Calorie Level

candysleirer
candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have tried to stay a couple hundred calories under my limit hoping that I would lose more, I just noticed the disclaimer stating the negatives to doing this. Wondering if anyone else does it anyway and if it works or not. I feel like I have been getting adequate nutrition and am having more energy than before I started. I would appreciate any "first-hand" experiences you can share.

Replies

  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Your limit (depending on how much weight per week you stated you wanted to lose) already has a calorie deficit built in to lose that amount of weight.

    Eat close to your limit, don't eat under. You are doing it unnecessarily hard on yourself and eventually it becomes unsustainable. MFP is NOT a diet. It is a tool to track you energy intake and if you treat it like a diet that you toss once you reach your goal you will gain ALL your weight back plus some. Start learning about how much you should be eating and how much you will need to be eating to maintain your goal weight.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Your limit (depending on how much weight per week you stated you wanted to lose) already has a calorie deficit built in to lose that amount of weight.

    Eat close to your limit, don't eat under. You are doing it unnecessarily hard on yourself and eventually it becomes unsustainable. MFP is NOT a diet. It is a tool to track you energy intake and if you treat it like a diet that you toss once you reach your goal you will gain ALL your weight back plus some. Start learning about how much you should be eating and how much you will need to be eating to maintain your goal weight.

    This. Exactly.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    The goal isn't to eat as little as possible. The goal is to maintain a calorie deficit while still fueling your body adequately.

    Have I done it? In the beginning yes, because I didn't know any better or do my research. After a while my workouts began to suffer, I started losing hair and I got tired all the time. Totally not worth it for the extra 1-3 lbs I probably lost. I finally did my research and read some of the awesome threads here on the forums and I never looked back.
  • polostaber
    polostaber Posts: 7 Member
    Spot on.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Totally get what your saying, However the maximum weight loss you can put in is 2lbs a week and I would really like to do a little more than that. And what the heck is a 250 calorie snack gonna do for me after cutting back so much junk already? Just sayin'
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    Unless you have a lot to lose, eat right at your calorie goal. Mine is 2600 to lose 2 pounds per week but I usually eat 2200. I don't feel hungry at all and I've lost 30 pounds in 58 days
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Hmmm
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    I am still reading the article and I also read some other posts on this topic so I'm seeing what your all getting at but I do want to clarify that what I am talking about is not BIG caloric deficits or LARGE amounts of activity.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Totally get what your saying, However the maximum weight loss you can put in is 2lbs a week and I would really like to do a little more than that. And what the heck is a 250 calorie snack gonna do for me after cutting back so much junk already? Just sayin'

    Doing more than that would be *bad* for your health. Presumably you're losing weight to *improve* your health.

    You ARE talking about BIG caloric deficits. 2 lbs a week is a calorie deficit of 1000 calories a day. That's already a big deficit. To lose 3 lbs a week you need to do a 1500 a day deficit. That's enormous.

    If all you care about is the number on the scale and you're willing to sacrifice bone mass, organ mass, heart health, and lean mass to the maximum extent possible just to get your weight loss over with, go right ahead.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    If your ticker is correct, you have 68lbs to lose so you should be aiming for 1 to 1.5lbs a week loss

    Trying to push it faster isn't going to really do much. Sure you may lose some weight, but it won't be sustainable. In fact, trying to net really low may just end up encouraging yo-yo dieting and disordered eating. You'll not learn to maintain (more than likely) and end up gaining most (if not all and then some) back.

    And with fast weight loss/a very low net - you end up losing a lot of muscle mass along with the fat.


    From personal experience, you'll end up losing the scale number but you'll be around the same size (clothes/measurement wise).

    And I have about 70lbs more to lose and if I were to put myself at a net 1200, it still wouldn't be a full 2lbs/week loss, so not sure how low you'd be trying to go...you say not a large deficit, but you would have to be to get that full 2lbs.

    In the end, taking it slow doesn't just help minimize muscle mass loss (along with eating sufficient protein and including some resistance/strength training in your weekly routine), it also helps minimize loose skin issues, teaches you more about moderation/willpower, and the forming and setting of habits you want to last so you are able to maintain your loss.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Totally get what your saying, However the maximum weight loss you can put in is 2lbs a week and I would really like to do a little more than that. And what the heck is a 250 calorie snack gonna do for me after cutting back so much junk already? Just sayin'

    Doing more than that would be *bad* for your health. Presumably you're losing weight to *improve* your health.

    You ARE talking about BIG caloric deficits. 2 lbs a week is a calorie deficit of 1000 calories a day. That's already a big deficit. To lose 3 lbs a week you need to do a 1500 a day deficit. That's enormous.

    If all you care about is the number on the scale and you're willing to sacrifice bone mass, organ mass, heart health, and lean mass to the maximum extent possible just to get your weight loss over with, go right ahead.

    This 100%.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Eating at 2 lbs a week loss is already a huge calorie deficit.

    Under eating that by 100-200 cals every day is another big deficit on top of the one MFP has created.

    Do you want to stay healthy and run around after that little one you are holding in your picutre? Yes? Then eat well and go for steady weightloss instead of dramatic flappy skin overnight "miracle' loss. It is not sustainable and you will fall off the wagon and binge at some point.

    Use the search function on this site to read all the binge/fell off the wagon/ etc stories. There is a common thread in most of them - they were way undereating what they needed and could not sustain it.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Dang that article was kinda harsh...I can't help that I am tightly wound. lol. But I guess I do need to just chill the hell out. But after reading to the end it seems that I am doing the right thing by doing moderate calorie deficit and moderate activity, right? I mean a 200 calorie deficit and 20-50min a day of moderate pace walking seems pretty balanced to me, plus with needed to lose 70lbs or more. I do appreciate everyone's comments, totally!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    But after reading to the end it seems that I am doing the right thing by doing moderate calorie deficit and moderate activity, right?

    Yes. This isn't a race, and it would be stupid to sacrifice your health in order to lose a little bit faster.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Dang that article was kinda harsh...I can't help that I am tightly wound. lol. But I guess I do need to just chill the hell out. But after reading to the end it seems that I am doing the right thing by doing moderate calorie deficit and moderate activity, right? I mean a 200 calorie deficit and 20-50min a day of moderate pace walking seems pretty balanced to me, plus with needed to lose 70lbs or more. I do appreciate everyone's comments, totally!

    That is where you are confused. The calorie deficit has already been worked out for you by this site - if you set 2lbs weight loss then MFP has ALREADY deducted the calories away from your total that you should eat to maintain your current weight. The total MFP gives you is the total daily calories you should eat TO LOSE 2LBS...you do not need to add in your own deficit. You need to eat AT the calorie level MFP says. You do not need to eat at 200 calories under that number. You need to eat AT or around that number.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Yeah I realized after reading another post that when it says moderate deficit that is included in the 2lbs a week. Crazy how your mind just doesn't want to accept it, it just has to believe that cutting more works. I'm not gonna lie, it is going to be difficult for me to be patient and wait to see the results.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Yeah I realized after reading another post that when it says moderate deficit that is included in the 2lbs a week. Crazy how your mind just doesn't want to accept it, it just has to believe that cutting more works. I'm not gonna lie, it is going to be difficult for me to be patient and wait to see the results.

    It gets easier. You WILL see the results.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Well shoot then, I guess I betta go get me a snack! haha
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Welcome to the healthy lifestyle club :D

    Our minds will and do play tricks on us. Sometimes the scales - they LIE dammit! But in the end we educate ourselves on what is best for bodies and try and live the lifestyle accordingly in the real world with real everyday foods while exercising our bodies and our portion control.

    Good luck xx
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    Yeah I realized after reading another post that when it says moderate deficit that is included in the 2lbs a week. Crazy how your mind just doesn't want to accept it, it just has to believe that cutting more works. I'm not gonna lie, it is going to be difficult for me to be patient and wait to see the results.

    I mean, 2 pounds per week is already a pretty aggressive deficit. You've got to be tired if you're under-eating a 1000 calorie deficit. Isn't it a big shock, to eat so little? Aren't you hungry? Maybe those are things you'll notice after you add in that extra 200cal... so I guess take this as a warning. It's okay, for the record, if that happens, to lower your deficit further. If you find you're starving eating an extra 200 calories, that's the time to have more, not go back to eating less.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Yeah I realized after reading another post that when it says moderate deficit that is included in the 2lbs a week. Crazy how your mind just doesn't want to accept it, it just has to believe that cutting more works. I'm not gonna lie, it is going to be difficult for me to be patient and wait to see the results.

    I mean, 2 pounds per week is already a pretty aggressive deficit. You've got to be tired if you're under-eating a 1000 calorie deficit. Isn't it a big shock, to eat so little? Aren't you hungry? Maybe those are things you'll notice after you add in that extra 200cal... so I guess take this as a warning. It's okay, for the record, if that happens, to lower your deficit further. If you find you're starving eating an extra 200 calories, that's the time to have more, not go back to eating less.

    Totally OT, but I think you have the best username on MFP.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    ok what do you do if you still need 2-300calories and anything you can find puts some other category over. Which one would you rather go over on first ie..fat, protein, carb, sugar?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    ok what do you do if you still need 2-300calories and anything you can find puts some other category over. Which one would you rather go over on first ie..fat, protein, carb, sugar?

    Depends on your ratios. MFP has their protein set really low so I'd figure out where you'd need or want to be at. Here's a link to help figure that out if you want:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


    As for the rest of your cals. I work on balancing out the week. So if you don't want to eat or don't get a chance to eat those 200-300 cals right now, just make sure you balance out sometime during the week.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    ok what do you do if you still need 2-300calories and anything you can find puts some other category over. Which one would you rather go over on first ie..fat, protein, carb, sugar?

    Don't worry about going over in any particular macro. In fact, you are encouraged to go over in protein and fat. Within certain bounds, more is better for those.

    As for making up extra calories... anything you like. I love having a bit of ice cream at the end of the day. Cookies are good. Peanut butter is good. The great thing about peanut butter and ice cream is you can measure out exactly however much you want to make up for your leftover calories. Milk is good. Cheese. Hummus. Fruit. Crackers. Whatever.

    If you open your diary, we could help you out with the macro planning and identify pitfalls or mistakes.
  • Fosterkidd
    Fosterkidd Posts: 1 Member
    From my own experience, I can tell you that you'll get better results from eating AT the calorie count. When I first got serious about losing weight, I would add my own deficit and eat about 400 calories below my goal. I had a really hard time maintaining that NUMBER (it's only a number after all) and I would have crazy swings in my eating and workout habits. After I finally settled into honestly tracking my food and exercise on the computer, I really started seeing results without having to try so hard.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Sure let me figure out how to do that.
  • candysleirer
    candysleirer Posts: 28 Member
    Duh. ok I changed it to public. Also I managed to find something to eat that came in under in all categories. lol. funny how that works.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Duh. ok I changed it to public. Also I managed to find something to eat that came in under in all categories. lol. funny how that works.

    Looks pretty good.

    I'd encourage you to get more protein, as more protein helps you retain the muscle mass you already have. It's much much easier to keep what you have than to build more later. I'd suggest you try to get 100 grams of protein per day, minimum. Your fat goal looks reasonable, but I also want to stress that should be seen as a minimum target instead of a maximum target.

    You're definitely on the right track though.

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