500cal or 250cal deficit?

armydreamers
armydreamers Posts: 175 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have about 15-17lbs. In my case would you do a 500 or 250 deficit?

Replies

  • muscleandbeard
    muscleandbeard Posts: 117 Member
    500 for your weight loss goal.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    You could split it. First 4/5 at 1 lbs. then switch to .5 lbs.
    .5 lbs, 250 cal deficit will be a lot easier, and is the recommended goal with so little to lose.

    Cheers, h.
  • elite_nal
    elite_nal Posts: 127 Member
    armydreamers wrote: »
    I have about 15-17lbs. In my case would you do a 500 or 250 deficit?

    I suggest you only create a slight deficit and focus on burning fat at a gradual pace. This will ensure that you lose fat, not muscle, and maintain as much of your strength as possible (assuming you are weight training). A 15-20% deficit below your maintenance level is a good guideline to follow. This will allow you to lose about 1-2 pounds of fat a week.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    @elite_nal, armydreamers is looking for comments on losing at .5 or 1 lbs a week which is a reasonable goal considering she only wants to lose 15-17 lbs.
    1-2 lbs would be too high a deficit, not a slight deficit, and could lead to a greater loss of muscle than necessary.

    Cheers, h.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    *General recommendations for weekly weight loss goals should be based on a number of factors, the main one of which is how much weight you have to lose. Using the ‘TDEE” method it is a good rule of thumb to take a cut of 20% off your TDEE, which will represent your deficit, to get to your calorie target. However, at a low BF%, this will probably be too high and a 10% cut would be more appropriate. Conversely, at when someone has a significant amount of body fat to lose, a 30% cut may well be appropriate.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
  • elite_nal
    elite_nal Posts: 127 Member
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    @elite_nal, armydreamers is looking for comments on losing at .5 or 1 lbs a week which is a reasonable goal considering she only wants to lose 15-17 lbs.
    1-2 lbs would be too high a deficit, not a slight deficit, and could lead to a greater loss of muscle than necessary.

    Cheers, h.

    Then I say the more gradual, the better :)

  • muscleandbeard
    muscleandbeard Posts: 117 Member
    1-2 lbs is a very good and sound deficit. At your rate @middlehaitch it'll take her between 15-30 weeks to lose 15lbs. That's an absurd amount of time. Over two years to lose 15lbs?? You can't be serious.
  • SLLeask
    SLLeask Posts: 489 Member
    muscleandbeard wrote: »
    1-2 lbs is a very good and sound deficit. At your rate @middlehaitch it'll take her between 15-30 weeks to lose 15lbs. That's an absurd amount of time. Over two years to lose 15lbs?? You can't be serious.

    Off topic but no wonder my years are flying by... I thought there were 52 weeks in a year?! ;)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    @muscleandbeard it is obvious from the last couple of posts you have followed me on, and quoted me, we have differing opinions. I advise the reasonable cautious approach, you a faster.
    As we will probably not agree, let's choose not to derail threads with our differences. But address the original posters questions.
    C
    Erroneous information is fine, pull me up for it, but not for rate of loss.
    I replied to armydreamers query about a 250 or 500 cal deficit. I did not suggest that rate of loss.

    This is your second attempt in as many days to derailing a thread by quoting me and addressing my reply above the OP's question. Do it again and you will be reported for trolling.

    As a new member it may do you well to take a step back, read through the stickies and the boards so you have a better read of the forum conventions.

    @armydreamers I am so sorry I had to derail your thread with this post.

    Cheers, h.
  • muscleandbeard
    muscleandbeard Posts: 117 Member
    HazelTrisEverdeen wrote: »
    SLLeask wrote: »
    muscleandbeard wrote: »
    1-2 lbs is a very good and sound deficit. At your rate @middlehaitch it'll take her between 15-30 weeks to lose 15lbs. That's an absurd amount of time. Over two years to lose 15lbs?? You can't be serious.

    Off topic but no wonder my years are flying by... I thought there were 52 weeks in a year?! ;)

    Haha, I thought so too!

    @muscleandbeard, 15 weeks is 3 and a half months. 30 weeks is around 7 months. :blush:

    Like @middlehaitch said, losing .5 to 1 lbs a week is quite reasonable. 2 or more lbs a week is generally recommended only for those who have a LOT of weight to lose - as in much more than 15 lbs.
    Thank goodness I'm not a math major haha. Sorry, @middlehaitch my math was wayy off and you are correct. That seems like a good time frame. This is why I shouldn't post at 3 in the morning haha

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    @muscleandbeard <3 h
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    muscleandbeard wrote: »
    1-2 lbs is a very good and sound deficit. At your rate @middlehaitch it'll take her between 15-30 weeks to lose 15lbs. That's an absurd amount of time. Over two years to lose 15lbs?? You can't be serious.

    Common core at its best!!! Haha #winning
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I would go with 500 calories. I know that there are many MFPers who think that you should cut down to 250 when you're this close, but I'm not one of them. I tried that last year and completely spun my wheels, losing super slowly, getting frustrated and taking a break, slowly regaining the 3-4 pounds I lost, losing slowly again, lather/rinse/repeat. This year I'm going with a 500 calorie cut. If it doesn't work, I'll gladly post later that I was wrong but for now, it's what I'm sticking with.

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