Another stupid newbie question.....deficits

Hirgy03
Hirgy03 Posts: 332 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, I really do apologize for all the newb questions, but it seems its easier for me to cut through the technical jargon when you guys respond to a specific thread, versus reading through the endless pages trying to find the answer.

My daily caloric goal is around 1800-2000 calories, depending on the model I use. So, I aim for around 1800.

I try to get close to around 1000 calories burned a day in the gym, which brings that caloric intake to say 2800

I'm finding that getting to over 2000 calories in a day is actually quite the chore, to say the least....feels like I do nothing but eat.

Anyway........ as of right now, I'm really trying to focus on weight loss, just want to be sure that I'm building muscle at the same time. I think I'm getting some really good workouts in right now for the place I'm at. It also feels like I'm getting kinda mixed signals when it comes to losing weight vs. building muscle.

For instance, last night I was around 2300 calories consumed during the day, however, I still was showing that I had 450-500 calories "left on the table" so to speak. Somebody said that this was too much left, and that I should get more calories in me.

Now, I'm not doubting the person that said that.....for God's sakes, he is where I want to be down the road. I've also seen a lot of comments on here about how by not eating back calories, we are only hurting ourselves. yet other posts say that you have to have a deficit too. Again..... I'M NOT QUESTIONING the vets around here (ie, doubting you), I just want .... in laymens' terms... what I should be aiming for. That, and I guess one other question...... am I completely missing the section on MFP where it shows how to figure calories burned during a weightlifting session, or is that not on here for a reason?

Thank you for any input and/or advice. I really process what you guys say, and feel that in just the last couple of weeks that I've been on here, that I've learned a LOT. (example: I'm actually forcing myself to eat more, and pushing myself harder in the gym). Having you folks to be accountable to (its the way I look at it, a motivational thing) has really, really put me in a place that I've never been before......that being looking at this as a life change, not just a weight loss period.

Thanks again.

Replies

  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    MFP builds in your deficit, so that green number represents all the calories you should eat in a day for safe, steady and lasting weight loss. Not everybody follows the MFP recommendations, and some get great results.
    You must decide what's best for you.
    I am a simple guy.
    MFP has worked wonders without fail just following easy principles of calorie intake against exercise burn.
    It's not always easy, but we either discipline ourselves to eat to goal or not to eat over.
    Some days it's a challenge to push away from the table, and other days I can't seem to eat enough.
    I get it. The solution? Just do it.
    At days end the simple approach works best for those looking to be fit for life.
    Good Luck!
  • Hirgy03
    Hirgy03 Posts: 332 Member
    Thanks Bob..... its just so dad-blasted counterintuitive, ya know? I mean, for years and years, we've (or maybe its just me) trained ourselves to think that less in means more off. Actually INCREASING what I am putting in is some kind of mental block that I'm trying to push past, and I guess my brain just needs to figure out a way for it to make sense that "the more I eat, the more weight I'll lose".

    Somewhere along the line, I'm having a disconnect there somehow that, while I definitely am not doubting people on here....hell, I've seen the results on your pages and that is exactly where I want to be down the road.... I guess I'm just hoping to find the simple explanation that finally makes it click in my mind. I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, so I appreciate the patience.

    And Bobby...... thank you for all the encouragement you've been giving me the last few weeks. It is MOST DEFINITELY appreciated, brother. You're helping me out in ways I haven't gotten that kind of encouragement before. THANK YOU
  • DonC2013
    DonC2013 Posts: 27
    My question to Bob was very similar as I am new too. I agree that it seems I do nothing but eat too. Yesterday I was shy in calories after exercise and despite a decent 9:30 pm snack, I went to bed with hunger pains....so I'm going to eat back my calories today and try to get the bulk of them in before bed. We'll see what happens, I suppose. I'm weighing in again on Saturday morning at the gym.
  • Craigamears
    Craigamears Posts: 65 Member
    @ Bobby I guess I have a couple of questions that may help you define your goals. Why are you doing 1000 cals of exerciese per day? Logically if you have 400-500 cals left per day then you could cut back the gym time to 500 cals and be even. If you must do 1000 cals per day of exercise then you can just quit eating low fat versions of things which we all have been programmed for the last 30 years or so to do and maybe add some fat. Sounds like heresy I know but the chemistry works out. Up your protein or perhaps (G_d forgive) some complex carbs.

    I personally was spending evey morning in the gym and hitting it pretty hard for an old fart. I was plateaued forever. I had to stop exercising for a while due to medical and schedule issues. I lost 15#'s by not exercising for about 6-8 weeks. Funny what getting some good sleep and destressing oneself can do for weight loss.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
    OK, here's my take and I've posted this in quite a number of similar threads. For people that exercise moderately, say 300-400 calories 3 or 4 days a week, it's relatively unimportant what they decide to do with the excess. A few hundred extra calories at the end of the day here and there aren't going to cause any kind of issue with exhaustion or your body burning muscles or anything like that. A few hundred extra calories can be a nice treat to yourself, or you can ignore them and lose weight modestly faster.

    For people that exercise a lot, as you seems to, at least some exercise calories should be consumed. If you starve your body of the food it needs to operate at the high level you're asking of it, bad things can happen. I can cause your body to burn muscle at a greater than desired rate, it can cause exhaustion, it can make you more hungry (which makes it harder to maintain), at extreme levels it can even mess with your metabolism. How many of your extra calories should be consumed depends on lots of factors, but a day like you had yesterday should be OK if you feel OK. If you're always hungry, feeling exhausted all the time, or recovery time from your workouts seems excessive, you may need to eat more. You definitely don't need to eat right up to your maximum every single day, but don't starve yourself.

    Another thing to remember is that weight loss is a game of averages. if you leave 500 calories on the table today, but then bust little bit tomorrow becasue you didn't workout or had a lighter workout, you're still ahead. I pretty regularly bust by 300-500 calories on Saturdays, it's one of my lighter workout days and I usually go out for dinner and drinks with friends. I'm usually up by a few hundred calories on Sunday and Thursdays when I do my longer runs. It all works out in the end and I've had steady weight loss without exhaustion, excessive muscle loss, or any other problems. While I track calories daily, I tend to more concerned about my weekly number. It gives me a longer period of time to average out the spikes in both exercise and food.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    OK, here's my take and I've posted this in quite a number of similar threads. For people that exercise moderately, say 300-400 calories 3 or 4 days a week, it's relatively unimportant what they decide to do with the excess. A few hundred extra calories at the end of the day here and there aren't going to cause any kind of issue with exhaustion or your body burning muscles or anything like that. A few hundred extra calories can be a nice treat to yourself, or you can ignore them and lose weight modestly faster.

    For people that exercise a lot, as you seems to, at least some exercise calories should be consumed. If you starve your body of the food it needs to operate at the high level you're asking of it, bad things can happen. I can cause your body to burn muscle at a greater than desired rate, it can cause exhaustion, it can make you more hungry (which makes it harder to maintain), at extreme levels it can even mess with your metabolism. How many of your extra calories should be consumed depends on lots of factors, but a day like you had yesterday should be OK if you feel OK. If you're always hungry, feeling exhausted all the time, or recovery time from your workouts seems excessive, you may need to eat more. You definitely don't need to eat right up to your maximum every single day, but don't starve yourself.

    Another thing to remember is that weight loss is a game of averages. if you leave 500 calories on the table today, but then bust little bit tomorrow becasue you didn't workout or had a lighter workout, you're still ahead. I pretty regularly bust by 300-500 calories on Saturdays, it's one of my lighter workout days and I usually go out for dinner and drinks with friends. I'm usually up by a few hundred calories on Sunday and Thursdays when I do my longer runs. It all works out in the end and I've had steady weight loss without exhaustion, excessive muscle loss, or any other problems. While I track calories daily, I tend to more concerned about my weekly number. It gives me a longer period of time to average out the spikes in both exercise and food.
    I agree with all that was said above. In the end though you have to experiment with yourself over a few weeks and find out what works best. If you are eating the calories and feeling good but the weight doesn't drop for a week or two then lower your intake by 500 or so calories to see if that gets it started again. Also, I found that taking one day every week or two and eating up to or somewhat over maintenance level helps keep the weight loss moving while allowing myself one day of indulgence. It also makes losing weight much less of a chore.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    To get a definitive grasp on this issue, GOOGLE THIS:
    BMR Calculator
    TDEE Calculator
    Once you get these numbers, take your TDEE ....say it's 2000 calories per day..for example...
    Subtract 500 calories per day...and now you have 1500 calories you eat per day.
    One pound is represented by 3500 calories, so you need to burn that much energy to lose one pound.
    This is how MFP works.
    They subtract the 500 and that green number represents what you need to eat.
    When we exercise and log this in, that green number goes up.
    EAT THOSE CALORIES!
    You could lose weight faster, but what kind of weight will that be?
    You'd lose more muscle, and that stifles resting metabolism.
    Eat and train smart.
    Think long-term.
    All Is Possible!
  • themomma66
    themomma66 Posts: 7
    Not a dumb question at all because I was confused also and I have been a member on and off for a few years :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    Here is a good calculator to weigh against MFP....just for comparison.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • Hirgy03
    Hirgy03 Posts: 332 Member
    @ Bobby I guess I have a couple of questions that may help you define your goals. Why are you doing 1000 cals of exerciese per day? Logically if you have 400-500 cals left per day then you could cut back the gym time to 500 cals and be even. If you must do 1000 cals per day of exercise then you can just quit eating low fat versions of things which we all have been programmed for the last 30 years or so to do and maybe add some fat. Sounds like heresy I know but the chemistry works out. Up your protein or perhaps (G_d forgive) some complex carbs.

    I personally was spending evey morning in the gym and hitting it pretty hard for an old fart. I was plateaued forever. I had to stop exercising for a while due to medical and schedule issues. I lost 15#'s by not exercising for about 6-8 weeks. Funny what getting some good sleep and destressing oneself can do for weight loss.
    OOPS!
    Wrong guy...I'm not the OP....:smokin:

    My program is working GREAT!

    LOL....... I'll eat more rather than drop back in the gym. I feel great spending the time there, and the feeling afterwards is awesome! I think I'm going to aim for never having more than a 500 deficit (and that will mostly be on weekends as I tend to spend a couple hours in the gym on those days). Besides, the more gym time I get in, the less guilty I feel about having a couple beers each night!
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    @ Bobby I guess I have a couple of questions that may help you define your goals. Why are you doing 1000 cals of exerciese per day? Logically if you have 400-500 cals left per day then you could cut back the gym time to 500 cals and be even. If you must do 1000 cals per day of exercise then you can just quit eating low fat versions of things which we all have been programmed for the last 30 years or so to do and maybe add some fat. Sounds like heresy I know but the chemistry works out. Up your protein or perhaps (G_d forgive) some complex carbs.

    I personally was spending evey morning in the gym and hitting it pretty hard for an old fart. I was plateaued forever. I had to stop exercising for a while due to medical and schedule issues. I lost 15#'s by not exercising for about 6-8 weeks. Funny what getting some good sleep and destressing oneself can do for weight loss.
    OOPS!
    Wrong guy...I'm not the OP....:smokin:

    My program is working GREAT!

    LOL....... I'll eat more rather than drop back in the gym. I feel great spending the time there, and the feeling afterwards is awesome! I think I'm going to aim for never having more than a 500 deficit (and that will mostly be on weekends as I tend to spend a couple hours in the gym on those days). Besides, the more gym time I get in, the less guilty I feel about having a couple beers each night!
    Same here....I exercise just to eat like I want.

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