1500 Calories to maintain??

[immortalis]

And no... 1500 cals is not going to be nearly enough to keep you from burning muscle.

Maybe if you were 5'5" 160 pounds... hehe.

 

[rg78]

I'm just trying to keep the same muscle and maybe gain 2 o 3lbs in muscle but I want to drop 10lbs of fat. I will be ingestion 200-250g of protein daily, that will be most of my calories, the rest from fat. I will be trying to get little carbs in if any. If 1500 is not enough to maintain muscle mass even with 200g/proteing...should I bump it up to 1700?

I personally would up the protein to about 350g a day and try to get about 2500-3000 clean calories and walk 3 days a week

 

[steelmass]

255x12= 3060cals for maintenance bro... and the range is 12-15 so thats the low end bro... you will lose muscle cuttin that low... and slow ur metabolism.

 

[rick_hfh]

Wow, 1500 is dengerously low. I did a very low carb when it was all the rage, and before I found this site. I ate about 1500 cals mostly protein, like 30 grams of carbs a day. I lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks, like 3lbs the next 6 weeks. Half the loss was muscle.
I have found that I burn 3,500 cals with just lifting 3-4 days a week, with hardly any activity, at a bodyweight of 225 @ 15%. I am sure that if you lift and walk around any at work, you are close to burning 3,500 at 255 lbs and 16%. The calculator does not figure in your daily activities. A moderately active person, lifting heavy 4 times a week and walking for hours at work, you can take that times 1.5.
I hate to see people just pick a number and shoot for it. That is what I used to do before this site. Get a fitday acount to keep track of your daily food intake. You can customize your foods to exactly what the label says. It can save the info for you, so when you eat that food, you can click it and add to your daily totals.
You will be surprised how many cals you burn a day. I have been trying to gain at 4000 cals a day. I just lift and walk around the dept store I work in. After 8 weeks I hadn't gained anything. I upped my cals to 4500 and am slowly gaining. Don't be surprised if you burn close to what I burn. At 255 and 16% you are bigger than I am. I do not have high metabolism and float around 15% year round.

 

[solidspine]

There BMI Calculator calulated my body fat at 31%, I am 5'5" 185, my real body fat is about 14%

 

[MorganKane]

There BMI Calculator calulated my body fat at 31%, I am 5'5" 185, my real body fat is about 14%

BMI is bullshit for people that lifts weight.

using Ronnie Coleman as an example.
5'11" and 255lbs (contest)

You have a BMI of 35.56.
BMI is between 35-39.99 (Obese Class 2)
If you have a BMI of 35-39.99 your risk of weight-related health problems and even death, is severe. See your doctor and reduce your weight to a lower BMI.


The BMI does not take into consideration your body type, its just a ratio based on a calulation.

 

[rick_hfh]

I was thinking of joining the national gaurd to help out with my tuition. Well, they took my height and weight and typed it into a computer. Then he told me that my bmi concerned him. WTF? He said that they could get me in great shape fast. I wanted to go postal on him. He was over 20% bf himself, telling me i was overweight. I was about 13% bf @ 220.
I didn't mean to hijack, just wanted to say bmi is bullshit. Good for nothing but causing "concern."

 

[theprofessor]

im 5'5" 150 8-9% and i would burn muscle on 1500... i am an ectomorph though so that can make a difference...

 

[gjohnson5]

Do you think the Ultimate Warrior Jeff Helwig ever ate as low as 1500 calories?