Calorie Deficit

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Chelle8070
Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm starting to worry that my calorie deficit is TOO great every day and that I'm working against myself instead of helping. I try and stay around 300-700 calories in deficit based on a 1270 calorie goal (plus adding in the extra calories for working out, etc). But then I was reading about the "maintenance" calories, or the amount your body needs to generally function. If I run their little calculator it says my maintenance level is like 2600 calories a day.

So does that mean if I consume 1200 calories, workout and my MyFitnessPal deficit says 300 it's really like, 1600?

I've been trying so hard to build muscle and lose weight (even hired a trainer) but I want to make sure I'm doing it right! Please share your thoughts, experiences, opinions, facts! I need help! Thank you <3

Replies

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Just do what MFP tells you to do. It works if you let it. There's no reason to be significantly under what MFP tells you do. Doing so won't hurt your weight loss, but it can hurt both muscle/strength gains and long term adherence/consistency (which are probably the #1 determinant of success for most).
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    the numbers for TDEE and MFP + exercise should actually match. so if you set MFP to maintain and estimate your additional exercise cals that should be the same as your TDEE.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    Your MFP deficit is already worked out in your allowance. The calories you are given is what you should eat (plus those from exercise that you add) in order to make the deficit. The deficit MFP gives is depending on your goal loss. For example 1lbs loss per week means you need to make 3500cal deficit per week or 500cal deficit per day.

    MFP, based on your stats and activity, calculates your maintanance calories (you are not given this number unless you choose to "maintain" in options), subtracts the deficit and gives you your goal calories. To lose at that rate you should eat all of them plus whatever you add as exercise.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,981 Member
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    From "Help" at the top of every page:

    How Does MFP Calculate My Goals
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
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    Thank you! Of course my mind started racing about this at midnight last night while I was trying to sleep. I'm probably not consuming enough calories so my body stays in that "panic mode". If I work out, I do not eat more to replace the calories burned... I wanted to burn them!... But I get it. It'll be challenging to retrain my brain but I'll work on it. Thanks.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited June 2018
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    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    Thank you! Of course my mind started racing about this at midnight last night while I was trying to sleep. I'm probably not consuming enough calories so my body stays in that "panic mode". If I work out, I do not eat more to replace the calories burned... I wanted to burn them!... But I get it. It'll be challenging to retrain my brain but I'll work on it. Thanks.

    FWIW, you're body doesn't go into panic mode. Well, I guess it could if you are WAY below minimum needs/requirements for several months/years straight. But that doesn't apply to most people here.
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    Thank you! Of course my mind started racing about this at midnight last night while I was trying to sleep. I'm probably not consuming enough calories so my body stays in that "panic mode". If I work out, I do not eat more to replace the calories burned... I wanted to burn them!... But I get it. It'll be challenging to retrain my brain but I'll work on it. Thanks.

    FWIW, you're body doesn't go into panic mode. Well, I guess it could if you are WAY below minimum needs/requirements for several months/years straight. But that doesn't apply to most people here.

    I have to be careful as I also have hypothyroidism... which is the other reason I started thinking about it. My starting goal in myfitnesspal is 1270 calories. After working out yesterday and eating what I had planned I had an 800 calorie deficit. Then I started googling "good deficit ranges" and you know how that goes, but I hadn't considered the actual amount of calories my body "needs" is much higher than the 1270 MFP gave me.

    I swear sometimes I'm so intelligent, and sometimes well, I'm not :wink:
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited June 2018
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    I don't think you are getting it.

    How much weight did you tell MFP you wanted to lose a week? If it was 1lb then eating 1270 is already at a 1000 calorie deficit, meaning MFP is guessing that you'd maintain your weight at 2270.

    Your "remaining" calories in your diary is NOT your deficit. It's what you should eat and should end up close to zero no most days.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    Thank you! Of course my mind started racing about this at midnight last night while I was trying to sleep. I'm probably not consuming enough calories so my body stays in that "panic mode". If I work out, I do not eat more to replace the calories burned... I wanted to burn them!... But I get it. It'll be challenging to retrain my brain but I'll work on it. Thanks.

    FWIW, you're body doesn't go into panic mode. Well, I guess it could if you are WAY below minimum needs/requirements for several months/years straight. But that doesn't apply to most people here.

    I have to be careful as I also have hypothyroidism... which is the other reason I started thinking about it. My starting goal in myfitnesspal is 1270 calories. After working out yesterday and eating what I had planned I had an 800 calorie deficit. Then I started googling "good deficit ranges" and you know how that goes, but I hadn't considered the actual amount of calories my body "needs" is much higher than the 1270 MFP gave me.

    I swear sometimes I'm so intelligent, and sometimes well, I'm not :wink:

    Eating 1270 gives you a deficit already.

    When you set up MFP how many pounds per week did you say you wanted to lose?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    The number one problem with eating too little isn't that your body will go into "starvation mode", it's that you won't be able to stick with the diet long term. Most people will quit, rebound and eat too much, regaining anything lost and often more. There are also healthy issues if you do stick with it.


    I stole this from an earlier post:

    What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?

    Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:
    Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
    Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
    Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
    Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

    Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:
    Headaches
    Irritability
    Fatigue
    Dizziness
    Constipation
    Menstrual irregularities
    Hair loss
    Muscle loss
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
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    I entered that I wanted to lose 1.5lb per week.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    I entered that I wanted to lose 1.5lb per week.

    So 1270 is a deficit of 750 cals. Before you do any exercise.
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    I entered that I wanted to lose 1.5lb per week.

    So 1270 is a deficit of 750 cals. Before you do any exercise.

    I'm with y'all now... so I don't want to see a 300+ calorie deficit at the end of the day. Got it.

    They (trainers at the gym) have me doing my macros at 50% protein, 25%f/c. I haven't been going to bed hungry and I've been within 5% of so of those goals every day.... sometimes I just literally cannot eat 5oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies for dinner, or whatever I happen to be having. I plan my day out to hit the calorie goal, and then meal time comes and I'm just... not able to eat it all. I promise I'm not starving myself <3
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited June 2018
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    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    I entered that I wanted to lose 1.5lb per week.

    So 1270 is a deficit of 750 cals. Before you do any exercise.

    I'm with y'all now... so I don't want to see a 300+ calorie deficit at the end of the day. Got it.

    They (trainers at the gym) have me doing my macros at 50% protein, 25%f/c. I haven't been going to bed hungry and I've been within 5% of so of those goals every day.... sometimes I just literally cannot eat 5oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies for dinner, or whatever I happen to be having. I plan my day out to hit the calorie goal, and then meal time comes and I'm just... not able to eat it all. I promise I'm not starving myself <3

    If you're happy to eat like that for the rest of your life then go for it. They aren't macros I would care for.

    You want to net your calorie goal, so 1270 plus whatever you burn exercising (as long as it's a reasonable estimate)

    How much weight are you trying to lose?
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 163 Member
    edited June 2018
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    All in all I'd like to lose 30-40lbs from where I am now. I don't necessarily have a solid goal. Just want to improve overall health/weight/measurments.

    My trainer thinks I can do 60lbs. If I lose 60lbs that'll be the first time I hit that weight since I was like 13. (LOL)
  • Chesirekate
    Chesirekate Posts: 72 Member
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    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    mrsdixon926 wrote: »
    I entered that I wanted to lose 1.5lb per week.

    So 1270 is a deficit of 750 cals. Before you do any exercise.

    I'm with y'all now... so I don't want to see a 300+ calorie deficit at the end of the day. Got it.

    They (trainers at the gym) have me doing my macros at 50% protein, 25%f/c. I haven't been going to bed hungry and I've been within 5% of so of those goals every day.... sometimes I just literally cannot eat 5oz of meat and 2 cups of veggies for dinner, or whatever I happen to be having. I plan my day out to hit the calorie goal, and then meal time comes and I'm just... not able to eat it all. I promise I'm not starving myself <3

    I totally get this. I try to put in all my meals in the morning so that I have mapped out what I will eat for the day. I often feel the same way, I find it hard to eat enough protein in particular, but I often literally cannot eat what I've mapped out for dinner. I will try to take a break, do something else and come back to it.

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