Deciding a Deficit…Help!

court_fritch26

This may be a stupid question, but, I am working on making sure I understand what my body needs to lose fat and build muscle.

I am 5'1" and 163 lbs.
Right now my calorie goal is a little more than 1400 calories
BMR of 1456
TDEE of 2258

I know how BMR and TDEE work, but I don't know how determine the best calorie goal. I didn't worry about this so much when I was just walking on the treadmill and using the elliptical 3-5 days a week, but now I am working on a lifting routine and trying to get stronger instead of just thinner. So should I eat at my BMR so I lose fat (I have about 40 lbs to lose)? Do I need to increase a little more than my BMR to gain more muscle? I need a little help understanding the best way to determine my calorie goal.

0somuchbetter0

I'm no expert, but as I understand it you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Lifting will help you keep the muscle you have while you eat at a deficit and lose the fat. As you lose fat you'll see more muscle definition. If/when you want to actually GAIN muscle, you need to eat more calories than you burn while lifting heavy. Good luck.

WinoGelato

I am also no expert but I agree with the above from what I have read on the forums. I think if you still have about 40 lbs to lose I would probably set a deficit of 20% from TDEE and NOT eat back your calories. That should be about 1 lb/week loss, and then when you get closer to goal and as you start lifting heavier you may want to change that to 10% reduction.

_lyndseybrooke_

You need to eat more than your BMR unless you're sedentary, lifting or not. But when you're lifting, you want to eat even more to fuel your workouts. With 40 lbs to lose, I'd suggest you eat your TDEE - 20%, which is about 1800 calories per day. That should end up being a loss of a pound per week.

As the others said, don't get your hopes up on gaining muscle. You should be lifting heavy in order to prevent muscle loss while you lose weight. Muscles need calories to grow, so they aren't going to do much growing while you're eating at a deficit.

SairahRose

Was just typing, and realised I was typing exactly what LyndseyLovesToLift said.

999tigger

If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal


I would go for 1lb a week and see how you feel, how it works and whether you can sustain the diet on whatever deficit you decide on. I think people use TDEE-20% to fix their traget if they use that method, which if that TDEE figuretou give is correct it comes up with 1806. Im assuming the TDEE reflects any changes in exercise routine.

The MFP method would have your maintenance calories at 1855 so -500 for 1lb a week loss= 1355. You can then add exercise calories as eat back, but take into account the burns need to be accurate, so if you use MFP, then its safer to just eatback between 50-75%. Some people dont eat back any.

The TDEE method depends on you doing the exercise you say you will do. The net method rewards allows eatback calories when you have done the exercise.

Its highly unlikley you will gain muscle when eating at a deficit as said, what you are doing is limiting muscle loss. Its much harder to gain than lose, so protecting it makes very good sense as well as the other benefits of becoming stronger and more toned.

I would worry less about gaining muscle (probably wont happen, but you cna still be stronger)and focus more on

1. Maintaining your deficit at an acceptable level to balance the rate of weight loss v sustainability of the plan. You need to be eating enough to give you nutrition as well as it being ok to live with. Make sure you eat enough protein , especially on lifting days.

2. If using the net method then decide how much of the cardio calories you will eat back. I would still keep the mix of cardio and weights going. Add in a bit of walking in everyday life as well.

3. Find a decent lifting plan. Ask on fitness forum.

Alter your calorie deficit according to the results you get or dont get.

pander101

You need to eat below maintenance to lose weight and above to gain muscle (while lifting). You should lift either way, especially if you are in a deficit to preserve lean muscle mass.

court_fritch26

Thanks everyone! Time to adjust my calories, I have been eating too little it would appear! Learning more definitely helps me along my journey!

999tigger

Its all estimates and we are all different. Just find out what works for you. Id say dont go below 1200 as a rule of thumb and you will find it easier on 1400-1500. If you use the net method then you can always do exercise to earn more eatback calories. You can adjust up or down as needed.

Liftng4Lis

pander101 wrote: »

You need to eat below maintenance to lose weight and above to gain muscle (while lifting). You should lift either way, especially if you are in a deficit to preserve lean muscle mass.

This^