Losing weight on 1400-1500 calories?

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silversequin7
silversequin7 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I wanted to know if anyone (specifically women) have had success losing weight on a 1400-1500 calorie diet.

I would like to lose 20-30 pounds--I am currently 165 lbs / 5'8". I have lost weight in the past, but through unhealthy measures i.e. 1000-1100 calorie diets. I would like to go about losing weight now using healthier measures. I have shifted from mostly cardio to mostly weights and I want to be able to eat moderately low calories, not ultra low.

I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

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Replies

  • SammiG01
    SammiG01 Posts: 105 Member
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    CICO If you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight. Trust MFP. If you enter your stats, mfp will tell you how many calories you should eat and if you follow it you will lose weight. It works. I am at 1500 calories right now, that's what's right for my size and activity level, it will change as I lose. And I am losing weight.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Me! And I'm 5'5" and 148pounds, I also don't work out that much and have a desk job. When I do work out more I eat more. I lose about 1-0.5 pounds a week on average. When I was losing weight for my wedding a couple of years ago I lost at the same rate on 1600 cals a day average but I was working out more. Its a healthy rate to lose at it doesn't make you miserable and you don't pile it straight back on after you crash and burn :)

    BTW is the 1400-1500 net or total, because you could probably comfortably eat more on exercise days considering your height and still shift 1 - 0.5 pounds a week. :) Long story short you should definitely lose though.
  • silversequin7
    silversequin7 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks for all the great replies! I have only been implementing my current diet and exercise routine as of a about a week and a half now. I have lost about a pound but sometimes it feels not like much and I second guess if what I am doing is correct.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    Yes! I'm female, 5'6", eating 1500 calories per day plus exercise calories. I lose about a lb per week if I stick to it! Even if I go over some, I still lose weight.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited February 2017
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    silversequin7 wrote: »
    I wanted to know if anyone (specifically women) have had success losing weight on a 1400-1500 calorie diet.

    I would like to lose 20-30 pounds--I am currently 165 lbs / 5'8". I have lost weight in the past, but through unhealthy measures i.e. 1000-1100 calorie diets. I would like to go about losing weight now using healthier measures. I have shifted from mostly cardio to mostly weights and I want to be able to eat moderately low calories, not ultra low.

    I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

    I don't consider 1000 - 1100 to be unhealthy, but I am an outlier so clearly what works for me does not work for all. 1200 - 1300 is maintenance for me at the weight I am currently at, so I have to drop below that to lose. So for me, no 1400 - 1500 would definitely not work. I am 5'7" and 154 right now (heading back to 140), but I am 61, so age is a factor I am sure.
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    I am 5'8 but weigh more than you lol I eat about 1850+ per day to fuel strength training so depending on what you are doing for exercise (if any) should determine how you eat :)
  • Whitbygramgirl
    Whitbygramgirl Posts: 75 Member
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    So here's a question to this group - would you say that one should decrease one's calories depending on age? Or should I stick with the guided MFP plan? I also work out - more now than ever - but I'm not consistent with my weight dropping. I've lost about 8 lbs. - but it has taken me FOREVER - LOL - I'm at 1450 cals now
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    Metabolism drops with age because muscle mass and activity tends to decline with age. If you're doing exercise and strength training, you'll burn calories more like someone younger. If you're not, you won't and you need to eat less. If you're losing, I would just hold the course and focus on maintaining muscle mass.

    I've lost 10 lb since New Year's. My calorie target base is 1310, but I generally eat 1500-ish because of daily exercise.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
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    I'm 5'8", 178 (the last I checked. I don't weigh often) and have my calories set at 1850. I work out 5-6 days a week, heavy lifting, and I don't eat back my exercise calories.
  • Whitbygramgirl
    Whitbygramgirl Posts: 75 Member
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    Thanks @annacole94 I do weights as well - I am struggling though with losing!
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited February 2017
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    silversequin7 wrote: »
    I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

    Yes. When I was active, I lost weight very quickly at that calorie level.

    How much you'll lose at a certain calorie level depends on how much of a deficit that is for you. Do you have a rough idea of how many calories you're consuming to create your weight at your current activity level?

    See, for me, I was probably eating an average of 1800 calories a day back when I lost weight on cals in the 1400s. So that's a 400 cal/daily deficit from diet alone. So about 3.5 pounds a month weight loss, on paper.

    If you're currently eating 2000 calories a day, then you're going to lose even more by dropping to the 1400s (so long as you don't decrease your activity level from your starting point).

    If you're currently eating 1500 a day and switch to 1400, then you're going to lose bc you'll still be creating a deficit, but you'll lose very slowly. In a month, you'll have created a 3000 calorie deficit, so still not enough to lose a pound.

    Most likely, given your stats you're eating closer to 2000 than 1500, so will lose well on 1400 calories.

    One way to estimate how many calories you're currently eating is to look up TDEE charts. Enter in your info. The calorie level it gives to create your current weight with your stats and activity level isan estimate of how many calories you're likely eating. This is an imperfect method because it's just an estimate, so you may be a few hundred higher or lower than the estimated number. But it can be a helpful starting point to begin analyzing and specifying your own TDEE.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    silversequin7 wrote: »
    I wanted to know if anyone (specifically women) have had success losing weight on a 1400-1500 calorie diet.

    I would like to lose 20-30 pounds--I am currently 165 lbs / 5'8". I have lost weight in the past, but through unhealthy measures i.e. 1000-1100 calorie diets. I would like to go about losing weight now using healthier measures. I have shifted from mostly cardio to mostly weights and I want to be able to eat moderately low calories, not ultra low.

    I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

    I don't consider 1000 - 1100 to be unhealthy, but I am an outlier so clearly what works for me does not work for all. 1200 - 1300 is maintenance for me at the weight I am currently at, so I have to drop below that to lose. So for me, no 1400 - 1500 would definitely not work. I am 5'7" and 154 right now (heading back to 140), but I am 61, so age is a factor I am sure.

    can I ask how 1200-1300 is maintenance for you? Im curious because thats an awfully low number for maintenance for your height/weight.I dont really think age is a big factor as lot of women/men here have lost weight and quite a few are older.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
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    I'm at 1400 calories right now and it's working for me - 5'6 and started at 231, now 221. I eat more on exercise days, but try to only eat back about half my exercise cals. I average about a pound per week, 1.5 when I stick to the 1400 without overages or cheat days... those bring my average down.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,913 Member
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    Wickglamgirl wrote: »
    So here's a question to this group - would you say that one should decrease one's calories depending on age? Or should I stick with the guided MFP plan? I also work out - more now than ever - but I'm not consistent with my weight dropping. I've lost about 8 lbs. - but it has taken me FOREVER - LOL - I'm at 1450 cals now

    Since you tell MFP your age, it is factoring that in.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,913 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    silversequin7 wrote: »
    I wanted to know if anyone (specifically women) have had success losing weight on a 1400-1500 calorie diet.

    I would like to lose 20-30 pounds--I am currently 165 lbs / 5'8". I have lost weight in the past, but through unhealthy measures i.e. 1000-1100 calorie diets. I would like to go about losing weight now using healthier measures. I have shifted from mostly cardio to mostly weights and I want to be able to eat moderately low calories, not ultra low.

    I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

    I don't consider 1000 - 1100 to be unhealthy, but I am an outlier so clearly what works for me does not work for all. 1200 - 1300 is maintenance for me at the weight I am currently at, so I have to drop below that to lose. So for me, no 1400 - 1500 would definitely not work. I am 5'7" and 154 right now (heading back to 140), but I am 61, so age is a factor I am sure.

    How are you measuring your Calories In?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,913 Member
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    silversequin7 wrote: »
    I wanted to know if anyone (specifically women) have had success losing weight on a 1400-1500 calorie diet.

    I would like to lose 20-30 pounds--I am currently 165 lbs / 5'8". I have lost weight in the past, but through unhealthy measures i.e. 1000-1100 calorie diets. I would like to go about losing weight now using healthier measures. I have shifted from mostly cardio to mostly weights and I want to be able to eat moderately low calories, not ultra low.

    I know that what works for one person and what works for another can vary widely, but I was just curious if there were people losing weight eating 1400-1500 calories.

    Just FYI if you just switched to weight lifting you might have some temporary water weight gain - my own scale went up 7 pounds when I started lifting again.

    Are you talking 1400-1500 calories gross or net?

    Gross calories include the calories you ate back from earning more calories from exercise.

    Depending on my exercise level, I can lose weight eating 2,000 gross calories or more.
  • laceyslabaugh
    laceyslabaugh Posts: 113 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and started at 161, I've lost 5 lbs in 4 weeks and I eat 1200 cal/day and haven't added exercise in until next week ... I needed to get my eating under control.

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