help me understand

zakharrison22
zakharrison22 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. So I have a question about calories and my body. First a little background on me. I'm 6 foot tall 32 year old male who weights in at 247 pounds currently. I've been using MFP for about 2 weeks now. I started at 255 pounds and as of this morning I am 247. I weigh myself on Sunday mornings. Most people don't believe me when I say I'm 250, so I must carry it well.

MFP says I should consume 2980 calories to lose 2 pounds a week. Other online calculators suggest the same. I find it nearly impossible to eat that much eating healthier. I tend to log 1500 to 2000 a day. With 1500 I feel fine and have plenty of energy. Is 1500 bad?

My overall goals would to get to 200 pounds but with my body type I don't know if its possible. Id be happy with 215-220. And to have abs again. Haven't seen those puppies since high school baseball.

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Well to give you perspective I am a 5ft7 42 year old woman who eats 1800 calories a day to lose 1/2lb a week so yah 1500 for a man your size is not good. In the summer my maitenance is about 2400...due to increase of exercise.

    So the question is...why 2lbs a week? you have less than 50lbs to lose so 1lb a week is a good healthy rate.

    As for getting in the calories sure you can otherwise you wouldn't be here.

    The mistake lots make when they get here (me included) is thinking they have to eat only "healthy" food which is not true...you can eat whatever you want as long as you are in a deficit.

    Now that doesn't mean only eat hohos and ice cream..I get in my "healthy" nutrient dense foods then to fill up the rest of my calories I have my treats...such as cream in my coffee, chocolate and at least once a week fast food etc.
  • echmainfit619
    echmainfit619 Posts: 333 Member
    > MFP says I should consume 2980 calories to lose 2 pounds a week.

    2980 sounds WAY too high. I started at 221 and my daily calorie limit (for 1 pound/week) was 1800.
  • Darthlance714
    Darthlance714 Posts: 10 Member
    edited April 2015
    To lose 1.5 a week MFP Gave me 2800. I'm same age same weight but three inches shorter.
  • zakharrison22
    zakharrison22 Posts: 4 Member
    i put in 2 pounds a week when I set this up. Im not going to say I will lose 2 pounds a week. I eat a diet of 50% protien, 30% carbs and 20% fat.

    If you strap a pedometer on me during a normal work day I will easily take 15,000 steps, then after work I will run a minimum of 2 miles up to 6 miles. 3 days a weeks a lift doing chest arms and back.

    I try to eat as best as I can, I have cut out all soda and energy drinks and fast food.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    do you have your activity level set for active due to the 15k steps from work? and do you log your exercise and eat back the calories?

    why cut out the fast food etc there is no rule that says once your macros are met that you can't have treats etc to get the calories up.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Find calorie dense foods to bump your calories up. Nut butters are always a good choice. Make sure you eat whole eggs instead of egg whites. Add cheese to things. If you indulge, have a beer.
  • Gregory_Horton
    Gregory_Horton Posts: 25 Member
    edited April 2015
    I'm 6'3" and started at 210 lbs. click my profile and check my food diary. I consume roughly 2800 calories per day. It's clean and hits macros of 40/40/20.
  • ScrAgnX
    ScrAgnX Posts: 368 Member
    I'm 6'3" and 320lbs, my calorie goal is 2090 per day (MFP calculated); I have labeled myself add sedentary (desk job). Due to exercise I lose closer to three pounds a week.

    If you move quite a bit, that would be right, but double check to make sure you have the right activity level selected.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Find calorie dense foods to bump your calories up. Nut butters are always a good choice. Make sure you eat whole eggs instead of egg whites. Add cheese to things. If you indulge, have a beer.

    Eat ice cream, chocolate, cakes, drink alcohol, fry some of your foods

    It's really not difficult

    If it was you wouldn't need to lose weight in the first place
  • zakharrison22
    zakharrison22 Posts: 4 Member
    i put in very active. I do not eat back my calories from exercising and mapmyrun logs that exercise for me. I dont log the weight lifting. Personally I find most fast food disgusting. Subway or the like is the only fast food I really like.

    Whole eggs only if I make an omelet. I take hardboiled eggs to work and only eat the egg whites.


  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    edited April 2015
    The 2980 then is due to being "very active" so sounds like you have included your exercise calories due to the activity level.

    If you are going to use MFP then use it the way it was designed...

    Put in your actual activity level through daily non exercise that gives you the calories to eat preexercise than log exercise and due to MFP being not great at calculating those calories eat back 50% of them.

    I get typically on average 9800 steps a day without exercise so I set my level at lightly active but that being said I also calculated my TDEE using a formula given to me by two members I trust. That's how I know I can eat up to 2400 in the summer and maintain and 1800 is a good level for me to lose at.
  • zakharrison22
    zakharrison22 Posts: 4 Member
    that 15k steps are not exercise steps. thats just what I do. Im an electrical contractor, so I'm usally wearing a 50 plus pound tool belt and up/down ladders all day. Been doing that 17 years. I just consider my lifestyle very active I guess. Im always out hiking if Im not working and dont consider that exercise. I think I will just go through the custom setup to change the settings. I was just wondering why they had it so high and I guess its the very active that did it.

    Thanks
  • lttlefethr
    lttlefethr Posts: 3
    echmainfit619 wrote: »
    > MFP says I should consume 2980 calories to lose 2 pounds a week.

    2980 sounds WAY too high. I started at 221 and my daily calorie limit (for 1 pound/week) was 1800.

    I also think the amount of calories allowed is way too high especially for someone that usually only goes for a brisk walk twice a day the rest of the time I take my dog out half a dozen times today and otherwise I just sit around. I don't need all those calories but I try to eat healthy and get enough protein and keep the sugars and carbs down.. as long as I am burning more calories and I'm consuming I know I will lose weight. I cannot force myself to eat that many calories per day unless I go into high fat foods and I refuse
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