Is 1500 Calories Really Too Much?

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  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    If you are active, which you are, and are losing weight, which you are, it doesn't really matter what others think. You may have to reduce your intake if you happened to become less active since you are short, but as it stands you are in a good position and shouldn't worry about what others think.
  • Livgetfit
    Livgetfit Posts: 352 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Everyone is an expert....sigh....

    You're losing. You're happy. You're you, not her.

    Keep it up, you are doing great!
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    Here's my mini flowchart:

    Is it healthy?
    -> If no, change it!
    Is it working?
    -> If no, change it!
    Is it sustainable?
    -> If no, change it!

    -> If yes to all of the above: Awesome! keep on keeping on!
  • NaniCorday
    NaniCorday Posts: 12 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Oh, come on. You know people of MFP are going to tell you you're doing fine. You just want the validation.
    Let me break it down for you. You're 5'0. You're eating 1500 calories and you're exercising - What are your net calories, though?? What are you burning off from your exercises by the end of the day? Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest. And, your body usually fluctuates between 2 or 3 pounds from morning vs night. So, maybe you didn't even really lose anything.
    Someone of your height should be eating 1200 calories or 1300 calories. That's how much I've been eating for 2 months - mixed in with running for 30 to 40 minutes everyday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds - in 2 months. And, no, I don't cut out carbs or sugar or anything. Just pure calorie counting.

    Do what you want, but that's just my opinion and advice.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited November 2015
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    NaniCorday wrote: »
    Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest.

    Depends entirely on what her current weight is. If she's close to ideal weight, even her current one pound per week might be too aggressive. When you're close to goal you need to go slowly to preserve lean mass, since your body's ability to mobilize fat for calories is proportional to how much fat you actually possess to be mobilized - any calorie deficit beyond what your body can supply from fat reserves comes from lean mass catabolism.

    If she's morbidly obese, she could probably be more aggressive, but 1500/day for1 lb/week doesn't scream "obese" to me, particularly with the high amount of self-reported exercise.
  • NaniCorday
    NaniCorday Posts: 12 Member
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    Depends entirely on what her current weight is

    Then that's what she needs to specify here. It makes a huge difference.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    NaniCorday wrote: »
    Oh, come on. You know people of MFP are going to tell you you're doing fine. You just want the validation.
    Let me break it down for you. You're 5'0. You're eating 1500 calories and you're exercising - What are your net calories, though?? What are you burning off from your exercises by the end of the day? Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest. And, your body usually fluctuates between 2 or 3 pounds from morning vs night. So, maybe you didn't even really lose anything.
    Someone of your height should be eating 1200 calories or 1300 calories. That's how much I've been eating for 2 months - mixed in with running for 30 to 40 minutes everyday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds - in 2 months. And, no, I don't cut out carbs or sugar or anything. Just pure calorie counting.

    Do what you want, but that's just my opinion and advice.

    It's good you found something that's worked for you, but insisting someone else should be eating how you are is silly.

    If you're comfortable with a ~2 lb/week loss, that's your choice. If someone else prefers to eat more and still lose, so be it. There's really no right or wrong here.

    ~Lyssa
  • NaniCorday
    NaniCorday Posts: 12 Member
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    If someone else prefers to eat more and still lose, so be it. There's really no right or wrong here.

    Yes, of course. But she came here for advice and opinions, so I'm giving her mine.

    I'm actually a little confused why she's losing so little if she's working out for 3 hours a day and eating 1500 calories. Her net calories should be very low, which would cause her to lose fast. Of course, if she is already near her goal weight, it would make sense why she wouldn't be losing much... but, if she is very overweight (even 20 pounds overweight) this doesn't add up.

    Either she has an extremely low metabolism, or she is actually eating more than she thinks.

    If she has a low metabolism, she should adjust her calorie intake and lower it. I have an underactive thyroid, so I need to eat very low just to lose 2 to 3 pounds per week.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I wouldn't fix what isn't broke. If you're losing and you're happy with it then keep doing what you're doing.
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 403 Member
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    NaniCorday wrote: »
    I have an underactive thyroid, so I need to eat very low just to lose 2 to 3 pounds per week.

    Thyroid issues or not, everyone would have to eat very low to lose 2 to 3 lbs per week, that's a very aggressive rate for vast majority of people (unless they are very tall or very obese)

    OP, please don't listen to advice to eat less - what you are doing seems good, i.e. you are losing slow and steady. That way you are most likely to sustain what you are doing and succeed,
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
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    NaniCorday wrote: »
    Oh, come on. You know people of MFP are going to tell you you're doing fine. You just want the validation.

    :bigsmile: MFP is really not famous for validating dem feels

    Let me break it down for you. You're 5'0. You're eating 1500 calories and you're exercising - What are your net calories, though?? What are you burning off from your exercises by the end of the day? Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest. And, your body usually fluctuates between 2 or 3 pounds from morning vs night. So, maybe you didn't even really lose anything.

    she is demonstrating regular loss over 9-10 weeks ..that's not a fluctuation

    Someone of your height should be eating 1200 calories or 1300 calories. That's how much I've been eating for 2 months - mixed in with running for 30 to 40 minutes everyday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds - in 2 months. And, no, I don't cut out carbs or sugar or anything. Just pure calorie counting.

    so not a rule, not even relevant...@winogelato is only 5'2 and I believe she consumes significantly more in weight loss...your calories are individual to you not a rule for others

    Do what you want, but that's just my opinion and advice.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    I'm 5' and I'm eating 1500 calories per day. I'm losing slowly but surely.
    Only you know what works for you
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    NaniCorday wrote: »
    Oh, come on. You know people of MFP are going to tell you you're doing fine. You just want the validation.
    Let me break it down for you. You're 5'0. You're eating 1500 calories and you're exercising - What are your net calories, though?? What are you burning off from your exercises by the end of the day? Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest. And, your body usually fluctuates between 2 or 3 pounds from morning vs night. So, maybe you didn't even really lose anything.
    Someone of your height should be eating 1200 calories or 1300 calories. That's how much I've been eating for 2 months - mixed in with running for 30 to 40 minutes everyday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds - in 2 months. And, no, I don't cut out carbs or sugar or anything. Just pure calorie counting.

    Do what you want, but that's just my opinion and advice.

    You missed the obvious part where you're exercising for 40 minutes and she's exercising for 3 hours.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    NaniCorday wrote: »
    Oh, come on. You know people of MFP are going to tell you you're doing fine. You just want the validation.

    :bigsmile: MFP is really not famous for validating dem feels

    Let me break it down for you. You're 5'0. You're eating 1500 calories and you're exercising - What are your net calories, though?? What are you burning off from your exercises by the end of the day? Less than 4 pounds in one month? That's pretty low, to be honest. And, your body usually fluctuates between 2 or 3 pounds from morning vs night. So, maybe you didn't even really lose anything.

    she is demonstrating regular loss over 9-10 weeks ..that's not a fluctuation

    Someone of your height should be eating 1200 calories or 1300 calories. That's how much I've been eating for 2 months - mixed in with running for 30 to 40 minutes everyday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds - in 2 months. And, no, I don't cut out carbs or sugar or anything. Just pure calorie counting.

    so not a rule, not even relevant...@winogelato is only 5'2 and I believe she consumes significantly more in weight loss...your calories are individual to you not a rule for others

    Do what you want, but that's just my opinion and advice.

    Thanks Rabbit. My favorite topic! Yes I'm 5'2 and maintenance for me is around 2200, so please @NaniCorday don't assume that everyone must eat at 1200 in order to lose weight just because they are a petite female.



  • cbtebb
    cbtebb Posts: 34 Member
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    If you're putting 3 hours of exercise in a day then 1500 calories is needed!

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