Please help with net calorie deficit... very confused...

jazziesaj11

Okay, so I just joined a little over a week ago ;D and this is the first time I've heard about calorie deficits and the like. I searched online but couldn't really find anything that helped me understand more. I'm 20 years old, 5'5" and weigh 183lbs. I found out that without doing anything except sitting around your body burns around 1,200-1,500 calories...If I remember right. I usually eat between 1,200-1,500 calories depending on the day. Also I exercise every day and usually burn between 700-1,000 calories. (I've been keeping track of my exercise so that's about right). However today I ate 1,364 calories and burned about 1,407 calories.... but I only have a net calorie of -43? I thought it was supposed to be -500 to lose weight but that seems impossible to exercise more. XD Or do you add the sedentary amount to the amount you exercised and subtract the amount you ate? But if that's true I would have burned more than I ate leaving me at way below calorie intake per day...so I'm confused. Because I know that's not safe. Is it as long as I eat the amount I am now I can exercise as much as I want and not worry... and how does this deficit work. I'm sorry for all the questions and I hope you can understand all that gibberish above haha. XD I'm just super lost, so any and all help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

tbisca1

When you fill in your goals and say you want to lose 1 lb per week it has already figured in the 500 calorie deficiency.

tbisca1

Also, your net should be around 1200 per day so it should not be in a negative that's why you hear you should eat back your exercise calories. I never eat mine back so my net normally ranges around 600 to 800 after I eat and exercise. Just find what is best for your body. But a healthy caloric intake should not dip below 1200 cal. per day.

Jamcnair

If I'm understanding correctly, you definitely don't want to have your "net calories" a negative number...they should come out to at least 1200

meggonkgonk

Fill out your profile as accurately as possible. MFP will take care of the math estimations (it's all an estimation - that's ok, it doesnt need to be exact for you to lose.) It will give you a calorie goal to hit that will include your full deficit- on days you don't exercise this will be your full calorie goal- b/c MFP is designed so you can lose without exercise. It won't ever recomend you go below 1200 calories a day. On days you do exercise, you should log your exercise conservatively and you will see MFP adds these cals back into your cal goal for the day. You should eat these calories as well preferably over the course of the day instead of all at once so if you know you are going to exercise at night, try to eat slightly bigger meals throughout the day and maybe 1 or two more snacks to make up for the deficit you will create.

ttrttrttr

That's really alot of calories to be burning everyday in one workout. Are you sure you're figuring your calories burned right? Your goal should be to have a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose about a pound to pound and a half each week. Fitness pal figures this deficit in for you. So if they say to eat around 1200 calories a day, it's best to stay within that. You are supposed to eat your exercise calories back, so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. Having said that however, listen to your body. Some people do better going over their calories one day and under the next (still staying within their goals for the week) Some eat their exercise calories back and others don't. It is all about what works for you. You should never go below a thousand calories, your body needs at least that much to run your basic functions. Hope that helps

MissMaryMac33

How are you tracking your calories? Are you wearing an HRM with a chest strap? If not, you are probably overestimating calories burned.

If your net is 1200 (that's probably too low) and you burned 1000 calories exercising, then technically that day you need to 1700 calories to have a 500 calorie deficit and 1950 to have a 250 calorie deficit. (I know they say this is built in but I still do this to account for missed or inaccurate food tracking and under or overestimating burn)

250 deficit = 1/2 pound a week
500 deficit = 1 pound a week

You don't want to set it at 2 lbs a week at your size... that is generally for people with over 100 to lose.
You are very close to size as me so I know your daily should probably be higher than 1200 --- closer to 1400/1500 net.

Rworthy

My advice is to just eat 300-400 calories every 3-4 hours, totaling 4 small meals a day. You need to keep fuel in your body when you're starting a new exercise routine. So 300 x 4 = 1200; 400 x 4 = 1600. Your goal should be at 1200, but on workout days, it'll end up being more like 1600. You're deficit will be over 1200 at this point (there's a lot of math involved and you can exhaust yourself trying to figure it out. This is from my experience). 3500 calorie deficit = 1 pound. So you should lose about 1 pound every 3 days or so. (There are a million factors in this - water weight, water retention, salt intake, fat vs. lean body mass vs. muscle. Don't worry about it. Normal weight loss is about 2 pounds per month to about a pound per week. You'll probably lose more at first, and as you build muscle you will notice less weight lost each week, but notice smaller body parts - waist, legs, arms, etc.) Hope this helps!

jazziesaj11

Okay I think I understand a bit better now thank you everyone! So 1,200 is okay, but If I burn more I should try to eat more so I'm not in starvation mode right? If I'm not actually hungry though should I still force myself to eat just to avoid that, or is it still okay?

ttrttrttr: XD no no, it wasn't all at one time. That would be crazy and I probably would've passed out lol. I logged my exercise today and in the morning I dance for 75min, and then later in the evening I exercised on the elliptical for 45min, did strength training for 30min and after to a swim for 30 min. the total according to the website added up to 1,400, so I guess that's right haha. XD

jazziesaj11

Ah! So you do add your sedentary to your exercised calories and then subtract your intake calories which makes the deficit? That makes more sense... and I guess means I need to eat more today lol.

Rworthy

The reason I say just eat 4 small meals (and plenty of protein : about half your body weight in grams of protein daily), is because it's better to put your body on a schedule so it doesn't "starve". Don't EVER eat if you're not hungry. If you're way low on calories and you're not hungry, but you know you should eat (i.e. you've had less than 1200 calories for the day), then drink a protein shake. There are tons of info on protein shakes, but you can just ask the people at the counter which is best for post workouts vs. meal replacement.

Rworthy

Ah! So you do add your sedentary to your exercised calories and then subtract your intake calories which makes the deficit? That makes more sense... and I guess means I need to eat more today lol.

I don't trust the deficit on MFP at all. Unless you have a HRM - heart rate monitor, you won't know how many calories you Actually burned. All numbers are averages, and there are way too many factors to rely on that completely. Never eat fewer than 1200 calories, on any day, regardless of workouts. If workout, increase protein and sugar (before workout). But don't overdo it.

jazziesaj11

Thank you! I'll look into those protein shakes, maybe that will help some.

Rworthy

You're welcome! Gatorade recovery (G3) is pretty good. I switched to that because the milky protein drinks were making me sick.

jazziesaj11

Haha, I used to drink Gatorade and then stopped a while ago, I'll try that and hopefully it will help. Btw, you mentioned a HMR?? Are those expensive? I say expensive because I'm on a college student budget. That's a really good idea so I can keep track of everything myself. I didn't know the numbers were just averages... now I'm interested in what I actually burned haha. Thank you again so much for all your help. :DD

meggonkgonk

Ah! So you do add your sedentary to your exercised calories and then subtract your intake calories which makes the deficit? That makes more sense... and I guess means I need to eat more today lol.

MFP accounts for your "typical" day's worth of burn and accounts for a deficit to befin with- so yes it estimates what you burn living a sedentary lifestyle, then it is up to you to log your additional exercise. Because MFP already accounts for a deficit before any exercise, it's important to eat most of your exercise cals, most of the time. Obviously we are speaking in generalities here- it takes weeks, even months to trigger true starvation mode, but in the short term not eating enough to keep up with these burns can just make you feel wrong- sleepy, hungry, cranky or my most feared "crungry" (cranky+hungry).

Once in a while, it's fine to be under your calories- your body is resiliant. But also try to work in a couple days here and there where you go over your calories (ideally with healthy foods)- it will help your body not inadvertently react to the cut amount of calories.

meggonkgonk

Haha, I used to drink Gatorade and then stopped a while ago, I'll try that and hopefully it will help. Btw, you mentioned a HMR?? Are those expensive? I say expensive because I'm on a college student budget. That's a really good idea so I can keep track of everything myself. I didn't know the numbers were just averages... now I'm interested in what I actually burned haha. Thank you again so much for all your help. :DD

HRM's (Heart Rate Monitors) are typically quite expensive if you are looking for accuracy. Honestly- I've been doing this nearly a year and only just got one now for running training as opposed to calorie counting. In my opinion they are a waste of $$ for just calorie counting- just lean toward the more conservative side when logging (if you run or walk for 32 minutes, log 30 or 27). The estimates on here can get a bit high but I've never found them so egregious so as to be detrimental. EVERYTHING (even HRMs) are estimates- that's just how it works- none of it's an exact science. Relax and stop trying to calculate down to the minute calorie.

Eat to your calorie goal, eat as healthily as you can, and really don't stress yourself out, get your sleep, get in workouts that make you feel happy- dont just trudge to the gym out of some attempt to live up to expectations. Just try to make healthy living something that fits your life (and what with dance, that sounds quite possible for you!). Remember 100 over or under your calorie goal is good! You want to be in a range not just a single calorie count!

Good luck!

jazziesaj11

Haha. XD I definitely don't want to be the feared crungy. lol I've been there before even without dieting. Thank you so so so much for all of your help! I feel better now that I understand all this a bit more. So don't force myself to eat but try to eat back some of my exercised calories, even though this site estimates it's okay as long as I'm more conservative, HRM's probably not worth it then (I just don't have the money right now anyway. haha) and try not to obsess. XD That last one's gonna be hard, I'm the type who has to force myself NOT to step on the scale everyday. But I'll try my hardest. Thank you again!