What is your % calorific deficit?

So we know that MFP will take your BMR and apply an activity level multiplier to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and then from there will reduce the daily calorie limit by 500 for 1lb loss or 1000 for 2lb loss.

The issue with this is that too large of a deficit can mean that weight lost is not actual fat loss but lean body mass (LBM) which will lower your BMR. This can lead to yo-yo dieting as it effectively reduces the amount of calories you can eat without gaining weight.

A good recommendation to ensure that the weight you lose is fat and not LBM is to reduce your calorie intake by 20% from your TDEE and also ensure that you don't lose more than 2lbs per week. (Although it is possible to lose more than this and the majority being fat for very obese people, it is a rare occurence)

So how do you work out your calorific deficit in %?

Go to Tools - BMR. Get this number and multyply it by the following depending on your activity level.

1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise and desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)

Example: me at 5'8" and 172lbs, my BMR is 1744. Multiply by 1.4 (desk job with exercise 5 days a week) equals 2442 cals.

Now take your daily calorie limit and divide it by your TDEE. My example: 1-(2000/2442) = 18% calorie deficit.

As you get leaner, the % deficit you can use to lose weight but not LBM is reduced so it is a good thing to check on through your weight loss journey.

So if you want post up:
Male or Female:
Approximate BF%:
Calorie Deficit %:

Male
12% BF
18% deficit