Calorie Deficit Questions
RHinkle26
Posts: 16
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.
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.
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Replies
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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-sexypants0 -
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 loss0
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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.0 -
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.1 -
Citation please.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.
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.0 -
You need a new doctor.0
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1100 calories is nuts but I'm sure someone will come out and say go for it.0
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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?0
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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?
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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.0 -
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!0
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cdc.gov/en/HealthSafetyTopics/HealthyLiving/HealthyWeight/
Citation please.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.
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.0 -
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.
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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.0 -
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.0 -
This!! Especially the bold text.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.0 -
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….0 -
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 ?0
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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 ?
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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.0 -
This has to be a joke. Do you really think eating that little and losing that much is safe?0
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The first citation for this article suggests it is safe for women to lose weight eating 1000-1200 calories a day.cdc.gov/en/HealthSafetyTopics/HealthyLiving/HealthyWeight/
LosingWeight/Introduction
The second citation for this article suggests that people with a BMI 25 to 35 should limit themselves to a 300-500 calorie deficit. I did not find studies supporting this, though they may be buried in there.
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No citations. Repeats the common mantra we hear here - which no doubt does apply to the 'average' person.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752
So, to better qualify my request - please provide a citation that ideally uses a clinical study, meta study or similar to show that it is 'unhealthy' for an extremely overweight individual to lose weight faster than 2lb/week.
Or at least a decent explanation WHY it might would be a good start.
Evidence also shows that for some people, getting weight off quickly leads to better long term success 0 -
The first citation for this article suggests it is safe for women to lose weight eating 1000-1200 calories a day.cdc.gov/en/HealthSafetyTopics/HealthyLiving/HealthyWeight/
LosingWeight/Introduction
The second citation for this article suggests that people with a BMI 25 to 35 should limit themselves to a 300-500 calorie deficit. I did not find studies supporting this, though they may be buried in there.
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No citations. Repeats the common mantra we hear here - which no doubt does apply to the 'average' person.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752
So, to better qualify my request - please provide a citation that ideally uses a clinical study, meta study or similar to show that it is 'unhealthy' for an extremely overweight individual to lose weight faster than 2lb/week.
Or at least a decent explanation WHY it might would be a good start.
Evidence also shows that for some people, getting weight off quickly leads to better long term success
so you think it is OK for OP to net 200 calories a day?????0 -
I should mention it's a weight loss doctor/surgeon I've been working with. We're not discussing that being a continued weight loss regimen. Simply add we've lowered my calories I've continued to gain. We're seeing if this helps. I use to be very active and burn similar calorie amounts. I didn't ask for criticism, just if the math is correct.0
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I should mention it's a weight loss doctor/surgeon I've been working with. We're not discussing that being a continued weight loss regimen. Simply add we've lowered my calories I've continued to gain. We're seeing if this helps. I use to be very active and burn similar calorie amounts. I didn't ask for criticism, just if the math is correct.
You should still find a new doctor cause it's unsafe. You post something that is unsafe on a public forum you will get responses. When you lowered your calories in the past how were you checking for accuracy?
You didn't gain the weight overnight stop expecting to lose it overnight0 -
err I'd get a new doctorSo 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 me0 -
OP's doctor presumably does.so you think it is OK for OP to net 200 calories a day?????
There's plenty of cases of people with very high body fat eating very little (see the bloke that just did water and a vitamin pill for a year, or less extreme examples like "the biggest loser and so on".
I have not seen any evidence to show that it would be unhealthy for people in that situation to lose weight that quickly.
It's not an area I have researched massively as it doesn't apply to myself.
I have just checked and nowhere have I suggested I do or do not think any specific figure is ok for the OP.
I would expect that if it is unhealthy for people to eat at this level there would be some decent research somewhere to explain it why this was decided?
OP: have you been checked out for other issues such as thyroid and so on?0 -
I literally took pictures of everything that went into my body. I lost 26lbs in a month from just my diet in 2011 when we found that My pancreas wasn't properly working(had pancreatitis) I quit eating any processed foods and felt much better. We've recently discovered that I also have an issue with gluten. Basically I'm at a point where I can eat whatever I can grow lol. So we found that with that strict of a diet change wouldn't be a real issue because of the low calorie of most fresh food. We'd like to be between 1100&13000
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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 person is very wise. Listen to them.
Losing weight rapidly will place unnecessary strain on your heart and other organs. It can do much more damage than if you had just stayed overweight (and I'm assuming health is somewhat a motivator for you??). Are you sure your doctor didn't mean that in the first couple of weeks you *might* lose 5lbs per week? That is entirely possible as your body sheds glycogen and water weight. But to sustain that loss is so ridiculous as to be laughable. Well, it would be laughable if it wasn't so outrageously dangerous.
Burning 900 calories per day is also completely unrealistic unless you have a good four or five hours to dedicate to strenuous cardio exercise. Again, doing that would place enormous stress on your heart *especially* if you aren't fuelling yourself with the required food.
Your doctor is clearly an idiot. Read the sexypants link above and follow that advice. Good luck!
ETA: To clarify, no one on this thread is criticising you. People are (rightly) criticising the suggestion that netting such low calories is a) sustainable, b) healthy, c) necessary.0 -
Not sure if cause, effect or correlation - but that might be a excellent ancedotal evidence of why eating at a high calorie deficit can be bad - I suspect it's quite possible your body then has more problems dealing with other issues.I lost 26lbs in a month from just my diet in 2011 when we found that My pancreas wasn't properly working(had pancreatitis)0
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