Is a 500 calorie net deficit a reasonable amount?
Fiveling
Posts: 44 Member
Just getting started on weight loss this week and so working out what my limits should be and all that. Started on Tuesday and until yesterday my net deficits were averaging about 830 (calculated using a TDEE of 2050 + that day's exercise). I thought it was going well until Friday evening, when I went for my usual run, and found it much much harder to keep going than I did before. I therefore decided that I should aim for a net deficit of about 400 a day, net (i.e. allowing myself to eat back exercise calories; today it was 465). But I would like to lose ~1lb a week, which isn't quite covered by that. So I want to increase the deficit to 500. I'm going to find out my body fat percentage tomorrow or Monday and get a more accurate TDEE as well.
TL;DR - is 500 calories a day a reasonable net deficit?
TL;DR - is 500 calories a day a reasonable net deficit?
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Replies
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500 cal deficit is fine
When I start a diet, I find I am a bit weak and light headed for the first 4-5 days and then it stabilises. Perhaps just let your body adjust for a few more days?0 -
It depends on how much total fat mass you have and wish to lose. Your ticker says you wish to lose 12 lbs. With that small amount of loss, your deficit should be in the neighborhood of 250 to 300 calories below actual maintenance, or a 0.5 lb per week loss. 500 calories below maintenance is a bit too much if that's all you want to lose.0
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Just be aware that all numbers in this process are approximate, so what appears to be a slim calorie deficit (like 500) on paper may in fact not be a deficit at all for you, at this time. So adjustments may be necessary.0
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Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.0
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Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?0 -
I guess once I find out my fat percentage then I can get more accurate with numbers and stuff (tomorrow or Monday if I can get the machine to work...).0
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Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?
It's confusing bc if you are talking about MFP's calculations for maintenance, you are correct, but true TDEE as calculated by an online calculator (everywhere but this site) does include all activity including exercise. Where did you get your TDEE number?
I agree with the poster above that a 500 cal deficit is a bit steep if you only want to lose 10-12 lbs.0 -
If you believe the article commonly circulated, your body can metabolise 31.4 calories from each pound of body fat each day. Any deficit greater than that would need to eat LBM. That works out around 380. Unless I've totally stuffed up the math, which is possible.0
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Lost 4-4.5kg in the last month on a 500 deficit, worked for me. It really goes down to your patience and way of seeing things! What I can guarantee is that you will never feel overly hungry with a 500 deficit but the results will be slow
Oh, I didn't eat my exercise calories back!0 -
just because you drop 500 cal/day does not mean you will drop 1 lb in a week
do a Google search for Lyle McDonald and the energy balance equation0 -
Lost 4-4.5kg in the last month on a 500 deficit, worked for me. It really goes down to your patience and way of seeing things! What I can guarantee is that you will never feel overly hungry with a 500 deficit but the results will be slow
Oh, I didn't eat my exercise calories back!
In other words, it wasn't a 500 cal deficit.
You lost the equivalent of 1055 calories per day.
Did you lose water weight?0 -
Lost 4-4.5kg in the last month on a 500 deficit, worked for me. It really goes down to your patience and way of seeing things! What I can guarantee is that you will never feel overly hungry with a 500 deficit but the results will be slow
Oh, I didn't eat my exercise calories back!
In other words, it wasn't a 500 cal deficit.
You lost the equivalent of 1055 calories per day.
Did you lose water weight?
I also found this confusing. You think those results are slow? Also, I do feel hungry on a 500 cal deficit, so there's that.
But yeah, unless you are losing roughly 1 lb per week, you're not at a 500 cal daily deficit.0 -
Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?
It's confusing bc if you are talking about MFP's calculations for maintenance, you are correct, but true TDEE as calculated by an online calculator (everywhere but this site) does include all activity including exercise. Where did you get your TDEE number?
I agree with the poster above that a 500 cal deficit is a bit steep if you only want to lose 10-12 lbs.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working).
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise.
TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. (Pretty small)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
MFP uses a NEAT approach: it includes everything but EAT, so basically what you burn in an average day with no exercise. When you tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb/week, it automatically reduces your recommended intake by 500 calories/day (=3500/week = approx. 1 lb). So, you want to HIT the goal MFP gives you. When you add exercise, you now have extra EAT calories that you can (and in most cases, especially when you only have a few more lbs to lose, SHOULD) eat back so that your net intake stays the same.
If you're doing a TDEE approach, calculate it properly (I use the one of fat2fitradio.com), and subtract a modest deficit from that number - say, 10 or 15%, and eat that amount every day (you can manually adjust your intake goal on mfp to a custom goal -it's what I do). Try that number on for a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary in response to what your weight is doing.0 -
Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?
It's confusing bc if you are talking about MFP's calculations for maintenance, you are correct, but true TDEE as calculated by an online calculator (everywhere but this site) does include all activity including exercise. Where did you get your TDEE number?
I agree with the poster above that a 500 cal deficit is a bit steep if you only want to lose 10-12 lbs.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working).
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise.
TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. (Pretty small)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
MFP uses a NEAT approach: it includes everything but EAT, so basically what you burn in an average day with no exercise. When you tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb/week, it automatically reduces your recommended intake by 500 calories/day (=3500/week = approx. 1 lb). So, you want to HIT the goal MFP gives you. When you add exercise, you now have extra EAT calories that you can (and in most cases, especially when you only have a few more lbs to lose, SHOULD) eat back so that your net intake stays the same.
If you're doing a TDEE approach, calculate it properly (I use the one of fat2fitradio.com), and subtract a modest deficit from that number - say, 10 or 15%, and eat that amount every day (you can manually adjust your intake goal on mfp to a custom goal -it's what I do). Try that number on for a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary in response to what your weight is doing.
Excellent info and advice.0 -
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working).
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise.
TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. (Pretty small)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
MFP uses a NEAT approach: it includes everything but EAT, so basically what you burn in an average day with no exercise. When you tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb/week, it automatically reduces your recommended intake by 500 calories/day (=3500/week = approx. 1 lb). So, you want to HIT the goal MFP gives you. When you add exercise, you now have extra EAT calories that you can (and in most cases, especially when you only have a few more lbs to lose, SHOULD) eat back so that your net intake stays the same.
If you're doing a TDEE approach, calculate it properly (I use the one of fat2fitradio.com), and subtract a modest deficit from that number - say, 10 or 15%, and eat that amount every day (you can manually adjust your intake goal on mfp to a custom goal -it's what I do). Try that number on for a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary in response to what your weight is doing.
This really needs to be stickied somewhere so every noobie can read it over and over and over!0 -
I'm working out my TDEE using this calculator: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ as it also works out my macros for me. Apparently my body fat is around 25-27%, and I exercise ~6 times a week. This gives me a TDEE of 2177-2221 apparently.
If I set my goal as 1699 calories a day, a 500 deficit, do I eat that every day, regardless of the exercise I do that particular day (for example, I do more exercise on Wednesdays and Saturdays)?0 -
Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?
It's confusing bc if you are talking about MFP's calculations for maintenance, you are correct, but true TDEE as calculated by an online calculator (everywhere but this site) does include all activity including exercise. Where did you get your TDEE number?
I agree with the poster above that a 500 cal deficit is a bit steep if you only want to lose 10-12 lbs.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working).
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise.
TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. (Pretty small)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
MFP uses a NEAT approach: it includes everything but EAT, so basically what you burn in an average day with no exercise. When you tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb/week, it automatically reduces your recommended intake by 500 calories/day (=3500/week = approx. 1 lb). So, you want to HIT the goal MFP gives you. When you add exercise, you now have extra EAT calories that you can (and in most cases, especially when you only have a few more lbs to lose, SHOULD) eat back so that your net intake stays the same.
If you're doing a TDEE approach, calculate it properly (I use the one of fat2fitradio.com), and subtract a modest deficit from that number - say, 10 or 15%, and eat that amount every day (you can manually adjust your intake goal on mfp to a custom goal -it's what I do). Try that number on for a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary in response to what your weight is doing.
Excellent info and advice.
good advice..
the only caveat that I would add is that the online calculators, are just that calculators and they are not going to give you, your specific TDEE...you really need to find a number that you think is the deficit that you want and then weight yourself about three times a week, at the same time each day, and then take a weekly average to account for fluctuations. If you lose 1 pd a week then yes you are in 500 cal deficit...if you lose .5 pd per week then it is 250 cal deficit..if you do not lose then that is maint number..and so on ...0 -
Your TDEE is supposed to include your exercise; you might want to try recalculating TDEE then seeing what the -300(ish) deficit looks like. It will probably be a lot more sustainable.
I've heard in a load of other places on here though that your TDEE doesn't include your workouts, just your day-to-day exercise (e.g. walking to and from work), and that your workouts are on top of that. Or have I misunderstood?
It's confusing bc if you are talking about MFP's calculations for maintenance, you are correct, but true TDEE as calculated by an online calculator (everywhere but this site) does include all activity including exercise. Where did you get your TDEE number?
I agree with the poster above that a 500 cal deficit is a bit steep if you only want to lose 10-12 lbs.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working).
EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise.
TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. (Pretty small)
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE
MFP uses a NEAT approach: it includes everything but EAT, so basically what you burn in an average day with no exercise. When you tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb/week, it automatically reduces your recommended intake by 500 calories/day (=3500/week = approx. 1 lb). So, you want to HIT the goal MFP gives you. When you add exercise, you now have extra EAT calories that you can (and in most cases, especially when you only have a few more lbs to lose, SHOULD) eat back so that your net intake stays the same.
If you're doing a TDEE approach, calculate it properly (I use the one of fat2fitradio.com), and subtract a modest deficit from that number - say, 10 or 15%, and eat that amount every day (you can manually adjust your intake goal on mfp to a custom goal -it's what I do). Try that number on for a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary in response to what your weight is doing.
Excellent info and advice.
good advice..
the only caveat that I would add is that the online calculators, are just that calculators and they are not going to give you, your specific TDEE...you really need to find a number that you think is the deficit that you want and then weight yourself about three times a week, at the same time each day, and then take a weekly average to account for fluctuations. If you lose 1 pd a week then yes you are in 500 cal deficit...if you lose .5 pd per week then it is 250 cal deficit..if you do not lose then that is maint number..and so on ...
I agree. (See bold above).0 -
I'm working out my TDEE using this calculator: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ as it also works out my macros for me. Apparently my body fat is around 25-27%, and I exercise ~6 times a week. This gives me a TDEE of 2177-2221 apparently.
If I set my goal as 1699 calories a day, a 500 deficit, do I eat that every day, regardless of the exercise I do that particular day (for example, I do more exercise on Wednesdays and Saturdays)?
Yes, you eat the same amount every day regardless of the exercise you did that day. Your calorie needs are just averaged over the week. This is because your exercise is already factored in by the TDEE calculator so if you ate more to compensate you would basically be eating "exercise calories" twice.
Keep in mind that, not only is the TDEE calculator an estimate, but intake is also an estimate to some degree. Just monitor your results and over time you will be able to figure out your own TDEE. Don't get married to any certain level of intake and be prepared to tweak as necessary.
I would probably splurge and go with an even 1700 though. 0 -
Splurge a whole calorie?! How shocking! :P
Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I understand how it works now.0
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