advice needed calories in -v- calories out

tara2502

hi - i'm hoping to lose 20lb in 20 weeks - a very achievable goal I think - just wondering however if someone could advise me - my basic calorie intake for my size/height etc is approx. 1930 cals - so if I reduce this by 500 per day (3500 per week), then I should lose 1lb a week right? I'm not going to have much time to exercise though so I plan to do most of the calorie deficit through my calorie intake alone - will this effect by ability to lose 1lb per week? do I really need to exercise or will the simple maths of calories in -v- calories out do the trick?
thanks in advance.

zoeysasha37

As Long as you eat at a deficit - you will lose weight.
Calories in / calories out
Eat less then you burn and you'll lose.

But here's where it gets tricky - you must be as accurate as possible to be sure your really eating at a deficit. Get yourself a food scale. Learn all about how to weigh all your solids and measure your liquids. Even things like butter, peanut butter, oil, sauces ,dressings must be accounted for accurately. ( those things alone can add up to an extra 500 calories per day so it could wipe out your deficit completely if your not accurate)
Learning how to use a food scale and log the items here accurately is harder then it sounds. It takes patience and practice at first but becomes easier in time.
Weight loss comes down to calories. Be accurate and precise with your calories ( no guessing, quick adds, bar codes . seriously weigh everything!) And you'll be fine.

tara2502

thanks so much - that's the reassurance I'd hoped for - have the food scales etc and have used MFP on and off over the years so thought I was right on this but not certain - am I right that a 3500 cal deficite equates to 1lb?

janejellyroll

tara2502 wrote: »

thanks so much - that's the reassurance I'd hoped for - have the food scales etc and have used MFP on and off over the years so thought I was right on this but not certain - am I right that a 3500 cal deficite equates to 1lb?

Yes, although our bodies aren't computers so things like hydration, constipation, hormones, etc, can all throw this off a little. You may not see a strict 1 pound loss every week, but if you stay on plan, you will reach your goal.

When I was losing weight, I would sometimes not lose one week and then lose a bit more than I thought I might the next week.

tara2502

great - really appreciate the answer.