This is why i cringe when Dr Now on 600 lb life tells these people with food addictions to all of a sudden eat 1200 calories. Like no. They can eat more and lose weight
Yeah I don't get that either. Not sure if it's just for the tv dramatics to basically set the PT up to fail diving straight into the deep end after a likely decades long struggle with shit food habits, or if it really serves a purpose to go so low cal so suddenly. Like, if it's a medical emergency issue I get that but they should be in PT, in counseling and everything to help them succeed straight off the bat in my opinion if that's the case.
It's for the drama for sure. If you weigh 600 pounds you could probably lose tons of weight eating large pizzas every day. But having people actually stick to their diets, and lose weight without losing their mind doesn't make for good drama.
Amazing work. My question is how does that little calories affect you? I always was under the impression people of that size would need to work their way down to a healthy calorie intake. /I apologise if I'm being rude by saying people of that size, just genuinely curious.
I started the year higher around 2000-2100 calories and have slowly adjusted down as I lose the weight and have a better grasp on macro/micronutrient tracking and find more varieties of food that help me meet my targets. I try to prioritize protein and fiber to help me stay full and that is what has helped the most I think. Most days it's plenty of food for me though some days it can be tougher. I just try to keep things in balance over a 7 day stretch as much as I can.
This makes more sense to me. I just read calorie count and weight and thought it wouldn't be enough for the day. Thank you for explaining. Once again amazing work
1700 at the moment. I’m 5’7 and 200lbs, down from 213 - started CICO on 13th May (I know the date as it’s the day after my son’s birthday when I saw an awful photo of me lol). I used to do 1200 calories too. I suffer from migraines and if I go under 1500 it makes them worse. 1700 isn’t too daunting and allows me to eat foods I enjoy. I’m going for slow and steady weight loss rather than losing 7lbs in a week then giving up!
1650, 5’7 and 153lbs. My goal weight is maybe 3-7lbs more but also pretty happy with how I look. I work out 2-4 days a week depending on my plans and try to get 10k steps in, but also have a sedentary job. I’ve been on these calories since January and lost 14lbs along with working out. Now i’m sticking to 1650 on days I’m not doing anything but being more lenient on days I meet up with friends or go out for dinner, so hopefully will maintain. But tbh, I’m totally winging it 😂
My tdee is 1800, I’m short (5’0) but active.
On my deficit days right now (half the week) I’m usually doing about 1500. I find lower than that and I start thinking about food too much.
I’m down 105 pounds in 14 months, so my daily calories and what I do as a deficit have changed from start to now.
I also used to do 1200cal/day and lost about 35lbs that way (I gained it all back in 2020). I had a bad mindset at the time. While I was able to stick to 1200 when in a certain environment (living alone, busy busy busy with work, little drinking and walking a lot), I couldnt stick to it when my situation changed.
I lost it all again eating 1600-1800/day and it was much healthier for me and attainable with my current lifestyle.
Right now I eat between 1800-2000/day and I’m maintaining at 140-145lbs (5’7”). I’m trying to build some muscle now! I dont think that would have been possible for me at 1200/day!
It really is interesting! Around 3000 a day here (I’m eating at maintenance). 36F, 5’10”, around 170 pounds. I lift weights 5 days a week, jog/walk daily, and have a generally active lifestyle. I’m by far in the best shape of my life. I’d still like to lose another 15-20 pounds but I’m in the middle of a 6 month maintenance break because I was getting so tired of eating at a deficit
After my toddler was born but before I got back into lifting (which has definitely inspired me to be more active overall), I was generally eating 1300-1500 to lose weight and I was miserable. Felt far too lethargic to do much and was constantly thinking about food
How do you have so much energy to be so active?! I am also miserable if I force myself to eat less than 1500 calories a day. I do life weight 5x a week too but I think I must be pretty lazy outside of that lol
I cycle my calorie intake. I am in my 40s, 5'7", about 240 pounds now (down from around 360). I have a roving calorie goal every four weeks (per day): 1700, 1500, 1600, 1800. Occasionally I'll throw in a 2000 calorie (a day) week too. If I'm hungry, I still eat regardless if I've hit my calorie goal for the day, but only raw veggies until I am full (lots of cucumber, celery, carrots, and broccoli).
I have a physical planner for meal prepping, calorie counts for the week, etc so I can keep track of it. The weeks are color-coded so I can tell at a glance which calorie intake week I'm on.
I got a cheap planner off of Amazon with a weekly and monthly spread. Each day has a pretty big space dedicated to it and I divide that into four sections (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) and just write what I'm going to eat those days. It helps me see everything laid out, and I can tell where I'm going to have to cook during the week (if at all) based on portions produced per recipe. There is also a section on the side for notes and I use that space as a shopping list for my groceries as I go.
42F 5'1 ish and 136.8 lbs. Down 29.2 lbs since Oct 2023. I eat anywhere from 1500-1700 calories a day on gym days and around 1400 calories a day on rest days (gym days are 5-6x per week and they are intense) I aim for 100 to 115g of protein most days. With a few days sprinkled in where I don't really track because I'm eating someone else's food. TDEE with on exercise days seems to be around 2200-2600 calories and that lines up with the weight loss I've been having in the last few months (winter was rough and I didn't have the workout routine I have now. I literally lost nothing from mid-december to late January lol). TDEE on no exercise days is closer to 1450-1600 cals.
I'm not overly strict with my deficit, I'm not at a weight where losing fat is an immediate medical concern, I don't have any type of health issues that require it so I'm taking it slow this time around and considering it more of a lifestyle change than a weight loss experience.
35f 5’7” 192 lbs down from 200 starting June 1. I started using CICO at 1575 calories per day. When that got easier and I started noticing I was having leftover calories at the end of the day I decided I wanted to try lower to lose weight faster. Trying 1275 calories starting this week. We’ll see how it goes! If it’s too hard I’ll just go back up to 1575 or maybe try a yo yo like 1575 on workout days and 1275 on rest days. Idk. At a place where CICO has become gamified for me almost where I want to tweak and see what happens. I do not intend to go below 1200 ever.
41M / 5 ft. 11 in. / 385 lbs and started at 420 lbs
It’s been a haul, but I’ve gotten to where I am working at it since March 1 and the only thing I’ve done is track calories and walking.
My ‘goal’ is 2000 and I have a hard cap of 2500.
I've been terrible about tracking lately, but I'm guessing I've landed around 1600-1700, which is too many.
I *do* need to get back to 1200-1300/day, because I'm 5'2" and it sucks :')
Same here at 5’2”, and I am constantly bitter about the fact that my husband (6’1”) and I have similar appetite levels... We can eat 1:1 the same food for every meal, and only one of our bodies will gain weight because of it. Like, I wish our brains would have appetites in proportion to our different bodies.
Average around 1600 if I were to guess. It used to be way less but then I stopped drinking and have to fill the void in my heart with something else (candy).
1400 for me! I’m 28f, 5”2, CW is 194lbs, and my goal is to lose another 60lbs. I want to start hitting the gym again because my maintenance cals at goal weight are gonna be around 1500 if I don’t up my physical activity.
I currently shoot for around 1700-1800 and my TDEE is pretty reliably ~2500. I’ve been wearing my Apple Watch every day this year and it’s given me the most accurate approximation of my calories burned, based on my loss/maintenance results. I’ve been maintaining for about a month but am now working on losing the last 10-15 I want to shed while also incorporating more weight training bc omg the 50 pounds I lost was all ass 😆
I'm 167cm/5'5, ~78kg/172lbs and my maintenance range is about 1900-2100. I have a pretty sedentary job. I lose (very slowly) on about 1600-1700. On 1400 I lose at a less embarrassing rate, but my energy and mood tank, so I prefer to just go slow and steady.
ETA: I do a team sport 2x a week, 2 or 3 slow walks, and cardio at the gym 2-3 times per week. So nothing drastic. I also tend to have a larger appetite the day or two before my period, so I mentally give myself an allowance to eat up to 2300 on those days if I feel like it, because I know I'll downregulate again once it comes.
5’10” M35 279 lbs.
I aim for around 2500 per day.
I am pretty active, I walk 3+ miles every morning, run twice a week, and lift weights 3x per week. I also play softball 4x per week.
Also occasionally go for hikes.
I’m more focused on endurance and strength training than on weight loss right now, I could lose faster if I ate like 2200 cals per day, but weight loss isn’t my #1 focus anymore
Anywhere from 1200-2100 calories in a day. I focus on it, and I’m actively losing weight. But I’m not putting so much pressure on myself otherwise I’ll feel like I want to crumble. Some days I eat more, some days I eat less. Some months I lose 1-2 lbs some I lose 10-15 depending on my cycle, how much in actively counting, how much I exercise, and how much stress I’m under.
F27 5’2 ~165lbs 70 lbs down in a year and a half
Currently 20lbs down.
27m 6ft2 SW: 400 CW: 380
My current budget is 3,000 Cal to lose 1lb a week but try to keep it around 2,000. Been calorie tracking for about 50 days.
I aim to eat 1750-1800 a day. I'm 27f, 104kg, slightly active. I use app that estimate my TDEE based on my weight and calorie intake over time, and now it says my TDEE around 2500
F/48, 5 ft 4. I no longer track but somewhere between 1400-1700. Most calculators give me between 1200-1500 for sedentary. When I workes with a dietician she recommended 1600 when i was heavier.
I lose weight at a snails pace especially if I don't exercise.
Around 1600 a day. 41 F 5'7 165lbs trying to lose 20 more.
I weight train 3x week and just try to get 10,000 steps a day. I don't really do cardio aside from walking around.
I'm a 175-180lb guy who just was a 180-185lb guy depending on the day. I'm 5'7, 39m and my weight is trending downwards even with me aiming for a 2700 calorie per day maintenance level of calories. Sometimes I hit 2500, today I hit 3000. Etc.
I lift on average 5 times a week, 6 this week thank you long weekend and get 6-7k steps in a day at work and spend between 4 and 5 hours a week doing steady state cardio which is done behind an unassisted push lawn mower at a rate of about 5k steps an hour.
I just put my tenth check mark on the calendar which at the low end is 40 hours of push mowing in the last ten weeks. Kinda odd hobby/exercise but hey, it's gotta get done and I'll get back to hiking in the fall.
2000-2500 cal / day , 5’9” female 137lbs. 10k steps a day and 2 long bike rides per week (20-40 miles) + minor body weight exercises 3x a week. I’m in maintenance.
I'm currently in a bulk, so I am eating ~2500 kcal. I lost 10lbs eating 2000/day + additional cardio this spring. I would say my maintenance is right around 2200-2250. 5'9", age 49 and currently weigh about 153-155 depending.
1200 to 1500 a day, and am so far losing about a pound and a half a week. I am tall, currently weigh less than 190, have some muscle mass, and am quite active. I have lost 12 pounds so far and am looking to lose 10 more and then maintain.
I think the type of food you consume is important especially if you want to maintain muscle mass so I mostly have homemade smoothies with only healthy ingredients in them, and supplement this diet with additional protein and stay hydrated. I do not eat any highly processed food or any simple carbs and try to limit my carb intake overall.
Working out every day and running too isn't 'slightly active'. This is why you can eat so many calories and still lose. I aim for 1300 to 1400 and am very very slowly dropping weight.
I’m 43, female, 5’-4”, 108 pounds. I got here from 1.5 years ago from 150 by CICO, when I was actively losing weight it was 1200 a day. Now that I’m at my goal weight, if I do no exercise at all my maintenance is 1450, but I love to eat. So I bike 20 miles a day and a half hour weight training session every day (I alternate upper and lower body days), and that gets me to 1850. I have never in my life eaten so so much or been in such incredible shape. Before I used to have very disordered eating, I had periods of anorexia where I weighed 90 pounds eating 800 a day, and was bulimic for far longer. Most of my life I was terrified of food. For the first time in my life, I appreciate what food does for me, as I’m now so focused on my fitness goals, and feeding my body the right quality and quantity of food directly affects my performance, so the focus is finally not on the food or my weight, but my fitness. I feel like I cracked the code. Going to spend the rest of my life being as physically active as I can, both for my health and to be able to enjoy eating as much as I do now.
1100-1300cal a day to lose weight im 130lbs and 5’5” but i eat whatever i want in that calorie range (so im fat) so i still need to lose 15 more lbs to continue eating whatever i want as long as I staying in that range per day
I am a 6 ft 2 male and currently weigh a bit over 190 lbs. My current goal is to get to about 15% body fat and i am around 23-25 percent right now. I have put on quite a bit of muscle the past 6 months so look forward to the recomposition. I aim for 2400 per day with a major focus of 175 g of protein daily. Fat and carbs vary daily and I dont really care but will often eat a bit more carbs on run days. I train 5- 6 days a week with rest days usually involving a ruck or hike—id put myself as quite active.
I’m aiming to be in the 1600-2200 calorie range daily. 2760 is my maintenance amount and my friend said I should eat at least 500 calories under my maintenance amount. My doctor says 1600 calories as a guideline
1700-2300 per day. I just eat when I'm hungry. I'm super active now. When I started this weight loss journey, I was consuming 1800 calories per day and was losing 3 lbs a week consistently so im trying to eat more now because I don't want to lose muscle.
1380-1640 depending how active I was that day. I’m 28F, 5’2”, and 138 lbs. I find that I’m able to lose about 1-2lbs a week and still enjoy cheat days and drinking on the weekends. I’m pretty active as I hit f45 Monday-Friday and also run 3-5 miles 6 days a week, but I do have a very sedentary job. Helps that I WFH so I try to take some calls while out walking if I can.
I ate 1300 a day to lose 30 lb in 6 month. Now I eat between 1300 and 2400 depending on what I have going on that week. I do a lot of hiking on the weekend and eat more on big hike days or if we have a restaurant dinner planned etc. I’m 5’2 and 35 years old. I’m sedentary working from home 40 hours per week.
5’10 23 yr old female at 241. I eat anywhere between 1700-2054 calories. I try not to give myself a strict calorie budget (due to my history with yo yo dieting and My tendency to spiral) sometimes if I’m really active that day I eat a bit more if I’m hungry. Sometimes when I’m not active (on my days off) I’m not as hungry so I forget to eat and eat less. I’m trying to be more intuitive with the way I eat because I used food as dopamine for so yea. So a range makes me feel a bit more lax, like it’s really a lifestyle change and not a diet
I eat on average 1700 calories a day. I weight lift 1 hour 5 days a week, jog for 30 min after. The 2 days I don't weight lift, I slow jog for 1 hour. Also, I dance or walk for another hour during the day. I'm losing 1 pound a week doing all of the above.
52 female, 5"5, SW 175 CW 165 GW 150
TDEE is 1900, 5'5 135lb with a relatively sedentary lifestyle though I go to the gym 3x a week. Currently eating around 1400 (less on weekdays and more on weekends), and goal is to lose maybe another 5lbs but I'm not too stressed about it. I've lost about 7lbs in the last two months with a larger calorie deficit (probably wouldn't recommend that though).
1287-1487. 5'7 and down 50 lbs, still trying to lose 100 more. My workout schedule varies a lot with my ideal being 3 days of weight training and 12-3-30 alternating with 3 days of yoga/bodyweight/walking outside. However, it's just as often nothing. My current goals are improving exercise consistency and speeding up my weight loss after maintaining for a long time.
I am at 1800 per day. I have two small kids that I am active with and then try to jog 3x per week. I seem to lose good (~0.75 lbs / week) and I am able to eat three solid meals & an afternoon snack with that. Feels sustainable!
I’m 29F, 5’6”, HW 195, CW 183, GW ~140
I only started CICO in June after struggling with my mental health for the past few years (hence the weight gain). But for the past 4 weeks, I’ve been doing an average of 1450 calories since I’m almost entirely sedentary. If I have the energy to walk more and eventually do strenuous exercise, I may increase by 100-250, but I’m far from that now since I have practically no muscle and do little exercise at the moment.
I too spent a lot of my life yo-yo dieting because I thought I had to starve myself :-/ This year I discovered that I can lose about .5 lbs to 1 lb per week by eating 1600 calories per day on average (listening to my body on the days I need more, and then it feels pretty easy to eat less on days when I’m not as hungry). I wish someone had told me this would work years ago. I’m in my 40s and feel like I wasted so much time not knowing how to be healthy.
29m, 180lbs, highly active, mostly at maintenance with maybe a slight deficit right now, roughly 3500-4000 calories per day, but I really don't keep careful track unless the scale is moving too much. I run about 6-7 hours per week and bike another 3-4 hours, and I lift 4 times per week.
I'm 5'4" also, just went from about 155 lbs down to 130 lbs over the last 6 months! I was eating about 1800 calories per day but have plateaued recently so I'm trying 1600 to see if that gets me down closer to 120. I'm similar to you too, sedentary job, I try to get full workout of weights + running at least twice per week and walking at least 30 minutes on other days.
20F 5’6/168cm 54kg, I maintain at around 1600-1950 depending on my activity. I would say I’m moderately active as I workout almost everyday (stairmaster 15-30 mins and weightlifting) but I’m fairly sedentary during the day at the moment. I find that my hunger cues have gotten pretty aligned with my level of activity and when I am mostly a couch potato all day, I have to remind myself to eat up to 1500-1600 at least. When I eat below that, I notice my weight going down fairly quickly and I start feel completely deflated and not strong enough to workout how I like 🏋️♀️
My BMR is 1550 and I’m active at least five days per week. I eat around 1800-2000 calories per day. I’m at the stage now where the number on the scale isn’t changing much, but I can tell my fat-muscle ratio must be getting better because of how differently my clothes are fitting. I will say when i first started tracking my calories I wasn’t very active. Now that I’ve incorporated more physical activity over the last few months, it’s been so nice to be able to have a tiny bit more wiggle room for some extra snacks.
I aim for 1800 kcal per day. I'm 6'1" 30's male. Down about 15 lbs this year and currently 171 lbs. Lost a lot of muscle unfortunately but trying to get lean for a half marathon.
I am 31m 6'2 and I eat around 2k a day. Gone from 98kg(216pounds) down to 92.5kg (203.9) in the last 4 weeks. But I've also been getting my steps over 20k almost daily
1550 calories currently, 31/f/5’4”
SW 219lbs, CW: 184, GW: 140-150
“Sedentary” (desk job, but I get between 5k - 10k steps each day and try to strength train 1-3 times a week)
I follow what my calculated tdee is and am in a 300 calorie deficit
32F 5ft 1 106-110lb. Strength / resistance train 4-5times a week (light weight), 1 day HIIT, active rest day of a long walk. Very sedentary job and very low step count outside walks on rest days. Maintain on 1400-1500 calories and average 110g protein a day
Ideally 1800 or so. 39/M/6'0", currently 190ish down from 350. I do a lot of running that averages out to 45 minutes of moderately intense cardio per day. Trying to get back down to 175-180 after a tumultuous first half of 2024.
Hi, 31F 171cm/5'7", trying to lose 20 kg to go from 90 to 70.
I don't really have an allowance per se, I just cut the added sugar to below the threshold my doc told me because of health reasons, and since I was already counting anyways I decided to build better habits in general. But other than monitoring sugar, I just eat what I feel like and in healthy serving sizes and don't eat when I'm not hungry, and I end up anywhere between 800 and 1600. I do try to go at the least above 50% of the burned calories on daus with big steps and small hunger.
Between 1500 - 1800 usually, with an occasional splurge when eating out/eating with someone maybe once every week or so.
5'2/157cm and 165lbs/75kg (down from 93kg in February)
Reasonably active I think (~12k steps a day, gym/classes 2-3 a week, swimming once a week)
Aiming to get to 72kg, then planning to eat at maintenance with a focus on protein and weight training for a few months before considering going back to a deficit for a bit.
5,3 and eating around 1,800 calories a day , I gym 3 days a week and run 1/2 times a week.
I was originally on 1,500 but I felt like shit and although the weight was falling off , I broke it off quickly and binged and put it all back on.
Now with 1,800 and exercise the weight is coming off slower but it’s something I can now stick too and I don’t feel like crap.
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Is working out /every day/ and running on top of that being SLIGHTLY active? Or are you just greatly underestimating yourself? How long does your usual workout tend to be?
A genuine question. I myself also have a sedentary job and whenever I try to calculate my calorie needs I struggle with the activity section of online calculators. I workout 5 to 6 times a week (280-300 minutes per week usually of cardio and pilates/weights) I get around 6-8 hours of walking a week on top of that. I would always set my activity to "moderate" even though most of those calculators recommend "high" for this amount of activity. Should I really set it to small or minimal then, because of my desk job?
Now I'm puzzled lol. What amount of activity per week counters a sedentary job? I know people tend to overestimate themselves when it comes to this and intensity of your workouts matters too, but what you described really doesn't seem like slight activity even with a sedentary job?
I currently track 2,000, but eat closer to 2500 I’d assume. I track all my meals but I drink 40 calories in a joint liquid, about 100 calories in crystal light, 25-50 calories in my electrolyte powders, probably 50ish calories in “zero calorie cooking sprays” and then I’ll eat 200-300 calories of unhealthy snacks I do not track.
30s 5’10 M, 230lb down from 252 in April. I eat ~2000cal/day. Med student (non-traditional, obviously) so sometimes I blow past my phone suggested 7500 step goal others nowhere near. I don’t worry about it and I don’t exercise.
I’m aiming to lose 1.5lb per week. My results are very close to what Lose It suggests and what I actually eat.
Male, 6'4". I am around 2000 but usually end up 1700-2000. I probably should eat more though, but I eat a lot of lean protein and dont get hungry that often. Once I am to my goal will increase and focus on recomp with my lifting.
41/M 6'2, SW:284, CW:252
I'm a bigger dude so my BMR is fairly high, currently around 2000 calories. I usually eat 2200-2400 calories a day with a minimum of 150g of protein. Seems to be working for me. Down 32lbs since December.
I'm 30, 5'4", start weight was 365lb, currently at 292lb. I eat 1,500 a day, I did try 1,700 but I found that seemed to be my maintenance. I do have a cheat day once a week though, so I'm probably just kind of saving calories up for that and it's balancing out. I really don't move much either. Calorie counters seem to think I should be at 2,150ish a day, but that wouldn't work for me
Anything between 800-4000 a day. I eat according to my hunger and craving levels. Average per month might be 1700. 164 cms, 164 lbs, 43 years old female not sedentary.
5'4", 110-115 lbs, lightly active (I exercise most days of the week, but not super intense, usually walking, 30-45 minutes of lap swimming, or some pilates or body weight stuff). I typically need around 1600-1700 calories per day to maintain weight (I'm menopausal).
I’m 5’4 28f too! Curious for literally any tips you have. I’m sitting at 165 ish and I desperately want it gone. I have no clue how many cals I should be eating a day, I have a sedentary full time job as well. Trying to workout 3-4 times a week but if you have any advice I’d love to hear it! I’ve been trying to lose weight for as long as I can remember.
26M, 6' 4", I eat 2000-2200 a day. I lose 3-ish pounds a week if I'm good every day. I used a calorie calculator to get a good starting point but that's it. I try to eat as low as I can handle mentally but no lower than 1800.
I am a 38M, 5’10” 205lbs and trying to lose weight down to 170-175lbs. I did it before with some pretty restrictive calorie tracking and a ton of running. The result was getting to my goal weight but I was skinny-fat. I learned that 1) losing weight is hard, but it’s harder to then transition to body recomposition fat -> muscle, especially when I’ve lost so much weight so quickly.
I got a mild strain in my Achilles and stopped running and basically started eating a lot more. I yo-yo’d a bit and was eventually back to my SW of 225lbs 18 months later.
Online TDEE calculators say I should be eating 2,200ish calories a day to lose weight. Having cut all processed food, alcohol, and sugar and really sticking to basic rice, chicken, veggies, fish, whole wheat bread, eggs, all the good stuff… 2,200 calories seems like a ton. I’m feeling full at 2,000 calories!
Anyway, I’d say I eat around 1800-1900 calories a day right now, doing 18:6 fasting and working out daily. I think if/when I get down to my goal weight I’ll start eating more, doing less cardio, and lifting far more consistently. If I can put on some muscle and be more lean I’ll be better able to maintain.
39f
5'2, 135 lbs
Less than 1200 unfortunately
I've struggled a lot the past five or so years with losing five pounds and then gaining it back. I would consider myself slightly active too as I do some form of low intensity cardio every day and weight lifting one to two times a week.
I don't know if it's my age or if I'm not as diligent at tracking but I can only really lose weight if I'm aiming between 1000 to 1200 calories a day.
1200 a day for me, and on bad nnit more than 1300. Luckily it hasn’t been that hard for me to keep up.
I’m not that active.
183cm
TDEE says 1250 for 1kg per week.
1700 and I’ve lost 68 lbs. I have gone as low as 1500 after a plateau, but 1700 is where I feel the best and can do the most physical stuff without any weirdness.
I'm struggling right now. I did 2 years at 1450. Lost 85 that first year, then was maintaining. Then I fell off the diet and gained 35 and I'm struggling to stick to it again. 5'10" M 210
5’5, 245lbs, Female - eat 1900-2200 calories/day. Have lost 18 pounds in last 10 weeks - averaging between 1.5 and 2 pounds/week. Don’t do dedicated exercise but average about 12k steps a day (walking dog, house cleaning, cooking, generally up and about). For several months I was completely befuddled by my somewhat rapid weight gain (20 pounds over about 4-6 months) as my general eating and lifestyle habits seemed pretty stable. I started tracking (mostly eyeballing, but I pay attention) and trying to maintain a 500-750 calorie deficit. Weight has been coming off pretty consistently. So I must have been eating closer to 3-4k calories. I think most of that was things like liberally pouring olive oil, using lots of butter cooking, too much takeout and picking up a candy snacking habit. So I cut way back on candy and takeout and started being conscious of the amount of butter and olive oil I used cooking and that’s made a big difference. My goal is for my eventual maintenance TDEE to be around 2,000-2,2200 as it feels pretty sustainable - so def prioritizing maintaining lean mass and upping my overall natural activity level as part of my general lifestyle.
41M/6'1/385 from 492 at my heaviest. I eat around 2000-2500 a day, used to do the gym a few days a week, now really just walk for about an hour (\~4km), 3 or 4 days a week. Looking to get back in the gym though. Dropping the 100 pounds was pretty easy I'd say...didn't feel like I was starving myself and have been able to maintain it since then. I've been in the 380s for about a year though which means that I'm probably doing too much on the weekends lol. Planning on busting through that roadblock in the next few months though. Putting on clothes from a year or two ago and they're baggy on me now is a crazy feeling.
I am M/6ft2/336lb and I try to keep it at 2000 cal, I will say, I always somewhat feel like I should cut more on my calories but idk man 1800 is never something i can consistently limit myself to. And people thinking 200 cal aint a big change, it is 10% of my caloric intake lol, thats like a banana and 3 mandarines which is my snack often time before going to bed.
I’m the same!! I eat around 1,200 cals a day. Sometimes less than 1k. What happens is, I get intense cravings and I sometimes give into them because it wakes me up at night. So I yo-yo.
In terms of weight loss, it doesn’t really matter how many calories you eat per day. The only thing that matters is how much of a calorie deficit is your diet. To confirm:
* Eating 15,000 calories per day while burning 16,000 calories per day = **1,000** calorie deficit per day.
* Eating 2,000 calories per day while burning 3,000 calories per day = **1,000** calorie deficit per day.
In both those scenarios you will lose the same amount of weight because they both result in a deficit of 1,000 calories.
So, actual number of calories consumed means nothing, the deficit (or surplus) that represents is everything.
Stop counting calories that shit don’t work long term.. I say eat a balanced diet of whole foods.. limit processed foods.. walk as much as u can … strength train.. And make this a life style
I’m 5’8 174lbs (started at 220lbs) and I was eating 1000-1400 (1456 was what loseit said to eat to lose 2lbs a week at first). Since getting to 174lbs it says to eat 1297 calories to lose 2lbs a week but I usually eat less since I tend to gain eating 1400 calories😭 I only ate 500-600 calories yesterday bc I just wasn’t hungry and slept most of the day and I weigh myself daily and I maintained at 173.9😐😐😐
This is concerning. It's not advised to eat under 1200 calories a day because it's difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs.
If your appetite is tanking and you are sleeping all day, that's your body telling you that you need more fuel.
If I were you, I'd try to eat at maintenance for a bit to straighten things out and restore your energy.
M/20, 5ft 6, 144lb. I’m eating around 1000-1200 per day on a cut. Want to get to around 135lb. We’ll see how it goes. Blows my mind that I’m eating less than females that are shorter than me.
I eat around 1000 a day too. It's due to my height, though. I'm F27 4'1 lol. Just out of curiosity, how do you distribute your meals? I've been doing 25% breakfast and lunch and 50% dinner+ snacks.
Currently staying at 1000 or under. 5'4 heaviest I've been in years at 115, I got this size by eating more. I'm already down a few lbs since getting back on track. My happy weight is closer to 100.
1750 calories currently. 41/F/5'5" sedentary. Starting weight of 450lb on Jan 1 this year. Current weight 360.
That’s awesome nice work
This is why i cringe when Dr Now on 600 lb life tells these people with food addictions to all of a sudden eat 1200 calories. Like no. They can eat more and lose weight
Yeah I don't get that either. Not sure if it's just for the tv dramatics to basically set the PT up to fail diving straight into the deep end after a likely decades long struggle with shit food habits, or if it really serves a purpose to go so low cal so suddenly. Like, if it's a medical emergency issue I get that but they should be in PT, in counseling and everything to help them succeed straight off the bat in my opinion if that's the case.
It's for the drama for sure. If you weigh 600 pounds you could probably lose tons of weight eating large pizzas every day. But having people actually stick to their diets, and lose weight without losing their mind doesn't make for good drama.
Soooooo fking proud of you!
Amazing work. My question is how does that little calories affect you? I always was under the impression people of that size would need to work their way down to a healthy calorie intake. /I apologise if I'm being rude by saying people of that size, just genuinely curious.
1750 can be a lot of food, it just depends what kind of foods you are eating.
I started the year higher around 2000-2100 calories and have slowly adjusted down as I lose the weight and have a better grasp on macro/micronutrient tracking and find more varieties of food that help me meet my targets. I try to prioritize protein and fiber to help me stay full and that is what has helped the most I think. Most days it's plenty of food for me though some days it can be tougher. I just try to keep things in balance over a 7 day stretch as much as I can.
This makes more sense to me. I just read calorie count and weight and thought it wouldn't be enough for the day. Thank you for explaining. Once again amazing work
Hell yeah almost 100lbs down!
1700 at the moment. I’m 5’7 and 200lbs, down from 213 - started CICO on 13th May (I know the date as it’s the day after my son’s birthday when I saw an awful photo of me lol). I used to do 1200 calories too. I suffer from migraines and if I go under 1500 it makes them worse. 1700 isn’t too daunting and allows me to eat foods I enjoy. I’m going for slow and steady weight loss rather than losing 7lbs in a week then giving up!
Hey me and your son are birthday twins! And I also started (for real) May 13th! And down a similar amount too haha
Wow!
1650, 5’7 and 153lbs. My goal weight is maybe 3-7lbs more but also pretty happy with how I look. I work out 2-4 days a week depending on my plans and try to get 10k steps in, but also have a sedentary job. I’ve been on these calories since January and lost 14lbs along with working out. Now i’m sticking to 1650 on days I’m not doing anything but being more lenient on days I meet up with friends or go out for dinner, so hopefully will maintain. But tbh, I’m totally winging it 😂
I eat between 1300-1400 calories, I try for at least 6000 steps and I am 5’1” 147lbs down from 155lbs at the end of may.
My tdee is 1800, I’m short (5’0) but active. On my deficit days right now (half the week) I’m usually doing about 1500. I find lower than that and I start thinking about food too much. I’m down 105 pounds in 14 months, so my daily calories and what I do as a deficit have changed from start to now.
1900-2400 calories a day. I'm 40F, 5'10", 133-135 lbs., work out hard for an hour every day, and am in maintenance.
I also used to do 1200cal/day and lost about 35lbs that way (I gained it all back in 2020). I had a bad mindset at the time. While I was able to stick to 1200 when in a certain environment (living alone, busy busy busy with work, little drinking and walking a lot), I couldnt stick to it when my situation changed. I lost it all again eating 1600-1800/day and it was much healthier for me and attainable with my current lifestyle. Right now I eat between 1800-2000/day and I’m maintaining at 140-145lbs (5’7”). I’m trying to build some muscle now! I dont think that would have been possible for me at 1200/day!
It really is interesting! Around 3000 a day here (I’m eating at maintenance). 36F, 5’10”, around 170 pounds. I lift weights 5 days a week, jog/walk daily, and have a generally active lifestyle. I’m by far in the best shape of my life. I’d still like to lose another 15-20 pounds but I’m in the middle of a 6 month maintenance break because I was getting so tired of eating at a deficit After my toddler was born but before I got back into lifting (which has definitely inspired me to be more active overall), I was generally eating 1300-1500 to lose weight and I was miserable. Felt far too lethargic to do much and was constantly thinking about food
How do you have so much energy to be so active?! I am also miserable if I force myself to eat less than 1500 calories a day. I do life weight 5x a week too but I think I must be pretty lazy outside of that lol
I cycle my calorie intake. I am in my 40s, 5'7", about 240 pounds now (down from around 360). I have a roving calorie goal every four weeks (per day): 1700, 1500, 1600, 1800. Occasionally I'll throw in a 2000 calorie (a day) week too. If I'm hungry, I still eat regardless if I've hit my calorie goal for the day, but only raw veggies until I am full (lots of cucumber, celery, carrots, and broccoli). I have a physical planner for meal prepping, calorie counts for the week, etc so I can keep track of it. The weeks are color-coded so I can tell at a glance which calorie intake week I'm on.
Can I ask how your planner helps with meal prepping etc. I struggle with this. Thx
I got a cheap planner off of Amazon with a weekly and monthly spread. Each day has a pretty big space dedicated to it and I divide that into four sections (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) and just write what I'm going to eat those days. It helps me see everything laid out, and I can tell where I'm going to have to cook during the week (if at all) based on portions produced per recipe. There is also a section on the side for notes and I use that space as a shopping list for my groceries as I go.
Thanks, sounds like a good system!
Raw broccoli?
Delicious, have you never had a crudité platter?
Never heard of it!
Yep! It is delicious and fills me right up.
I eat between 1600-1700 during the week and a little more on weekends.
42F 5'1 ish and 136.8 lbs. Down 29.2 lbs since Oct 2023. I eat anywhere from 1500-1700 calories a day on gym days and around 1400 calories a day on rest days (gym days are 5-6x per week and they are intense) I aim for 100 to 115g of protein most days. With a few days sprinkled in where I don't really track because I'm eating someone else's food. TDEE with on exercise days seems to be around 2200-2600 calories and that lines up with the weight loss I've been having in the last few months (winter was rough and I didn't have the workout routine I have now. I literally lost nothing from mid-december to late January lol). TDEE on no exercise days is closer to 1450-1600 cals. I'm not overly strict with my deficit, I'm not at a weight where losing fat is an immediate medical concern, I don't have any type of health issues that require it so I'm taking it slow this time around and considering it more of a lifestyle change than a weight loss experience.
35f 5’7” 192 lbs down from 200 starting June 1. I started using CICO at 1575 calories per day. When that got easier and I started noticing I was having leftover calories at the end of the day I decided I wanted to try lower to lose weight faster. Trying 1275 calories starting this week. We’ll see how it goes! If it’s too hard I’ll just go back up to 1575 or maybe try a yo yo like 1575 on workout days and 1275 on rest days. Idk. At a place where CICO has become gamified for me almost where I want to tweak and see what happens. I do not intend to go below 1200 ever.
41M / 5 ft. 11 in. / 385 lbs and started at 420 lbs It’s been a haul, but I’ve gotten to where I am working at it since March 1 and the only thing I’ve done is track calories and walking. My ‘goal’ is 2000 and I have a hard cap of 2500.
I've been terrible about tracking lately, but I'm guessing I've landed around 1600-1700, which is too many. I *do* need to get back to 1200-1300/day, because I'm 5'2" and it sucks :')
this is me totally as well
Same here at 5’2”, and I am constantly bitter about the fact that my husband (6’1”) and I have similar appetite levels... We can eat 1:1 the same food for every meal, and only one of our bodies will gain weight because of it. Like, I wish our brains would have appetites in proportion to our different bodies.
Average around 1600 if I were to guess. It used to be way less but then I stopped drinking and have to fill the void in my heart with something else (candy).
1400 for me! I’m 28f, 5”2, CW is 194lbs, and my goal is to lose another 60lbs. I want to start hitting the gym again because my maintenance cals at goal weight are gonna be around 1500 if I don’t up my physical activity.
I currently shoot for around 1700-1800 and my TDEE is pretty reliably ~2500. I’ve been wearing my Apple Watch every day this year and it’s given me the most accurate approximation of my calories burned, based on my loss/maintenance results. I’ve been maintaining for about a month but am now working on losing the last 10-15 I want to shed while also incorporating more weight training bc omg the 50 pounds I lost was all ass 😆
I'm 167cm/5'5, ~78kg/172lbs and my maintenance range is about 1900-2100. I have a pretty sedentary job. I lose (very slowly) on about 1600-1700. On 1400 I lose at a less embarrassing rate, but my energy and mood tank, so I prefer to just go slow and steady. ETA: I do a team sport 2x a week, 2 or 3 slow walks, and cardio at the gym 2-3 times per week. So nothing drastic. I also tend to have a larger appetite the day or two before my period, so I mentally give myself an allowance to eat up to 2300 on those days if I feel like it, because I know I'll downregulate again once it comes.
5’10” M35 279 lbs. I aim for around 2500 per day. I am pretty active, I walk 3+ miles every morning, run twice a week, and lift weights 3x per week. I also play softball 4x per week. Also occasionally go for hikes. I’m more focused on endurance and strength training than on weight loss right now, I could lose faster if I ate like 2200 cals per day, but weight loss isn’t my #1 focus anymore
I'm in maintenance. 5'3", between 123 to 128 pounds depending on the day. 2500 from about March to October, 2300 in the off season
How active are you please?
I'm a long distance runner! I get about 16-20k steps per day (that does include my runs)
Anywhere from 1200-2100 calories in a day. I focus on it, and I’m actively losing weight. But I’m not putting so much pressure on myself otherwise I’ll feel like I want to crumble. Some days I eat more, some days I eat less. Some months I lose 1-2 lbs some I lose 10-15 depending on my cycle, how much in actively counting, how much I exercise, and how much stress I’m under. F27 5’2 ~165lbs 70 lbs down in a year and a half
Currently 20lbs down. 27m 6ft2 SW: 400 CW: 380 My current budget is 3,000 Cal to lose 1lb a week but try to keep it around 2,000. Been calorie tracking for about 50 days.
I aim to eat 1750-1800 a day. I'm 27f, 104kg, slightly active. I use app that estimate my TDEE based on my weight and calorie intake over time, and now it says my TDEE around 2500
Between 1500-1700. 24f, 5'4" at 231 pounds down from 255. 1700 is slightly higher than my 500 cal deficit number, but I make up for it with exercise
F/48, 5 ft 4. I no longer track but somewhere between 1400-1700. Most calculators give me between 1200-1500 for sedentary. When I workes with a dietician she recommended 1600 when i was heavier. I lose weight at a snails pace especially if I don't exercise.
Around 1600 a day. 41 F 5'7 165lbs trying to lose 20 more. I weight train 3x week and just try to get 10,000 steps a day. I don't really do cardio aside from walking around.
29m, 181-182cm (6ft in freedom Units), 1500kcal during diet. Very sedentary Lifestyle though.
I'm a 175-180lb guy who just was a 180-185lb guy depending on the day. I'm 5'7, 39m and my weight is trending downwards even with me aiming for a 2700 calorie per day maintenance level of calories. Sometimes I hit 2500, today I hit 3000. Etc. I lift on average 5 times a week, 6 this week thank you long weekend and get 6-7k steps in a day at work and spend between 4 and 5 hours a week doing steady state cardio which is done behind an unassisted push lawn mower at a rate of about 5k steps an hour. I just put my tenth check mark on the calendar which at the low end is 40 hours of push mowing in the last ten weeks. Kinda odd hobby/exercise but hey, it's gotta get done and I'll get back to hiking in the fall.
2000-2500 cal / day , 5’9” female 137lbs. 10k steps a day and 2 long bike rides per week (20-40 miles) + minor body weight exercises 3x a week. I’m in maintenance.
I average between 1600-1800 a day. TDEE is around 2400-2500
I'm currently in a bulk, so I am eating ~2500 kcal. I lost 10lbs eating 2000/day + additional cardio this spring. I would say my maintenance is right around 2200-2250. 5'9", age 49 and currently weigh about 153-155 depending.
I'm 33 5'9 f and I'm supposed to eat 1800 in a deficit but since I've been counting I hit between 1200 and 1400 a day.
I'm 5'1 F and sedentary I shoot for 1600-1400 to maintain. If I'm aiming for a deficit 1200-1300
1200 to 1500 a day, and am so far losing about a pound and a half a week. I am tall, currently weigh less than 190, have some muscle mass, and am quite active. I have lost 12 pounds so far and am looking to lose 10 more and then maintain. I think the type of food you consume is important especially if you want to maintain muscle mass so I mostly have homemade smoothies with only healthy ingredients in them, and supplement this diet with additional protein and stay hydrated. I do not eat any highly processed food or any simple carbs and try to limit my carb intake overall.
Working out every day and running too isn't 'slightly active'. This is why you can eat so many calories and still lose. I aim for 1300 to 1400 and am very very slowly dropping weight.
I’m 43, female, 5’-4”, 108 pounds. I got here from 1.5 years ago from 150 by CICO, when I was actively losing weight it was 1200 a day. Now that I’m at my goal weight, if I do no exercise at all my maintenance is 1450, but I love to eat. So I bike 20 miles a day and a half hour weight training session every day (I alternate upper and lower body days), and that gets me to 1850. I have never in my life eaten so so much or been in such incredible shape. Before I used to have very disordered eating, I had periods of anorexia where I weighed 90 pounds eating 800 a day, and was bulimic for far longer. Most of my life I was terrified of food. For the first time in my life, I appreciate what food does for me, as I’m now so focused on my fitness goals, and feeding my body the right quality and quantity of food directly affects my performance, so the focus is finally not on the food or my weight, but my fitness. I feel like I cracked the code. Going to spend the rest of my life being as physically active as I can, both for my health and to be able to enjoy eating as much as I do now.
1100-1300cal a day to lose weight im 130lbs and 5’5” but i eat whatever i want in that calorie range (so im fat) so i still need to lose 15 more lbs to continue eating whatever i want as long as I staying in that range per day
How is 130 and 5' 5' "fat"? Doesn't that mean your BMI is considered a healthy weight? Sorry, I might be missing something.
I dont have a lot of muscles and higher body fat percentage bc i mostly eat junk food
174cm 65kg 21M. I am trying to lose another 3kg within a month. I do between 1500 and 1600 but had days where i go to 1800 and as low as 1200.
I am a 6 ft 2 male and currently weigh a bit over 190 lbs. My current goal is to get to about 15% body fat and i am around 23-25 percent right now. I have put on quite a bit of muscle the past 6 months so look forward to the recomposition. I aim for 2400 per day with a major focus of 175 g of protein daily. Fat and carbs vary daily and I dont really care but will often eat a bit more carbs on run days. I train 5- 6 days a week with rest days usually involving a ruck or hike—id put myself as quite active.
I’m aiming to be in the 1600-2200 calorie range daily. 2760 is my maintenance amount and my friend said I should eat at least 500 calories under my maintenance amount. My doctor says 1600 calories as a guideline
1700-2300 per day. I just eat when I'm hungry. I'm super active now. When I started this weight loss journey, I was consuming 1800 calories per day and was losing 3 lbs a week consistently so im trying to eat more now because I don't want to lose muscle.
Today I ate 1944 calories. I’m 23 and 5’9”.
900-1200 per day. Very rarely will I go up to 1500, I find I feel poorly if I do. I'm quite short, older, and not highly active, though.
1200-1400
1380-1640 depending how active I was that day. I’m 28F, 5’2”, and 138 lbs. I find that I’m able to lose about 1-2lbs a week and still enjoy cheat days and drinking on the weekends. I’m pretty active as I hit f45 Monday-Friday and also run 3-5 miles 6 days a week, but I do have a very sedentary job. Helps that I WFH so I try to take some calls while out walking if I can.
I ate 1300 a day to lose 30 lb in 6 month. Now I eat between 1300 and 2400 depending on what I have going on that week. I do a lot of hiking on the weekend and eat more on big hike days or if we have a restaurant dinner planned etc. I’m 5’2 and 35 years old. I’m sedentary working from home 40 hours per week.
5’10 23 yr old female at 241. I eat anywhere between 1700-2054 calories. I try not to give myself a strict calorie budget (due to my history with yo yo dieting and My tendency to spiral) sometimes if I’m really active that day I eat a bit more if I’m hungry. Sometimes when I’m not active (on my days off) I’m not as hungry so I forget to eat and eat less. I’m trying to be more intuitive with the way I eat because I used food as dopamine for so yea. So a range makes me feel a bit more lax, like it’s really a lifestyle change and not a diet
I eat on average 1700 calories a day. I weight lift 1 hour 5 days a week, jog for 30 min after. The 2 days I don't weight lift, I slow jog for 1 hour. Also, I dance or walk for another hour during the day. I'm losing 1 pound a week doing all of the above. 52 female, 5"5, SW 175 CW 165 GW 150
TDEE is 1900, 5'5 135lb with a relatively sedentary lifestyle though I go to the gym 3x a week. Currently eating around 1400 (less on weekdays and more on weekends), and goal is to lose maybe another 5lbs but I'm not too stressed about it. I've lost about 7lbs in the last two months with a larger calorie deficit (probably wouldn't recommend that though).
31f, 5 10”, 220lbs and ate last two weeks around 1300kcal while hitting the gym 3 times / week. I barely lost 0.5kg 😞
My limit is 1,842 but I don’t always eat that much. I’m 5 feet and 213.
1287-1487. 5'7 and down 50 lbs, still trying to lose 100 more. My workout schedule varies a lot with my ideal being 3 days of weight training and 12-3-30 alternating with 3 days of yoga/bodyweight/walking outside. However, it's just as often nothing. My current goals are improving exercise consistency and speeding up my weight loss after maintaining for a long time.
I am at 1800 per day. I have two small kids that I am active with and then try to jog 3x per week. I seem to lose good (~0.75 lbs / week) and I am able to eat three solid meals & an afternoon snack with that. Feels sustainable!
I’m 29F, 5’6”, HW 195, CW 183, GW ~140 I only started CICO in June after struggling with my mental health for the past few years (hence the weight gain). But for the past 4 weeks, I’ve been doing an average of 1450 calories since I’m almost entirely sedentary. If I have the energy to walk more and eventually do strenuous exercise, I may increase by 100-250, but I’m far from that now since I have practically no muscle and do little exercise at the moment.
I too spent a lot of my life yo-yo dieting because I thought I had to starve myself :-/ This year I discovered that I can lose about .5 lbs to 1 lb per week by eating 1600 calories per day on average (listening to my body on the days I need more, and then it feels pretty easy to eat less on days when I’m not as hungry). I wish someone had told me this would work years ago. I’m in my 40s and feel like I wasted so much time not knowing how to be healthy.
29m, 180lbs, highly active, mostly at maintenance with maybe a slight deficit right now, roughly 3500-4000 calories per day, but I really don't keep careful track unless the scale is moving too much. I run about 6-7 hours per week and bike another 3-4 hours, and I lift 4 times per week.
Since I'm in sedentary, i eat at my BMR 1800 calories and still lose weight despite slow AF.
I'm 5'4" also, just went from about 155 lbs down to 130 lbs over the last 6 months! I was eating about 1800 calories per day but have plateaued recently so I'm trying 1600 to see if that gets me down closer to 120. I'm similar to you too, sedentary job, I try to get full workout of weights + running at least twice per week and walking at least 30 minutes on other days.
20F 5’6/168cm 54kg, I maintain at around 1600-1950 depending on my activity. I would say I’m moderately active as I workout almost everyday (stairmaster 15-30 mins and weightlifting) but I’m fairly sedentary during the day at the moment. I find that my hunger cues have gotten pretty aligned with my level of activity and when I am mostly a couch potato all day, I have to remind myself to eat up to 1500-1600 at least. When I eat below that, I notice my weight going down fairly quickly and I start feel completely deflated and not strong enough to workout how I like 🏋️♀️
I’m a 6’4 man 270 lbs I eat about 1800 a day
My BMR is 1550 and I’m active at least five days per week. I eat around 1800-2000 calories per day. I’m at the stage now where the number on the scale isn’t changing much, but I can tell my fat-muscle ratio must be getting better because of how differently my clothes are fitting. I will say when i first started tracking my calories I wasn’t very active. Now that I’ve incorporated more physical activity over the last few months, it’s been so nice to be able to have a tiny bit more wiggle room for some extra snacks.
I aim for 1800 kcal per day. I'm 6'1" 30's male. Down about 15 lbs this year and currently 171 lbs. Lost a lot of muscle unfortunately but trying to get lean for a half marathon.
1700 to 2200. I lose anywhere in that range. But I lose a little quicker when i stick to 1700.
I'm 5'4 21M eating 2100 right now. Trying to do body recomp and I'm hovering around 161-165lbs right now. I lift 4x/week and I walk a bunch.
I eat anywhere from 2000 to 3000 calories on most days it’s around 2k
3000 ish. I’ve lost 60 pounds doing that, plus or minus 300. Helps being a 6 foot tall male in his 20s
I am 31m 6'2 and I eat around 2k a day. Gone from 98kg(216pounds) down to 92.5kg (203.9) in the last 4 weeks. But I've also been getting my steps over 20k almost daily
5’11 167lb male. Pretty active. Average 10,000+ steps per day. My maintenance calories are around 2600-2800 per day.
Around 2300, 24m/5'9"/157. That puts me at around a 400 calorie deficit
1550 calories currently, 31/f/5’4” SW 219lbs, CW: 184, GW: 140-150 “Sedentary” (desk job, but I get between 5k - 10k steps each day and try to strength train 1-3 times a week) I follow what my calculated tdee is and am in a 300 calorie deficit
5’11” guy in my 20s at 229 pounds. Started at 260. I eat 1500 a day as a deficit.
32F 5ft 1 106-110lb. Strength / resistance train 4-5times a week (light weight), 1 day HIIT, active rest day of a long walk. Very sedentary job and very low step count outside walks on rest days. Maintain on 1400-1500 calories and average 110g protein a day
Ideally 1800 or so. 39/M/6'0", currently 190ish down from 350. I do a lot of running that averages out to 45 minutes of moderately intense cardio per day. Trying to get back down to 175-180 after a tumultuous first half of 2024.
1500 calories a day, and i have lost 7,5 kg in just under 1,5 month. 😊
Mid 40’s 5’3” (F) 1400cals (flexible on w/ends) walk 10k steps everyday. Goal weight 140lb.
Hi, 31F 171cm/5'7", trying to lose 20 kg to go from 90 to 70. I don't really have an allowance per se, I just cut the added sugar to below the threshold my doc told me because of health reasons, and since I was already counting anyways I decided to build better habits in general. But other than monitoring sugar, I just eat what I feel like and in healthy serving sizes and don't eat when I'm not hungry, and I end up anywhere between 800 and 1600. I do try to go at the least above 50% of the burned calories on daus with big steps and small hunger.
I'm on 1300. I'm in menopause and women need far less calories once they hit that. It sucks.
Between 1500 - 1800 usually, with an occasional splurge when eating out/eating with someone maybe once every week or so. 5'2/157cm and 165lbs/75kg (down from 93kg in February) Reasonably active I think (~12k steps a day, gym/classes 2-3 a week, swimming once a week) Aiming to get to 72kg, then planning to eat at maintenance with a focus on protein and weight training for a few months before considering going back to a deficit for a bit.
5,3 and eating around 1,800 calories a day , I gym 3 days a week and run 1/2 times a week. I was originally on 1,500 but I felt like shit and although the weight was falling off , I broke it off quickly and binged and put it all back on. Now with 1,800 and exercise the weight is coming off slower but it’s something I can now stick too and I don’t feel like crap.
Between 1400-1700 (with occasional 2000+ days). My TDEE is 1625. I’m 5’8” and currently 150lbs (down 27lbs).
I aim for between 1500 and 1700. 6'0"/early 30s/F. Currently ~215 lbs down from ~228 lbs at Christmas.
2200/2400 most days but I give myself grace around that time of month 3000 calories. 168cm 121kgs. Gym most days
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Is working out /every day/ and running on top of that being SLIGHTLY active? Or are you just greatly underestimating yourself? How long does your usual workout tend to be? A genuine question. I myself also have a sedentary job and whenever I try to calculate my calorie needs I struggle with the activity section of online calculators. I workout 5 to 6 times a week (280-300 minutes per week usually of cardio and pilates/weights) I get around 6-8 hours of walking a week on top of that. I would always set my activity to "moderate" even though most of those calculators recommend "high" for this amount of activity. Should I really set it to small or minimal then, because of my desk job? Now I'm puzzled lol. What amount of activity per week counters a sedentary job? I know people tend to overestimate themselves when it comes to this and intensity of your workouts matters too, but what you described really doesn't seem like slight activity even with a sedentary job?
1395, 27/M/6+"/189lbs sedentary. Started at 205lbs
I currently track 2,000, but eat closer to 2500 I’d assume. I track all my meals but I drink 40 calories in a joint liquid, about 100 calories in crystal light, 25-50 calories in my electrolyte powders, probably 50ish calories in “zero calorie cooking sprays” and then I’ll eat 200-300 calories of unhealthy snacks I do not track.
30s 5’10 M, 230lb down from 252 in April. I eat ~2000cal/day. Med student (non-traditional, obviously) so sometimes I blow past my phone suggested 7500 step goal others nowhere near. I don’t worry about it and I don’t exercise. I’m aiming to lose 1.5lb per week. My results are very close to what Lose It suggests and what I actually eat.
1800. M/32/220. Largely muscular. Definitely under-eating in a way I shouldn’t, but I’ve always been bad with hunger cues
Male, 6'4". I am around 2000 but usually end up 1700-2000. I probably should eat more though, but I eat a lot of lean protein and dont get hungry that often. Once I am to my goal will increase and focus on recomp with my lifting.
41/M 6'2, SW:284, CW:252 I'm a bigger dude so my BMR is fairly high, currently around 2000 calories. I usually eat 2200-2400 calories a day with a minimum of 150g of protein. Seems to be working for me. Down 32lbs since December.
I'm 30, 5'4", start weight was 365lb, currently at 292lb. I eat 1,500 a day, I did try 1,700 but I found that seemed to be my maintenance. I do have a cheat day once a week though, so I'm probably just kind of saving calories up for that and it's balancing out. I really don't move much either. Calorie counters seem to think I should be at 2,150ish a day, but that wouldn't work for me
Anything between 800-4000 a day. I eat according to my hunger and craving levels. Average per month might be 1700. 164 cms, 164 lbs, 43 years old female not sedentary.
5'4", 110-115 lbs, lightly active (I exercise most days of the week, but not super intense, usually walking, 30-45 minutes of lap swimming, or some pilates or body weight stuff). I typically need around 1600-1700 calories per day to maintain weight (I'm menopausal).
1,700 - 5'11". 220 pounds, goal is 180. I exercise 4 days per week. Currently not losing a thing though 😐
I’m 5’4 28f too! Curious for literally any tips you have. I’m sitting at 165 ish and I desperately want it gone. I have no clue how many cals I should be eating a day, I have a sedentary full time job as well. Trying to workout 3-4 times a week but if you have any advice I’d love to hear it! I’ve been trying to lose weight for as long as I can remember.
26M, 6' 4", I eat 2000-2200 a day. I lose 3-ish pounds a week if I'm good every day. I used a calorie calculator to get a good starting point but that's it. I try to eat as low as I can handle mentally but no lower than 1800.
I am a 38M, 5’10” 205lbs and trying to lose weight down to 170-175lbs. I did it before with some pretty restrictive calorie tracking and a ton of running. The result was getting to my goal weight but I was skinny-fat. I learned that 1) losing weight is hard, but it’s harder to then transition to body recomposition fat -> muscle, especially when I’ve lost so much weight so quickly. I got a mild strain in my Achilles and stopped running and basically started eating a lot more. I yo-yo’d a bit and was eventually back to my SW of 225lbs 18 months later. Online TDEE calculators say I should be eating 2,200ish calories a day to lose weight. Having cut all processed food, alcohol, and sugar and really sticking to basic rice, chicken, veggies, fish, whole wheat bread, eggs, all the good stuff… 2,200 calories seems like a ton. I’m feeling full at 2,000 calories! Anyway, I’d say I eat around 1800-1900 calories a day right now, doing 18:6 fasting and working out daily. I think if/when I get down to my goal weight I’ll start eating more, doing less cardio, and lifting far more consistently. If I can put on some muscle and be more lean I’ll be better able to maintain.
Between 1650-1800 per day. 28F/6'/226lbs, started at 233lbs
54f CW150 and I eat 1200 calories a day if I’m lucky but never under 1000. I’m disabled so mostly sedentary.
39f 5'2, 135 lbs Less than 1200 unfortunately I've struggled a lot the past five or so years with losing five pounds and then gaining it back. I would consider myself slightly active too as I do some form of low intensity cardio every day and weight lifting one to two times a week. I don't know if it's my age or if I'm not as diligent at tracking but I can only really lose weight if I'm aiming between 1000 to 1200 calories a day.
1200 a day for me, and on bad nnit more than 1300. Luckily it hasn’t been that hard for me to keep up. I’m not that active. 183cm TDEE says 1250 for 1kg per week.
Im eating about 1750 calories per day and I just started. I’m super sedentary as much as I wish I wasn’t. Im 18F 5’11” and 265 lbs.
1700 and I’ve lost 68 lbs. I have gone as low as 1500 after a plateau, but 1700 is where I feel the best and can do the most physical stuff without any weirdness.
On a normal day it's around 1400-1600, when I'm binging it's around 6000
I'm struggling right now. I did 2 years at 1450. Lost 85 that first year, then was maintaining. Then I fell off the diet and gained 35 and I'm struggling to stick to it again. 5'10" M 210
5’5, 245lbs, Female - eat 1900-2200 calories/day. Have lost 18 pounds in last 10 weeks - averaging between 1.5 and 2 pounds/week. Don’t do dedicated exercise but average about 12k steps a day (walking dog, house cleaning, cooking, generally up and about). For several months I was completely befuddled by my somewhat rapid weight gain (20 pounds over about 4-6 months) as my general eating and lifestyle habits seemed pretty stable. I started tracking (mostly eyeballing, but I pay attention) and trying to maintain a 500-750 calorie deficit. Weight has been coming off pretty consistently. So I must have been eating closer to 3-4k calories. I think most of that was things like liberally pouring olive oil, using lots of butter cooking, too much takeout and picking up a candy snacking habit. So I cut way back on candy and takeout and started being conscious of the amount of butter and olive oil I used cooking and that’s made a big difference. My goal is for my eventual maintenance TDEE to be around 2,000-2,2200 as it feels pretty sustainable - so def prioritizing maintaining lean mass and upping my overall natural activity level as part of my general lifestyle.
41M/6'1/385 from 492 at my heaviest. I eat around 2000-2500 a day, used to do the gym a few days a week, now really just walk for about an hour (\~4km), 3 or 4 days a week. Looking to get back in the gym though. Dropping the 100 pounds was pretty easy I'd say...didn't feel like I was starving myself and have been able to maintain it since then. I've been in the 380s for about a year though which means that I'm probably doing too much on the weekends lol. Planning on busting through that roadblock in the next few months though. Putting on clothes from a year or two ago and they're baggy on me now is a crazy feeling.
I am M/6ft2/336lb and I try to keep it at 2000 cal, I will say, I always somewhat feel like I should cut more on my calories but idk man 1800 is never something i can consistently limit myself to. And people thinking 200 cal aint a big change, it is 10% of my caloric intake lol, thats like a banana and 3 mandarines which is my snack often time before going to bed.
I’m the same!! I eat around 1,200 cals a day. Sometimes less than 1k. What happens is, I get intense cravings and I sometimes give into them because it wakes me up at night. So I yo-yo.
In terms of weight loss, it doesn’t really matter how many calories you eat per day. The only thing that matters is how much of a calorie deficit is your diet. To confirm: * Eating 15,000 calories per day while burning 16,000 calories per day = **1,000** calorie deficit per day. * Eating 2,000 calories per day while burning 3,000 calories per day = **1,000** calorie deficit per day. In both those scenarios you will lose the same amount of weight because they both result in a deficit of 1,000 calories. So, actual number of calories consumed means nothing, the deficit (or surplus) that represents is everything.
I don’t count calories anymore, just cause as someone with OCD it consumed me and almost destroyed me. I focus more on what I eat and portion control.
Stop counting calories that shit don’t work long term.. I say eat a balanced diet of whole foods.. limit processed foods.. walk as much as u can … strength train.. And make this a life style
34F, 179cm (almost 5’11), 1200calories,10K steps per day otherwise sedentary.
I’m 5’8 174lbs (started at 220lbs) and I was eating 1000-1400 (1456 was what loseit said to eat to lose 2lbs a week at first). Since getting to 174lbs it says to eat 1297 calories to lose 2lbs a week but I usually eat less since I tend to gain eating 1400 calories😭 I only ate 500-600 calories yesterday bc I just wasn’t hungry and slept most of the day and I weigh myself daily and I maintained at 173.9😐😐😐
This is concerning. It's not advised to eat under 1200 calories a day because it's difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs. If your appetite is tanking and you are sleeping all day, that's your body telling you that you need more fuel. If I were you, I'd try to eat at maintenance for a bit to straighten things out and restore your energy.
I have the same experience, except that I am still 220lbs. It goes down really slow
M/20, 5ft 6, 144lb. I’m eating around 1000-1200 per day on a cut. Want to get to around 135lb. We’ll see how it goes. Blows my mind that I’m eating less than females that are shorter than me.
That's too low bro I weigh 20 lbs more than you, same height age and sustain on 2600 while only getting 10k steps most days of the week
I eat around 1000 a day too. It's due to my height, though. I'm F27 4'1 lol. Just out of curiosity, how do you distribute your meals? I've been doing 25% breakfast and lunch and 50% dinner+ snacks.
I usually skip breakfast and just have 2 meals a day with no snacks. If I drink coffee, I sometimes just eat dinner or not eat at all.
I wish I could skip breakfast but unfortunately I just can't do it. Thanks!
Currently staying at 1000 or under. 5'4 heaviest I've been in years at 115, I got this size by eating more. I'm already down a few lbs since getting back on track. My happy weight is closer to 100.