How many calories should I eat???

aaronmefford
aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been at 1500 for 3 weeks and nothing is happening. I'm 5'8" 180 lbs make. I am running 3 days a week. Looking for some advice...

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    do you weigh everything you eat with scales?
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    No I use the package to tell
    Me
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    No I use the package to tell
    Me

    you don't eat anything that isn't in a single serving package?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    No I use the package to tell
    Me

    Then it's quite possible you're eating more than you think you are. Tighten up your logging and you will probably see the results you want.
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    Ha no I don't eat only processed food.i ha e to estimate what we eat at home or look it up on mfp.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    Ha no I don't eat only processed food.i ha e to estimate what we eat at home or look it up on mfp.

    you're eating more than you think.
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    Perhaps, does 1500 sound like what I should shoot for?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    xbzjbd1dp4xj.jpg
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    Nice flow chart!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member

    aaronmefford wrote: »
    Perhaps, does 1500 sound like what I should shoot for?

    1,500 is generally the lowest recommended for men. Where are you getting this goal? It's possible you could eat more and lose if you were logging properly.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    Perhaps, does 1500 sound like what I should shoot for?

    what are your stats?
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    5'8" 180lbs 36 yo
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    Perhaps, does 1500 sound like what I should shoot for?

    There's a lot of factors that need to be known to answer this. Height, weight, activity level, etc.

    I personally like the wise-rabbit thought of "He who eats the MOST and still loses, wins."

    I'm a 42 yoa woman, 5'9", 171 pounds, losing slowly and steadily on 2000 calories a day.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    5'8" 180lbs 36 yo

    doubtful that you need to eat so little. are you very sedentary?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    Perhaps, does 1500 sound like what I should shoot for?

    1500 (before exercise) is as low as you should go for an adult male. If you aren't losing, it's very likely you are already eating more than 1500.

    Tighten up on your logging and figure out how much you are eating now.
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    I ran 6 miles Sunday. Hitting about 15 miles a week right now. I would be surprised if I was over by a couple hundred calories a day. I guess I'll just keep at it. Thanks
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    I ran 6 miles Sunday. Hitting about 15 miles a week right now. I would be surprised if I was over by a couple hundred calories a day. I guess I'll just keep at it. Thanks

    According to your comments above, you aren't weighing your food at all. You said you were estimating and choosing things that looks similar from the database. You might be the exception, but studies have shown that humans generally are terrible at estimating food intake. And if you're choosing database entries created by your fellow users, they may have little resemblance to what you're actually eating.
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    Good point
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aaronmefford wrote: »
    I ran 6 miles Sunday. Hitting about 15 miles a week right now. I would be surprised if I was over by a couple hundred calories a day. I guess I'll just keep at it. Thanks

    Or start logging more accurately?
  • aaronmefford
    aaronmefford Posts: 20 Member
    People are so literal, yes by keep at it I mean keep refining what I am doing in order to achieve the desired results. Thanks for the suggestions
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Eating all packaged food might be a problem. I am also 5'8" and 182 lbs. I eat 1200 calories per day and walk 13000 steps every day and do weights twice a week. I don't eat my exercise calories. I lose 1 to 1.5 lbs every week on average. I eat a lot, but not processed food. Last night I stir fried baby collards (from my garden) while I roasted salmon and scooped out 1/3 cup of cooked brown rice from the refrigerator and the last few pieces of roasted butternut and asparagus. Dinner took 15 minutes. I make whole food smoothies for breakfast that contain seeds, nuts, greens, berries, banana, and plain yogurt. For lunch today I had a stew I had made on the weekend with beans, chicken, and greens. I had a pear and a a carton of (processed, I suppose) plain fat free yogurt. I'm feel nicely full.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited April 2017
    cbelc2 wrote: »
    Eating all packaged food might be a problem. I am also 5'8" and 182 lbs. I eat 1200 calories per day and walk 13000 steps every day and do weights twice a week. I don't eat my exercise calories. I lose 1 to 1.5 lbs every week on average. I eat a lot, but not processed food. Last night I stir fried baby collards (from my garden) while I roasted salmon and scooped out 1/3 cup of cooked brown rice from the refrigerator and the last few pieces of roasted butternut and asparagus. Dinner took 15 minutes. I make whole food smoothies for breakfast that contain seeds, nuts, greens, berries, banana, and plain yogurt. For lunch today I had a stew I had made on the weekend with beans, chicken, and greens. I had a pear and a a carton of (processed, I suppose) plain fat free yogurt. I'm feel nicely full.

    OP clarified that he isn't eating all packaged food or even mostly packaged food. But given that it is a calorie deficit that creates weight loss, if one wanted to eat some or all packaged food while losing weight, that would still be possible.
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