optimal caloric deficit for weight loss?

jenifer7teen

Having trouble finding this simple answer.... What is the optimal caloric deficit for weight loss?


I burn 500-1500 calories almost every day from exercise... and i am eating around 1000-1300. This causes my net calories to be very low sometimes but it is just because i am burning a lot. I feel healthy and energetic and am getting stronger, but i also havent lost any weight in 10 days. I am not sure if my deficit is too high?

(if someone actually can explain WHY that would be good to know too... or if there is a source they can site that is always helpful).

purpleipod

If you're burning that much from exercise you need to refuel your body properly, which you simply aren't doing at this point. Try eating more nutrient dense food like full fat cheese, milk, eggs, avocado, peanut butter, healthy oil, etc. You should be eating a lot more if you are exercising that heavily.

jenifer7teen

please! there has got to be a range for this? it seems pretty fundamental to know how many calories you should be cutting (after adding exercise/lifestyle/BMR), yet i can't seem to find an answer? I know it will vary slightly from person to person depending on how much wieght they have to lose, their fitness level, age, etc.... BUT there has got to be a range in which you lose weight the fastest!

shakybabe

I seem to remember seeing 500-800cals somewhere and if have over 1,000 cal deficit you won't lose.

Try a week at 500cal deficit, then a week at 600, then 700, 800 etc and see which one you get the best results from. If I burn 600 extra from exercise at least 3 times a week, with what I usually eat a week I usually lose 1-2lb (when its not TOTM).

dandur

This article might help you. As will pretty much anything else Lyle McDonald writes.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

There's also these that are indirect to the one above: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/index.php?s=calorie+deficit

purpleipod

Did you not set up your MFP to fit your specifications? The calories that it asks you to eat are creating enough of a deficit for you to lose whatever amount you told it you wanted to lose.

carolann_22

double post

carolann_22

I cannot lose with a deficit above 1500 cals a day.

DontThinkJustRun

It depends on how much you have to lose. If you a lot to lose 50+ say, skies the limit do whatever you can handle. If you have say 20-50 lbs to lose then 500-1000 is your target. If you need to lose less than 10lbs then you're going to want to be in the 250-500 range. The best way I've found to do this is to set my cals at maintenance and then leave those numbers in the green. So everyday I shoot to see 250-500 calories "left over" and as I lose I recalibrate my maintenance cals.

It's not really this simple and I'm sure I'll gets lots of debate, but it's a good starting point to experienment.

TeaBea

NET calories = the calories you eat MINUS the calories you burn

Example: Eat 1200 calories minus 500 calories (burned) = 700 NET Calories

THE LOWEST number MFP will give you is 1200 NET .... because MFP assumes you want healthy weight loss. Healthy meaning ... get your daily requirements for hair, skin, lung, nervous system, etc. AND lose ONLY fat, but keep existing muscle.

1 pound = 3,500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you need a calorie deficit of 3,500.

If you reduce your calories by 500 everyday (7 x 500) that's 1 pound per week. As you get closer to your goal ... you will not be able to lose 1 pound every week because .... smaller people require fewer calories.

taso42

250-1000 cals a day deficit, depending how much you have to lose.

StuffyStuff

You are not eating enough. Your body thinks your starving it so its holding on too as much as it can..If your calorie counter is showing you are still to low...you need to consume more calories...so that your body will burn the stored fuel and not hold on to it. Healthy calories..but more nonetheless.

KareninCanada

Did you not set up your MFP to fit your specifications? The calories that it asks you to eat are creating enough of a deficit for you to lose whatever amount you told it you wanted to lose.

^^^^ This is your easiest answer.

gridder

This article might help you. As will pretty much anything else Lyle McDonald writes.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

Awesome article!!

Gutter19

You should setup your caloric deficit to reach at most a 1% loss per week. So if you are 200 lbs then the most you would want to lose per week is 2 lbs. That would equal a 1000 calorie deficit each day (3500 Calories in a pound * amount to lose each week / Days of the week) OR in this case (3500 * 2 / 7).

If you weighed 100:
3500 * 1 / 7 = 500 calorie deficit per day max.

But, if you set up your account correctly on here then those numbers are already calculated for you and you just need to reach your net calories for the day.

NoAdditives

please! there has got to be a range for this? it seems pretty fundamental to know how many calories you should be cutting (after adding exercise/lifestyle/BMR), yet i can't seem to find an answer? I know it will vary slightly from person to person depending on how much wieght they have to lose, their fitness level, age, etc.... BUT there has got to be a range in which you lose weight the fastest!

It's different for everyone and it is not clear cut. You'll need to do some experimentation with different caloric intakes to find out what works for you. Start by making sure you get at least 1200 net calories (calories consumed - calories burned = net calories) per day. That means you need to be eating back the calories you burn from exercise. If you can't eat an extra 1500 calories, don't burn so much from exercise.

ninjapixie87

There's a great post about this topic here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Short answer from the link:

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

jenifer7teen

There's a great post about this topic here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Short answer from the link:

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

Thanks everyone!!! This is very helpful.... Even though i am scared to up my calories since it is so counterintuitive to eat more when you are trying to lose weight, there is clearly something wrong with what i am doing now and i am willing to try it.