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Question about my sons caloric needs...

liya368
liya368 Posts: 122 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My son set up an account. He is 18 years old and if I had to guess probably needs to lose at least 100 pounds. He told me MFP put his daily intake at 2400 calories. I find this hard to believe.

I set up my goals (hanging my head in shame) over 2 years ago. With a 50 pound weight loss goal and a sedentary lifestyle. My calorie intake was 1200 so he is telling me his is twice mine.

Is is possible for his base to be that many calories (I am assuming before any exercise)?
Thanks!

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    MFP usually puts your daily calorie goal pretty low, I can't remember what mine was set at when I first started.

    I'm not sure if I'm correct in saying this, but I remember reading somewhere on here that MFP puts females caloric needs pretty low, to about 1200 or something near that. And males, higher.

    How heavy is your son? If hes bigger, then it'd make sense to be on a higher calorie allowance to lose weight at a steady pace.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Absolutely.

    You didn't provide a ton of info, but (just as an example, these are obviously total ballparks) an 18 year old male at 6 feet tall and weighing 275 pounds has a BMR of around 2600 calories per day (meaning that's what they'd burn just by living and not moving at all - it's what they'd feed you to maintain your weight if you were in a coma). A 40 year old woman at 5'5" and 200 pounds has a BMR of about 1650. All of that is before exercise. The older you get, the lower your BMR. The taller you are, the heavier you are, and being a male all increases BMR. Your son has the advantage in every single category.

    It also depends on what you each entered as your weekly weight loss/daily calorie deficit goal - if that's different, then you're comparing apples to oranges.
  • madrose0715
    madrose0715 Posts: 463 Member
    It depends on his starting stats - age, height, weight, activity level and rate of weight loss desired. The answer is yes - this is quite possible. 18 months ago, I was eating between 2200-2400 cals per day and losing - and I am a 46 year old woman standing 5'8" tall...
  • liya368
    liya368 Posts: 122 Member
    Thanks. He is 5"8" about 300 pounds. Says he goes to the gym after school but right now idk.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Since he's male, younger, and heavier, his caloric needs are going to be very different from yours.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Perfectly reasonable.

    How much energy a body uses is based on activity -but also gender, height, weight, age. Men burn more than women even if the rest of the stats are the same. And it takes more energy to sustain a larger body than a smaller one. And as we age, metabolism slows - so a younger person burns more just by being young.
    lisa368 wrote: »
    My son set up an account. He is 18 years old and if I had to guess probably needs to lose at least 100 pounds. He told me MFP put his daily intake at 2400 calories. I find this hard to believe.

    I set up my goals (hanging my head in shame) over 2 years ago. With a 50 pound weight loss goal and a sedentary lifestyle. My calorie intake was 1200 so he is telling me his is twice mine.

    Is is possible for his base to be that many calories (I am assuming before any exercise)?
    Thanks!

  • ThatMouse
    ThatMouse Posts: 229 Member
    Definitely reasonable.

    I'm assuming you're mum - correct me if I'm wrong.

    Let me give you the example of my boyfriend and I.

    Me: 5' 1", 130lbs, 23, Female
    Him: 6' 2", 195lbs, 23, Male

    My activity: 5 days/week workouts (3 strength, 2 cardio) + 2 days a week karate and some lunch time runs thrown in
    His activity: 5 days/week workouts (3 strength, 2 cardio) + several other additional workouts

    My TDEE (eat below to lose weight): ~1800-1900cal daily
    His TDEE: ~2800cal

    That's a 1000cal difference.

    This comes down to a few things:
    • He's over 1' taller than me: taller people need more calories than shorter people
    • He's a he: men require more calories than women

    It's more than possible for your son - 18, male and probably taller than you - to have twice your base caloric requirement. It's healthy, it's normal.

    If you still have questions about it, try searching for BMR/TDEE calorie calculators and articles about what determines BMR and TDEE. There used to be a really nice guide, but I seem to have lost it. Something about pants, if anyone remembers.
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