Calorie Deficits?

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iamafatcowmoo
iamafatcowmoo Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a little confused about figuring out a rough guide to calorie deficits. I currently have my Sparkpeople and MyFitnessPal accounts linked to my FitBit account (I have a better favorites guide saved up on Sparkpeople, but I'm really just focusing on making sure I stay within the ranges Fitbit suggests).

I'm just not sure how to go about figuring out what my deficit should be (0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2 pounds per week).

I weigh around 190 pounds at 5'5" which makes my BMI around 31.6- obese. If I lose around 11 pounds, I'll be overweight, and in additional 30 pounds I'll be at a healthy BMI. My ultimate goal is around 120-135 pounds or a BMI of 20-22.5.

So, what's a good guide to deficits? 1000 calories until I'm down to just being overweight, 750 while I'm overweight, and 250-500 or so for the last 15-30 pounds? Or should I start with a 750 calorie deficit?

Replies

  • parmoute
    parmoute Posts: 99 Member
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    Simple answer: That depends on how quickly you want the weight to come off and how well you think you'll be able to stick to the calorie budget you set for yourself.

    My stats are pretty similar to yours (5'6", currently 204 lbs, target weight around 130) and I have my profile set to lose 1.5 lbs per week. Sometimes that's really difficult to stick with, so I know that 2 lbs per week would be too hard. I'm considering going back to 1 lb/wk and staying there until I reach my goal, but I've had some setbacks and the holidays are coming, so I'll probably stay with 1.5 lb/wk until New Years.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    I have seen this recommended as far as lbs/wk to shoot for:

    75+ to lose = 2lbs 
    50-75 to lose = 1.5-2lbs 
    25-50 to lose = 1-1.5lbs 
    15-25 to lose = 1lbs 
    0-15 to lose = 0.5lbs 

    Personally I am a fan of slow and steady. I lost about 20 lbs at 0.5-0.25 lbs/week and it was relatively painless.
  • iamafatcowmoo
    iamafatcowmoo Posts: 7
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    A few years ago, I stalled after getting within 10 pounds of a healthy BMI. I stalled again a year later, so I can't help wondering if perhaps the problem was my deficit was too great at that point.

    According to my Fitbit records, at a 1000 calorie deficit, I'd be eating 1400-1600 calories a day on average- sometimes more. This is definitely doable for me.

    I will say, that I'm not against slow and steady overall, but I would probably go insane if I was losing .5 pounds a week the whole time. Near the END, sure, but not to start.
  • wender125
    wender125 Posts: 93 Member
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    Hi! I'm 5'5" too. I started at 165 last February. Slow and steady has been the way to go for me. I set my calorie deficit to lose 2lbs a week for the first couple of months (1450). After awhile, I felt that it wasn't enough food. I was SO grumpy, so I decreased the deficit to 1 lb/week, and would still lose a couple of pounds. Weight loss has definitely not been linear. Some weeks I'd lose nothing, then the next week, be down 3 lbs. In the summer I set my calorie deficit for .5 lb and have been there ever since (approx 1550 cal/day). It's working for me, I'm down to 137. I've been very patient, and don't even weigh in every week. What matters is that I'm conscious of my food choices and how active I've been. Ie. I generally steer away from juice, because it's wasted calories - a lot of calories that I could use for something better (like guacamole!! Nom nom nom...)

    Good luck on your journey! Feel free to add me!!!

    ~wender ;)
  • iamafatcowmoo
    iamafatcowmoo Posts: 7
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    So, based on that guide, my deficit could be (based on a goal of 130 pounds.. in the middle of my estimated goal range)

    190-180 pounds - 1000 calories
    180-155 pounds- 750 calories (crossing over from being obese to being overweight)
    155-145 pounds- 500 calories (crossing over from being overweight to being at a healthy bmi)
    145-130 pounds- 250 calories (vanity pounds- may even decide to drop an additional 5-10 pounds, or I may stop before I get to 130).;

    Does this seem right?
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    That looks like a very good plan. I think adjusting your deficit as you go makes a lot of sense. At the same time you will need to account for a decreasing daily calorie requirement, since you will need fewer calories daily, and will also burn fewer in exercise, as you lose weight. Having the fitbit should take a lot of the guess work out of it. I do think a lot of people try to lose weight too fast and it becomes very difficult and discouraging, plus there are the inevitable plateaus, although I think those are less of an issue with a smaller deficit. At the same time, you need enough of a deficit to make progress. It sounds like you are approaching it in a smart way and have all the tools you need for success -- good luck!
  • iamafatcowmoo
    iamafatcowmoo Posts: 7
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    My plan is to set my goal weight for the bottom end of range 1 (180) and set my deficit at 1000 calories. When I reach that goal, I'll set a new goal for the 750 deficit range and so on.

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