Quick question on "deficits"

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endlessloser
endlessloser Posts: 106 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I understand that you need a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound.

Can someone just help me clarify though the MFP stats?

Example of today:

Goal: 1400 Actual: 1363 Food - 494 Exercise = 869 Net

So do I go by the 494 exercise deficit... ? Or is it the 1400 - 869 (net) = 531 deficit?

Not normally confused, but I want to track this properly.

Replies

  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    If you entered your info and goal into mfp. Your deficit is already calculated in. You should eat as close to the cal goal as possible and eat about 50-75% of your exercise burns depending on where you get your burns from.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    If you set MFP up to lose weight (which you did with a 1400 goal), then the deficit is built in. Just eat to goal and don't worry about it. Hitting your goal (which MFP gives you -- here it would be hitting 1400 net) means hitting the deficit goal.

    Also, MFP assumes NO exercise, so if you are doing significant exercise (as it seems you are) you should log it and eat some of it back.

    Your deficit depends on what you told MFP when you set it up. If you said 1 lb/week and got 1400 that means your deficit is 500 calories per day (and your maintenance calories with NO exercise 1900). Your deficit with the exercise (if it's not overstated -- MFP often estimates too high for exercise) on the day you mention would then be about 1050, so quite a bit higher than your goal, so in general you'd want to eat more. If you said 1.5 lb/week the built in deficit is 750, and if 2 lb/week the built-in deficit is 1000. Hope that makes sense.
  • endlessloser
    endlessloser Posts: 106 Member
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    Ah ok, I think I understand that a bit more... I was thinking this shows the deficit immediately, but it's already counted in. ok. I guess I need to look over my original goals (it's been a while, but I'm getting back on track).
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Don't get lost in this ... The 3500 is what 1 pound of fat is worth ... and you won't lose that in a day ... aim for in a week. To lose 1 pound a week you need to eat/burn 500 calories less than you need to maintain your current weight.
    Where are you getting your numbers from, MFP or an appliance like Fitbit? What you are getting ... regardless of where you are getting your numbers from, but strickly on your data ... your net calorie consumption is 869 calories ... the deficit you have is whatever is the difference between what you need to maintain your current weight and that 869 calories.

    Do you know what that number is? ... the one where you maintain your current weight? I doubt very much it is 1400 ... more likely the 1400 is what you got as a target calorie to lose x number of pounds a week ...

    PS ... you can find out what your current weight maintenance calories are by going to MFP goals and using it to calculate the calories for 'maintain my current weight' ... it's one of the selections under the dropdown selection winder for goal setting. That'lll give you a pretty good idea ... but it's really very individual and your own may/will likely be different to a degree.
  • endlessloser
    endlessloser Posts: 106 Member
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    Yeah that's what was confusing me. To maintain, MFP claims about 2500. Frankly, my scale even says 2100, MFP is overreaching. I did put my goals into MFP, the exercise/calorie burn is not my own entries, it's actually from fitbit. (Walking all day plus doing Les Mills Combat today for example).

    Didn't expect to lose in a day :) Just aiming for about 1-1.5 pounds a week. I realized I need to be in this for the long haul, not something short/fast. (got 68 pounds to go to reach my goal).

    Fitbit claims 2594 for my daily calorie... with 750 per day deficit. I was getting confused by the way MFP shows it, but now I get it. Thanks.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    Given your new info, I tend to think your 1400 calories is low. If Fitbit says 2594 less 750 for a daily deficit ... is that from cutting food or from exercise? -- well that's 1844. Your MFP calorie goal is only 1400, so that's already lower by 444 than what Fitbit suggests. Good luck.

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