So confused about calorie deficit and working out! Trying to CUT - Please help.

MaggieSheridan1

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1743, so with the deficit id be at 1243. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1443 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

Azercord

While I don't cut I do maintenance and I count my calories from working out into the equation (well most of them anyways). I would say that since you are consistent about it you would be fine setting up your deficit using your workout calories as part of it. Maybe leave a little bit of wiggle room (50-100 calories) since we all aren't perfect but you should be fine.

Plus we all know this isn't a sprint, if you need to make adjustments a month or two down the road you can and you will be fine. Just take a few deep breaths and don't over think it.

cwolfman13

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

Tacklewasher

When you say your TDEE is 1655, is that taking into account your exercise? Because it sounds more like your NEAT, which includes everything except exercise. Assuming this is the case, you would add back exercise calories and would eat 1155 plus exercises (note MFP won't put you at less than 1200).

500 calories a day deficit is for a 1 lb a week loss. This might be too aggressive. 250 calorie deficit will have you losing (on average) .5 lbs per week.

What calculator did you use to get the 1655?

MaggieSheridan1

Tacklewasher wrote: »

When you say your TDEE is 1655, is that taking into account your exercise? Because it sounds more like your NEAT, which includes everything except exercise. Assuming this is the case, you would add back exercise calories and would eat 1155 plus exercises (note MFP won't put you at less than 1200).

500 calories a day deficit is for a 1 lb a week loss. This might be too aggressive. 250 calorie deficit will have you losing (on average) .5 lbs per week.

What calculator did you use to get the 1655?

Hi! Ive been using sail rabbit and I just checked again and it says for moderate activity (4-5 days a week) I should be at 1743 TDEE (must have been under the wrong activity level when I last checked). Thats still 1243 with the deficit. Maybe im confused? do I subtract from that TDEE if it incorporates activity?

DO you recommend another calculator?

MaggieSheridan1

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

I did! As moderate activity. Maybe im confused... is TDEE same as maintenance? or its the calories needed with activity incorporated?

MaggieSheridan1

Azercord wrote: »

While I don't cut I do maintenance and I count my calories from working out into the equation (well most of them anyways). I would say that since you are consistent about it you would be fine setting up your deficit using your workout calories as part of it. Maybe leave a little bit of wiggle room (50-100 calories) since we all aren't perfect but you should be fine.

Plus we all know this isn't a sprint, if you need to make adjustments a month or two down the road you can and you will be fine. Just take a few deep breaths and don't over think it.

Thanks for your input!

sijomial

Without knowing how you calculated this "I recently recalculated my TDEE and it's 1655" it's impossible to know what your real calorie needs are.

Did you use an external site and include all your activity and all your exercise in the calculation?
Or did you use MyFitnessPal (which isn't a TDEE site) and come up with 1655 as your maintenance level for a day when you don't exercise?

You don't need 500 cal deficit to lose fat, just a deficit. Different sizes of deficits give different rates of weight loss.

cwolfman13

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

I did! As moderate activity. Maybe im confused... is TDEE same as maintenance? or its the calories needed with activity incorporated?

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...it is your maintenance calories. Someone who didn't exercise would simply have a lower TDEE.

You also have to go beyond the descriptors a bit and make sure you're also accounting for your day to day. I have a desk job, but I'm still moderately active even without deliberate exercise as I usually get in 8-10K steps per day before any deliberate exercise. With my exercise, I'm active to very active.

I still think something is off though...your TDEE should be higher.

I put your stats into the Scooby calculator and chose 3-5 hours moderate exercise and it's giving me a TDEE of around 2,100 which sounds about right to me and is pretty in line with my wife's numbers.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

kimny72

Just to add... with your stats it may be too much to expect to lose 1 lb per week, which is what a 500 cal deficit would give you. Try starting with 250 cals less than you are currently eating (for 0.5 lbs per week loss) and see how it goes.

I was 5'4" 145lbs when I started and the lowest I could go was 1500 cals. It was s-l-o-w, but I wasn't willing to be miserable so that's what I did

sijomial

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

When you say your TDEE is 1655, is that taking into account your exercise? Because it sounds more like your NEAT, which includes everything except exercise. Assuming this is the case, you would add back exercise calories and would eat 1155 plus exercises (note MFP won't put you at less than 1200).

500 calories a day deficit is for a 1 lb a week loss. This might be too aggressive. 250 calorie deficit will have you losing (on average) .5 lbs per week.

What calculator did you use to get the 1655?

Hi! Ive been using sail rabbit and I just checked again and it says for moderate activity (4-5 days a week) I should be at 1743 TDEE (must have been under the wrong activity level when I last checked). Thats still 1243 with the deficit. Maybe im confused? do I subtract from that TDEE if it incorporates activity?

DO you recommend another calculator?

I put your stats (guessed your age at 25) in Sailrabbit with Moderately Active and got an average TDEE of 2042.

Are you sure you put your weight and height in correctly?

That would be the number you would eat daily to maintain your weight. Anything below that and you are in a weight loss deficit.

steveko89

Your TDEE should be higher. I've used TDEECalculator.net before and it comes very close for what I've observed my TDEE to be from months of tracking and back-calculating with a spreadsheet I found on r/fitness; the linked scoobysworkshop is pretty close, maybe a 100cal over for me, YMMV on the calculators though. It sounds like I workout in a very similar fashion to you (lift 3-4 days/week and half-@$$ cardio if I feel like it) and have found that the "light exercise" activity level fits me better than "moderate" does.

MaggieSheridan1

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

I did! As moderate activity. Maybe im confused... is TDEE same as maintenance? or its the calories needed with activity incorporated?

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...it is your maintenance calories. Someone who didn't exercise would simply have a lower TDEE.

You also have to go beyond the descriptors a bit and make sure you're also accounting for your day to day. I have a desk job, but I'm still moderately active even without deliberate exercise as I usually get in 8-10K steps per day before any deliberate exercise. With my exercise, I'm active to very active.

I still think something is off though...your TDEE should be higher.

I put your stats into the Scooby calculator and chose 3-5 hours moderate exercise and it's giving me a TDEE of around 2,100 which sounds about right to me and is pretty in line with my wife's numbers.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Hmm. ya.. maybe I didn't calculate right. So in that case, I should eat around 1600 and just continue my same workout? and dont worry about the extra calories burned during exercise? Guess Im also concerned about losing my muscle.

Thanks again for the help!

MaggieSheridan1

sijomial wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

When you say your TDEE is 1655, is that taking into account your exercise? Because it sounds more like your NEAT, which includes everything except exercise. Assuming this is the case, you would add back exercise calories and would eat 1155 plus exercises (note MFP won't put you at less than 1200).

500 calories a day deficit is for a 1 lb a week loss. This might be too aggressive. 250 calorie deficit will have you losing (on average) .5 lbs per week.

What calculator did you use to get the 1655?

Hi! Ive been using sail rabbit and I just checked again and it says for moderate activity (4-5 days a week) I should be at 1743 TDEE (must have been under the wrong activity level when I last checked). Thats still 1243 with the deficit. Maybe im confused? do I subtract from that TDEE if it incorporates activity?

DO you recommend another calculator?

I put your stats (guessed your age at 25) in Sailrabbit with Moderately Active and got an average TDEE of 2042.

Are you sure you put your weight and height in correctly?

That would be the number you would eat daily to maintain your weight. Anything below that and you are in a weight loss deficit.

Thanks! Im 28, but ya... i clearly doing something wrong (as also calculated by another member). Guess ill just cut from that TDEE and see how it goes, while continuing same workout routine. Thank goodness! Because I was freaking out id have to eat like a baby bird lol.

cwolfman13

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

I did! As moderate activity. Maybe im confused... is TDEE same as maintenance? or its the calories needed with activity incorporated?

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...it is your maintenance calories. Someone who didn't exercise would simply have a lower TDEE.

You also have to go beyond the descriptors a bit and make sure you're also accounting for your day to day. I have a desk job, but I'm still moderately active even without deliberate exercise as I usually get in 8-10K steps per day before any deliberate exercise. With my exercise, I'm active to very active.

I still think something is off though...your TDEE should be higher.

I put your stats into the Scooby calculator and chose 3-5 hours moderate exercise and it's giving me a TDEE of around 2,100 which sounds about right to me and is pretty in line with my wife's numbers.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Hmm. ya.. maybe I didn't calculate right. So in that case, I should eat around 1600 and just continue my same workout? and dont worry about the extra calories burned during exercise? Guess Im also concerned about losing my muscle.

Thanks again for the help!

Yeah...if your TDEE is 2000-2100 calories, you'd want to eat around 1500-1600 calories. The calories you're expending during exercise are accounted for in your activity level...I think you're confusing yourself with MFP's method of accounting for them by logging exercise and eating more...the only reason you do that with MFP is because it isn't accounted for in your activity level.

You're at a healthy weight already, so 1 Lb per week, while doable, is aggressive. To help preserve muscle mass, you're going to need to eat plenty of protein and keep on with the lifting. You always lose some muscle mass in a cut.

Loss of lean mass would be further mitigated by a smaller deficit.

Like I said before, you have basically the same stats as my wife. She typically maintains on the higher end of BMI due to having an athletic build and she has a fair amount of muscle mass on her. She's usually right about where you are at 133 and her bikini comfort weight is around 125 so she typically cuts pretty slowly starting in March usually and is good to go by May/June.

MaggieSheridan1

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

MaggieSheridan1 wrote: »

Hi Guys!

So i'm 5'3", 133lbs and 22%BF. I lift 4 times a week (consistently) and try to throw some cardio in when i'm in the mood (say 20mins x 2 a week.... I know im failing). Ive made alot of progress so far (down from 148lbs and 28%BF) last fall. I was eating around 1600 -1700 calories a day (and cheating a bit), macros are 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) and I have consistently put on lean muscle. Currently 103 LBM and 30lbs fat.

NOW - I really want to cut and get bikini bod ready (need to lose some fat) and get to 20% BF. I've been reading everywhere that I need to eat a 500 calories deficit to lose fat (generally). My question is... do I eat 500 calories less while continuing to work out 4 days a week? What about the calories I burn while working out?? I recently recalculated my TDEE and its 1655, so with the deficit id be at 1155. I think ill die if I try to lift heavy and continue my current workout. And if im burning while working out, then i'm in an even greater deficit...right?

When they say to cut 500, is that with regards to people who are just eating less and not working out? Maybe i'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. Can I eat 1355 calories (300 cal deficit) and get to the 500 combined with workout?

Just would love advice from those with experience! Thank you sooooo much!

When you calculated your TDEE did you include exercise in your activity level like you're supposed to? I'm hard pressed to believe with your activity level that your TDEE is that low...when you do TDEE, you include all of your activity...exercise as well as day to day considerations.

My wife is basically the same stats...her TDEE when she's just exercising regularly is right around 2,000 and she cuts pretty easily on 1500 calories. If she's race training it's more like 2300 calories per day.

You need to figure your TDEE with your exercise and other activity and cut from there.

You need a 500 calorie cut from whatever your maintenance calories are. Someone who doesn't exercise will simply have a lower maintenance calorie amount than someone who exercises regularly. Whether one exercises doesn't matter other than determining the maintenance level of calories.

I did! As moderate activity. Maybe im confused... is TDEE same as maintenance? or its the calories needed with activity incorporated?

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...it is your maintenance calories. Someone who didn't exercise would simply have a lower TDEE.

You also have to go beyond the descriptors a bit and make sure you're also accounting for your day to day. I have a desk job, but I'm still moderately active even without deliberate exercise as I usually get in 8-10K steps per day before any deliberate exercise. With my exercise, I'm active to very active.

I still think something is off though...your TDEE should be higher.

I put your stats into the Scooby calculator and chose 3-5 hours moderate exercise and it's giving me a TDEE of around 2,100 which sounds about right to me and is pretty in line with my wife's numbers.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Hmm. ya.. maybe I didn't calculate right. So in that case, I should eat around 1600 and just continue my same workout? and dont worry about the extra calories burned during exercise? Guess Im also concerned about losing my muscle.

Thanks again for the help!

Yeah...if your TDEE is 2000-2100 calories, you'd want to eat around 1500-1600 calories. The calories you're expending during exercise are accounted for in your activity level...I think you're confusing yourself with MFP's method of accounting for them by logging exercise and eating more...the only reason you do that with MFP is because it isn't accounted for in your activity level.

You're at a healthy weight already, so 1 Lb per week, while doable, is aggressive. To help preserve muscle mass, you're going to need to eat plenty of protein and keep on with the lifting. You always lose some muscle mass in a cut.

Loss of lean mass would be further mitigated by a smaller deficit.

Like I said before, you have basically the same stats as my wife. She typically maintains on the higher end of BMI due to having an athletic build and she has a fair amount of muscle mass on her. She's usually right about where you are at 133 and her bikini comfort weight is around 125 so she typically cuts pretty slowly starting in March usually and is good to go by May/June.

This is great. Seems like ill follow in her footsteps! Thanks for taking the time to break this all down for me. Can get confusing without guidance

And I agree, dont feel the need to go that aggressive, just want to get the fat off!