Daily Calorie Deficit?

doulanik

I'm 26 years old, 5'8" and 190 lbs. I'm trying to lose 35-55 lbs. My personal trainer suggested a 500 calorie a day deficit to promote weight loss (including exercise), however, whenever I log a day with that much of a deficit, MFP says I'm not eating enough and will go into starvation mode. I'm getting about 60g of protein daily and my calories are set to around 1230 before exercise. My BMR is around 1650.

Input?

What is your daily deficit for weight loss? My doc wants me to lose the weight quickly (ish) as I have a medical condition and the weight is making it drastically worse. Any advice would be much appreciated. And please feel free to friend request me if you like reading daily journals and offering suggestions, I can use all I can get!!

Thanks!!!
Nik

tryclyn

I don't eat below my BMR.

Dan explains it better.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

doulanik

Anyone?

mgobluetx12

Your deficit should be 500 total. Not 500 from food and 500 from exercise or some combination like that. If you're already eating at a deficit and 1230 is the deficit, then you need to eat back your exercise calories or else you'll be eating LESS than 1230. Does that make sense?

slimster1970

I'm no expert so whatever I say shouldn't be taken as sound medical advice!!

I have a daily target of 1710 calories as I started this at 292 lbs, but I don't worry so much about calorie target as making sure I have three meals a day at roughly 8am, 1pm and whenever I get in from work. This is something I never did and snacked at stupid times. For me MFP is a helpful tool i this process but my main guide is what my body is telling me, if I'm a little hungry I'll have a little snack but I will log it. What this place does is stops me going for the Mars Bar or the four bags of crisps or the Mars Bar AND the four bags of crisps.

If I've been eating properly and then complete some cardio exercise (mainly walking or running for me) then I don't necessarily whack a great deal of food into me and on those days my deficit is huge. I stick to my guide though of three meals and eating if I'm hungry. I never eat just to get calories in.

I'm fitter, faster, lighter and stronger than I was and I generally feel better. Could I be losing more weight by eating more to get the calorie deficit to be smaller? Possibly, but I'm not going to because I've eaten enough and the right sort of things to feel fine. I don't eat much bread for example and I see some diaries where nearly half of the daily calories come from bread. I can't imagine the large calories from that will be better than my smaller calories from vegetables or fish or chicken?

Deep down we all know if we're doing the right things or not and MFP is just a little tool to help that. It's good to look at and think of where you could improve and it gives us focus. So after all that i'd suggest that your body and feelings will tell you where you are much better than deficit figures (or surplus come to that).

The most important thing on here is not the figures, it's the support of people who will encourage and be there for you on the days when things ain't gone so well. It's nice when someone else says don't worry about it, move on and start again. If we all get 80% of this right we'll all see results :-)

EatingRight123

1000-1300 deficit per day.

doulanik

I'm not sure what my actual deficit daily is. I'm a little confused on everything. MFP says I should eat 1230 daily and burn 2100 cal per week through exercise. My trainer did a body scan on me today and told me my BMR is 1650 (or close to that) and I should have a 500 cal per day deficit.

Today I burned 429 calories through exercise. How many calories should I have eaten today?

mabelbabel1

I don't eat below my BMR.

Dan explains it better.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

^^^^THIS^^^^

You have been given great links here.....read them and all your questions will be answered!

Imanido

Taking the time to go through the links and making the calculations will sort almost everything after doing it. You can check with others if your conclusions are accurate.

waveindigo

The deficit is from your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and NOT from your BMR (basal metabolic rate)
The links you've been given are worth a read. Good luck with your weight loss

myofibril

I'm going to make this really easy for you.

Eat 1,900 - 2000 calories per day (which factors in that you are exercising regularly.) in order to lose weight.

Assess after 4 week.

(ps you are confusing BMR and TDEE and if your trainer didn't explain the difference that is very poor.)

myofibril

ps: if you are using MFP to calculate your deficit it assumes you are eating back the amount of calories you burn through exercise (to allow users more flexibility in how they structure their eating.)

So if you do no exercise on a given day then eat 1,230. If you do 500 calories worth of exercise the next day you eat 1,730 (1230 + 500) etc.

It will amount to roughly the same over time as eating at the amounts I gave you in my previous post.)

mikeschratz

Aloha,
I'm ain't a doctor, but if you are eating below your BMR, that is not good! But again, I ain't no doctor!
I worked out your numbers with what info you gave me,
Weight: 190
Height: 5’8”
Activity Level: 1.3
Male or Female: M
Age: 26

Mifflin-St Jeor
(FOR MEN) BMR 1,818
Maintenance 2,363
Cut (@ 15%) 2,008 (500 calorie a day deficit, losing weight)
Build (@ 15%) 2,717 (500 calorie a day excess, gaining weight)

You can go to this google docs folder and download the spreadsheet and do it yourself. Anything in this folder is for the taking, so please use it and SHARE it!

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B3kFzsaVmRjmd1k4YjA1SlVWaFU/edit

There is a page that is In Place Of A Road Map that will walk you through the process of getting these numbers

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

If you have any difficulty with the spreadsheets let me know and I will give you a hand!
My email is: mikeschratz@gmail.com

Ladyzumba

Bump

Celuwen

I don't eat below my BMR.

Dan explains it better.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

I followed this advice in these links and it worked for me.

LuLuSUPER

bump

Lalouse

What were you eating before you started this diet/lifestyle change? Probably over 2000 calories. So if you ate 1650, you would probably be eating with deficit anyway.

The reason MFP is telling you that you are eating too few calories is because you are. You shouldn't eat under 1200 a day, and if you're not eating back your exercise calories, then you're probably way under 1200. I think 1200 is too low for most people, and especially men.

I say follow everyone's advice and read those links. They are extremely informative and will also tell you how to use your BMR.

erickirb

OP if you set your goal to lose 1 lb/week, you have to eat 100% of the cals that MFP tells you to as the 500 cal/day deficit is built in based on the 1lb/week goal. This includes eating back what you burn from exercise.

So if MFP tells you to eat 1400 and you burn 600 in the gym, you eat 2000 (1400+600), to achieve your 500 cal/day deficit, as the 1400, took into account the 500 cal deficit.

katevarner

Just a guess here, but I think Nik is a woman.

If your BMR is 1650, don't eat less than that for any extended period of time. No idea why MFP is telling you to eat so little unless you have set it to lose 2 lbs. a week, maybe? Your trainer is telling you to eat to lose 1 lb. per week (500 calorie deficit). Stick with that. You need to know your TDEE for that, tho, since your 500 deficit is from the calories you burn for the day--use one of the sites. Regardless, try not to eat less than 1650. You really shouldn't net less than 1650.

Shanel0916

bump

jacksonpt

I'm not sure what my actual deficit daily is. I'm a little confused on everything. MFP says I should eat 1230 daily and burn 2100 cal per week through exercise. My trainer did a body scan on me today and told me my BMR is 1650 (or close to that) and I should have a 500 cal per day deficit.

Today I burned 429 calories through exercise. How many calories should I have eaten today?

Pick someone to listen to... MFP or your trainer. Taking bits from one and mixing them with bits from another is a sure fire way to frustration. And probably failure.

doulanik

Just a guess here, but I think Nik is a woman.

Yes, I am a woman. The pic is of me and my hubby, so I think it's causing confusion. LOL

It is very possible that my trainer WAS talking about TDEE or that I misunderstood her. Honestly, I really have no idea what I'm doing here and I'm trying to soak up as much information as I can to make the healthiest lifestyle change possible. I have my MFP set to lose 2 lbs per week and that's what it told me to eat was 1230 daily. My trainer said 500 cal per day deficit, but she also said since I have so much weight to lose it would be ok to lose more than 1 lb a week. I'm not really sure what's going on. Maybe I should ask her again when I see her tomorrow...

jessilee9

I am certainly not a pro at losing weight, but I have read that you take your BMR and through an equation; (based on your activity level) you multiply it by a certain figure.

Example if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you multiply your BMR by 1.2 this will give you the calories to maintain your weight. Then you subtract the 500 calories from this total....1650x1.2=1980. 1980-500=1480. 1480 is what you should consume in a day. I hope this helps.

I just stumbled acrossed it because I have plateaued at 23lbs lost. Its been four weeks since I've lost so I have to get a new plan.

jacksonpt

Just a guess here, but I think Nik is a woman.

Yes, I am a woman. The pic is of me and my hubby, so I think it's causing confusion. LOL

It is very possible that my trainer WAS talking about TDEE or that I misunderstood her. Honestly, I really have no idea what I'm doing here and I'm trying to soak up as much information as I can to make the healthiest lifestyle change possible. I have my MFP set to lose 2 lbs per week and that's what it told me to eat was 1230 daily. My trainer said 500 cal per day deficit, but she also said since I have so much weight to lose it would be ok to lose more than 1 lb a week. I'm not really sure what's going on. Maybe I should ask her again when I see her tomorrow...

Are you paying the trainer, or is it a free service offered by your gym or whatever?

Sit down with her and ask HER all these questions. Don't be afraid to ask why or what then. Some people like to simply follow directions. Some people like to know why the trainer is making certain recommendations. You sound like the latter type, so ask questions.

now_or_never12

I'm not sure what my actual deficit daily is. I'm a little confused on everything. MFP says I should eat 1230 daily and burn 2100 cal per week through exercise. My trainer did a body scan on me today and told me my BMR is 1650 (or close to that) and I should have a 500 cal per day deficit.

Today I burned 429 calories through exercise. How many calories should I have eaten today?

CHeck out the tdee calculations. If your BMR is that amount you still need more than that to maintain your weight. If you are completely sedetary (which most people aren't) your maintain calories would be just under 2000 cals a day meaning you have at least a 700 daily deficit just based on intake plus those you burn from workouts. You should do the calculations based on your lifestyle and go from there. The deficit from maintian cals for you to what you are actually eating plus not eating exercise cals back will be too much of a deficit.

Depending on how much you have left to lose 2lbs per week may be too high of a setting for MFP.