Deficit over a week vs over a day?

lucyholdcroft363
lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone!
So a little background information..
I'm 5'11.5 and weigh around 160 pounds. I am aiming for about 145 - 150 pounds as a goal so I don't have much further to go. However, I started including weight training and more strenuous cardio into my workouts because, well, they make me feel brilliant! On the days I do cardio, which is about five days a week, I burn 500-700 calories and I end up with a net total of about 1500-1700 calories, creating deficits of around 600 per day. This extra 100 per day over 5 days would make one more 500 calorie deficit over that time span (my goal is a 500 deficit per day), right? So, if on my day off from strenuous cardio I take a walk and do light cardio or activities with my family, is it okay to eat this further 500 calories I've burned off in the week prior? I am not aiming for fast loss, just healthy, sustainable and consistent.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Use any time period you like, you could weigh monthly and do your logging and balance the numbers over the same period.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Yes
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'm sorry I got lost

    But if the question is can you reach defecits across the week rather than day by day the answer is yes

    The app has a useful rolling 7 day report for doing this

    Are you sure you need to keep losing ..you're at quite a low weight already for your height
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I'm sorry I got lost

    But if the question is can you reach defecits across the week rather than day by day the answer is yes

    The app has a useful rolling 7 day report for doing this

    Are you sure you need to keep losing ..you're at quite a low weight already for your height

    And if not looking for a fast loss perhaps a 250 calorie deficit a day would be better suited.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    yes
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    Yep, I did alternate day IF for my weight loss phase so I went by a weekly deficit instead of a daily, and it worked great. Now that I'm in maintenance I usually eat a little under on calories during the week and then a bit over on the weekends, again with no problems :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,149 Member
    You are accounting for the fact, that based on the goals you input, MFP already has a built in deficit, correct?
  • lucyholdcroft363
    lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
    @Liftng4Lis yes, my activity level is lightly active and that's put me at a 1600 calorie net goal. So, on cardio days I eat around 2000-2100 and burn 500-700 :smile:
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