Quick question about my calorie deficit.

STLgirl1
STLgirl1 Posts: 4 Member
edited September 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I just have a quick question about my calorie deficit. This may seem like a dumb question, so I apologize in advance.

My goal is to lose weight. My "goal" according to MyFitnessPal is 1,640 calories. Does this mean I should only eat 1,600 calories a day, while burning 1,640 a day? Does this mean my calorie deficit is 640? Is this correct, or am I completely off? Again, I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot haha, calorie counting is still relatively new to me. Thank you to anyone that can help me understand!

EDIT: I should've mentioned earlier, on MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited September 2016
    Your MFP goal, assuming you set up your account correctly (correct weight, correct activity level, etc), already has a deficit built in. That means if you eat 1,640 a day, you will lose weight. You don't need to burn any "extra" calories, as you already told MFP your activity level. If you do additional exercise, MFP is designed for you to log that exercise and eat back at least some of the calories that you have burnt.

    Your deficit will depend on how many pounds you told MFP you wanted to lose per week. If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, it will try to give you a deficit of 1,000 calories a day (if this is safely possible). 1 pound would be 500 calories a day. .5 pounds would be 250 calories a day, etc.
  • sweetilemon
    sweetilemon Posts: 122 Member
    Eat 1640 calories a day, burn however many you like but you can eat some or all back for example - you burn and extra 360calories, that day you can eat between 1640 - 2000 calories. The more you burn, the more you can eat but as it's not always accurate, some people just eat half the excerise calories.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.
  • STLgirl1
    STLgirl1 Posts: 4 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Your MFP goal, assuming you set up your account correctly (correct weight, correct activity level, etc), already has a deficit built in. That means if you eat 1,640 a day, you will lose weight. You don't need to burn any "extra" calories, as you already told MFP your activity level. If you do additional exercise, MFP is designed for you to log that exercise and eat back at least some of the calories that you have burnt.

    Your deficit will depend on how many pounds you told MFP you wanted to lose per week. If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, it will try to give you a deficit of 1,000 calories a day (if this is safely possible). 1 pound would be 500 calories a day. .5 pounds would be 250 calories a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Now I understand this whole thing a lot more. I did tell MFP that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, so would this mean I'd have to burn at least 1,000 calories? If this is the case, then it's no problem, with the amount of exercise I do.
  • STLgirl1
    STLgirl1 Posts: 4 Member
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Your MFP goal, assuming you set up your account correctly (correct weight, correct activity level, etc), already has a deficit built in. That means if you eat 1,640 a day, you will lose weight. You don't need to burn any "extra" calories, as you already told MFP your activity level. If you do additional exercise, MFP is designed for you to log that exercise and eat back at least some of the calories that you have burnt.

    Your deficit will depend on how many pounds you told MFP you wanted to lose per week. If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, it will try to give you a deficit of 1,000 calories a day (if this is safely possible). 1 pound would be 500 calories a day. .5 pounds would be 250 calories a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Now I understand this whole thing a lot more. I did tell MFP that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, so would this mean I'd have to burn at least 1,000 calories? If this is the case, then it's no problem, with the amount of exercise I do.

    No, MFP gave you a goal that already has you at a deficit of 1,000 (assuming that is safe for you). If you chose your activity level correctly, no extra exercise is necessary to put you at that deficit. If you do increase the size of the deficit through exercise (which many people do), you should strongly consider eating at least some of those calories burnt back as this is how MFP is designed to work.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You burn calories just by being alive - not just in the gym.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    MFP is set up so that you can lose weight without exercise. Not everyone can exercise, after all.

    When you put your information in and told MFP how much weight you think you can lose each week, it gives you a calorie goal based on your stated activity level (sedentary, active, etc.) with no extra exercise. So in your 1640 calorie goal for each day you already have the 1000 calorie deficit needed to lose weight at 2 pounds per week.

    When you do exercise above your activity level and enter that into MFP you will earn extra calories to eat because eating them maintains the 1000 calorie per day deficit needed to meet your 2 pound per week goal. Therefore, you should plan to eat around half of those exercise calories in addition to your 1640 calories.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
    When you set your activity level, it should not include purposeful exercise. So if you work a desk job, but hit the gym for an hour 6 days a week, you'd still put sedentary/not very active and then log the gym time for extra calories.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Hi! I just have a quick question about my calorie deficit. This may seem like a dumb question, so I apologize in advance.

    My goal is to lose weight. My "goal" according to MyFitnessPal is 1,640 calories. Does this mean I should only eat 1,600 calories a day, while burning 1,640 a day? Does this mean my calorie deficit is 640? Is this correct, or am I completely off? Again, I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot haha, calorie counting is still relatively new to me. Thank you to anyone that can help me understand!

    EDIT: I should've mentioned earlier, on MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You "burn" calories 24/7...most of your "burn" is you merely existing...then your day to day stuff...for most people, exercise "burn" is actually rather insignificant compared to the rest. Your calorie target is a calorie target for weight loss...meaning you eat that and you will lose weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You're not understanding that you don't have to "burn" in the gym...you burn a crazy amount of calories just being alive.
  • N1keS0cc8rRunne7
    N1keS0cc8rRunne7 Posts: 43 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You're not understanding that you don't have to "burn" in the gym...you burn a crazy amount of calories just being alive.

    yeah but nothing compares to cardio at the gym where u're sweating bullets and look miserable...that's where all the magic is! :D
  • STLgirl1
    STLgirl1 Posts: 4 Member
    I definitely have a clearer understanding now. Thank you everyone for your help and patience! I know I must've sounded like a complete idiot.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    N1keS0cc8rRunne7 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You're not understanding that you don't have to "burn" in the gym...you burn a crazy amount of calories just being alive.

    yeah but nothing compares to cardio at the gym where u're sweating bullets and look miserable...that's where all the magic is! :D

    That's besides the point...the OP thinks she needs to go to the gym and burn off whatever she's eating....she is/was not understanding the "burning" calories happens outside of the gym and that targets are based on what you burn all day, not just in the gym.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    I definitely have a clearer understanding now. Thank you everyone for your help and patience! I know I must've sounded like a complete idiot.

    You didn't sound like an idiot! Nobody is born knowing this stuff, sometimes asking questions is the best way to learn.
  • teetertatertango
    teetertatertango Posts: 229 Member
    The exercise you do will be added back to your calorie goal, so if you do 300 calories worth of exercise it will change your calorie goal (the amount it expects you to eat and still lose 2 pounds), to 1640+300=1940. If you exercise and don't eat your exercise calories (at least a portion of them because MFP often overestimates) you will end up losing faster than you expect.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,260 Member
    N1keS0cc8rRunne7 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    If your goal according to MFP is 1640 calories, that's how much you should eat. They're estimating that you burn 1640+whatever you wanted to lose. So if you were set to 1# loss per week, it assumes you burn 2140 a day. If you have it sent to 2# a week it assumes you burn 2640 a day, etc.

    Hi, thanks for answering! Most days I burn over the 1,640 calories, but I don't burn anywhere near 2,640 calories. Should I make it a goal to do so everyday? On MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    You're not understanding that you don't have to "burn" in the gym...you burn a crazy amount of calories just being alive.

    yeah but nothing compares to cardio at the gym where u're sweating bullets and look miserable...that's where all the magic is! :D

    It may be where the magic is, but it's not where most of the calories are. Don't get me wrong, I love cardio, I love sweating (though it doesn't make me miserable). But I burn way more calories daily just by being alive and going about my daily routine, than I do by intentional exercise, even though I'm a good li'l ol' exerciser.

    It's not impossible to burn more calories via exercise than one burns just by being alive and doing daily stuff . . . but that's not how most people do it.

    Maybe you're just funnin' around. That's fine . . . but granny sez: Don't confuse the new folks just for fun.
  • mlkambalimath
    mlkambalimath Posts: 5 Member
    popicon1 wrote: »
    Hi! I just have a quick question about my calorie deficit. This may seem like a dumb question, so I apologize in advance.

    My goal is to lose weight. My "goal" according to MyFitnessPal is 1,640 calories. Does this mean I should only eat 1,600 calories a day, while burning 1,640 a day? Does this mean my calorie deficit is 640? Is this correct, or am I completely off? Again, I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot haha, calorie counting is still relatively new to me. Thank you to anyone that can help me understand!

    EDIT: I should've mentioned earlier, on MFP I set it to where I want to lose 2 pounds a week.

    I'm really glad you asked because I was confused about that as well

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