Eat a deficit of little as 50 cal/day lose weight?

annabuchholz
annabuchholz Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
If I ate 50 calorie deficit would I eventually lose weight slowly? I guess I'm asking if there's a threshold where you need a deficit large enohgh to do something. Thanks!

Replies

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,847 Member
    With so small a deficit, it would be incredibly easy to wipe out a whole week or two's deficit with any sort of slip.

    Shoot for 1/2lb per week, that's only a 250cal per day deficit.
  • MoochieRama
    MoochieRama Posts: 71 Member
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    NO- absolutely not!
    In my case this would have me eating way below 1200 and my body would lack vital nutrients.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    You'll lose, very slowly, but a deficit is a deficit. But, as was mentioned, going over even one day, will likely wipe out your weekly deficit, depending on how much. But, if it's what works for you, and you stick with it, do it.
  • keithmustloseweight
    keithmustloseweight Posts: 309 Member
    Over 20/30 years, sure.
  • paulawatkins1974
    paulawatkins1974 Posts: 720 Member
    I guess technically speaking, If you NEVER went over on any other days, you would lose about a lb in 70 days and since your tdee is not an exact science, You wouldn't really know if you were in a deficit of exactly 50 cals per day.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    In theory, yes. But with the inprecision inherent in calorie counting, I would aim a little higher.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    Sweet! This is awesome. I weight 67272 grams, so I get to eat 806772 calories per day!

    Or wait, maybe I shouldn't accept useless advice that has no basis in reality.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    Where did you get this formula from? It's ridiculous. I'd be netting 1,168 calories per day.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    annabuchholz wrote: »
    If I ate 50 calorie deficit would I eventually lose weight slowly? I guess I'm asking if there's a threshold where you need a deficit large enohgh to do something. Thanks!
    No, there is no room for error. Go with the MFP recommendations for a half pound and see what happens.

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If those numbers were accurate, you'd lose weight super slowly.

    But those numbers are all estimates. People do all kinds of different math, but in the end it's just a guess. These numbers aren't exact at all.
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  • reginastiffler
    reginastiffler Posts: 75 Member
    Lawl. with that formula I'd be eating 2800 calories a day. Where do I sign up for losing weight eating that much? Do I have to update my body's firmware?
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    Sure, same as you'll gradually gain with a surplus of 50 a day. Five pounds a year is better than nothing, and you don't need to hit the 50 exactly every day - you just need to average 50. It's hard to get there intentionally, though, because the way to know you got there is to see it long-term on the scale, and water fluctuation will camouflage a year of loss at that rate.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    In theory, a deficit of 100 calories a day would result in a net loss of 10 lbs/year. But, with small margins you have to be exceptionally careful about accurate measurements and records.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    If eating a deficit is putting you way under 1200 calories a day, then it's better to up your activity level if you can. You can add more calories and still lose weight if you're adding exercise.
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
    edited October 2014
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    That is laughable, for me I would be eating 2,836 calories a day, and right now I'm losing 1.5 lbs a week eating more than 1000 less than that......

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  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    That is nonsense. Where on EARTH did you come up with this?

    So I should eat 800 cal a day? No. Just no. That is over 500 calories under my BMR.
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    edited October 2014
    you would need to know exactly what you were burning every day. TDEE and BMI are not exact when you use calculators, they are estimates. so you may think you are eating at a defecit of 50, but if for any reason your metabolism is even slightly off, you could still be breaking even, or even overeating.... maybe even undereating but less likely.

    not to mention whatever you are burning when you move, either exersize or not, fluctuates all the time... and is hard to accurately gauge... so even if your metabolism is fine... again...estimate.

    its not a very big window with no room for error. people arent machines with settings... so... you can try but it would be a long shot in my opinion.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited October 2014
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    MoochieRama wrote: »
    Take your weight x 12 -500= calories to eat to lose.

    NO- absolutely not!
    In my case this would have me eating way below 1200 and my body would lack vital nutrients.

    I second the NO. If I did that I would need to eat 2000 to lose weight (which is higher than my maintenance)

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