Is 1500 cals ok for a dude?
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Suddenly cutting an additional 500 calories is a bit extreme. Why not try lowering your daily goal by 100 calories a day, give that two weeks to see how you do and then try reducing another 100 if you feel you need to? Nice gradual changes..
Have you always been eating these pre packaged foods? If this is a newer thing, I wonder if all the sodium is what's messing with your weigh ins?
Are you sure nothing else has changed in the last couple of weeks? Have you switched up your walks a bit - maybe going further or faster or taking different routes? Have you been drinking more or less water? Have you been sleeping the same, had more/less stress, etc etc. There are a ton of variables, which is why many folks say to wait more like 4-6 weeks before making any drastic changes to get the weight loss going again.0 -
2 weeks of not losing weight isn't very long. I'd wait 4-6 weeks and if there's still no change, then you need to reassess. 1500 calories for a man is pretty low. I doubt it's your calorie goal. I think your problem would be more in your calorie burns/fitbit numbers.
Are you weighing your food? If not, this could also be your problem. Accuracy is key when dealing with calories. If you're not weighing your food, you're probably eating more calories than you think.
Fitness pal gave me a goal of 1800 cals a day assuming I'm lightly active. And like my above post, the tdee calculators say I should be burning a solid 2900ish cals a day. So if for the past two weeks I'm burning thousands of calories, how could my weight stay the same? The fat would have disappeared wouldn't it? And it's not like I haven't pooped in two weeks, so it can't be that. Maybe my scale just doesn't like me. I should be nice to him and give him some new name brand batteries and see if he will give me a good number.
I haven't been weighing my food because I've been eating a lot of pre packaged food with the calories already labeled.
This is your problem then. You do know that what is labeled on packaging can be off, right? By up to 20%. If you're not weighing your foods, then your logging is inaccurate, no matter how it's packaged.
As I said, 2 weeks is not a long time. You need to give it more time than that. There could be a whole host of factors coming into play that could keep your weight the same. Especially those packaged foods with high sodium....
Agreed with above. You can get a food scale that measures in grams & ounces at Wal-Mart for around $19.00-$20.00. You would be shocked at how small a serving of cereal you get & at times ice cream. The two things I've found that are less than the serving weight is yogurt cups that don't come in multiple servings & frozen meals.0 -
Assuming you are active, you can easily lose weight on 2000 calories. You are eating more than you think, or you need to be patient. The body can hold on to extra water weight for 3 weeks in some cases.0
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2 weeks of not losing weight isn't very long. I'd wait 4-6 weeks and if there's still no change, then you need to reassess. 1500 calories for a man is pretty low. I doubt it's your calorie goal. I think your problem would be more in your calorie burns/fitbit numbers.
Are you weighing your food? If not, this could also be your problem. Accuracy is key when dealing with calories. If you're not weighing your food, you're probably eating more calories than you think.
Fitness pal gave me a goal of 1800 cals a day assuming I'm lightly active. And like my above post, the tdee calculators say I should be burning a solid 2900ish cals a day. So if for the past two weeks I'm burning thousands of calories, how could my weight stay the same? The fat would have disappeared wouldn't it? And it's not like I haven't pooped in two weeks, so it can't be that. Maybe my scale just doesn't like me. I should be nice to him and give him some new name brand batteries and see if he will give me a good number.
I haven't been weighing my food because I've been eating a lot of pre packaged food with the calories already labeled.
This is your problem then. You do know that what is labeled on packaging can be off, right? By up to 20%. If you're not weighing your foods, then your logging is inaccurate, no matter how it's packaged.
As I said, 2 weeks is not a long time. You need to give it more time than that. There could be a whole host of factors coming into play that could keep your weight the same. Especially those packaged foods with high sodium....
Agreed with above. You can get a food scale that measures in grams & ounces at Wal-Mart for around $19.00-$20.00. You would be shocked at how small a serving of cereal you get & at times ice cream. The two things I've found that are less than the serving weight is yogurt cups that don't come in multiple servings & frozen meals.
I'm searching amazon right now for a food scale. I think when I start weighing things, I'm gonna be shocked how many extra calories I've been putting in my body that haven't been logged. What about the pre packaged meals though? I eat a lot of those Marie calender's meals. Those would be hard to figure out myself wouldn't they? Maybe I should just subtract a few calories from what it says on the package just to be on the safe side0 -
Well at 5'3, 150 pounds...and getting my 10K steps a day I could eat 2300 and lose pretty consistently if I didn't cheat...I'd say stick with the original plan. Its just a plateau...maybe switch up the intensity of your workouts. Could be losing again in a week, could be losing again in a month. Just part of the journey, I think.0
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2 weeks of not losing weight isn't very long. I'd wait 4-6 weeks and if there's still no change, then you need to reassess. 1500 calories for a man is pretty low. I doubt it's your calorie goal. I think your problem would be more in your calorie burns/fitbit numbers.
Are you weighing your food? If not, this could also be your problem. Accuracy is key when dealing with calories. If you're not weighing your food, you're probably eating more calories than you think.
Fitness pal gave me a goal of 1800 cals a day assuming I'm lightly active. And like my above post, the tdee calculators say I should be burning a solid 2900ish cals a day. So if for the past two weeks I'm burning thousands of calories, how could my weight stay the same? The fat would have disappeared wouldn't it? And it's not like I haven't pooped in two weeks, so it can't be that. Maybe my scale just doesn't like me. I should be nice to him and give him some new name brand batteries and see if he will give me a good number.
I haven't been weighing my food because I've been eating a lot of pre packaged food with the calories already labeled.
This is your problem then. You do know that what is labeled on packaging can be off, right? By up to 20%. If you're not weighing your foods, then your logging is inaccurate, no matter how it's packaged.
As I said, 2 weeks is not a long time. You need to give it more time than that. There could be a whole host of factors coming into play that could keep your weight the same. Especially those packaged foods with high sodium....
Agreed with above. You can get a food scale that measures in grams & ounces at Wal-Mart for around $19.00-$20.00. You would be shocked at how small a serving of cereal you get & at times ice cream. The two things I've found that are less than the serving weight is yogurt cups that don't come in multiple servings & frozen meals.
I'm searching amazon right now for a food scale. I think when I start weighing things, I'm gonna be shocked how many extra calories I've been putting in my body that haven't been logged. What about the pre packaged meals though? I eat a lot of those Marie calender's meals. Those would be hard to figure out myself wouldn't they? Maybe I should just subtract a few calories from what it says on the package just to be on the safe side
Those have weights on the packaging too. Weigh it, cook it, eat it, then subtract the packaging.0 -
Don't panic Bud, keep at it. I noted that you work out 1-3 times a week , if this is strength/resistance training maybe there is a change in your shape rather than the scale (i.e. more muscle mass).
The best two things I have picked up (and I only started recently so take this with a pinch of salt)...
1. Don't obsess, Look at long term, sustainable strategies/goals (It takes time to reduce weight and keep it of / make lifestyle changes for good).
2. Rely more on a tape measure than the scale.
Good luck!0 -
NO0
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Just throwing this out there, you could be retaining water. Say you were retaining a little bit on your first weigh in, then you stressed. Stress increases cortisol, which in turn causes water retention.I would regard 1500 as too low myself. I have about an inch and a half on you (5' 9.5"), but am 40lbs lighter (193lbs), yet lose weight on about 1900 calories a day, give or take. In fact most weeks I lose 2lbs, or even a little more. I do have a little bit of muscle from resistance training in the past, but am mostly sedentary, with the exception of about 80 mins walking on average a day.
More than calories for me, I found a sustainable eating pattern that left me with no low blood sugar spells, was the way to go. For me, that was ensuring I ate three decent, 500- 600 calorie meals a day, and a few hundred calories left over for snacks. Sometimes I've not felt too hungry, mostly a result of eating a lot more fat, and decent amounts of protein, on a lower carb diet I've been trying out, but I would be very wary about going under 1750 myself. Your mileage may vary, but I would try other things to break your plateau before reducing calories to such a low level.
This post really hit home for me. I've been stressing so much over losing this damn weight that even 1900 sounded like a lot to me and the second I don't see the results I want, I get upset. I yell at the scale and spend the entire day trying to figure out what I did wrong and I'm a little afraid if I keep going like this, before I know it I'll be starving myself to lose the weight and hating myself for it.
Has your loss been consistent doing what you're doing?
I also vote for keeping where you are at for a few more weeks. Sometimes there will be a "whoosh" (http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html).
If you do feel you "must" lower your calories, eat at the 1780 and if you fitbit adjusts the number, eat those calories back too (I'm guessing at the end of the day, the combo has you close to where you are eating now).
Patience really is the key, and weight loss is not linear. Breathe. It will be ok...0 -
Just to throwing this out there, I'm a 30 year old dude that's 5'8 weighing in at a hefty 232lbs. I was eating 2000 cals a day and getting my 10,000 steps for awhile and losing weight just fine and then all of a sudden, it stopped producing results. I was doing what I thought was everything right for a couple weeks and my weight would go up and down and all over the place. I would keep losing and gaining the same 2-3 lbs despite my fitbit saying I burned 3000 calories for the day! Ugh
So now 2 weeks later weighing the exact same, I'm considering moving down to 1500 calories and seeing if I have any results that way. What do you think?
How are you measuring your food intake? Do you ever eat out or is everything prepared at home?0 -
no too low. eat the same but double that activity level. I get 16-18,000 steps just from my morning walks. I don't even count the entire day. You got to move more. Move it to lose it. Men need more calories.0
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He mentioned in subsequent comments most of his food is pre-packaged.Just to throwing this out there, I'm a 30 year old dude that's 5'8 weighing in at a hefty 232lbs. I was eating 2000 cals a day and getting my 10,000 steps for awhile and losing weight just fine and then all of a sudden, it stopped producing results. I was doing what I thought was everything right for a couple weeks and my weight would go up and down and all over the place. I would keep losing and gaining the same 2-3 lbs despite my fitbit saying I burned 3000 calories for the day! Ugh
So now 2 weeks later weighing the exact same, I'm considering moving down to 1500 calories and seeing if I have any results that way. What do you think?
How are you measuring your food intake? Do you ever eat out or is everything prepared at home?0 -
This post really hit home for me. I've been stressing so much over losing this damn weight that even 1900 sounded like a lot to me and the second I don't see the results I want, I get upset. I yell at the scale and spend the entire day trying to figure out what I did wrong and I'm a little afraid if I keep going like this, before I know it I'll be starving myself to lose the weight and hating myself for it.
Has your loss been consistent doing what you're doing?
Yes, I think its easy to get kinda hung up on things, and think one of the things that hit home most for me, was when someone said how individual days are not going to make or break your weight loss efforts, but rather the overall plan
Slower, considered changes are the most effective I find, at least with a view towards ensuring what you're doing is sustainable both for the period you're losing weight, and also the period beyond it when you've lost what you've sought to lose.
Yes, my own loss has been consistent, and what you see is my loss since starting about 6 weeks ago (29th June). I'm eating lower carb, which right now for me means a few handfuls of berries every day, a lot of non-starchy veg, and moderate amounts of the starchier varieties of veg. Aside from that, it means no bread, no added sugar, and no grains. Its not an approach for everyone, but one in which I've been yielding a lot of dividends from.
Initially, I saw a lot of loss, averaging around 3.5/ 4lbs a week, a lot of which was water, but since those first 3/ 4 weeks, I am now averaging something like 2lbs a week, which I am happy with, at least until I hit my next little milestone which will leave me 1- 1.5 stone away from my target weight. So in about 4lbs time I will seek to slow the rate of loss again, and bring it down to 1/ 1.5lbs a week I think.
Its very much all about sustainability and a considered approach for me, as well as a little gentle experimentation, but one of the big things I've found is I like carb control, as by controlling the level of carbs I eat, I find I have discovered a natural lever to control my appetite and intake. Even though I will probably revert to a moderate carb intake when I hit my loss goal, I can see carb control being an effective tool in my armoury in the future, should I need to trim some pounds and return myself to my optimal weight.
I've tried to diet other ways before, initially via crazy calorie restriction when I was younger and more reckless, and then the last few times via calorie control and carb-rich diets, but rich in complex carbs, but to be honest I've never found anything as easy as the low carb way I'm trying now. My real goal though is to reach my target weight, but also optimise my health and fitness, as well as equip myself with good tools and habits to both maintain my weight, but also with which to manipulate it, should I need to increase it or decrease it when it changes.0 -
Yes, definitely stick with your 1900 or 2000 calories awhile longer. Two weeks is not that long to stay level. I go through periods of losing for several weeks straight and then sitting level for several weeks then losing then level, on and on. Patience really is the key for this.
I'm a woman at 5'6" and losing at 1800-2100 calories a day, by the way, so I definitely don't think that 2000 calories is too much for an active man. If I limited myself to 1500 calories I would chew my arm off from hunger. I suppose that's one way to lose 10 pounds or so but it would make typing much more difficult. Eh, you win some, you lose some.0 -
Well that's interesting. My fitness pal gave me 1910 cals a day to eat up until now, and now I just clicked "update profile" and now it says 1780. Whaaaat? Oh fitness pal. Have you been keeping things from me? I thought we had an open relationship where we could talk about things. Are you trying to keep me fat so I'll never leave you?
This only adds to the confusion. What do you guys think? Should I do the calories mfp recommends (1780) or try 1500 for awhile? You people are smart. I will listen to you!
As you lose weight your BMR goes down meaning it takes less calories to maintain your current weight, so try the 1780 for 3-4 weeks then adjust again at that point
What he said.0 -
You might have to do more than just knock out 10000 steps a day. Run or lift weights, use body weights. Stuff that will increase your heart rate. Thats the trick with cals. And eat right.0
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Go lower. I tested this doing (NET) 1600, then (NET of exercise) 1300 and once I got down to 1300 I watched my fat melt. If your not losing weight, keep dropping. Its your body, it will tell you when it needs less, and if your not losing, go lower.0
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Go lower. I tested this doing (NET) 1600, then (NET of exercise) 1300 and once I got down to 1300 I watched my fat melt. If your not losing weight, keep dropping. Its your body, it will tell you when it needs less, and if your not losing, go lower.
At 24, you needed to go to a net of 1300 cals to drop weight. You many need to go see a doctor. That's my 5 year old's daily intake.0 -
Go lower. I tested this doing (NET) 1600, then (NET of exercise) 1300 and once I got down to 1300 I watched my fat melt. If your not losing weight, keep dropping. Its your body, it will tell you when it needs less, and if your not losing, go lower.
You need help0 -
Don't do it, 1500 is way too low! You need to do more intense cardio and weight lifting!0
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