Can I lose weight eating 1500 calories a day?

I know this website says to aim for 1200 calories but I find myself going over to about 1500 calories. Can I still lose weight??
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Replies

  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
    Eat less than maintenance and you should be losing weight.
  • Nutrition1st
    Nutrition1st Posts: 216 Member
    Definitely! Especially if you are doing any type of exercise.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Yes. Absolutely.

    What weekly goal did you tell it? What activity level?

    I can lose weight eating 2000 calories a day. My TDEE is 2600 so as long as I eat under that on average I can lose.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I am losing about 1lb/week eating 1600 calories/day (and eating back exercise calories). I am 5'5" and currently weight 134.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Also, if you are nursing that sweet little boy you might want to eat even more. Cutting your calories too low can ruin your milk supply. I pretty much couldn't diet while nursing.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Yes of course :)

    I've never gone below 1500 net (1500 + exercise cals) and have lost weight / achieved goals before.
  • 012345emma
    012345emma Posts: 57 Member
    i think it depends on your weight to start with i have a 1480cal a day but i also exercise and im losing each week i do also eat back some of the cals i burn xx good luck hun xx
  • jillthemom
    jillthemom Posts: 31 Member
    I lose eating 1600 per day. I also eat back my exercise calories. I am nursing a toddler. :)
  • KatFierce
    KatFierce Posts: 252 Member
    I know this website says to aim for 1200 calories but I find myself going over to about 1500 calories. Can I still lose weight??

    I see you have a new baby in your profile pic , did you deliver recently? new moms need more cals than other women especially if breastfeeding. Also very few people need to eat only 1200 a day. I personally am breastfeeding my 9 month old so I eat an additional 500 cals but other than that I eat 1596 a day plus any I burn during exercise ( if im hungry) and I loose just fine
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    I wonder why you are saying the website says to eat 1200 calories? Do you mean that is your calorie goal it gave you at the suggested 1 lb per week? I ate 1800 calories for a few months, then 1600 for a few months, now back to 1800 for the past few weeks. It depends on how many calories you burn in your day to day life whether or not you will lose at 1500 calories. I think I burn between ~1800-2400 per day, depending on my activity for the day.
  • Actually thats an older picture... My son is almost 2 and I am no longer nursing. I exercise but only walking like 20 minutes a day usually. And running around chasing my son around lol. But I am just concerned because it says my goal is 1200 but when I eat 1200 I feel hungry. So I try to aim for 1500 but I'm just worried that I won't see results. (Probably about once a week I go over and "Cheat")
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I know this website says to aim for 1200 calories but I find myself going over to about 1500 calories. Can I still lose weight??

    I lose @ 1700 easily.
  • yes of course you can =)
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    of course... calculate your BMR here... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator then stay under it either with exercise or diet changes or rather both.
  • cmoutarimoussa
    cmoutarimoussa Posts: 93 Member
    Im eating 2100 calories and i am losing weight..i have lost 3lbs so far..i just havent logged it yet..cause i wasnt supposed to weigh in for a month..but i cant help myself! LOL!!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    MFP doesn't say everyone has to eat 1200, it recommends a calorie amount based on your stats and the goal you choose.
    I lose weight eating 1400-1700, no problem, but it really depends on your current weight and goals.
    And remember that the MFP calorie recommendation doesn't account for exercise - if you workout, you need to eat those cals too.
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 274 Member
    My calorie intake is 1800 calories, and thats to lose 2 pounds a week.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    of course... calculate your BMR here... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator then stay under it either with exercise or diet changes or rather both.

    What? No!

    BMR is what your body needs to SURVIVE even in a coma...

    THEN you add calories based on your chosen activity level to get your TDEE... (as a mom of a 2 yr old, the op should NOT be set at sedentary, more like active)

    The TDEE is the number you subtract the 500 from to get your 1 lb per week loss, NOT from your BMR. You should never subtract ANYTHING from your BMR...
  • ipsamet
    ipsamet Posts: 436 Member
    Absolutely! I eat between 2,000 and 2,700 calories most days and I don't lose if I eat less.
  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
    Yes.
  • Thank you so much everybody! I feel a lot better now! =)
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Yes. That's about what I eat, and I've had no problem losing and maintaining.
  • KrystieNye
    KrystieNye Posts: 123 Member
    of course... calculate your BMR here... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator then stay under it either with exercise or diet changes or rather both.

    What? No!

    BMR is what your body needs to SURVIVE even in a coma...

    THEN you add calories based on your chosen activity level to get your TDEE... (as a mom of a 2 yr old, the op should NOT be set at sedentary, more like active)

    The TDEE is the number you subtract the 500 from to get your 1 lb per week loss, NOT from your BMR. You should never subtract ANYTHING from your BMR...

    ^^This.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I know this website says to aim for 1200 calories but I find myself going over to about 1500 calories. Can I still lose weight??

    Did you use to eat 3000 before starting this site?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    of course... calculate your BMR here... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator then stay under it either with exercise or diet changes or rather both.

    So why in the world would MFP then take that figure times some multiplier, like 1.25 for sedentary, and then take a deficit?

    Because you have the wrong idea of what BMR means.
  • Thank you for making this topic. My weight loss has slowed down and I've been really worried that I was somehow messing up my weight loss or being greedy and over eating because I kept going over 1200cals a day (not by much, just a bit).

    I feel so relieved reading this thread!
  • Hi!!!!! Help My BMR IS 1,813 from the calculation issued from this website.... I currently eat between 1200-1500 calories a day since November 03,2012 and has lost 28 pounds...along with half hour runs 3x a week....am i on the right track?? I cant run a longer length of time because of knee injuries,,,,,hence the lower calorie intake then suggested
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    i am eating 1500 calories a day and doing an hour of exercise on my elliptical everyday. i am losing an average of a pound a day.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
    I lose on 1700. I'm sure you will do on 1500