Eating at a deficit

ALNoog

I see everyone talking about eating at a deficit and I guess that should be a pretty easy concept to grasp.. But is that where you eat under you daily caloric intake or where you eat at or over it and workout to bring you back under it? I'm just really confused and want to make sure I understand exactly what I am told. Thanks in advance!

_Zardoz_

It's just eating less calories than your body uses on a daily basis. MFP automatically gives you a calorie deficit when you put your figures in which is why you eat your exercise calories back if you use their system

SezxyStef

A calorie deficet is eating less than you need to maintain your weight. maintain=not gain/not lose.

to get a calorie deficet you can cut calories you take in or burn calories.

If you want to lose weight eat in a reasonable deficet, to lose 1lb a week that is a 500 cal a day deficet.

If you want to add in exercise for fitness or health instead...you can do that as well.

If you want to do both, do both but with a calorie deficet with food you should eat back some of those exercise calories...just to ensure you are netting enough calories to function and for nutrition...ie make sure you get at bare minimum 1200 calories a day.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

FitCowgirl8

Read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

^this it really helped get me going in the right direction

ALNoog

Thank you all so much.
Yes I didn't choose to go with the caloric intake that MFP set for me for two reasons... My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie a day diet for now so I set it at 1600 and try to stay right at 1200 and I didn't feel comfortable with the almost 3000 calories a day that MFP told me I could eat...I figured if I saw that id use it and eat 3000 a day and I know I can't lose at that...
Like my former diabetic roommate who's quack doctor out her on a "low carb" consisting of 300 carbs a day so she'd eat 250 and thought that was great....

rileysowner

To be more specific, your body burns a certain number of calories a day in various ways.

First there is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Those are the calories burned to simply keep you alive. If you literally did nothing, including not rolling over in bed, you burn your BMR amount just to keep your lungs breathing, heart pumping, and all the rest. This makes up the greater proportion of the total calories burned in a day for most people.

Next there is NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Theromogenesis). These are the calories burned from daily activity like making meals, walking around the house or work, and the like. It is not exercise, it is just the stuff you do as part of life. For a sedentary person, that is one who pretty much sits all the time for the whole day that adds about 20% of your BMR. Most people are more active than that even if they have a desk job.

Finally there is the calories burned from exercise activity. These are usually a small portion of the total for the day.

Add all these together and you get TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). If you eat less than this number, you will lose weight. That is what eating at a calorie deficit is all about.

To confuse this more, this site only uses BMR and NEAT to calculate your calorie goal. Then it takes the calories to establish a deficit off that NOT taking into account intended exercise activity at all. Since the key to weight loss is a moderate calorie deficit, when you exercise you take that moderate deficit this site has already established and make it a huge deficit. That is why you eat back your exercise calories here.

rileysowner

Thank you all so much.
Yes I didn't choose to go with the caloric intake that MFP set for me for two reasons... My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie a day diet for now so I set it at 1600 and try to stay right at 1200 and I didn't feel comfortable with the almost 3000 calories a day that MFP told me I could eat...I figured if I saw that id use it and eat 3000 a day and I know I can't lose at that...
Like my former diabetic roommate who's quack doctor out her on a "low carb" consisting of 300 carbs a day so she'd eat 250 and thought that was great....

If you are extremely overweight you will likely lose at 3000 calories, and by going for 1200 you are establishing a very large deficit. Since you have a lot of fat to lose, that will work for a while with little negative effects, but at the same time you are setting yourself up for potential failure. First, because you have cut your calories so far that you really have no where to cut if your weight loss stalls. 1200 calories is pretty much the minimum for a female, so cutting below that is not advised without doctor supervision. Second, because you are limiting your energy intake so far that you will start to feel deprived after a few weeks and give up. Third, because a huge deficit like that will result in changes in your body both physically with a lot of muscle loss along with the fat, and hormonally where your hormones will be negatively affected so as to make regaining the weight more likely.

While 3000 may be high, I would suggest eating no less than your BMR.

ALNoog

Thank you all so much.
Yes I didn't choose to go with the caloric intake that MFP set for me for two reasons... My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie a day diet for now so I set it at 1600 and try to stay right at 1200 and I didn't feel comfortable with the almost 3000 calories a day that MFP told me I could eat...I figured if I saw that id use it and eat 3000 a day and I know I can't lose at that...
Like my former diabetic roommate who's quack doctor out her on a "low carb" consisting of 300 carbs a day so she'd eat 250 and thought that was great....

If you are extremely overweight you will likely lose at 3000 calories, and by going for 1200 you are establishing a very large deficit. Since you have a lot of fat to lose, that will work for a while with little negative effects, but at the same time you are setting yourself up for potential failure. First, because you have cut your calories so far that you really have no where to cut if your weight loss stalls. 1200 calories is pretty much the minimum for a female, so cutting below that is not advised without doctor supervision. Second, because you are limiting your energy intake so far that you will start to feel deprived after a few weeks and give up. Third, because a huge deficit like that will result in changes in your body both physically with a lot of muscle loss along with the fat, and hormonally where your hormones will be negatively affected so as to make regaining the weight more likely.

While 3000 may be high, I would suggest eating no less than your BMR.

Yeah... Since she put me on 1200 a day I haven't lost a single pound... In fact I am up 3 pounds.. So I have been thinking about ignoring her instructions all together. I have pcos which makes it a major major major struggle to lose weight and I know I should be doing low carb because that is what pretty much every other pcos patient is told but she told me not to do that... But my friend is seeing a specialist in pcos and he told her to do low carb..
It's very frustrating to watch every thing I eat so closely and exercise more then I eat before calculating anything into it and to be gaining... I did great at first and lost 19 pounds since I've been back on track and then she lowered my calories and I've been gaining it back....

tesha_chandler

Mfp can tell you how many calories your body burns a day just to function. I burn around 2400 calories a day and I eat 1200 - 1300 calories a day if I don't exercise. On days I can exercise, I will eat back the calories I burn. Personally, between eating more and working out, I feel sooo much better on higher calorie days but I still try to keep my net around 1300. Net is basically how many calories you eat subtract how many calories you burn I burn about 1 pound every 3 or so days. Thought I could explain it better from personal experience. Hope this helps and good luck!

littlekitty3

Or read this story:

http://feedmeimcranky.com/2014/03/03/eat-the-food/

Here's the sparknotes on this:
There are people who eat below their BMR. If they were to get into a coma, the doctors would feed them whatever that magical number is JUST to keep them alive and organs functioning. Why eat below what you would consume in a coma just to keep you alive?
If you wanna lose weight just do small changes.

tesha_chandler

It's very frustrating to watch every thing I eat so closely and exercise more then I eat before calculating anything into it and to be gaining... I did great at first and lost 19 pounds since I've been back on track and then she lowered my calories and I've been gaining it back....

Again, personal experience, but constant calorie counting can make a mess of your nerves! I have found that planning my meals the night before helps my calories go farther and eliminates the stress of constantly logging them. Just a thought.

rileysowner

Thank you all so much.
Yes I didn't choose to go with the caloric intake that MFP set for me for two reasons... My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie a day diet for now so I set it at 1600 and try to stay right at 1200 and I didn't feel comfortable with the almost 3000 calories a day that MFP told me I could eat...I figured if I saw that id use it and eat 3000 a day and I know I can't lose at that...
Like my former diabetic roommate who's quack doctor out her on a "low carb" consisting of 300 carbs a day so she'd eat 250 and thought that was great....

If you are extremely overweight you will likely lose at 3000 calories, and by going for 1200 you are establishing a very large deficit. Since you have a lot of fat to lose, that will work for a while with little negative effects, but at the same time you are setting yourself up for potential failure. First, because you have cut your calories so far that you really have no where to cut if your weight loss stalls. 1200 calories is pretty much the minimum for a female, so cutting below that is not advised without doctor supervision. Second, because you are limiting your energy intake so far that you will start to feel deprived after a few weeks and give up. Third, because a huge deficit like that will result in changes in your body both physically with a lot of muscle loss along with the fat, and hormonally where your hormones will be negatively affected so as to make regaining the weight more likely.

While 3000 may be high, I would suggest eating no less than your BMR.

Yeah... Since she put me on 1200 a day I haven't lost a single pound... In fact I am up 3 pounds.. So I have been thinking about ignoring her instructions all together. I have pcos which makes it a major major major struggle to lose weight and I know I should be doing low carb because that is what pretty much every other pcos patient is told but she told me not to do that... But my friend is seeing a specialist in pcos and he told her to do low carb..
It's very frustrating to watch every thing I eat so closely and exercise more then I eat before calculating anything into it and to be gaining... I did great at first and lost 19 pounds since I've been back on track and then she lowered my calories and I've been gaining it back....

If you have PCOS, that throws a whole other wrinkle in the process since it impacts your total calorie burns for the day. All that I know about PCOS is to deal with it you need to eat like your are diabetic limiting sugar and carbs, making sure the carbs you do eat come with lots of fiber (meaning veggies). Realize your doctor, unless she is the exception, has virtually no training in nutrition. You would be better served asking for a referral to someone who specializes in weight loss for people like you with PCOS. I would suggest ignoring the suggest about not doing low carb, as going low carb, especially low sugar, will help with your PCOS. I would also suggest looking into weight lifting as an exercise. Changing your protein and fat goal here would likely be helpful as well.

SezxyStef

The only suggestion I have is for you to buy a food scale if you are truly eating 1200 calories you would be losing a massive amount of weight.

Chances are you if you are not using a scale you are eating more than you think.

As well with PCOS it does add a wrinkle....you have to be very consistent and accurate with your logging and very patient.

If MFP gave you 3000 calories and that scares you try 2000 a day but use the scale...that gives you a massive deficet as well and you will see the weight go...

ALNoog

Oh yes... I weigh and measure everything... I even just bought 3 extra sets is measuring cups and spoons so I always have some clean... My weight has always been like this....it's frustrating and makes me want to cry my eyes out....

I don't eat when I'm not hungry so lots of days I am even at 900-1000 calories by the end of the day...

I don't eat sweets and I don't eat white bread or pasta or white potatoes or anything with white flour or that is starchy.... I only eat quinoa or brown rice or lentils or Ezekiel bread and never more than 1/2 cup or one slice at a time...

ALNoog

Thank you all so much.
Yes I didn't choose to go with the caloric intake that MFP set for me for two reasons... My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie a day diet for now so I set it at 1600 and try to stay right at 1200 and I didn't feel comfortable with the almost 3000 calories a day that MFP told me I could eat...I figured if I saw that id use it and eat 3000 a day and I know I can't lose at that...
Like my former diabetic roommate who's quack doctor out her on a "low carb" consisting of 300 carbs a day so she'd eat 250 and thought that was great....

If you are extremely overweight you will likely lose at 3000 calories, and by going for 1200 you are establishing a very large deficit. Since you have a lot of fat to lose, that will work for a while with little negative effects, but at the same time you are setting yourself up for potential failure. First, because you have cut your calories so far that you really have no where to cut if your weight loss stalls. 1200 calories is pretty much the minimum for a female, so cutting below that is not advised without doctor supervision. Second, because you are limiting your energy intake so far that you will start to feel deprived after a few weeks and give up. Third, because a huge deficit like that will result in changes in your body both physically with a lot of muscle loss along with the fat, and hormonally where your hormones will be negatively affected so as to make regaining the weight more likely.

While 3000 may be high, I would suggest eating no less than your BMR.

Yeah... Since she put me on 1200 a day I haven't lost a single pound... In fact I am up 3 pounds.. So I have been thinking about ignoring her instructions all together. I have pcos which makes it a major major major struggle to lose weight and I know I should be doing low carb because that is what pretty much every other pcos patient is told but she told me not to do that... But my friend is seeing a specialist in pcos and he told her to do low carb..
It's very frustrating to watch every thing I eat so closely and exercise more then I eat before calculating anything into it and to be gaining... I did great at first and lost 19 pounds since I've been back on track and then she lowered my calories and I've been gaining it back....

If you have PCOS, that throws a whole other wrinkle in the process since it impacts your total calorie burns for the day. All that I know about PCOS is to deal with it you need to eat like your are diabetic limiting sugar and carbs, making sure the carbs you do eat come with lots of fiber (meaning veggies). Realize your doctor, unless she is the exception, has virtually no training in nutrition. You would be better served asking for a referral to someone who specializes in weight loss for people like you with PCOS. I would suggest ignoring the suggest about not doing low carb, as going low carb, especially low sugar, will help with your PCOS. I would also suggest looking into weight lifting as an exercise. Changing your protein and fat goal here would likely be helpful as well.

Thank you so much for your replies! You are absolutely right. I know I need to be back low carbing for sure. I was talking to my husband last night about how when we get back from our trip this weekend I want to go back low carb because I feel better when I am doing it and I lose better.. I lost 89 pounds in almost 6 months doing Atkins and was never hungry and never obsessed about calories and never worked out.

I've gotten where I love working out now though.
I do cardio and weights with dumbbells and jogging and step aerobics and I just love it. So I think if I keep that up and go back to eating low carb again I will have better success.