How many calories do I need to..

WhisperAnne
WhisperAnne Posts: 453 Member
edited February 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I eat 1300-1500 calories a day, but how much would I have to eat to gain a pound? I've heard 3500 calories more than my usual intake ( so 3500 more than say 1500) then I've heard that if I go just to 2000 calories I could go up..I don't mean to sound stupid but I am wondering.

Replies

  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    a pound is (roughly) 3500 calories...so you would need that much above your maintainance level.
  • JustMeee333
    JustMeee333 Posts: 233 Member
    It's 3,500kcal above your TDEE. (Calories you eat to maintain your weight)

    Which you can work out here: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,165 Member
    I eat 1300-1500 calories a day, but how much would I have to eat to gain a pound? I've heard 3500 calories more than my usual intake ( so 3500 more than say 1500) then I've heard that if I go just to 2000 calories I could go up..I don't mean to sound stupid but I am wondering.

    It is not 3500 calories above what your normally eat if you are currently eating to lose weight. It would be if you were eating to maintain weight.

    What is your weight loss goal per week?

    If you are aiming for/losing 1 lb a week, that is generally a 500 calories deficit. 2lbs a week, 1000.
    So if you are losing 1 lb a week, your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is around 1800-2000 calories a day (1300-1500 +500).
    To gain weight you need to eat above that. Again, 1 lb a week would be 500 calories above that. So around 2300-2500 calories a day.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,706 Member
    I eat 1300-1500 calories a day, but how much would I have to eat to gain a pound? I've heard 3500 calories more than my usual intake ( so 3500 more than say 1500) then I've heard that if I go just to 2000 calories I could go up..I don't mean to sound stupid but I am wondering.

    It depends a bit on the time you would like to gain a pound. For example, if you want to gain one pound a week you need to eat 3500 calories more in one week. This means you eat 500 calories above maintenance each day. I doubt very much that 1500 calories is your maintenance. I am only five feet tall ( barely ) and 66 years old and my maintenance is 1690 calories.
    For you this means that you need to figure out your maintenance calories and add 500 calories a day for one pound and you will gain a pound a week.
  • WhisperAnne
    WhisperAnne Posts: 453 Member
    I eat 1300-1500 calories a day, but how much would I have to eat to gain a pound? I've heard 3500 calories more than my usual intake ( so 3500 more than say 1500) then I've heard that if I go just to 2000 calories I could go up..I don't mean to sound stupid but I am wondering.

    It is not 3500 calories above what your normally eat if you are currently eating to lose weight. It would be if you were eating to maintain weight.

    What is your weight loss goal per week?

    If you are aiming for/losing 1 lb a week, that is generally a 500 calories deficit. 2lbs a week, 1000.
    So if you are losing 1 lb a week, your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is around 1800-2000 calories a day (1300-1500 +500).
    To gain weight you need to eat above that. Again, 1 lb a week would be 500 calories above that. So around 2300-2500 calories a day.

    I am not trying to lose weight, I'm maintaining. My maintenance level is 1700.
  • WhisperAnne
    WhisperAnne Posts: 453 Member
    say I go up to 2200 + on Christmas day and the 26th but go back to normal the rest of the week, will I gain anything?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,935 Member
    say I go up to 2200 + on Christmas day and the 26th but go back to normal the rest of the week, will I gain anything?

    no.
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
    If your maintenance level is 1700 calories a day then you should be slowly losing weight on 1300-1500.

    Every 3500 calories EXTRA will gain you a pound. Every 3500 calories LESS will lose you a pound.

    For example, if your maintenance is 1700 a day and you actually eat 1200 a day, every day will result in a deficit of 500 calories. By the 7th day your total deficet will be 3500 calories (7 days * 500 cals a day=3500 total) which is roughly a pound of fat, so you should expect to weigh a pound less.

    Conversely, with a maintenance of 1700 cals a day if you were to eat 2000 calories a day like you were suggesting, that's a daily surplus of 300 calories. Since a pound of fat contains about 3500 calories, it would take you 11.67 days (3500 total / 300 cals a day=11.67) before you put on a pound of fat.

    You only gain a tiny tiny tiny bit of weight a day, not all at once from the effect of a single special day like Christmas.
  • WhisperAnne
    WhisperAnne Posts: 453 Member
    If your maintenance level is 1700 calories a day then you should be slowly losing weight on 1300-1500.

    Every 3500 calories EXTRA will gain you a pound. Every 3500 calories LESS will lose you a pound.

    For example, if your maintenance is 1700 a day and you actually eat 1200 a day, every day will result in a deficit of 500 calories. By the 7th day your total deficet will be 3500 calories (7 days * 500 cals a day=3500 total) which is roughly a pound of fat, so you should expect to weigh a pound less.

    Conversely, with a maintenance of 1700 cals a day if you were to eat 2000 calories a day like you were suggesting, that's a daily surplus of 300 calories. Since a pound of fat contains about 3500 calories, it would take you 11.67 days (3500 total / 300 cals a day=11.67) before you put on a pound of fat.

    You only gain a tiny tiny tiny bit of weight a day, not all at once from the effect of a single special day like Christmas.

    Thank you so much for making this clear to me!
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