WTH does 'Daily Calorie Deficit' in 'Goals' even mean???

fifibox
fifibox Posts: 69
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering what it means, and how or if or when does/would/should that number change?

Replies

  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Each day you burn some amount of calories. If you consume less calories than you burn, then you have a calorie deficit. Each 3500 calories you burn that you don't consume back is 1 lb. For example, if you wanted to lose 1 lb per week you would factor in a deficit of 500 calories per day. (500 * 7 = 3500).

    The number would change depending on your weight loss goals. 1-2 lbs per week is the healthy range. 1 lb/week = 500 cal deficit. 1.5 lbs/week = 750 cal deficit. 2 lbs/week = 1000 calories deficit.

    For the most part, MFP does the math for you. You just enter in your activity level and MFP estimates your daily burn from being alive and regular activity. Then as you enter in exercise or food consumed, MFP keeps a tally of how many calories are remaining for the day in order to meet your targeted deficit.
  • SadieAnnL
    SadieAnnL Posts: 17
    Took me a while to realize too, to realize that you have to eat more to lose !!!!!! Therefore if I've understood this correctly, whether you on a normal diet or low carb diet, as long as you have a MINUMUM of 1200 cal you're ok, but if you go lower than that you'll go into calorie deficit and starvation mode ie. your body will hang onto everything its got ! For years, I have been eating less than that other than the occasional binge and always wondered why I ate to little and lost so little.... so here's to trying this out - I hope it works for you and me :happy:
  • ChassityGetsFit
    ChassityGetsFit Posts: 173 Member
    You also asked when that deficit would change! As you lose weight and your activity level changes then your body will burn a different amount of calories per day and therefor your deficit or your daily net calories will change. I think MFP will do all of that for you though, but it will never tell you to eat less than 1200 calories per day. This is why as you get closer to your goal weight it gets harder to lose those last few pounds sometimes because the deficit and so on isn't much.
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