Calorie deficit confusion?

klew1082

So I'm a little confused. I'm 5'3" and weigh 167, I would like to get back down to like 120-130, I think but ultimately as long as I feel better about myself I don't care what the scale says. So if I calculate my bodies calorie needs just for functioning it's about 1700, and then I know the lowest you should eat is 1200, but the max defecit is 1000 a day so if I got on a 1200 calorie diet how much is it actually safe for me to burn at the gym? 700 calories a day for bodily functions doesn't sound right, but at that point does it help burn off those fat reserves?

rileysowner

Enter your information into the goal section here, set your weight loss goal to 1 pound per week, and that is your calorie goal. With what you have to lose, more than 1 pound a week is probably not a good idea.

klew1082

Ok thank you! I was never sure if that was the net goal for the end of the day or just for eating

tkdchick2016

Whatever MFP sets your goal to is for you to lose 1lb a week (if that's what you picked). If you exercise it makes your deficit larger (lose faster) but most people eat some of those calories back to fuel their workouts (since exercise is for health not weight loss). So you are looking at your NET calories per day to be at the target MFP sets. NET = Eaten - Exercise.