Too much of a Caloric Deficit?

GreenskyGainMass
GreenskyGainMass Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Soooo as a 23 year old male that started at 207 January 15th I am now 195ish 6 weeks later and feel great. Im tired when its time to sleep (12-1) and wake up fine (7:30-8). Im using a fitbit surge to track my excersize and the "loseit" app for calories. I am feeling good about my weight loss but I'm worried that i dont eat enough to keep my metabolism healthy. Ive been eating 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day and feeling full then going to the gym to weight lift (45 mins) and then cardio (elliptical 30 mins, then bike or walk/ jog another 30) 6 times a week. My fitbit says im burning 3,200-3,500 calories most days. Is eating so much less than Im burning unhealthy when I feel fine? Good mood, energy, all that fun stuff.

Replies

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    12lbs in 6 weeks is likely too aggressive for your start weight. You have to fuel those workouts. You may feel fine now, that's common but give it a few weeks and you likely won't feel nearly so fine.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    if you have been tracking calories since January 15th and lost 12 lbs, you can calculate your actual TDEE and see if your logging and fitbit are accurate. 12 lbs is about 3500*12=42000 calorie deficit during the 45 day period, so you have realized a deficit of 933 calories/day based on your results.

    if you averaged 1750 calories/day (calculate this for real, I'm just using it as an example) then you add the 933 and see that your TDEE with the activity you have done in the last 45 days is actually 2683 cal/day.

    You can see that there is a discrepancy between this and your fitbit estimate of 3200-3500/day. If you believe your fitbit, then you are actually eating between 2267-2567 cal/day.

    You can see that the numbers don't add up - there is a ~500-700 calories discrepancy. You are either not estimating your exercise correctly or not logging the food correctly. Which one is it? You have to figure that part out.

    At any rate, you are making good progress at a little less than 2 lbs/wk. That might be a little on the fast side, but if you are eating enough protein, getting exercise, and feel fine, you are probably OK. The best thing to do is keep an eye on your lean muscle mass and if you see if start to drop more than about 1 lb for ever 4 lbs of body weight lost, then you need to slow down.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    With you losing an average of 2 lbs a week, I don't think you have anything to be concerned about. As was mentioned above, the calories you are reporting don't match up. There are plenty here who will disagree with me on this but at the end of the day it doesn't matter whether you are eating more than you think, burning less than you think, or both. What really matters is what the scale is doing. 1 to 2 lbs/wk loss is considered "safe." It seems to be working, so go with it. You may discover why the numbers are wrong as you go along.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    12lbs in 6 weeks is fine.

    You are eating more than you think or want to admit though.
  • GreenskyGainMass
    GreenskyGainMass Posts: 2 Member
    Just went back through my numbers and theyre defintely between 2,200-2500 , this past weekend I went out with my friend and did about 3,500 (drinking) and so its only the next two days I was eating 1,500- 2,000 range. Thanks for the help guys!
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