A 1,500-calorie diet for men is basically a fixed-calorie diet. You're eating a set number of calories each day to promote weight loss. But the results vary from person to person, since your age, height, weight and level of physical activity influences the number of calories your body needs on any given day.
Caloric Need
Your body's current caloric need has a direct impact on the results of a 1,500-calorie diet. Taking your weight in pounds and your height in inches, you can determine how many calories you can eat each day. Start off by calculating your base metabolic rate, or BMR, with the following equation: (6.23 x weight) + (12.7 x height) - (6.8 x age) + 66. Multiply this number by one and two tenths to determine your body's current caloric need without exercise. If you exercise 1 to 3 days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.37. Multiply BMR by 1.55 for four to five times a week and 1.725 for six to seven days a week. A 5-foot 8-inch, 36-year-old male weighing 180 lbs. has a caloric need of 2,167 calories to maintain his weight without exercise.
Caloric Intake
By reducing your caloric intake to only 1,500 calories a day, you'll likely generate a deficit in calories, which is needed to promote weight loss. You need to generate a deficit of approximately 3,500 calories to shed 1 lb. of fat. But since caloric need varies from male to male, your results are dependent on this number. If your body requires 2,167 calories a day, a 1,500-calorie diet creates a deficit of 667 calories a day, which equates to over 1 lb. of weight loss each week.
Counting Calories
A 1,500-calorie diet is usually maintained by counting your calories each day. All food and beverages have a caloric value based on their serving sizes. By monitoring the size of your portions, you can reduce your caloric intake to this level each day. This may require you to measure your portions as well as track your caloric intake by hand to stay at this caloric intake. Another option, on the other hand, is to sign up for a meal replacement program, such as Jenny Craig or Seattle Sutton's, which provide pre-made meals within a given daily caloric intake.
Warning
Men shouldn't reduce their caloric intake below 1,500 calories. Any lower than this number is considered a very low-calorie diet for men and shouldn't be followed unless under the supervision of a medical professional. Very low-calorie diets encourage a more rapid weight loss, which can result in health complications, like gallstones. A 1,500-calorie diet is on the cusp, so talk to your doctor before restricting your caloric intake to this level.
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