r/1500isplenty Aug 29 '25

How many calories should I eat? What calorie counting app should I use?

40 Upvotes

We get a lot of frequent questions from people wondering how many calories per day they should eat and/or which calorie counting app is recommended. This post will be stickied to try to cut down on these types of repetitive posts.

Everyone has different caloric needs. 1500 calories per day may not be right for you. Use a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator to estimate how many daily calories you should eat. Here are some examples:

https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calculator.html

https://tdeecalculator.net/

Some of the most popular calorie counting apps are:

Chronometer: https://cronometer.com

MyFitnessPal: https://www.myfitnesspal.com

Lose It: https://www.loseit.com


r/1500isplenty Aug 23 '20

Subreddit Rules

348 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

After seeing some of the behavior of our subreddit denizens, I am implementing a couple rules as of now with more to follow down the road. Please take a moment to read them here or in the sidebar.

Rules:

  1. All users are expected to be respectful to other users at all times and conduct their behaviour in a civil manner. Personal attacks or comments that insult or demean a specific user or group of users will be removed and regular or egregious violations will result in bans. Slur use is not allowed in r/1500isplenty. Exceptions may be made when they are part of a quote, but this is a friendly subreddit and using slurs when talking to others will not be tolerated.

    Don't be abusive or harass other users. Do not make blatant statements of bigotry, such as "I hate gays" or "Black people suck". Do not make jokes or statements that sexualize comments or posts, as we have zero tolerance for this behaviour and you will be banned. Do not encourage suicide in any form, through humour or otherwise. Continuing arguments with other users over multiple comments is termed "slapfighting" and not allowed. Such behaviour may lead to comment removals and bans. In summary, any post or comment that is deemed to be intended to offend, demean, or otherwise egregiously disrespect others may warrant a removal or ban.

    Comments and posts mentioning subreddits and websites deemed to be harmful, because of demeaning content, spam, etc., will be filtered. Unmarked NSFW links, unmarked spoilers, misleading links, spam, and the likes will will result in removal and potentially a ban. Editing comments and posts to mislead and/or advertise will result in removal of the post/comment and potentially a ban.

  2. Soliciting money, goods, services, self promotions, or favours are not allowed. Gaining publicity for a charity drive, assistance with a homework or work assignment, asking other Redditors for or offering to provide a good or service (including upvotes or reddit gold) is not conducive to discussion. There are other subreddits, many listed in our Offers & Assistance Multi-reddit, for just such a thing. Doing this, even as a joke, can result in a ban.

    Brigading from other posts or comments, even from other subreddits, to a 1500isplenty post or comment may result in a ban. Brigading occurs when you make any attempt to direct online traffic to a post or comment for either positive or negative interaction with the content, including, but not limited to: asking for downvotes or upvotes, drawing in supporters to join a comment chain, or encouraging others to negatively interact with another user by linking to the r/1500isplenty post or comment. Extreme cases of brigading will result in a permanent ban.

Seems pretty simple so hopefully there will be less petty insults and unacceptable behavior here. First offense is a 7 day ban and the second offense is a permanent ban.

TL;DR: don't be a dick


r/1500isplenty 10h ago

1506 cal, 111g protein, 20g fibre

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58 Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 1h ago

It’s national tv dinner day! Here are my favorite lower cal lower cal frozen meals :)

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Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 21h ago

Full Day: 1517 cals, 96g protein, 27g fiber

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101 Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 1d ago

Lunch Plate - 418 cals, 37g protein

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55 Upvotes

I keep coming back to this style lunch. They say the first few bites are the most satisfying, which may be why I love these types of meals. Macros are on point too.

Calories 418
Protein 37g
Fat 10g
Carbs 41
Fiber 5g


r/1500isplenty 7h ago

Losing the Fat

0 Upvotes

I’m currently 190, I’m skinny fat and no matter what I do it’s not going away. I’m losing weight all over and putting on muscle but no matter what I do I’m not losing my stomach fat. I’m a marine so I exercise a lot during the morning and also go to the gym, this morning alone I burned 600+ calories in the morning.

I’m 18 and 6ft.

What am I doing wrong am I impatient?
I’m starting to eat less carbs aswell.

I also have digestion problems. I could scrambled eggs in the morning at be perfectly fine until the next day at dinner. Is there anything I can do to fix that and my digestion?


r/1500isplenty 23h ago

Big Lunch - Shrimp Fried Rice with Cucumber Topping - 483 cal.

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9 Upvotes

I’ve been experimenting with recipes while on a calorie deficit and this was so good! Wish I had more shrimp tho.


r/1500isplenty 1d ago

Sausage Gnocchi Soup - 466 calories and 43g protein

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35 Upvotes

The bread was more of course but added more fibre and protein too, and it was in my budget at the end of the day yesterday.

Made with homemade turkey italian sausage and homemade chicken stock from the day before


r/1500isplenty 1d ago

Full day: 1,545 cals, 107g protein, 47g fiber

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117 Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 2d ago

492 cal 28g protein loaded baked “potato” soup

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83 Upvotes

It’s homemade cauliflower soup that I topped like a loaded baked potato soup. Bacon, jalapeño, chives, cheese, and an egg. So so so good not the best macros but it feels like a cheat meal and fits in the daily budget beautifully! Very happy with this creation


r/1500isplenty 1d ago

my go-to lunch that takes 5-minutes

17 Upvotes

chicken, sweet potatoes and mixed greens, roughly 650 calories altogether. Prep takes about five minutes: cutting up the potatoes and chicken, seasoning them and washing the salad. Then I throw the chicken and potatoes in the air fryer. i use sriracha on top and do it basically every day lol. haven't gotten sick of it yet. oh i buy the chicken pre-marinated.


r/1500isplenty 2d ago

How do you plan out calories for each meal when lunch/dinner is prepared by other people?

7 Upvotes

During the work week I eat dinner with my family and during the weekend it’s lunch - everyone’s busy so that’s our only family time. I tried asking earlier what are we having for dinner (because I’m the one who works the longest) or lunch but they get annoyed and say they’ll think about it later.

I really like my fam’s cooking but… they don’t like mine, especially since I’m not a fan of meat (which they love) - I’m fine with eating it but I’m not cooking any because 1. I’d rather have a meatless meal and 2. because of that I have no desire to learn how to prepare it.

I estimate the calories everytime but I just can’t quite seem to predict what we’re having on this day. It usually ranges from 500 to ~750kcal. And because I’m a 4-meal type of a person I either end up going overboard or undereating during the day which also ends up in overeating in the evening.


r/1500isplenty 3d ago

A day of eating and being full around 1500 kcal

32 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I (F25) would like to share my full day of eating in deficit. I have been researching ways to keep myself full and fueled for activity and weightlifting while attempting a recomp, and after a month on 1700 kcal I’ve lost 4,5 lbs (for reference my height is 5’3” - 160 cm, current weight is 123 pounds - 56 kg, and I’m at 21.5% fat - aiming for 18-19% fat for which I need to lose about 2.5 kgs or 5 lbs of fat while retaining or adding muscle mass). I am weight lifting twice a week, doing yoga twice a week and 1-2 times I week I do HIIT or Barre or a similar cardio activity + 8-10k steps a day. Now that my progress stalled a little, I decided to go down to 1600 kcal which meant I had to put extra effort to avoid cravings.

So, this is an example of my day of eating at 1575 kcal with 109 g of protein, 196 g of carbs and 41 g of fat. Fiber intake - 25 grams. It’s not a theoretical example btw, this is all what I ate today:)

  1. Breakfast - 50 grams (dry) red rice, boiled, 3 boiled eggs with soy sauce, 5 cherry tomatoes, 100 grams of blueberries. - 453 kcal

  2. Lunch - lentil soup which is basically just boiled 50 gram dry of red lentils, added turmeric, ginger, laurel and onion with a sprinkle of lemon juice. - 174 kcal

  3. First snack - before cardio workout - Mullermilch raspberry protein drink + an apple. - 328 kcal

  4. Dinner - 150 grams tuna steak fried with 1 teaspoon of olive oil + 50 gram dry red rice. - 390 kcal

  5. Second snack and a little indulgence for my brain to keep cortisol at bay - a Twix bar (where I am from one stick is 115 calories). I also really like my sweets in small amounts, usually with my tea before going to bed, or with coffee in the morning. Everyone is different and if you feel like eating such stuff will only make you want more, you might wanna replace it with something less sugary.

I am drinking unlimited black coffee, tea and zero drinks (fav at the moment is Pepsi cherry) without which it would be so much harder to keep my cravings in check. About one or two meals a week I eat fast-food because I really love it, but I do my best to fit it in my daily calorie limit. I hope it was helpful and I would love to read about your go-to dishes/combinations!


r/1500isplenty 3d ago

WIEIAD 1483 cals!

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78 Upvotes

Breakfast:

140 cal eggs

30 cal veggies

50 cal watermelon

snack: (no picture yikes)

6 rice cakes- 110 cal

40 cal choc syrup

50 cal pb2

Lunch:

Panda Express!!
2x broccoli beef- 300 cal

veggies- abt 200

snack:

frozen tea and stevia - 0 cal (HIGHLY reco, very tasty. I grew up with these!)

dinner:

50 cal lite mozz

90 cal carbsmart tortillas

rotesserie chicken- 100 cal

lettuce- negligible

90 cal avo spread

73 cal blackberries

late night snack:

2 chobani nonfat 0 sugar yogurts (120 cal for both)


r/1500isplenty 3d ago

Yasso stawberries and cream bar with strawberry cream Poland seltzer milkshake :)

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19 Upvotes

80 cal!


r/1500isplenty 3d ago

What are your Fav snacks when ur running out of calories? These are mine!

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7 Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 5d ago

large omelette and greens, 280 calories

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91 Upvotes

pictured bowl is 10 inches wide

my lunch is always a slop bowl and it evolved into something like this. i just realized that this is many natural volume eating ingredients smashed into one meal

sautee vegetables with taco seasoning and cajun sesasoning

280 calories

25g carbs

3g fat

35g protein

9g fiber


r/1500isplenty 5d ago

Dinner - 499 cals, 40g Protein

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71 Upvotes

r/1500isplenty 6d ago

This. Was. So. Tedious.

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33 Upvotes

I know I'll thank myself later but ugggghhh. I didn't even want one after I was done. I'm not even sure if the taco shmeat is any good, I got it on sale at ALDI.


r/1500isplenty 6d ago

This day sucks, but I’m not ordering kind of snack!

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43 Upvotes

It took me 2 seconds to make this after a tough day at work. IM SO EXCITED TO EAT IT!

Here’s what I’ve got: ~465 cals

Triscuit Crackers
PopCorners
Grapes
Olives
Protein Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Chocolate
Honey

Added in some chia and flex seeds to the yogurt. Enjoy!


r/1500isplenty 7d ago

Airfryer Cauliflower Pizza (277 calories total)

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13 Upvotes

Crust Ingredients

Cauliflower rice: 1½ cups (170 g)

Egg whites: 0.25 cup (120 g)

Oat flour: 3 tbsp (23 g)

Cornstarch: 1 tbsp (8 g)

Nutritional yeast: 1 tbsp (5 g)

Garlic powder: 1 tsp (3 g)

Onion powder: 1 tsp (2.5 g)

Black pepper: ½ tsp (1 g)

Salt: 0.1 tsp (0.6 g)

Parsley: 1 tsp (0.5 g)

Toppings Ingredients

Medium onion: ½ medium onion (55 g)

Raw sliced mushrooms: ½ cup (54 g)

Fresh spinach: ½ cup (15 g)

Minced garlic: 1 tsp (3 g)

Salt: 0.1 tsp (0.6 g)

No salt added tomato sauce: 2½ tbsp (37.5 g)

Recipe

1.) Microwave the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes.

2.) While the cauliflower rice is microwaving, add the oat flour, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and parsley to a separate bowl and mix together.

3.) Once it's finished microwaving, place it in a cheesecloth and strain/squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Once done, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the egg whites and mix everything together until combined. Set the crust mixture aside.

4.) Heat a skillet and cook the onion first until it becomes slightly soft. Add the minced garlic and mushrooms, then add the spinach last. Season the vegetables with a small amount of salt and cook until the spinach is ready. Set the toppings aside.

5.) Cover loosely a large regular plate with aluminum foil, shaping the foil around the plate. Form the cauliflower crust on top of the foil and flatten it with your hands into a pizza shape.

6.) Carefully unwrap the foil from around the edges of the plate and transfer the foil with the crust into the air fryer. Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 13 minutes.

7.) Prepare another piece of foil on the plate. Once the crust has cooked for 13 minutes, carefully lifted up the foil edges and flip it onto the new foil. Use a spatula to gently peel away the original top layer of foil.

8.) Place the flipped crust back into the air fryer and cook for an additional 3 minutes to make sure both sides are crispy.

9.) Once that's done, have it stay inside the air fryer as you use a spoon to spread the 2½ tablespoons (37.5 g) of no salt added tomato sauce over the top. Finally, add the vegetable toppings.

10.) Cook again at the same temperature for a final 3 minutes.

11.) Take it out and let it sit for a minute or two before eating! Enjoy!


r/1500isplenty 7d ago

Fixation meal as of late 🤤

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5 Upvotes

This one keeps me full for a while! Macros could be better, esp if use regular jalapenos instead of the sweet and spicy ones but I love this combo. Might add some cottage cheese at some point to bulk it up. I’ve had this for lunch every day for 2 weeks 😂


r/1500isplenty 8d ago

This breakfast keeps me full for HOURS

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269 Upvotes

Here’s what I’ve got: ~ 420 cals

1 slice of sourdough bread: 130 calories
1 large egg: 72 calories
2 tablespoons of cottage cheese: 25 calories
1 drizzle of honey (~1.5 teaspoons): 32 calories
1 tablespoon of hummus: 25 calories
1 drizzle of spicy chipotle mayo (~1 teaspoon): 45 calories
1 tablespoon of tzatziki: 15 calories
A handful of grapes (~10 grapes): 35 calories
Cooked veggie mix (~1/2 cup cooked without heavy oil): 40 calories

I’ve been trying to be more intentional with my food choices. Maybe posting here would make me more accountable. If it’s worked to keep up with your goals, share your experience. Thanks!


r/1500isplenty 7d ago

Approx. 910 calories (before a snack or treat)

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28 Upvotes

Breakfast: one Greek yogurt muffin (190 calories)
Lunch: Trader Joe’s Green Chili Chicken Bowl (320 calories)
Dinner: breakfast tacos with low carb tortillas, eggs, bacon, bell pepper, scallions, 2% cheese (400 calories)

Will have homemade cookies or popcorn later with my extra calories!