large calorie deficits

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Em7b5
Em7b5 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hey everyone,

is consistently having larger than a 1000 calorie deficit detrimental to weight loss?

according to bodymedia fit, yesterday, i burned 3400 calories, but i only ate 1700 (which is a little over what mfp tells me to eat). on a typical day when i don't go to the gym/run, i burn 2800 calories; however, on a gym/running day, i burn 3400 calories (and 3750 if i do both). should i be aiming for 2400 calories on the days that i run/go to the gym, so that my calorie deficit is only 1000, or does it not matter because i should, in theory, lose more than 2 lbs since my daily deficit is so large?

thanks for any insight.

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  • Em7b5
    Em7b5 Posts: 31 Member
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  • morticiamom
    morticiamom Posts: 221 Member
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    I'm not sure about long term effects, but after a few weeks of large calorie deficits, I found myself feeling tired, run down, and doing worse at my workouts than I had at the beginning. Since bumping up my daily calorie allowance, I feel better. On days where I do a lot of cardio, I still run a fairly high calorie deficit, but taking in extra calories on a day to day basis seems to help me tolerate the occasional high deficit without getting run down.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    you're going to get conflicting responses to this question.

    is it possible to run deficits larger than 1000 calories? yes.

    is it wise? depends.

    i don't really have an issue with those who suggest that you should go for slow and steady weight loss. there are lots of benefits to that.

    however, for somebody really morbidly obese, running a higher calorie deficit at the beginning to help drop alot of pounds at the beginning can have some immediate health and wellness benefits. so in cases like that, deficits larger than 1000 can be ok.
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
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    It's my understanding that a smaller deficit is "better" only because weight loss is slower, therefore more sustainable, and will also give you more wiggle room if you want to increase your deficit later. I started with a large deficit and have moved to a smaller one after plateauing for months. I think it's a little harder this way, but it depends on your determination and how much more weight you have to lose. Good luck!
  • dunlunicor
    dunlunicor Posts: 189 Member
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    Don't feel the need to rush yourself. Slower weight loss is SOOO much easier, both in terms of being comfortable during the process, and being able to maintain your weight later. Because the calories in/calories out equation is totally based on estimates, try adjusting your calories month-by-month until you are consistently losing 0.5-1 pound per week. It will be slower going, but more bearable and so much easier to transition into maintenance.
  • dunlunicor
    dunlunicor Posts: 189 Member
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    you're going to get conflicting responses to this question.

    is it possible to run deficits larger than 1000 calories? yes.

    is it wise? depends.

    i don't really have an issue with those who suggest that you should go for slow and steady weight loss. there are lots of benefits to that.

    however, for somebody really morbidly obese, running a higher calorie deficit at the beginning to help drop alot of pounds at the beginning can have some immediate health and wellness benefits. so in cases like that, deficits larger than 1000 can be ok.

    Adding, that, yes I agree with this. If you have a lot to lose and your health is in jeopardy where you are at, it is worth the risk (which is smaller at a higher weight) that a large deficit brings. If this applies to you, by all means start with a larger deficit. But otherwise, it's better to go slower.
  • sstephanrodriguez
    sstephanrodriguez Posts: 36 Member
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    How in the world do you burn that many calories?!
  • ErinRibbens
    ErinRibbens Posts: 370 Member
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    How in the world do you burn that many calories?!

    Yes, this! I want to know your secret!:laugh:

    Honestly though, how do you feel? Run down, hungry? If you have energy and strength and normal hunger, I wouldn't worry about it. I go more by that than some calculator that could easily be off.
  • Em7b5
    Em7b5 Posts: 31 Member
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    you're going to get conflicting responses to this question.

    is it possible to run deficits larger than 1000 calories? yes.

    is it wise? depends.

    i don't really have an issue with those who suggest that you should go for slow and steady weight loss. there are lots of benefits to that.

    however, for somebody really morbidly obese, running a higher calorie deficit at the beginning to help drop alot of pounds at the beginning can have some immediate health and wellness benefits. so in cases like that, deficits larger than 1000 can be ok.

    hmm, i'm not morbidly obese. i only have 40lbs to lose until i hit my goal weight. i've been on this lifestyle change for 5 or 6 weeks, and i'm already down nearly 20 lbs. i know that seems like a lot of weight lost in a short amount of time, but i gained a lot of that weight really quickly through my horrible diet and inactivity.
    How in the world do you burn that many calories?!

    i use the bodymedia fit to track my calories, and i'm always surprised when i sync in the morning and it tells me that i've burned 3400 calories for the prior day! when doing nothing, i appear to burn 1.7 calories a minute, which means that i burn nearly 2450 calories by being alive. when i factor in my 10-20 minute daily runs, and 40-60 minutes of walking (moving around my job, shopping, playing with the dog, etc), i can easily see how i'm burning through 3400 calories a day.
    It's my understanding that a smaller deficit is "better" only because weight loss is slower, therefore more sustainable, and will also give you more wiggle room if you want to increase your deficit later. I started with a large deficit and have moved to a smaller one after plateauing for months. I think it's a little harder this way, but it depends on your determination and how much more weight you have to lose. Good luck!

    as one approaches their goal weight, i thought that the deficit was supposed to get smaller? why would someone want to increase their deficit?
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
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    as one approaches their goal weight, i thought that the deficit was supposed to get smaller? why would someone want to increase their deficit?

    If you start with a small deficit, then begin to plateau, you can drop your calories to continue losing weight. Not ideal, but it's just something that can help you get closer to your goal.

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