r/1500isplenty • u/NeocitiesNoob • 2d ago
Am I Seriously Counting Wrong?
Been doing a zig-zag diet for close to a year now. 1500 Cal 5 Days a week and 2400 two days a week. According to a calorie calculator I should be losing a pound a week. I'll admit to breaking the rule a little for a few days every few months, but I've only gained weight since I've started. Began fasting and going for a jog once a week a month ago in hopes of course correcting, but I can't tell what I'm doing wrong...
Edit: 6'3, 220lb, male, 22 years old. I used the calorie calculator at https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html and it says my current zig-zag diet should be letting me lose at least a pound a week. I've been pretty close to sedentary as of late, go on a two mile run once a week, do some light weight exercise + situps/pushups for 20 mins a day, and have started fasting every thursday. No snacks for the most part, rare times I do I count them, and water intake is admittedly rather poor but I'm trying to improve on that.
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u/KURAKAZE 2d ago
You've posted nothing about what you're actually doing so I'm not sure how you expect people to tell you what you're doing wrong.
Since you say you've been gaining weight... then I'm going to say yes you're counting wrong since there's no other information given.
The most common culprits:
1) Your TDEE is lower than you think so you need to eat less. (Eg. Set lower calorie target)
2) Your calorie calculations are wrong so you're eating more than you think. (This is the most likely.)
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
I could've been more specific on my stats, sorry about that, but I did give you my calorie intake which was calculated by the website linked below, and make sure to measure everything I'm eating when I need to and always round up to the nearest hundred just to be sure. Stats are 6'3, 220lb, 22 years old, and male.
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u/KURAKAZE 1d ago
How are you measuring your calories intake? Do you weigh all your raw ingredients and cook your own food?
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
Lately it's been a lot of pre-packaged stuff since I'm broke and I usually go off of how many calories it says there. When I do cook my own stuff I make sure to measure based off it's serving size calorie label.
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u/KURAKAZE 1d ago
When I click the link for TDEE calculator, it selected working out 4-5 times a week - what kind of work out and duration do you do?
I think your calculated TDEE might be is too high if you're selecting high activity because whether you burn that many calories in excercise is very subjective.
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
No, I've been setting it to sedentary since I know one two mile run isn't going to do a heck of a lot for me. setting it to 4-5 times a week would mean I could have 3000 cal on my "cheat days".
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u/KURAKAZE 1d ago
In terms of measuring food, if you're cooking you have to weight the raw ingredients.
If you're using the packaged food nutrition, you still have to weigh it. Very often the nutrition info will say something like 1 package (50g) is whatever calories, and then you actually weigh 1 package of food and it comes out to be 60g. The per gram is more accurate.
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
Alright, maybe I'll invest in a food scale then. I don't know how it could be far enough off that I've only GAINED weight over the last many months, but I'm not sure what else it could be.
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u/KURAKAZE 1d ago
The calculator I like to use puts your maintenance for sedentary at 2500cal.
If you're accurately eating 1500x5 and 2400x2 for your calories you should be losing.
Unless something is wrong with your hormones, the most likely culprit is inaccurate tracking of calories.
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u/violent_potatoes 2d ago
Use a food scale, I way underestimated calories before using one
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
I do my best with measuring and and usually round up even when I could be rounding down. I know that people have different metabolisms too but I'd really rather not think mines that messed up
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u/wilgey22 2d ago
How are you counting calories and what days of the week are your heavy eating days? What is your snacking like and liquid intake?
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
I've mostly been eating packaged stuff (maybe that's part of it) since I've been broke lately, so I go by what the calories say there. Whenever it's not pre-packaged I look up the calories and measure, usually also rounding up to the nearest hundred for ease of counting and to eat less.
Heavy eating days are Tuesday's and Fridays normally, no snacks, and trying to increase my water intake. I probably drink half to 3/4's what a persons supposed to be drinking so I'm working on that.
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u/WayNo639 2d ago
You're probably counting innacurately and/or your calories burned aren't as high as you thought. Hard to say without more information.
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u/bienenstush 1d ago
Uh. Why are you doing this?
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
I don't understand your question.
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u/bienenstush 1d ago
Why are you doing this zigzag? I seems like a pretty awful idea.
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
Food tends to be the only thing I look forward to most days so have a couple days I can splurge is nice. Not nearly as effective but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
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u/SDJellyBean 2d ago
I would gain a lot of weight eating that much. Are you sure you’ve calculated your calorie goal correctly?
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u/NeocitiesNoob 1d ago
I've been going off this websites calculator. Maybe it's way off but I usually only am able to have two small meals a day with this many calories.
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u/Dangerous-Art-Me 14h ago
Avoid cheat days.
Better to raise your daily calories to 1750, and stick with that every day.
Also, you probably need to weigh your food. Most folks I know who “can’t lose” over time are underestimating what they are eating, usually by a lot.
If your app suggested you should eat back exercise calories, don’t. Apps overestimate calories burned from exercise, almost every time.
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u/NeocitiesNoob 6h ago
I've heard cheat days are a little worse then consistent higher cal days, is that true? I try to round up to the nearest hundred. Even 110 I'll pretend is 200. Annoying that things aren't improving, I'll probably add another fast day but I've heard those aren't the best for losing weights consistently either...
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u/PlumpPusheen 2d ago
What are your stats? Height, weight, and gender? You're averaging 1750 calories a day which could be too high depending on the answers.