Calorie Deficit Questions

RHinkle26

So I have talked this over with my doctor who assures me that losing 5 pounds a week wouldn't be out of the way for me given my current weight, just very difficult to make happen...I've done the calculator(on the American cancer society website) that tells you how many calories you need daily to maintain your current weight. Mine came in at 2657... now I've already decided to drop my daily intake on calories to 1100 a day...so let me do this straight down and if someone could please tell me if I'm correct with my calculations or not that would be WONDERFUL!

Current Weight=275
Long term goal weight= 131
Height=5'6 No active exercise in my life currently(will be changing that)
Calories needed to maintain=2657 a day
Cut back calories to= 1100 a day
deficit from cut back=1557 a day
To lose 5 pounds a week you need to burn= 17500 calories a week...
In a FULL 7 day week the deficit from just reduced calorie intake=10,899 which would be roughly 3.12 pounds
Which leaves 6,601 calories that I still need to deficit from my daily intake in one way or another...roughly 943 calories needing to be burnt a day...

So here is my question if cutting back on my food intake by that amount, would cardio exercises resulting in burning of that 943 calories a day give me the full deficit I'm needing? I'm just not sure I'm processing this right. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

editorgrrl

A healthy weight loss is .5–2 lb. per week. Trust the system. Set your goal to 2 lb. per week—which is way more than 1,100 calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

KMartin_1977

Have a look at website: freedieting.com. This has loads of calculators, one being how many cals a day, I think you should be on way more than what you have quoted, I'm 151lb and I'm on 1300 extreme fat loss

Xaudelle

1100 calories is not okay.

EDIT: I'd like to add that most doctors take 4 hours or less of nutritional courses. If you want a doctor's advice on healthy weight loss, see a Nutritionist...NOT to be confused with a Dietician.

prattiger65

Look at it like this. A 500 calorie per day deficit is 1 lb. Loss per week. So to get to 5 lbs. Loss it would require a 2500 per day deficit. You have a TDEE of @ 2600 per day. That is a net of 100 calories per day. If your doctor is ok with that his license should be revoked IMO. Slow and steady wins the race.

ETA...read the sexypants thread above.

geebusuk

A healthy weight loss is .5–2 lb. per week. Trust the system. Set your goal to 2 lb. per week—which is way more than 1,100 calories.

Citation please.

This information is correct, just as that if your BMI is over 25 you're overweight and need to lose fat.
Of course, that's not true for athletes with a lot of muscle.

It certainly makes sense to me that the amount of weight/fat that can be safely lost is proportional to the total amount the person has - so if they've got a lot, they can afford to lose more.
It's certainly accepted that if you don't have much to lose it's best if you go to the bottom end of the scale.

cavia

You need a new doctor.

oc1timoco

1100 calories is nuts but I'm sure someone will come out and say go for it.

ElvenToad

So you want to eat 1100 calories per day and then burn 943 each day and net 157 to make a 5lb per week weight loss?

Xaudelle

So you want to eat 1100 calories per day and then burn 943 each day and net 157 to make a 5lb per week weight loss?

GiveMeCoffee

Last January I started at 285 lbs, I'm now at 180 lbs and for the past year I've eaten 1500 calories or above usually closer to 1700 calories.

Why make yourself miserable by eating 1100 calories when you can eat more still lose weight, and have the energy to actually do things. Make changes that you can do for the rest of your life, learn portion control, moderation and above all else learn patience.

Read the sexypants link that was given above, think this out to do it in a way that you and anyone that has to deal with you miserable.

Good luck and get a new doctor or at least a 2nd opinion

Edited to add I'm also 5'6 so my starting was very similar to yours.

vanginmi

I would choose something that could be sustained over the long haul. When I started 2 weeks ago, I had my calories set to a low low point. I was starving, and just couldn't live thru it. Good luck with your journey. Hope you find an approach that works and that can maintain some enjoyability!

editorgrrl

A healthy weight loss is .5–2 lb. per week. Trust the system. Set your goal to 2 lb. per week—which is way more than 1,100 calories.

Citation please.

cdc.gov/en/HealthSafetyTopics/HealthyLiving/HealthyWeight/
LosingWeight/Introduction
It's natural for anyone trying to lose weight to want to lose it very quickly. But evidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off.

nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/recommen.htm
Weight loss should be about 1 to 2 pounds per week for a period of 6 months, with the subsequent strategy based on the amount of weight lost.

mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752
Over the long term, it's best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.

Edited to break a long URL.

verhunzt

When your doctor said losing 5lbs a week would be manageable, he probably didn't mean eating less than 200 calories net. Try to maybe just eat 1800 calories and exercise as much as you'd like to. I promise your weight will drop well enough.

ndj1979

Look at it like this. A 500 calorie per day deficit is 1 lb. Loss per week. So to get to 5 lbs. Loss it would require a 2500 per day deficit. You have a TDEE of @ 2600 per day. That is a net of 100 calories per day. If your doctor is ok with that his license should be revoked IMO. Slow and steady wins the race.

ETA...read the sexypants thread above.

i was thinking the same thing…

OP - you did not get obese over night and you are not going to get to your goal weight over night either. I think a two pound per week loss would be a lot more sustainable and will be better for your loss in the long run.

CarolinkaCjj

Really shocked your dr recommended this - even with someone with a lot to lose. I am working on loosing over 100 pounds and my dr and nutritionist warn me about dropping weight too fast (not good for my goose liver and would not help with establishing better eating habits).
Trying to do the numbers and shooting for rapid loss will not be sustainable. I have been down that road when I was young (ate around 1000 calories, exercised an insane amount - 5 miles a day running, swimming 50 laps per day, 100 sit ups in the AM, another 100 at night, biked to work, etc etc etc). - got to the thinnest I have ever been (135 at 5 ft 8, too skinny, sorry). 30+ years later, yeah, not sustainable.

AmyRhubarb

Last January I started at 285 lbs, I'm now at 180 lbs and for the past year I've eaten 1500 calories or above usually closer to 1700 calories.

Why make yourself miserable by eating 1100 calories when you can eat more still lose weight, and have the energy to actually do things. Make changes that you can do for the rest of your life, learn portion control, moderation and above all else learn patience.

Read the sexypants link that was given above, think this out to do it in a way that you and anyone that has to deal with you miserable.

Good luck and get a new doctor or at least a 2nd opinion

Edited to add I'm also 5'6 so my starting was very similar to yours.

This!! Especially the bold text.

ndj1979

When your doctor said losing 5lbs a week would be manageable, he probably didn't mean eating less than 200 calories net. Try to maybe just eat 1800 calories and exercise as much as you'd like to. I promise your weight will drop well enough.

apparently, her dr did not do the math….

GiveMeCoffee

My other question would be for someone that is not doing any exercise right now, how do you plan on burning over 900 calories a day ?

ndj1979

My other question would be for someone that is not doing any exercise right now, how do you plan on burning over 900 calories a day ?

Skrib69

I'm afraid I too will echo the sentiment here. No, don't do it. Yes, you want to lose quickly but why make life so difficult for yourself that you are miserable with it?! It is well documented that people who lose quickly have a higher tendency to put it all back and more when they go back to their old lifestyle. If you truly want to succeed at this, then you are talking about a lifestyle change to reverse why you gained in the first place, not some quick fix.

It may not be what you want to hear, but I also believe that slow and steady is the way to go. Start with 3lbs loss per week and see how you get on, changing it up or down after a few weeks.