1,500 calories too little

tfield98
tfield98 Posts: 28 Member
edited November 24 in Food and Nutrition
The app is suggesting 1,500 calories/day for me to lose one pound per week (as a 5'10", 180 man, office working man.)

Googling around, that seems to be considerably lower than what most sites say is reasonable. (e.g. link)

Thoughts? Opinions? Has this been hashed out here before?

Replies

  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    1500 calories is considered the bare minimum intake for men. Not sure how much you are trying to lose overall, but it could be your loss goal is a little aggressive?

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ The calculator is pretty accurate.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    The size of your deficit will be related to how much weight you have to lose. If you have some idea of your body fat percentage that will help determine if this is the right amount. On face value this seems like a decent (significant but not overly aggressive) deficit if you're hovering around 20%bf or higher.

    What you need to remember though, is the best deficit is one that you can cope with day after day - the same goes with the rest of your training and lifestyle. As long as it is not so aggressive that it will impact your health or significantly impair your performance in the gym or other aspects of your life - then you'll be fine.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited January 2018
    Your calories depend on your current height and weight, the weekly goal you chose, and the activity level you entered.

    With your stats, you are barely in the overweight range for your height. You should set your weekly goal to no more than 1 lb per week. Anything higher would only be appropriate for someone with more weight to lose.

    The MFP goal assumes you will log your exercise and eat those calories back. So your goal will be higher on any day you exercise. If you are comparing MFP to online TDEE calculators, those calculators include your exercise calories in your goal, MFP does not, so MFP's goal will be lower.

    I would also assume you chose a sedentary activity level, make sure that is appropriate.

    Hopefully that will get your goal to a better calorie range for you :drinker:
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  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You're not very much above an "optimal" BMI range, so it's probably more appropriate to set your pace of weight loss to 0.5 lb/week. That will create a calorie deficit while letting you eat a bit more.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I'm near your weight and height and trying to lose 0.5 lb per week. My budget for calories is 1730 per day.
    I'd rather have a target of 1730 that I can usually stay slightly under than a target of 1500 that I usually can't stay under.
  • cryonic_273
    cryonic_273 Posts: 81 Member
    The app will be suggesting 1500 and will assume you eat back your exercise. If you are assuming you dont log your activity there could be a huge discrepancy between the suggested deficit level and the actual deficit.

  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    similar stats ... 44y/o, 5'11", 75kg opting to loose 0.5kg a week.

    I am on 1530kcal a day ... quite often I dip under that during the week, but then I go over it at the weekend, because 1500 is not enough at the weekend to join in with what the family is eating and food is more than fuel !

    The weight is dropping but its not at 0.5kg a week, its less and I dont eat back anywhere near all my exersice calories .... so to be honest, its probably about right.

    If you are used to eating a lot then restricting calories, sucks and is hard work and 1500 isnt that much if you want to eat a big plate of food. ... Its fine though if you start serving up the recommended serving sizes. However treats get less, its easy to add 300kcal of milk just from drinking coffee
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    FWIW, I'm 5'8" and am currently maintaining at 158 +/-3 and 10%BF on 1650 NET cals/day BUT I burn about 650 cals/day rowing and lifting, so my actual daily intake is actually about 2300 cals/day, which provides me w/the energy and nutrients necessary to maintain my weight, strength and musculature w/o gaining fat.

    So, at least one way to overcome a restrictive calorie diet and to overcome the hunger, as well as the energy and nutrient deficit, which comes from eating less, is to exercise more, so that you can eat more.
  • SoulOfALion5
    SoulOfALion5 Posts: 115 Member
    I'm a man. Weigh just under 17 stone now. I am on 1790 calories daily. I find this just about right atho some days it is hard to stick within this. Especially if I don't get out for my walk. Personally I don't think I could achieve 1500 a day. Good luck finding your right setting
  • DohnutHead
    DohnutHead Posts: 78 Member
    I found mfp to be a little aggressive with calories. It might be a good idea to start with other online calculators and then try to find a happy place in between. If still no progress, reduce again by 10% for a week and see if that will give results
  • Anya_000
    Anya_000 Posts: 725 Member
    I'm a 5'6 female, 130lbs, and 1500 calories are my maintenance, plus I eat 1/2 of my exercise calories.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,632 Member
    DohnutHead wrote: »
    I found mfp to be a little aggressive with calories. It might be a good idea to start with other online calculators and then try to find a happy place in between. If still no progress, reduce again by 10% for a week and see if that will give results

    MFP is lower than many other calculators, in many cases, because those other calculators estimate your calorie needs including intentional exercise. That's your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).

    MFP gives you a calorie estimate that excludes intentional exercise, expecting you to log exercise separately when you do it, and eat those calories back. It's estimating your NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis).
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