Is 1500 a day normal at 180lbs?

[SField]

I'm finding more and more than I have less appetite than I did when I was younger. I'm in my late 20s.

My activity level is basically about an hour of strenuous (though not earth shattering) exercise around 5 to 6 times a week. I walk everywhere. I think I'm about 180lbs (and 6'4 and a half), but I might have lost some weight.

Does anyone else find their appetite waning a little? I eat extremely well, I love french food so it's not that I deprive myself. I just find that I'm happy with fairly small portion sizes now and don't mind eating things high in fat in small doses in lieu of larger portions.

A breakfast usually consists of either fruit, toast with almond butter, or about 3 times a week I'll make a couple of eggs.

Lunch, since I'm pretty busy, is almost always a spinach salad with olive oil and vinegar, and a bunch of cherry tomatoes. I will usually eat it with a sliced chicken breast, or a sliced duck breast about twice a week.

Dinner is always more extravagant, I eat out a whole lot and that is where most of my calories come from. That probably isn't very smart, I know. I almost never eat before bed, in fact never 3-4 hours before bed.

I had a physical last week and everything was ok. I don't feel that this is a dramatically lower appetite, but I don't think most days I'm getting over 1500-2000 calories and I'm wondering if this is normal.

 

[why]

If you're content and don't have any issues from it (inability to sleep, etc.) then it's not an issue. Neither is eating a large dinner.

I don't have the appetite I did when I was younger either. Most people start to get fat by eating the same despite less need by the body.

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by SField

I had a physical last week and everything was ok. I don't feel that this is a dramatically lower appetite, but I don't think most days I'm getting over 1500-2000 calories and I'm wondering if this is normal.

Have you actually went to the trouble of calculating it, sometimes people take in more then they think and 1500 is pretty low for someone your size. What do you usually drink during the day and with meals?

Agree with Why: if it's not a problem, then I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[lee_44106]

Most people UNDER-estimate what they eat.

I'm hard pressed to believe you really only eat 1500 calories.

 

[anon]

Is there something that's causing you to worry so much? Are you losing too much weight? Are you wanting to gain weight?

If you're meeting all of your nutritional requirements (vitamins, protein, etc) and feel healthy, why be so concerned?

 

[why]

Originally Posted by lee_44106

I'm hard pressed to believe you really only eat 1500 calories.

There's plenty of people who don't eat a lot. Don't stand next to him if you don't want to be compared.

 

[thekunk07]

when I am not cutting, I typically eat 1200 calories at breakfast. but i am generally dieting so at 6'2, 220ish pounds, I eat around 2250 a day.

I just looked at video of myself at 280 and still have my food diary.

one entry was:

10 eggs
8 slices bacon
1/2 pineapple
4 slices whole wheat toast and a myoplex shake.

16 oz steak with blue cheese
10 oz rice
3 boiled potatoes
spinach slad with bacon

myoplex shake with half and half

2 gallons water

1/2 gallon whole milk

18 oz chicken breast
2 cups brocoli
12 oz pasta with sauce and parmesan

myoplex shake with water

15 oz tuna with mayo
4 slices wheat toast
garden salad

myoplex shake with half and half

8 oz steak with 1 cup pasta with garlic and oil
2 cups cauliflower

i could never eat like that at this point.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

Have you actually went to the trouble of calculating it, sometimes people take in more then they think and 1500 is pretty low for someone your size. What do you usually drink during the day and with meals? Agree with Why: if it's not a problem, then I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Well between breakfast and lunch I eat as little as 400-500 calories. Dinner is high calorie, small portion. I remember many years ago I was on a diet of 2200 calories following a surgery that left me unable to move very much for 8 months, and I feel like I am eating less in volume and less in calories than that. Breakfast I'm eating a slice of toast and some almond butter, or occasionally 2 eggs. That isn't too much although I feel satisfied. Lunch is just vegetables with a bit of protein. Half a large chicken breast, sometimes a duck breast. Maybe a teaspoon of very good olive oil. In terms of what I drink... I drink water mostly... quite a bit in fact. Up to 100oz of it if I'm quite active. I tend to drink one or two Vitamin Waters a day (the 10 calorie kind). That's like 50 calories.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

when I am not cutting, I typically eat 1200 calories at breakfast. but i am generally dieting so at 6'2, 220ish pounds, I eat around 2250 a day.

I just looked at video of myself at 280 and still have my food diary.

one entry was:

10 eggs
8 slices bacon
1/2 pineapple
4 slices whole wheat toast and a myoplex shake.

16 oz steak with blue cheese
10 oz rice
3 boiled potatoes
spinach slad with bacon

myoplex shake with half and half

2 gallons water

1/2 gallon whole milk

18 oz chicken breast
2 cups brocoli
12 oz pasta with sauce and parmesan

myoplex shake with water

15 oz tuna with mayo
4 slices wheat toast
garden salad

myoplex shake with half and half

8 oz steak with 1 cup pasta with garlic and oil
2 cups cauliflower

i could never eat like that at this point.
.

Well you're ripped so I don't see a problem with eating like that, but why any human would ever want to consume that much food is beyond me. But as I say, you're quite healthy and need to feed your size, but you're in the minority of people who eat that much and aren't fat *****.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by anon

Is there something that's causing you to worry so much? Are you losing too much weight? Are you wanting to gain weight?

If you're meeting all of your nutritional requirements (vitamins, protein, etc) and feel healthy, why be so concerned?

No, I just know that sometimes loss of appetite is a sign of illness. I feel absolutely fine but I do remember eating far more in my youth.

 

[Joe Cool]

Originally Posted by SField

No, I just know that sometimes loss of appetite is a sign of illness. I feel absolutely fine but I do remember eating far more in my youth.

You're still in your youth pal...enjoy it a little!

 

[Dexx]

I can assure you, that you would lose weight very quickly, if you only ate 1500 calories per day over a longer period of time. 1500 calories per day is a serious diet. If you really walk all the time you need more than 2500 calories per day (depends on your metabolism). Around 7000 calories is 1 Kg of pure fat. That means you more or less lose 1 Kg weight per week.

 

[underwearer]

"I'm getting over 1500-2000 calories and I'm wondering if this is normal"

2000 calories is recommended.

To paraphrase Lou Holtz,

"If you're hungry: eat. if you're not hungry: don't eat. if you're thirsty: drink water. if you're not thirsty: don't drink water. If you can't sleep at night: don't go to bed."

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Dexx

I can assure you, that you would lose weight very quickly, if you only ate 1500 calories per day over a longer period of time. 1500 calories per day is a serious diet. If you really walk all the time you need more than 2500 calories per day (depends on your metabolism). Around 7000 calories is 1 Kg of pure fat. That means you more or less lose 1 Kg weight per week.

Sweet. Maybe I'll add 6oz of pork belly to my salads.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

when I am not cutting, I typically eat 1200 calories at breakfast. but i am generally dieting so at 6'2, 220ish pounds, I eat around 2250 a day.

I just looked at video of myself at 280 and still have my food diary.

one entry was:

10 eggs
8 slices bacon
1/2 pineapple
4 slices whole wheat toast and a myoplex shake.

16 oz steak with blue cheese
10 oz rice
3 boiled potatoes
spinach slad with bacon

myoplex shake with half and half

2 gallons water

1/2 gallon whole milk

18 oz chicken breast
2 cups brocoli
12 oz pasta with sauce and parmesan

myoplex shake with water

15 oz tuna with mayo
4 slices wheat toast
garden salad

myoplex shake with half and half

8 oz steak with 1 cup pasta with garlic and oil
2 cups cauliflower

i could never eat like that at this point.

I might eat that much over the course of a week.