Calorie Deficit

CarmenS76
CarmenS76 Posts: 20 Member
in Getting Started
What is calorie deficit and what does it mean?

Replies

  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
    example....

    If you 2000 calories today but my tdee (total daily expenditure is 2500) so I have a calorie deficit of 500 for the day.

    You can go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ to work out your tree and eat 15-20% less than TDEE.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    A calorie deficient is the amount you subtract from your maintenance calories limit in order to lose weight.

    For example, if your maintenance calories limit is 2000 (amount of calories needed to maintain your current weight), you subtract 500 calories which is your deficient. This will leave you with 1500 daily calories to eat while losing an average of 1 lb. per week (1 lb. of fat = about 3500 calories. 3500 / 7 days = 500 per day).

    The initial amount of calories MFP generates already have the deficient built in.

    Here is another site to use in which you have to calculate your deficient: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    So your body has a certain number of calories it needs to keep you alive doing all your daily activity, that would be the TDEE and there are lots of calculators out there to figure it out or MFP gives you a pretty generic one.

    That number represents your maintenance calories, the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight.

    A deficit is any number of calories below that.

    I need about 2300 calories a day to maintain my weight. If I eat 500 calories less than that I am eating at a 500 calorie deficit. Over a week, 500 calories times 7 equals 3500 calories, which is what most estimates say is a pound of weight. Thus is you eat at a 500 calorie deficit you can lose a pound of weight per week.
  • heathl39
    heathl39 Posts: 46
    So your body has a certain number of calories it needs to keep you alive doing all your daily activity, that would be the TDEE and there are lots of calculators out there to figure it out or MFP gives you a pretty generic one.

    That number represents your maintenance calories, the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight.

    A deficit is any number of calories below that.

    I need about 2300 calories a day to maintain my weight. If I eat 500 calories less than that I am eating at a 500 calorie deficit. Over a week, 500 calories times 7 equals 3500 calories, which is what most estimates say is a pound of weight. Thus is you eat at a 500 calorie deficit you can lose a pound of weight per week.

    Exactly ^^
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,007 Member
    Thanks for this post, it now makes sense to me...mostly...
  • CarmenS76
    CarmenS76 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks everyone!!
  • teaganmayc
    teaganmayc Posts: 8
    So is the amount on our MFP the amount we minus from? Mine says I should eat 1220 per day in order to reach my goal. So should I eat that or should I minus from that number?

    Sorry - a bit new at this! I usually eat between 900-1000 per day, maybe that's not enough or too much!?!?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    So is the amount on our MFP the amount we minus from? Mine says I should eat 1220 per day in order to reach my goal. So should I eat that or should I minus from that number?

    Sorry - a bit new at this! I usually eat between 900-1000 per day, maybe that's not enough or too much!?!?

    Assuming your logging is accurate, of course, 900-1000 calories a day is too little! MFP already has your deficit built into the goal it gives you, you don't need to eat any less than that to lose weight. And remember that when you exercise the site expects you to eat at least a portion of the extra calories you earn.
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    So is the amount on our MFP the amount we minus from? Mine says I should eat 1220 per day in order to reach my goal. So should I eat that or should I minus from that number?

    Sorry - a bit new at this! I usually eat between 900-1000 per day, maybe that's not enough or too much!?!?

    So the number MFP gives you is the goal to eat to lose the number of pounds per week you told it you wanted to lose. For most people, 1200 calories means you probably told it you want to lose 2 lbs per week and so it's trying to get you to eat 1000 calories less a day.

    So eat what it says to lose the weight you told it you wanted to lose when you set things up.

    If you enter exercise into MFP it will ADD those calories to your goal. So if you enter an activity that burns 300 calories it will tell you you can now eat 1520 calories total.

    Most people doesn't eat back all the exercise calories because in general MFP provides a pretty high estimate for the calories burned and by skipping some of them we lose weight faster.

    My rule of thumb is just to make sure I'm not hungry all the time since hungry people will eventually eat too much. I tend to avoid my exercise calories most days but that is just personal preference and comfort.
  • teaganmayc
    teaganmayc Posts: 8
    Awesome, thanks all! I'm kinda just getting used to counting calories as I have just been cutting back portion sizes and reducing my processed intake up until now. :)

    So - mental note, eat more and track every bite!

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