Is 1500 calories a day too low for an active 6' 200lb male?

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Geocitiesuser
Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Without writing too much of a text:

I lost 100+lbs at 2,000 kcals a day. I typed new numbers and goals into MFP, and it says 1500 calories. I exercise (a mixture of weights, LISS cardio, and martial arts) most days but do not log it or "eat back" the calories.

My energy level is... okayish. But I've only been at 1500 cals for a little more than a week.

Is this too low? I feel it's not, but when mentioning this calorie level on a different fitness board I got called a troll that was spreading "harmful information"

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited March 2017
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    MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories. So it's telling you to eat 1500 PLUS your exercise calories.

    Also, do you still have your goal set at 2 lbs per week? That is only realistic when you have a lot of weight left to lose - how much do you have left to go?

    Short answer - yes, it's too low.

    ETA: Just looked at your profile and looks like you have under 50 lbs left to lose. Switch to a goal of 1 lb per week and eat back some of your exercise cals.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    You told it you want to lose 2 lb a week, didn't you?

    Try 1 lb a week. See what that gives you. Or else eat back some exercise calories.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Yes it's too low. As above, mfp gives you a goal excluding purposeful exercise. It also sounds like your expected weight loss is too aggressive at this point.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Reduce your rate of loss
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
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    I have ~25lbs left to go. Is 2lbs a week no good anymore?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    I have ~25lbs left to go. Is 2lbs a week no good anymore?

    That's way too agressive. I'd do 1/2 lb a week with that little to lose.
  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
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    You're in the 1lb a week rate of loss range. 2lbs is too aggressive. With that much exercise you could burn out quickly on 1500 cals, especially if you aren't eating back exercise cals.
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback yall. I will up my calories a bit.

    Is there a calorie calculator anyone would recommend for TDEE? I don't trust the myfitnesspal numbers for things like martial arts calories burned, they seem suspiciously high. It also doesn't give calorie burn for weight lifting
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    It's basically the floor for the average sedentary male. An active male really has no business with 1500 calories.

    I'm 5'10" on a good day...I lose weight at the rate of about 1 Lb per week with 2300-2500 calories per day.
  • suwala2t
    suwala2t Posts: 16 Member
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    I'd say just listen to how your body feels. If you get lightheadedness/dizziniess, then you'll need more calorie intake.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Try Scoobys, I believe that's one people like. And IIFYM does one too. My exercise is too inconsistent at the moment to test any calculators out.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It's basically the floor for the average sedentary male. An active male really has no business with 1500 calories.

    I'm 5'10" on a good day...I lose weight at the rate of about 1 Lb per week with 2300-2500 calories per day.

    This. I'm still 250ish aiming for 2 lb per week loss, so MFP gives me 1550 (1500 is the floor) but eat about 2000 given my actual activity level.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
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    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    Is there a calorie calculator anyone would recommend for TDEE? I don't trust the myfitnesspal numbers for things like martial arts calories burned, they seem suspiciously high. It also doesn't give calorie burn for weight lifting

    No TDEE calculator is going to give you an even remotely precise number. By their nature they all ask for an estimate of your activity only. It might be better to find other exercise calorie burn calculators and enter their results into MFP directly. (Understanding that when you tell MFP your activity level, that should be your daily routine without purposeful exercise.)

    That said, weight training doesn't burn that many calories. If you weigh 185 lbs, you burn about 133 calories in a half hour weight lifting session on average.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
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    suwala2t wrote: »
    I'd say just listen to how your body feels. If you get lightheadedness/dizziniess, then you'll need more calorie intake.

    By the time those sort of symptoms are happening, it is really too late. It is far better to have a reasonable calorie goal to start with.

    To the OP, yes it is too low. Anything more than a pound a week is too aggressive at this point in your journey. By the last 15 pounds even one pound a week is likely pushing it. Just as an example, I am a 5'10, 50 year old male who is largely sedentary and I lose at 2000 or so calories a day. You, at 6' could probably lose at 2000 a day as well.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
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    Jesus.

    I'm a 5'7" girl and 1500 is not enough for me so gah!

    eat more foods!

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