Calorie question

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Sirick86
Sirick86 Posts: 23 Member
edited July 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm dieting for the first time in my life and according to this app I need atleast 1500 cals. I've been taking in between 1000-1500, I know kind've low. But I was also wondering if 1500 is low as well? I just turned 30, I'm 5'10, 229lbs and I hit the gym for about 2 1/2 hrs a night, focusing on weight training and finishing with 20-30mins cardio a mix of walking, running, depending if it's leg day lol....Anyways, what would ideally be the amount of cals someone like me should be taking in? I do a high volume workout plan and go pretty hard when I'm there lol

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    How many pounds did you setup MFP to loose weight each week? 2, 1.5 or 1 pound per week?

    Ideally setting up to loose slower will help you maintain your muscle mass while eating a deficit, and an aggressive deficit like 2 pounds a week is not a good idea unless you are in the obese category, and certainly not eating below 1500 calories any time for a man and definitely not eating 1000 calories that is even lower than what a woman should eat to loose weight. ;)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited July 2016
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    You are a guy for one thing so yeah, you do need AT LEAST 1500, and if you are active, then you'll need more. You WILL still lose.

    How much do you want/need to lose? It depends on your current weight, most guys will maintain on 3000 calories if they are average height/weight 6ft. To lose 1lb per week that would equal eating 2500 calories a day hypothetically.

    So plug in your stats to MFP and let it do the working out for you. Choose up to 1 or 2lbs per week weight loss - that will have you eating at 500 / 1000 calorie a day deficit of your maintenance calories. If you have less than 30lbs to lose 1lb per week loss is ideal.

    There's no need to half starve yourself, lose weight in a healthy way and you'll be more likely to be consistent and stick with it.

    All the best. Its not a race, its about making small changes that will last and will see you eating better in the long run and moving more.
  • Martinalindq
    Martinalindq Posts: 1 Member
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    Way too low!!! Personally I consider this app great for logging what you eat but as for getting the right intake - no no no. Based on your facts you need to take in between 2400-2700 cals a day (low carb/high carb days) and that means you'll be on a deficit of appr 600 cals a day which will make you loose fat. Try to make the daily calories split in 25% fat, 40% carbs and 35% protein. That's where this app gets really helpful!! It will show you where you're at every time you log your intake..
  • Sirick86
    Sirick86 Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks yall. I'm definitely in the obese category, atleast that's what my doctor says. I'm looking for 2lbs per week. Ideally I want to get down to atleast 190ish, I'm working out so I don't really have a weight planned out, basically a beach bod lol whatever that weight may be ;) lol but anyways, probably around 190, I workout quite a bit and I'm not just trying to just loose weight, but looking forward to a bulk cut one day when all is ready. Bodybuilding is something I've become pretty interested in lately as my best friend is one and competes, however he's not very helpful when it comes to this dieting thing.

    As for starving myself, the problem is, I've never been a big eater, I've always just ate really bad, pizza 3 or 4 times a week or mcdonalds every night. And now that I'm eating healthy food I still don't eat alot and it's why I have such low calories. I don't feel like I'm starving basically lol I just can't put down a lot at once mixed with this new healthy lifestyle I've taken up lol
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Sirick86 wrote: »
    Thanks yall. I'm definitely in the obese category, atleast that's what my doctor says. I'm looking for 2lbs per week. Ideally I want to get down to atleast 190ish, I'm working out so I don't really have a weight planned out, basically a beach bod lol whatever that weight may be ;) lol but anyways, probably around 190, I workout quite a bit and I'm not just trying to just loose weight, but looking forward to a bulk cut one day when all is ready. Bodybuilding is something I've become pretty interested in lately as my best friend is one and competes, however he's not very helpful when it comes to this dieting thing.

    As for starving myself, the problem is, I've never been a big eater, I've always just ate really bad, pizza 3 or 4 times a week or mcdonalds every night. And now that I'm eating healthy food I still don't eat alot and it's why I have such low calories. I don't feel like I'm starving basically lol I just can't put down a lot at once mixed with this new healthy lifestyle I've taken up lol

    You will never put on muscle unless you eat for it. And you were at one point a big eater in calories that is how you are where you are now. And well at a 1000 calories you are starving your self. You can STILL eat additional calorie dense food to make it too 1500, this is an excuse it sounds like to me. Be smart about this.

    So you can either loose this 40 pounds ridiculously aggressive and loose the muscle mass a long the way (which you have rebuild that) or lose it slower and, keep lifting until you get leaner body fat % in order to bulk. Has your so called friend not even told you (the one that competes) what body fat % you need to get down to in order to do a bulk that would be advisable for lowest fat regain to muscle gain?

    If you are looking for folks to say it is ok for you to eat this way, you are not gonna get that here. And if you really really want to bulk in the future and put on some mass and get a great looking body you have to work for it and eat for it!

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
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    .
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    Help get rid of adverts like that by clicking on flag>>Report then select advertising on the original post.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
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    oolou wrote: »
    Help get rid of adverts like that by clicking on flag>>Report then select advertising on the original post.

    I did that already.. :)

    Why did I get flagged???
  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I don't agree that you have to eat extra to build some muscle, but you do need to eat a lot more than 1500 kc for a large male. I'm losing weight and building slowly on about 2200 kc to 2500 kc / day. At least you should eat up to your BMI. Well maybe I have a calorie surplus at 2500 kc, it is hard to be sure how many calories are actually burned. Anyway I was just trying to prevent muscle loss and I've gained a little over the last four months while dropping about 5kg. (11 lbs) I'm not in a hurry as I have to pretty much eat this way for the rest of my life if I don't want to get obese again. I also workout, probably too much.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Sirick86 wrote: »
    I'm dieting for the first time in my life and according to this app I need atleast 1500 cals. I've been taking in between 1000-1500, I know kind've low. But I was also wondering if 1500 is low as well? I just turned 30, I'm 5'10, 229lbs and I hit the gym for about 2 1/2 hrs a night, focusing on weight training and finishing with 20-30mins cardio a mix of walking, running, depending if it's leg day lol....Anyways, what would ideally be the amount of cals someone like me should be taking in? I do a high volume workout plan and go pretty hard when I'm there lol

    Thanks in advance!

    so MFP will have given you 1500 because you set it to lose 2lb per week?

    so you need to NET that figure - ie eat back exercise cals.
  • AbiiReilly
    AbiiReilly Posts: 14 Member
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    You shouldn't exercise for more thank 45 minuets per day in the gym as your body stops burning etc, can't remember the technical words for it
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    AbiiReilly wrote: »
    You shouldn't exercise for more thank 45 minuets per day in the gym as your body stops burning etc, can't remember the technical words for it

    So you're telling me that when I run for an hour and a half I only burn calories for the first 45 minutes???? Really???
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
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    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    How many pounds did you setup MFP to loose weight each week? 2, 1.5 or 1 pound per week?

    Ideally setting up to [lose] slower will help you maintain your muscle mass while eating a deficit, and an aggressive deficit like 2 pounds a week is not a good idea unless you are in the obese category, and certainly not eating below 1500 calories any time for a man and definitely not eating 1000 calories that is even lower than what a woman should eat to[lose] weight. ;)

    That's too much of a generalization. Some people go on well-researched diets designed to target fat that are under 1,000. Studies have shown that losing weight slowly is a more effective means of losing weight and it's not unhealthy to do an aggressive diet. What matters is having the mindset for it and the willingness to change after the diet is concluded.
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
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    Start with the 1500 and see how you feel. Eat back about 1/2 of your exercise calories to make sure you're getting enough fuel. If you starve the muscle, it won't rebuild the way you want it to.

    Maybe try more frequent meals and calorie dense foods? Protein shakes are great on the go (and HUGELY beneficial after a hard weights session). Nuts are extremely calorie dense- a few tbsps in a salad will add at least 100+ calories, avocado is another great calorie dense food (here are a bunch of VERY calorie dense avocado toast breakfast ideas: http://www.thekitchn.com/11-easy-ways-to-fancy-up-your-avocado-toast-219143). I second the comment that if you're trying to build muscle, you need to eat for it. I'm a 150lb woman and I eat well over 100g of protein every day (its lunch and i'm at 65g on less than 500 total cals). My "treat" food is the oikos frozen chocolate greek yogurt. Its got a good balance of protein, fats, and carbs (ok, yes, its sugar, but it's more or less my only sugar!). Its my go-to at 9:30pm when I realize i'm 300 cals short.

    My other advice? Buy a food scale. It took me forever to come around to this, but it's changed my life. My guesstimates were definitely off
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    If you like lifting, take a look at Mike Matthews book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. It's a great guide and I used it and the basic process to lose 40 pounds overall and about 50 pounds of fat. I started at about 240 and got down to 191. I'm up some after my honeymoon to St. Martin :) Feel free to add me, I log regularly.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    What he said (above).
    I consistently eat a low calorie nutrient dense diet, I've been lifting heavy, getting plenty of cardio and practicing MMA for about 3 years. I was able to drop 80 LBs and gain, then maintain, my muscle. Also check out Eat to Perform, it's a site with some good ideas.