

    I used to work at a pizzeria and so I would bring home food(pizza/wings/sub) from there every night and now I am eating eggs, grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, different veggies etc. I have a very low carb intake, consuming below 30-40 a day.
  • spencerrhees
    spencerrhees Posts: 9 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Unless you had a medical issue or something else you're not sharing, eating 2,200 calories shouldn't be difficult unless you've restricted too many foods from your diet.

    If you open your diary or share what some typical days of eating look like for you, we may be able to help with offering some suggestions for foods to help you get to your goal.

    I eat keto which doesn't allow for many carbs in my diet. So usually what I eat is lower in calories but high in protein.

    A typical day of eating consist of 2 eggs in the morning with 1-2 slices of bacon for breakfast. A salad with some protein, chicken turkey beef, and an oil dressing for lunch. For dinner, a cut of meat, pork chop steak chicken breast and some veggie. That's my whole day. Sometimes lunch will get interchanged with lunchmeat and cheese depending on business.

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