Is a 500 calorie deficit too much?

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vsetter
vsetter Posts: 558 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone experienced little or no change in body fat/weight on a 500 calorie deficit? Is it possible that for me, 500 is just too great of a difference? Has anyone had better success at a 200 calorie deficit?

My TDEE is 2300 calories (per BodyMedia). I exercise 6 days per week. StrongLifts 3 times per week and Cardio about 30 minutes per day.

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  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    Depends on a few things.

    Are you very petite? Are you extremely close to your goal weight?

    If so, 250 calorie deficit may be the way to go.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I think my deficit is about 300 calories because I like to eat and I don't mind slooooow weight loss. I have seen my body fat % shift by a few percentage points over the last few months, with sporadic weightlifting, taekwondo classes, and walking outdoors.
  • seabee78
    seabee78 Posts: 126 Member
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    A 500 calorie daily deficit over 7 days = 3500 calories = 1 lb. of weight loss per week.

    Your pics look like you don't need to lose a lot of weight. Maybe a lb a week is too much for you?
  • vsetter
    vsetter Posts: 558 Member
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    Right now --- I am 5' 4.5"...... 140 pounds ..... 26% body fat

    All that has happened since I started lifting (about 2 months ago) is an increase in the scale (fat, measurements and the way clothes fit have not changed).
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    Well if you are actually trying to gain muscle, you can't really do that eating at a deficit at all. I'd encourage you to post something to this extent in the fitness forum and see if some bros can help a girl out with macros, calories and routine.
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
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    Are you really logging EVERYTHING you eat? And do you use a food scale?
  • vsetter
    vsetter Posts: 558 Member
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    Are you really logging EVERYTHING you eat? And do you use a food scale?

    I am logging everything.....because I want my bodymedia reports to reflect what is real. It's funny because that is also why I closed my diary. I figured that I might fib if I was trying to impress anyone else but me.

    I use a scale most of the time, but not ALL of the time. Maybe I should. But --- I am currently at a 500 calorie deficit. Even if I am off by 200 calories, I should still be losing a quarter to half pound per week. At least that is what I would think.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Your BMR would be about 1400 calories per day so for your TDEE to be 2300 you'd need to be doing a lot of calorie burning during the day. Your daily budget may be too high rather than too low.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    500 is fine for a deficit as that is one pound per week loss, which is considered the 'ideal'

    You may not be losing due to water retention. I had same problem and was actually gaining. Two weeks ago I was at 181..I started drinking a crap ton of water - as in pissing like a race horse - and by Friday of that week I had dropped about five pounds in water weight...as of yesterday was down to 175...so I am down 6 pounds in water weight in two and a half weeks...

    you could also try a carb re-feed day where you eat double your carbs for day that is supposed draw water out of muscles...

    you might find this link helpful :

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part.html

    Are you sure that you are accurately measuring everything that you eat? food scale, weighing, using right calorie counts, etc? Be careful of MFP database a lot of the entires are not correct in their Database...I always cross check everything against nutrition data self.com ....

    Body fit media is about +/- 10% off when calculating TDEE so you might want to cross check the number you are getting against an online TDEE calculator...I have a body fit media too...
  • vsetter
    vsetter Posts: 558 Member
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    500 is fine for a deficit as that is one pound per week loss, which is considered the 'ideal'

    You may not be losing due to water retention. I had same problem and was actually gaining. Two weeks ago I was at 181..I started drinking a crap ton of water - as in pissing like a race horse - and by Friday of that week I had dropped about five pounds in water weight...as of yesterday was down to 175...so I am down 6 pounds in water weight in two and a half weeks...

    you could also try a carb re-feed day where you eat double your carbs for day that is supposed draw water out of muscles...

    you might find this link helpful :

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part.html

    Are you sure that you are accurately measuring everything that you eat? food scale, weighing, using right calorie counts, etc? Be careful of MFP database a lot of the entires are not correct in their Database...I always cross check everything against nutrition data self.com ....

    Body fit media is about +/- 10% off when calculating TDEE so you might want to cross check the number you are getting against an online TDEE calculator...I have a body fit media too...


    Thanks for this information! Good point about the mfp estimates. I do sometimes "trust" what is in the database. I will try dropping the calories some and see what happens....

    Thanks!!!!
  • LongIsland27itl
    LongIsland27itl Posts: 365 Member
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    The problem is that you're not logging correctly. Measure your food and make sure the item you pick in the MFP database is accurate, cross reference if to have to. Are you going cooking oils btw?

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