Just how many calories does it take to loose weight??? - Weight Loss Message Board

Jimini · 05-28-2003, 11:03 PM

Let's say that you have a peach and an apple with a glass of milk in the morning and then the only other hting u eat that day is either a greek salad with chicken or wings and a yogurt...That should not be more than about 1500 calories..Is that good to loose weight plus exercise? My friend did it this way and it worked for her, since she can't cut her diet, but i think that the meat would add extra fat that would hinder progress. What do you think?

adam · 05-28-2003, 11:36 PM

You need to eat throughout the day. 1500 calories is good but you need to spread it out.

Eating several small meals (even just a piece of fruit) keeps your metabolism going. If you only eat once or twice--your body will start to store everything you eat.

Annee · 05-29-2003, 12:26 PM

Hi Jimini,
Eating 1500 calories a day is an excellent way to lose weight! In fact, I just lost 18 pounds doing exactly that. It's slow-going, about a pound to a pound-and-a-half a week, but it's gone for good! I suggest you search out a site that gives you the calorie count on various foods (there are lots of them!). Then, stock up on some of your lo-cal favorites. I like tea, BBQ-flavored rice cakes, sugarless gum, and meringue cookies. Village Hearth makes a really good 40-calorie bread, and Campbell Soup has a lot of good options. Fortunately, most foods are labeled with their calories, so it's not hard to keep tally as you go through your day. I actually broke my day into smaller parts: 500 calories before 1:00, another 500 'tween 1:00 and 7:00, and 500 more 'til bedtime.
It really wasn't too difficult! Good luck to you!

gretsky · 05-29-2003, 12:56 PM

Annee-- I like your idea of breaking the carbs down into time periods!! I'll give it a try. Thanks- gretsky

DonutsNCoffee · 05-29-2003, 02:06 PM

Jimini,

There is no one answer to this question and anyone who tells you there is a number is oversimplifying things. The amount of calories you should have to lose wieght is specific to you. One person can lose weight on 1500 calories while another may go into starvation mode or even gain weight. Do a search for the Harris-Benedict formula. This will tell you how many calories your body needs. Then reduce that number by no more than 20%. The result is the minimum number of calories you need per day if you're trying to lose weight but don't want your metabolism to enter into starvation mode. Also be sure to eat every 3 hours. Never let more than 4 hours pass between meals or your metabolism will slow down.