Calorie Deficits?!

Dexy_

I feel so stupid. But wtf is a calorie deficit?? lol ><

mmk137

for example
celery is low in cals (say 32 cals), however it takes more energy for your body to process that food (say 50 cals), so it becomes a deficit.

in exercise

if you eat 1500 cals, but burn 1600 you have burned more than what fuel you put in. creating a deficit.

make sense.

i prob haven't explained it well.

Dexy_

I understand that part of it, but is a deficit good or bad? Should you aim for it or avoid it?

deathstarclock

I understand that part of it, but is a deficit good or bad? Should you aim for it or avoid it?

It all depends on your goal. Do you want to lose weight, gain weight, or keep the same weight?

A negative balance is for losing weight, a positive balance is for gaining.

questionablemethods

I understand that part of it, but is a deficit good or bad? Should you aim for it or avoid it?

Your body uses a certain number of calories every day just to function (keep your heart beating, let you walk around, etc.).

When you take in more calories than you use, your body stores the excess calories as fat. When you take in less than your body uses, your body will use some of your fat for the rest of the energy it needs. So, if you want to lose weight, you need to create a deficit.

ajbeans

Calorie deficit means eating less than you burn. Remember, you burn calories just by living (that's your BMR). Then whatever your daily activity level is (sitting at a desk, standing at work, whatever) adds to that to give you your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Then if you exercise, that adds even more calories that you burned. So say your TDEE is 1600 and you burn 300 calories with extra exercise, as long as you eat fewer than 1900 calories, you're eating a deficit, and that's how you lose weight.

deathstarclock

When you take in more calories than you use, your body stores the excess calories as fat.

Just to clarify for the OP, your body doesn't ALWAYS store excess calories as fat. In most cases yes because the majority of the population is not exercising for gains.

When you take in less than your body uses, your body will use some of your fat for the rest of the energy it needs.

Lipids are the body's #1 preferred source of energy to fuel biological work. They are necessary for normal funciton of the body. Again, just for clarification.

INSANITY43

When you set up your MFP account, and entered your height,weight, gender, activity level, etc., MFP determines your daily calories burned if you didn't do anything but lay around...ie breathing, heart beating. Then it determines your daily calories based on a 1-2 lb/per week weight loss (slow loss is more effective). So say your body requires 1700 calories a day just to stay alive and function then your daily calorie goal would be 1200 giving you a DEFICIT of 500 calories which would equal 3500 calorie DEFICIT per week which would equal 1 lb of weight lost. When you excercise you burn even more calories added to your 500 calorie deficit....that is why you can eat those calories back and still maintain a overall deficit. If you don't eat them all back you will lose weight faster but you should always eat 1200 calaries a day to maintain good health. Hope this helps!

Dexy_

Okay.

SO, if I eat 1200calories a day, and burn 300 calories a day, why do so many forums suggest eating another 300 calories?

I don't see how if you eat a healthy amount, and exercise a healthy amount you should undo your exercise by eating more.

Sidesteal

Calorie deficit means eating less than you burn.

^

ajbeans

Okay.

SO, if I eat 1200calories a day, and burn 300 calories a day, why do so many forums suggest eating another 300 calories?

I don't see how if you eat a healthy amount, and exercise a healthy amount you should undo your exercise by eating more.

Because you're burning more than 1200 calories every day just living. So by eating 1200 calories, you already have a deficit. When you exercise, that deficit gets even larger, and could be unhealthy. Your body needs a certain amount of fuel just to function and keep your heart pumping and your brain working, so if you don't get enough calories, you can negatively impact your health.

deathstarclock

Okay.

SO, if I eat 1200calories a day, and burn 300 calories a day, why do so many forums suggest eating another 300 calories?

I don't see how if you eat a healthy amount, and exercise a healthy amount you should undo your exercise by eating more.

Does your body need 1200 calories a day to maintain weight? If so, eating back those calories will keep a neutral balance. If you don't eat them back, you set yourself up for a negative 300 calorie balance, which is a little over half a pound a week if you do this consistently.

LorinaLynn

Go to this page: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals

On the right side, you'll see where it says "Calories Burned From Normal Daily Activity." Providing you filled in the information in your profile correctly (your gender, age, height, weight and activity level not including exercise) that's how many calories your body burns every day. It's how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain your current weight.

To lose one pound a week, you need to consume 500 calories less than that number every day, or alternately burn an extra 500 calories a day through exercise. Let's say your calories burned from normal activity is 2000. That means to lose one pound a week, you need to eat 1500 calories, and 500 calories is your deficit. 2000-1500=500. Or you could eat the full 2000 calories a day and burn an extra 500 calories through exercise. That would be approximately an hour of cardio for an averaged sized woman.

If your deficit is too large, though, you'll have a very hard time losing weight. Your body needs food as fuel to function. If you don't have enough fuel, the engine doesn't run.

Sidesteal

Okay.

SO, if I eat 1200calories a day, and burn 300 calories a day, why do so many forums suggest eating another 300 calories?

I don't see how if you eat a healthy amount, and exercise a healthy amount you should undo your exercise by eating more.

It is because 1200 (which by the way is very arbitrary) already puts most people in a pretty steep deficit. You could eat 1200 calories and sit on the couch and lose weight. When you add exercise (which you should), it's a good idea to eat back those calories so you don't create too large of a deficit.

questionablemethods

When you take in more calories than you use, your body stores the excess calories as fat.

Just to clarify for the OP, your body doesn't ALWAYS store excess calories as fat. In most cases yes because the majority of the population is not exercising for gains.

When you take in less than your body uses, your body will use some of your fat for the rest of the energy it needs.

Lipids are the body's #1 preferred source of energy to fuel biological work. They are necessary for normal funciton of the body. Again, just for clarification.

Yes. I should have noted that I was really simplifying.