Calorie Deficits?

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jlt5425
jlt5425 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
So, if you normally eat 3,000 calories a day and need to cut 500/day to lose a pound a week, do you eat 2,500 calories or do you subtract it from the recommended 2,000 calories a day and eat 1,500 calories? I'm confused--any thoughts?

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  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    You subtract it from what you actually burn in a day, which is hard to figure exactly. It is TDEE (Google will find lots of calculators).
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
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    Who/what is recommending 2,000 calories? Is that your TDEE? If so, yes you would cut off of that number (usually no more than 20%). If MFP is recommending 2,000 calories, you would need to net that many calories each day (so if you ate 2,000 calories and exercised off 200 calories, you will need to eat those 200 calories back).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    How did you set up MFP, and what did it tell you to eat? Did you choose sedentary or something else? How many pounds a week did you say you want to lose? How much do you exercise?
  • jlt5425
    jlt5425 Posts: 19
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    Thanks for the help. I'd never heard of TDEE. I got the 2,000 from food package labels. ;D Just curious.
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
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    So, if you normally eat 3,000 calories a day and need to cut 500/day to lose a pound a week, do you eat 2,500 calories or do you subtract it from the recommended 2,000 calories a day and eat 1,500 calories? I'm confused--any thoughts?


    Actually... your first part is the correct answer, assuming you know you are eating 3000 calories a day. So yes, if you are currently eating 3000 calories a day and drop that to 2500, that would be enough to lose a pound a week. However, if you don't know for sure that you are eating 3000 calories, then you may need to use MFP's numbers (you enter your weight, height, age, sex, etc...) or use one of the TDEE calculators out there.

    I think the 2000 thing is based on an average person, but I'm not sure what average is.
  • jlt5425
    jlt5425 Posts: 19
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    Thanks. I love your answer. I'm not sure I know what "average" is either.... in any situation. :D
  • HoneySunrise
    HoneySunrise Posts: 29 Member
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    2,000 calories is a way across the board average. A 6'3" bodybuilder certainly needs more calories a day than a 5'3" person who has an inactive lifestyle. Find a TDEE calculator, they're all over online! See how much you're burning a day just on average, and minus 500 calories (or 20%, whatever you're more comfortable with) from that. It helps a lot :)
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+and+sweet&page=10#posts-15694678

    See the above link for a fairly detailed answer to finding the correct calorie levels for you. 2000 is a general average and does not apply to any specific person. It is provided by the FDA in order to provide a standard measure against which to show nutrient levels and calorie contents.

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