Calories in & Calories Out??

I just don't get it how many calories do you need out to lose weight exactly or roughly? 500? 1000? Please help 0tgj838691uk.png
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Replies

  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    You need to be under by 3500 calories to shed a pound (approximately).

    So, if you're aiming for 1lb per week loss, you should be under by about 500 calories per day.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Cals in should be about 500 less than cals out for 1lb per week loss or 1,000 less for 2lbs a week.

    So, you would need to have eaten somewhere between 1,346 - 1,846 cals based on the figures above.
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    Ok thank you but still confused is this photo example is there enough calories out vs the in?
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    Looks like you're under by 792....
  • nickstevens87
    nickstevens87 Posts: 2 Member
    Your screen is different to mine but basically it has calculated the deficit you need to hit your goal for you and told you how much more you can eat to get there. Ie. You can eat 792 more cals and still be under your target of 1839 calories ( deficit of 507 cals means you have a goal of one pound per week lost).
  • juleszephyr
    juleszephyr Posts: 442 Member
    The simple maths is that 3500 calorie deficit over the week will achieve a loss of 1lb. So ideally you should be aiming for 500 deficit a day to achieve this. However if you are factoring exercise calorie burns that MFP give this may be a bit skewed as they usual over-estimate burn amounts. Most people estimate half the number given by MFP for exercise cals so factor this into your calculation.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited July 2015
    Ok thank you but still confused is this photo example is there enough calories out vs the in?

    It's easier to work backwards from calories out (the amount of energy your body has used during the day.)

    To lose 1lb a week your calories in (the food you eat) needs to be 500 calories less per day than your calories out. So in this case 2,346 - 500 = 1,846 calories in you need to eat. To lose 2lbs your calories in need to be 1,000 calories less than your calories out so 1,346 calories. The picture shows less calories in than both these numbers.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I just don't get it how many calories do you need out to lose weight exactly or roughly?

    that's a Fitbit screenshot ? It is estimating you will burn 2346 by the end of the day and you have eaten 1047.

    The 792 left to eat takes you to 1839 which is a deficit of 507 - perhaps 500 is the intended deficit

    HTH.
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    :) I think I get it now thank you everyone so if you stay at 1000 cals a day you would def be 500 deficit because it would be lower then your BMR?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    :) I think I get it now thank you everyone so if you stay at 1000 cals a day you would def be 500 deficit because it would be lower then your BMR?

    no, BMR is irrelevant other than being a large part of your TDEE.

    If you ate 1000 you would have a deficit of over 1000 from the screenshot
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Based on the above you should be eating another 792 calories if you're aiming for 1 lb loss per week.

    2346 burned - 1047 eaten = 1299 calorie deficit.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Keep in mind, the smaller you are the smaller you deficit should be and the more active you are the more calories you need. Because while a daily deficit of 500 calories will make you lose a lb, it doesnt tell you what that lb is made of (fat, muscles, water, etc....). So hopefully you eat more than 1000 calories a day.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    :) I think I get it now thank you everyone so if you stay at 1000 cals a day you would def be 500 deficit because it would be lower then your BMR?

    Close. Your calories out are what is known as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure.)

    To lose weight you need to eat less (calories in) than TDEE - 500 less than that per day for 1lb weight loss per week, 1,000 less than that for 2lbs weight loss per week.

    The less weight you have to loss the better off you are going for eating 500 calories less than TDEE per day rather than 1,000 calories less.
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    Based on the above you should be eating another 792 calories if you're aiming for 1 lb loss per week.

    2346 burned - 1047 eaten = 1299 calorie deficit.

    Only reply that made sense to me lol I feel blonde!
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    msf74 wrote: »
    :) I think I get it now thank you everyone so if you stay at 1000 cals a day you would def be 500 deficit because it would be lower then your BMR?

    Close. Your calories out are what is known as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure.)

    To lose weight you need to eat less (calories in) than TDEE - 500 less than that per day for 1lb weight loss per week, 1,000 less than that for 2lbs weight loss per week.

    The less weight you have to loss the better off you are going for eating 500 calories less than TDEE per day rather than 1,000 calories less.

    Ah so to lose weight take 500 calories out of your TDEE?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    With only 7 pounds to lose, you should be at 250 - 500 a day deficit.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    you need to be careful with a fitbit read out because it extrapolates to the end of the day based on movement already .. . so it can be out until midnight, particularly if you exercise early / are new to fitbit
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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    msf74 wrote: »
    :) I think I get it now thank you everyone so if you stay at 1000 cals a day you would def be 500 deficit because it would be lower then your BMR?

    Close. Your calories out are what is known as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure.)

    To lose weight you need to eat less (calories in) than TDEE - 500 less than that per day for 1lb weight loss per week, 1,000 less than that for 2lbs weight loss per week.

    The less weight you have to loss the better off you are going for eating 500 calories less than TDEE per day rather than 1,000 calories less.

    Ah so to lose weight take 500 calories out of your TDEE?

    Yup - this creates a "calorie deficit" which causes weight loss.
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    Please please do not eat only 1000 calories per day.
    Hey Shell, how many calories a day are you currently on?

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,582 Member
    edited July 2015
    I think the lowest recommend number of calories here is 1200. I'm not shell1005, but when MFP dropped me to that amount, I couldn't sustain it, so I upped myself to 1250 cal.

    And I lost weight quite quickly and easily.


    I should add that my 1250 cal was net calories.

    So if I didn't do any exercise, I ate 1250 calories.

    If I walked 1 hour, and burned 200 cal, I could eat as much as 1450 cal ... but I usually only ate about 1350 cal (1250 + half my exercise calories).

    If I cycled 1 hour, and burned 400 cal, I could eat as much as 1650 cal ... but I usually only ate about 1450 cal (1250 + half my exercise calories).

    If I cycled 6 hours and burned 2400 cal, I could eat as much as 3650 cal ... but I usually only ate about 2450 cal.

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  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I think the lowest recommend number of calories here is 1200. I'm not shell1005, but when MFP dropped me to that amount, I couldn't sustain it, so I upped myself to 1250 cal.

    And I lost weight quite quickly and easily.

    Upped to 50 more calories is stuff all? Thats like half a banana more? and that helped you sustain your diet better?
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    What about everyone else how many cals a day? : )
  • MelissaSchlaikier05
    MelissaSchlaikier05 Posts: 20 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    Please please do not eat only 1000 calories per day.
    Hey Shell, how many calories a day are you currently on?

    I just headed into maintenance, so mine would be a little different. However, my TDEE is between 2000 and 2400 on most days. I was eating around 1500 - 1800 calories a day during much of the weight loss phase.

    The bare minimum for women is 1200 calories per day and that is often too low. If you eat only 1000 calories or god forbid less, it may initially seem like a good idea because you get a bigger deficit and therefore would lose more faster. However, it just isn't. One, you aren't fueling your body the way it needs to be. You are more likely to be fatigued and maybe binge. Secondly....long periods of undereating at that level can really have some negative physical effects. Hair loss, nails breaking and horrible skin, etc. Thirdly, when you undereat at that level you aren't losing more fat in most cases. You will lose fat, but you'll also lose a bunch of lean muscle mass. That usually isn't what we are looking for. I often reference losing weight as the story of the tortoise and the hare. Sure, we all want to jump out like the hare, but if you go slow and steady like the tortoise....you're much more likely to actually see the finish line.

    Thanks for the advice : )
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,582 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I think the lowest recommend number of calories here is 1200. I'm not shell1005, but when MFP dropped me to that amount, I couldn't sustain it, so I upped myself to 1250 cal.

    And I lost weight quite quickly and easily.

    Upped to 50 more calories is stuff all? Thats like half a banana more? and that helped you sustain your diet better?

    Yup ... I was just a little bit hungry on 1200. The extra 50 allowed me just a bit more flexibility.

    Plus ... see my edited comment above.

  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I lose when averaging 1800-2000 per day.
  • KeairaSedai
    KeairaSedai Posts: 138 Member
    I'm at 1400 a day, give or take (and trying to lose about 9 pounds, sedentary job, but cycle at least half an hour a day). Mostly I eat when I'm hungry.. so some days I only do 1000-1200, but I always make up for being so low a day after, by eating 1400-1600. I average out at 9800 a week.
  • arnoldmq
    arnoldmq Posts: 5 Member
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    What about everyone else how many cals a day? : )

    That's irrelevant really because it's linked to your height, weight, activity level and exercise programme

    I lost most of my weight on around 1800 calories

    I maintain on around 2300