Calorie deficit Question

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Bostonbee79
Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
in Getting Started
hello, this is probably a really dumb question but what do posters mean when they are talking about calorie deficit? I fully understand the calories in/calories out. But I guess the calorie deficit is where I'm confused. I get 1800 calories a day. Does that mean I should always eat under 1800 a day? Leave a few hundred calories left each day? I normally eat right at an 1800 calorie day.

Please excuse the dumb question :) I'm new at this and am trying to learn/understand as I'm from the WW points world.

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  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    Maintenance = the number of calories it takes to maintain your current body weight. You will neither lose nor gain.

    Deficit = eating calories that are less than your maintenance calories. In a consistent deficit, you will lose weight

    Surplus = eating calories that are more than your maintenance calories. In a consistent surplus, you will gain weight.

    Where did the 1800 come from? MFP?
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    A deficit means you eat less than you burn in total (your TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure). So if I eat 2200 calories but my TDEE is 3200 calories, that is a 1000 calorie deficit for that day.

    If you plug in your stats to MFP and give it a goal of weight loss, it calculates this into your goals already for the day - so eating at exactly 1800 is hitting your target deficit exactly.
  • Bostonbee79
    Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
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    Yes. When I signed up and entered my height, weight, activity level, etc. It said 1800 a day.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    Bostonbee79 wrote: »
    Yes. When I signed up and entered my height, weight, activity level, etc. It said 1800 a day.

    Then that number has your deficit built in.
  • Bostonbee79
    Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
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    Thank you! I appreciate it!
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 650 Member
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    Well, it has her deficit built in as long as she specifies she wants to run a deficit....
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    DrEnalg wrote: »
    Well, it has her deficit built in as long as she specifies she wants to run a deficit....

    This. You have to have told MFP how much weight per week you want to lose. It will then calculate a deficit and tell you how many calories you should/can eat per day.
  • Bostonbee79
    Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
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    I did. I said I wanted 1 lb per week.
  • ronfromfla
    ronfromfla Posts: 4 Member
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    Wanting to lose 1 pound per week should put you at a 500 calorie deficit per day. (3500 per week)
  • Wii_Player
    Wii_Player Posts: 1,721 Member
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    Bostonbee79 wrote: »
    I did. I said I wanted 1 lb per week.

    Then you are okay at 1800 a day :)
  • Bostonbee79
    Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I'm learning as I go! I appreciate the help :)

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