Is 1500 Calories too much?
ashleydhill777
Posts: 15 Member
How do you determine the number of calories you should be eating to lose weight? I've been using 1500, but I've been wondering if that's too much. I am currently 258, 5'2", age 33.
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Replies
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Hi ya. I'm 224 and 40 years of age. I was wondering the same re 1500 cals being too much......but it's really hard to stick to, especially if u enjoy a glass of red on an evening!0
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Hi,
You have to start somewhere........
I started on 1500 a day and currently on 1290 after a few months.
Its worked for me so far.
Good luck0 -
How did you decided on 1500 calories?0
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go to my home then goals. weight and height and how much you want to lose per week and let calculate for you. its a start0
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Like the previous poster said, you can use MFPs tools to calculate that. I think 1500 is very reasonable, I'm starting at about 1800 and have lost a few pounds, albeit slowly. But I've stuck with it because I'm not so hungry I'm getting in a foul mood or anything. In another week or so, I'll probably drop to 1700, and/or up the exercise to get my net calories lower.
My theory on it is that you can't start out at 100%, you have to move from first gear to second, etc.0 -
I'm pregnant now so eating 1800, but before I was on 1500. I'm 5'6 and I weighed 154lbs.
I worked mine out using TDEE - 20% and then reduced it a bit. With that method you don't eat back exercise calories.
I would have thought that at 258lbs 1500 calories should be ok. I started off on 1200 calories before I joined MFP, but actually found I lost weight more effectively when I increased to 1500.0 -
First you should calculate your BMR and make sure you are not eating under that. It is really harmful to your body to eat below your BMR. Then to lose I calculated my TDEE and subtracted 20%. You can find calculators all over the interwebz by using google.0
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Look for the" In Place of a Roadmap" posts in the forum, it explains everything and gives you a real idea how much you need to eat to loose weight. :flowerforyou:0
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I don't have the road map in my clipboard at the moment but I do have
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
Both these should be helpful. 1500 is most definitely not too much. I'm 5'3.5" 121 lbs and I have to eat more than this or I lose too much weight, even without exercise and just taking care of my kids. I would always aim on the higher end of calories, give it a few weeks of consistent logging and whatever exercise. Then go from there.0 -
It depends on what the 1500 calories consists of. If you are losing on 1500 cal keep it up! If you aren't losing than take a look at what you are eating.
Does the 1500 consist of alot of sugars and starchy foods or alcoholic drinks?
If it's not working for you try increasing your protein and decreasing your carbs.
I am doing 1500 cal per day as well, but I am following a keto diet. I lose a minimum of a lb a day and my diet is basically lots of fat and moderate protein, low carb. i'm never hungry and the fat make carb craving disappear.
Either way..best of luck to you!!0 -
I recommend using this calculator.
http://caloriecount.about.com/tools/calories-goal
You put in your current weight, goal weight, height, age and all that jazz and it tells you how much you should be eating to get to your goal weight. I've found MFP to be an unreliable source when it comes to the amount of calories I should be eating.0 -
Hi,
You have to start somewhere........
I started on 1500 a day and currently on 1290 after a few months.
Its worked for me so far.
Good luck
What??? As a man the minimum calories you should be consuming is 1600 Net. And now that you don't have a lot left to lose you should be aiming to lose 0.5lbs/week, eat man, if not you risk a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not fat0 -
do you work out? That will also determine your intake!0
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The more you weigh, the more calories you burn just moving around. You should use a TDEE calculator to determine what your BMR is and you should not eat below that. For someone of your kind of size I would have thought you should be eating more like 1700, but there are loads of TDEE calculators on the internet, and it will depend on your physical activity level also.
Remember it is harmful and unhelpful to lose weight rapidly by eating under your BMR as these are the calories that your body needs just to be alive and carry out its basic functions.0 -
At this point I've told MFP I want to lose a pound per week and I have a 1490 calorie budget. I would prefer to eat a little bit more than that so I exercise 6 days a week for extra calories and therefore extra food. Plus I actually enjoy the exercise I get, except for burpees, nobody likes burpees, but I would like to be able to do 30 at a time. Today I shall do 20 and add one a day to my total until February.0
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I'm eating 1500-1600 and Im way lighter than you(138). I still lose a lb a week. If you're not losing on that, you might need to start weighing food.0
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My starting weight was 206 and I am 5'4, my limit is 1600 but I never actually get that, normally it is around 1500. I have lost 11 pounds in 35 days. I don't eat exercise cals back either, I am doing the TDEE - 20% method.
1500 should be fine.0 -
Hi,
I went to doctor recently and she told me 1400 cal a day is what is required to lose weight. Ive been sticking to that...0 -
First you should calculate your BMR and make sure you are not eating under that. It is really harmful to your body to eat below your BMR. Then to lose I calculated my TDEE and subtracted 20%. You can find calculators all over the interwebz by using google.
This! I'm 5'6", 214lbs, 41 and work out 6 days a week and am eating 1900 cals a day and losing around 1.5lbs a week.0 -
Hi,
You have to start somewhere........
I started on 1500 a day and currently on 1290 after a few months.
Its worked for me so far.
Good luck
What??? As a man the minimum calories you should be consuming is 1600 Net. And now that you don't have a lot left to lose you should be aiming to lose 0.5lbs/week, eat man, if not you risk a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not fat
(You beat me to it. I was going to ask if he was only 3 feet tall or something. )
kungfujohn15:
Yes, 1600 net is a *MINIMUM* for an adult male. You are risking losing muscle mass at anything less than that. Also, I see your profile says you are 44. As men age, their testosterone levels dip. So it will be even harder for you to rebuild the muscles you are losing.0 -
How do you determine the number of calories you should be eating to lose weight? I've been using 1500, but I've been wondering if that's too much. I am currently 258, 5'2", age 33.
Your BMR is roughly 1900 calories. Your TDEE, if you are lightly active, is roughly 2500 calories. Eating at 2000 honest calories should get you to an average of one per week loss. Eating 1500 honest calories, should get you to about two pounds per week.
The word "honest" is referring to the true amount of calories you are eating. If you are not weighing your food and accurately logging each bite, then your calorie count isn't honest, so it can not be used it as data to determine your goals.0 -
Hi,
I went to doctor recently and she told me 1400 cal a day is what is required to lose weight. Ive been sticking to that...
*for you*0 -
1500 is fine, so long as you can stick with it. You shouldn't need to go any lower. Just make sure you're confident in your 1500 calories - get a good scale and weight/measure everything.
As for the people talking about eating below BMR and suggesting disastrous consequences will occur, please stop spreading that myth. Your BMR is not the magical line at which your body begins burning lean body mass for energy. Yes, everyone has a point at which their caloric deficit is more than their body can pull from their fat stores, but that has NOTHING to do with your BMR beyond calculating a caloric deficit. It has to do with how much fat you've got on your body. And if you actually think about it rather than just repeating "never go below your BMR!", it makes sense. When you eat a caloric deficit from your TDEE, your body still burns your TDEE in calories every day - it just pulls the remaining calories from your fat stores. When you dip below your BMR, your body again just pulls the remaining calories it needs from your fat stores. No difference. Where it becomes a problem is when your body can't pull enough energy from your fat stores to make up the caloric deficit you're running, and so it turns to your lean mass for energy. But that has nothing to do with your BMR, and at 258 pounds, you can dip a fair bit below your BMR and your body can easily make-up the difference from your fat stores.
TL;DR, your BMR is nothing special when it comes to sparing lean body mass.0 -
In my humble opinion it isn't enough! You can easily up that to 1800-2000 and you'll still lose, as long as that is the AVERAGE calories that you're eating; if you tend to eat more at weekends then offset that during the week.
I am 5'2", 44, 147lb(ish), and if I could just stick to 2,200 a day I'd lose, BUT I also walk at least 10,000 steps a day and work out 30 mins x 4 a week minimum, mostly strength as I detest cardio.0 -
Another vote for probably not enough!
You can do all the hard sums, but to be honest being truthful about your activity level, not overestimating your exercise burn and using MFP settings to lose 1 or 1.5lb a week works out as close as damn it to other methods.
I'm 5' 8", 183lbs and losing a steady 1lb a week on 1900 calories (which includes eating back my exercise calories).0 -
1 lb/week isn't the goal for everyone and at 258, I would aim to be more aggressive. If 1500 is too hard to stick with you can consider slowing down, but the best move for your health would be to set a more aggressive deficit and look to lose the weight more quickly (at least at first). Just because you can lose weight eating more doesn't mean it's the best move, as you will lose weight more slowly doing this.0
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You could probably get away with eating more. Your activity level will play a role in how much you should be eating.
To me 1500 is way low for your size. I'm 5'3, size 0 (sorry I don't weight myself because scales are BS), and I eat about 1900 a day and that's on a cut. So eat more.0 -
Just to clarify, I'd say the above, PLUS eating back most of your exercise calories.In my humble opinion it isn't enough! You can easily up that to 1800-2000 and you'll still lose, as long as that is the AVERAGE calories that you're eating; if you tend to eat more at weekends then offset that during the week.0 -
The best way to determine how much you need to eat to lose depends on where you start. Most Americans that struggle with weight loss eat more than the recommended 2,000 calories a day. So try logging your food intake for 3 days to a week and you will see how many calories you actually take in, then you will get an actual picture of what you need to work on. I am a nurse surrounded by docs, nutritionist, dieticians all day. They all say you that instead of restricting calories you have to look at quality and quantity. Eat less calorie dense low nutrition foods and exercise. I am not into protein shakes or snacking on carrot sticks but looking at what I eat has put me in better position to make this life change...its a struggle. I am no expert but I see daily the consequences of poor health. Just starting on this site so I have not lost any weight yet but I am mentally ready. Good Luck, if you like we can be "fitness pals". Dawn0
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If you're finding 1500 hard to stick to then don't be so aggressive, increase your calories, lose at a consistent rate, and you will most likely stick to it. Change your lifestyle, not your mind after a few weeks when you feel starving and give up.If 1500 is too hard to stick with you can consider slowing down, but the best move for your health would be to set a more aggressive deficit and look to lose the weight more quickly (at least at first). Just because you can lose weight eating more doesn't mean it's the best move, as you will lose weight more slowly doing this.0
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