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Caloric intake

cbrakenbury
cbrakenbury Posts: 1 Member
edited March 2022 in Health and Weight Loss
What is the minimum number of calories a male 61 years old who is trying to loose weight should take in?

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,335 Member
    Generic answer from Uncle MFP is 1500. Real answer from me is it depends on how tall you are, how much you weigh, how active you are in daily life and what exercise you do if any. MFP will give you a similar answer if you put your details into the set-up, then tell it you want a weight loss rate around 0.5-1% of your current weight per week, with a bias toward the lower end of that.

    Trying to lose at the maximum possible rate, the lowest possible calories, is generally not a good plan. It increases health risks - perhaps more acutely so for those of us not kids anymore (I'm 66, but female). It makes it tougher to get adequate nutrition. It can cause fatigue, so we burn fewer calories in daily life than we would've with adequate calorie intake, so maybe lose weight slower than expected. It often leads to a hunger/appetite hormone snap-back, i.e., bouts of compensatory overeating (maybe uncontrolled), maybe giving up entirely because it's too hard.

    The lowest possible calories isn't necessarily the fastest route to goal weight, in calendar terms, if backsliding or giving up enter the picture. A more moderate goal can actually carry a person to go more smoothly, and possibly in less calendar time, if a person can stick with it, stay energetic, healthy, happy at the same time.

    FWIW: I used to be obese, until I was 60. Now I'm not, am at a healthy weight, and have been for the past 6+ years. My bad blood test results and blood pressure are a thing of the past, all solidly normal now.

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