What are YOUR cutting calories?

Probably pointless but I'm just curious, what are your cutting calories?

State your age, M/F, height, weight, activity level, and body fat % along with the calories you take in during a cut.

I'm 39, male, 6'1" 181.2 lbs, weights 3x per week, no cardio, 14.8% body fat according to the calipers, and I'm taking in about 1,750 cal as I try to get the body fat down a little more.
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Replies

  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    Damn that’s low. My maintenance is 2750 ish and the lowest I’ll get to at the end is 2000 and that’s brutal. 38 years old 5 foot 8. Currently probably 16-18 % . Will cut down soon been coasting and super stressed lately. Not a good time to be in any deficit
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    Currently on 2250 a day (TDEE) to lose a pound a week. 33, 5'11", 195 pounds, 25%ish body fat. Exercise 3-5 times a week. Mostly martial arts with some weight lifting.
  • giancarlov1191
    giancarlov1191 Posts: 493 Member
    At my lowest, 1800 a day.

    M/28/5ft8
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  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    MDC2957 wrote: »
    jdog022 wrote: »
    Damn that’s low. My maintenance is 2750 ish and the lowest I’ll get to at the end is 2000 and that’s brutal. 38 years old 5 foot 8. Currently probably 16-18 % . Will cut down soon been coasting and super stressed lately. Not a good time to be in any deficit

    16-18% now, or in your photo? No way 16-18 in that photo - you look leeean!

    Now. Honestly that level of bf in the photo is difficult for me to sustain. I’m a bit fluffier now then usual for a variety of reasons but going to lean down again soon
  • Female 5ft 8.5. Sedentary/ lightly active. I lose .5lb week on 1800isg but I’m lazy at logging so it may actually be higher than this.

    No idea of my body fat, last bia measurement was 23%. I’m hoping that’s a bit high but it might not be!
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    220lb at 6ft and ball park 12% bf
    Currently cutting on 4500 cals
    Due to heavy work load, I cut usually around
    3000cals, that will get me single digit bf
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    37 Yr Old Male
    169 lbs @ roughly 16-18%
    5'11"
    Cutting Calories ~2200-2500
    I lift 4-5 days a week although, it's been lighter loads lately while I recover from some injuries.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    I'm curious how you guys come up with your numbers compared to using the site calculator.

    IE the site tells me to eat 1650 calories to lose 2lbs a week but I can barely make my protein requirements alone on 1650. What does someone use (outside of personal XP) to gauge.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I aim for 1800-2000 calories.

    44 yoa female, 5'9, 180 lbs
  • giancarlov1191
    giancarlov1191 Posts: 493 Member
    I'm curious how you guys come up with your numbers compared to using the site calculator.

    IE the site tells me to eat 1650 calories to lose 2lbs a week but I can barely make my protein requirements alone on 1650. What does someone use (outside of personal XP) to gauge.

    I would do it by hand using the Miffler St. Jeor formula, which is the same formula MFP uses but doing it by hand leaves more flexibility for the activity level. I put myself between lightly and moderately active
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,024 Member
    edited November 2019
    54 year old male, 6'1", 195 lbs, base calories = 1860 plus eating back exercise calories. I exercise 7 days a week, alternating between full body weight training and cardio. I'm eating on average 2300 calories a day. I've dropped 85 lbs so far and I'm still cutting to ultimate goal of 100 lbs.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    I am 27F, 5'8'', and 139 lbs.
    I've lost 61 lbs, it took about 1.25 years.
    I figured out my maintennance to be about 1,880 net calories BEFORE exercise calories (MFP thought it was about 1,750).
    I am currently cutting at 1,630 net, adding my exercise calories back and eating them, too.
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  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    220lb at 6ft and ball park 12% bf
    Currently cutting on 4500 cals
    Due to heavy work load, I cut usually around
    3000cals, that will get me single digit bf

    Construction? Mail man or pro hockey player? 😀
  • giancarlov1191
    giancarlov1191 Posts: 493 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    220lb at 6ft and ball park 12% bf
    Currently cutting on 4500 cals
    Due to heavy work load, I cut usually around
    3000cals, that will get me single digit bf

    What would you consider your "bulking" calories?
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    I run a heating engineering company.
    This time of the year it’s solid 12-14 hour
    Days,

    Bulking wise depending on the time of the year, anywhere from 4500 up to 6000+
    I adjust daily depending on work load


    After 25 years of lifting I’m pretty much at my genetic limit, as a rough guide I’ve probably
    Gained 1-2lb of actual muscle in the last
    18months and that’s with every aspect of diet, training, recovery , supplementation
    As close to optimal as i possible can

    My garmin has me at 5742 maintenance cals for the day without and cardio or gym work

  • giancarlov1191
    giancarlov1191 Posts: 493 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    I run a heating engineering company.
    This time of the year it’s solid 12-14 hour
    Days,

    Bulking wise depending on the time of the year, anywhere from 4500 up to 6000+
    I adjust daily depending on work load


    After 25 years of lifting I’m pretty much at my genetic limit, as a rough guide I’ve probably
    Gained 1-2lb of actual muscle in the last
    18months and that’s with every aspect of diet, training, recovery , supplementation
    As close to optimal as i possible can

    My garmin has me at 5742 maintenance cals for the day without and cardio or gym work

    Cool, thanks for sharing.
  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
    5'10 male, 41 years young, gym 6 days week, lifting on 4, slow solid state cardio on the others. Generally walk dog around 10 miles per day.

    Current weight 169lbs. Current body fat around 12%. Cutting calories on average 2300, I never really go below 2000.
  • Lolalikeslolagets
    Lolalikeslolagets Posts: 142 Member
    44 yr old female, active, lift 5xweek. 155bs 24-26% bf (guessing), I dunno, I wear a size 4.... Mfp wants me to cut at 1300 but I usually do 1450-1500. Currently maintaining at 2200 but thinking of a bulk maybe? This scale weight is messing with my head but I want muscles...plus I love food
  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    Nice thread, neat idea OP

    33 male, 5’7” 166~lbs and 23%~ bf. I’m slowly recomping. From a high of 28% in the summer at maybe 160-161

    I’m not doing anything drastic and I’m seeing results in the 2300 range for my activity level. Not a fan of undereating so 1900~ might be my lowest
  • CarbsAndCompounds
    CarbsAndCompounds Posts: 281 Member
    Female, 21, 5'4 140lbs. I cut on 1800cals
  • stephie_nyc
    stephie_nyc Posts: 96 Member
    5’4”, lightly active, powerlifting training, 34 years old

    Don’t know my weight now but I usually cut if I hit 148 lbs and I’ll eat 1500 with 10k steps. I like to have an aggressive two weeks in there around 1300 as well.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I'm curious how you guys come up with your numbers compared to using the site calculator.

    IE the site tells me to eat 1650 calories to lose 2lbs a week but I can barely make my protein requirements alone on 1650. What does someone use (outside of personal XP) to gauge.

    Well - frankly the site tells you to eat 1650 based on YOUR selected non-exercise level - and that would only apply on days with no exercise.
    If you exercise it would be more than that on those days.

    If you are using it wrong though, like you have family household duties nights and weekends and therefore are Lightly-Active but you picked Sedentary - then extra deficit.

    If you don't log your workouts in order to eat more when you do more - then extra deficit.

    If that 2 lbs weekly is more than reasonable - then extra deficit.

    Do some combo of those things causing extra deficit - you could be causing some really sucky workouts compared to what you could do.
    And encouraging body to adapt in some negatives ways ruining the whole 2 lbs weekly desire.
  • 11Templars
    11Templars Posts: 444 Member
    Male - 50yrs, 6'1 - lift 4 days a week, cardio 5 days a week, with 2 being HIIT.

    Currently @ 225lbs (winter weight). Cut to 205lbs in the spring (12 weeks) takes me to 10-11%Bf - 1800 cal for cutting, eating approx 2/3 earned cals takes me too average of 2400+ cals for cutting. I weigh all my food.
  • cosmiqrecovery
    cosmiqrecovery Posts: 171 Member
    edited November 2019
    Oh my god that's cute you guys think 1750 is low. If I were to go on a cut this instant I'd have to be on about 1400 calories. Some calculators are even saying I'd need to go below 1200. :')
  • giancarlov1191
    giancarlov1191 Posts: 493 Member
    I hate to bring gender into it but it does apply, generally speaking
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Male- 50yrs, 6'3", 240, 14-16% bf, train 4x week, retired with minimal activity.

    I'd hazard 3000-3350 would be my cut range if I logged.

    About two years ago I was very active and would eat 6-8k a day on average and barely maintain weight around 225lbs.
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
    5'5" female 145. gym 5 days a week with a mix of weights and running. cut is between 1500-1700 depending on how agressive I want to be. I have gone lower but my BF was higher at that time.