.You probably heard lots of people say consuming 1500 calories a day is effective. But as a beginner in a calorie deficit, you keep asking yourself “How much weight will I lose if I only eat 1500 calories a day?”
Well, asking this question is important because the answer will help you lose sustainable weight. So in this guide, I will be answering all your burning questions because I battled a lot to get the right information during the early days of my weight loss journey.
What is the 1,500-calorie diet?
Who told you that being in 1,500 calorie diet would help you loose weight?
Note that 1500 calories a day is not a threshold for everybody. Your age, height, activity level and weight loss goal is different from everyone. Hence, you need to first of all calculate your calorie deficit.
If you’re starting your calorie deficit journey, it important to strictly cut down as either 250kals, 500kals or 750kals. This will make your weight loss jounery sustainable and become a lifestyle.
According to WellbyUba a Calorie Deficit Coach on TikTok; “It’s easier to lose weight if you make calorie deficit a lifestyle”
My actual calories needed to sustain my body is 2197. To lose and maintain my desired weight, I deficit on 500kals. Meaning, my total calorie consumption per day is 1697.
To know your daily calorie consumption, use the free calculator above.
Relying on 1,500-calorie diet is dangerous because your body may need more energy to function.
How much weight will I lose if I only eat 1500 calories a day?
The truth is there is no definite answer to how much weight you can lose if you eat 1500 calories a day. Factors like height, age, weight, gender, activity level, and metabolic rate, also affect the weight you will lose.
When you’re consuming a fixed 1500 calories per day, your weight loss will depend on how this number compares to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Let’s break this down:
- If your TDEE is higher than 1500 calories, you’ll be in a calorie deficit and will lose weight.
- The size of your deficit (TDEE minus 1500) determines how quickly you’ll lose weight.
To estimate how much weight you might lose if you only eat 1500 calories a day:
- Calculate your TDEE (use the above online calculator)
- Subtract 1500 from your TDEE to find your daily calorie deficit
- Multiply this by 7 to get your weekly calorie deficit
- Divide by 3500 (approximate calories in a pound of fat) to estimate weekly weight loss
Example 1:
| If your TDEE is 2000 calories: Daily deficit: 2000 – 1500 = 500 calories Weekly deficit: 500 x 7 = 3500 calories Estimated weight loss: 3500 / 3500 = 1 pound per week |
Example 2
| If your TDEE is 2500 calories: Daily deficit: 2500 – 1500 = 1000 calories Weekly deficit: 1000 x 7 = 7000 calories Estimated weight loss: 7000 / 3500 = 2 pounds per week |
- If your TDEE is 2,000 calories, eating 1,500 calories creates a 500-calorie daily deficit, which could lead to about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of weight loss per week.
- If your TDEE is 2,500 calories, the same 1,500-calorie diet creates a 1,000-calorie daily deficit, potentially resulting in about 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of weight loss per week.
How long will it take to lose 20 pounds eating 1500 calories a day?
If you are taking 1500 calories a day and a deficit of 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week. Hence, it will take you 20 weeks (5 months) to lose 20 pounds while eating 1500 calories.
On the other hand, if you’re on a larger deficit, i.e. you are taking 1500 calories a day and have a deficit of 1000, you will lose 2 pounds (0.9 kg) per week. Meaning it will take you 10 weeks (2.5 months) to lose 20 pounds by eating 1500 calories a day.
Although it’s not advisable to be on 1000-calorie deficit especially as a beginner. So stick with deficiting on 250kals, 500kals, 750kals.
Note: the calorie you cut out is the most important unit to measure regardless you’re taking 1500 calories a day.
It is important to also note that after a while (usually 6 months) your body will plateaue and get used to the 1500 calories a day. So it’s important to increase and decrease your calorie intake in a month. This will make sure your body is not gaining weight on a calorie deficit.
These variations will help keep your body on the alert and prevent it from adapting to 1500 calories a day.
Can you Lose Weight by Eating 1,500 calories a Day Without Exercise?
Short answer: Yes, you can lose weight by eating 1,500 calories a day without exercise!
Long answer:
I always tell members of my paid community that exercise is only 10% of the weight loss journey. If you want to see 85% weight loss, then focus on being on calorie deficit!
I know this is the opposite of what you hear from people. And social media is helping to spread the wrong narrative.
I have coached women and reduction of their calorie intake has the best and fastest result in them lossing fat.
Let’s face it, work schedule and family time is eating up time to gym time. So you can focus on deficiting on a calories without exercise and still lose weight.
But I want to encourage you to be taking a 30 minutes walk at least 4 times a week or buy a sizeable treadmill in your house. If you have the time and resource to commit to a going to the gym 4x a week, please don’t take the opportunity for granted.
It wasn’t easy for me to quiz out time from my busy schedule and money from my tight budget. But looking back, I’m grateful I did.
This is why you need the 10% weight loss effect exercise will help you;
- Shape your body: Without exercise, you might experience the “skinny fat” phenomenon, where you lose weight but still lack muscle tone. Hence you will deal with excess skin. Exercise, especially resistance training, can help fill out this skin by building muscle underneath, improving overall body appearance.
- Boost Metabolism: Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. By building muscle through exercise, you increase your resting metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising.
- Long-term Weight Management: Exercise becomes particularly crucial when you start varying your calorie intake. The muscle you’ve built through exercise acts as a “buffer,” helping to burn extra calories when you occasionally eat more than your usual 1,500 calories.
Calorie Deficit Meal Plan Generator
This is one of the best calorie deficit meal plans that provides meals you can cook with ingredients available in your country. All you have to do is fill in the required details, especially the foods you commonly eat.
Note that the calorie deficit meal plan will suggest meals that require little to no oil for cooking, as oil can quickly increase your calorie intake.
Your Personalized Calorie Deficit Meal Plan
1-Week Meal Plan
| Day | Breakfast (40%) | Lunch (35%) | Dinner (25%) |
|---|
It is advisable to stick to this meal plan for at least two weeks before making any changes. To make things easier, learn how to meal prep and store meals in the fridge. You can also air-fry proteins like meat, chicken, or fish to alternate with eggs, as protein is essential every day.
How to split up your calories intake in a day?
Apply this old saying if you are trying to figure out how to split up 1500 calories a day
“eat like a king in the morning, in the afternoon eat like a queen and in the evening eat like a prince”
For example, if your calorie count is 1500 a day, then in the morning you can consume 700 calories, in the afternoon consume 500 and in the evening 300 calories.
Please avoid snaking on something because taking snacks or fruit can add quickly. Also endeavour to calculate very calorie in food that you consume.
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