Anyone else here with v low deficit?

Lottiotta

Hai.

So I have found that my comfortable deficit is 100-200 calories per day. I mean, along the lines of "the best diet is the one you can maintain" - that's what I can maintain. This weight loss calculator (http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_loss.php) says that if I have a deficit of 100 calories per day I'll have lost 2 kg in about 5 months. I'm actually kind of okay with that, since I want to lose maybe 3 kg and maintain muscle and stuff. Plus counting my calories and thinking about macros is fun and helps me to stay feeling well.

I see a lot of people on here who lose a lot of weight fast, which is totally amazing. I always love seeing the transformation photos! It's incredible the changes people are capable of. But I just put on a couple of kg since moving close to my friend who likes to cook with a lot of oil about a year ago, and I'm thinking I'd quite like to lose it and feel more myself again. When you're average height and 60 kg, putting on 3 kg is pretty noticeable (to me). But I'm not in any hurry, and trying to lose faster just makes me crash and burn fairly frequently.

So is there anyone else on here who's got a tiny calorie deficit and is looking to lose comparatively slowly? Or is it just me?

silentKayak

I think that's awesome. For maintaining weight, as with so many other things in life, consistency and patience are your friends

Cortelli

I'm targeting around a 250 cal deficit per day right now. I completed a bulk (deliberate weight gain) and am now cutting some of the fat gained during that bulk. Some days I am up to 500 below maintenance; most I am about 250 - 300 below maintenance; some I am at or around maintenance; and some days I blow past maintenance targets. But I have been pretty consistently losing around 0.5 - 0.7 lbs per week for the last 8 weeks -- a little more than you, but a pretty modest deficit nonetheless. There are plenty of folks here who are targeting a slow loss for a variety of reasons.

Lottiotta

I'm just resurrecting this post and laughing, because after ignoring MFP while I was recovering from a couple of surgeries I am back on the wagon and losing just under .25kg (about .5 lb) per week. It just seems so piddly small compared to the weight loss people on here talk about aiming for! But, now that I read back on these posts, @Cortelli that's pretty much in line with your loss. Innnnteresting.

The weird part is, according to MFP calorie consumption and Fitbit calorie burn, I shouldn't be losing at all. I am apparently eating at maintenance, but my weight is dropping. I'm not losing muscle mass, so I guess Fitbit must be under-counting my calorie burn a little bit.

PAV8888

Fitbit, MFP are both estimates. The final arbiter... is your body ;-)

ibnfaqir

Avg around 500 cal deficit.

KarenJanine

It's great you've found what works for you!

kyrannosaurus

I very much enjoyed reading this post. Thank you. I obsess over my deficit too much sometimes, but you're right, as long as there is a deficit, even a small one, weight loss will happen.

editorgrrl

Lottiotta wrote: »

I'm losing just under .25kg (about .5 lb) per week.

According to MFP calorie consumption and Fitbit calorie burn, I shouldn't be losing at all. I am apparently eating at maintenance, but my weight is dropping. I'm not losing muscle mass, so I guess Fitbit must be under-counting my calorie burn a little bit.

The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. You're right on target for someone who's 10kg or less overweight.

I've been set to maintenance for a year and eating back 100% of my Fitbit adjustments—yet I've lost another 8 lbs. (Not that I'm complaining!) But I guesstimate my food, so I can't fault the accuracy of my Fitbit.

Food is fuel, and we should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight (or maintain)—never the minimum.

Lottiotta

editorgrrl wrote: »

I've been set to maintenance for a year and eating back 100% of my Fitbit adjustments—yet I've lost another 8 lbs. (Not that I'm complaining!) But I guesstimate my food, so I can't fault the accuracy of my Fitbit.

That's a thought, sometimes I have to guess my food. Perhaps I'm overestimating. I've read the posts that say that people tend to underestimate calorie consumption, but when I've caught myself getting it wrong I've tended to overestimate.

editorgrrl wrote: »

Food is fuel, and we should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight (or maintain)—never the minimum.

@editorgrrl I'm not sure I understand that bit. Do you mean we should be aiming for the lowest deficit for weight loss rather than the highest deficit we can manage? Because if so, I agree - that approach is the only one that's worked for me!

Lottiotta

kyrannosaurus wrote: »

I very much enjoyed reading this post. Thank you. I obsess over my deficit too much sometimes, but you're right, as long as there is a deficit, even a small one, weight loss will happen.

@kyrannosaurus I'm glad. I obsess over my deficit too, and I get impatient and want instant weight loss results, when I *should* be obsessing over my protein intake. It's tough for me to get enough protein, and when I don't get enough for a few days I start to feel really rough, so I have to focus on that a lot. If I don't feel so yeurch from lack of protein I move around more, so it's a win!

Lottiotta

This bit just registered:

editorgrrl wrote: »

You're right on target for someone who's 10kg or less overweight.

I honestly had no idea that you need to lose more slowly as you lose weight. That is interesting. And I'm losing at the right speed too? Hm. I thought I was being a slow turtle. I guess I shouldn't rush myself!

Sued0nim

I lost an awful lot of my weight set to 250 cal a day defecit

Liftng4Lis

I have about a 250 deficit most days, as I'm in a recomp.

Lottiotta

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I have about a 250 deficit most days, as I'm in a recomp.

That's interesting, I've been considering a recomp, I thought you had to eat at maintenance. Maybe I'm recomping and don't know it? I should actually read up on what it is...!

maria0elisa

I'm also only on 200 deficit! I think you're absolutely right- it's more likely that a small deficit is sustainable rather than trying to go for too much and failing.
Also I think those with much bigger deficits than you might just have more to lose than you...

maria0elisa

Lottiotta wrote: »

This bit just registered:

editorgrrl wrote: »

You're right on target for someone who's 10kg or less overweight.

I honestly had no idea that you need to lose more slowly as you lose weight. That is interesting. And I'm losing at the right speed too? Hm. I thought I was being a slow turtle. I guess I shouldn't rush myself!

Yup that's absolutely true!!! The last 5/10 kgs are the hardest and slowest!

Lottiotta

maria0elisa wrote: »

Lottiotta wrote: »

This bit just registered:

editorgrrl wrote: »

You're right on target for someone who's 10kg or less overweight.

I honestly had no idea that you need to lose more slowly as you lose weight. That is interesting. And I'm losing at the right speed too? Hm. I thought I was being a slow turtle. I guess I shouldn't rush myself!

Yup that's absolutely true!!! The last 5/10 kgs are the hardest and slowest!

That is very reassuring! Thank you.