This might be a dumb question but just to clarify

If I consume 500 calories less and when I workout let's say I burn 200-300 calories. Does that make me 700-800 calories deficient?

There for if I do that every day it equals out to be 5600 calories deficient for the whole week? So about 1.5 pound loss?
«1

Replies

  • d3e4
    d3e4 Posts: 51 Member
    SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME!
  • FitnessFreak1821
    FitnessFreak1821 Posts: 242 Member
    Ok thanks:) I'm trying to lose weight but build muscle. I have increased protein but does anyone know how much deficit I should be max in this situation?

    I already lost 35 pounds. I went from 174 to 139/140 pounds at the moment and I want to lose 9 more pounds max but I need to gain my butt back. I had a peach bum but its flat now which i do not like. Also want a tighter tummy :)
  • FitnessFreak1821
    FitnessFreak1821 Posts: 242 Member
    Just trying to figure out how much I should be deficient in consuming and burning through exercise while building muscle. Thanks again!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    That's how calories work, yes. What you may want to consider, though, is that at your weight this kind of deficit may interfere with your goals. If you're looking to maintain as much muscle as possible a 250 calorie deficit is more fitting with only 9 lbs to lose.

    This is exactly what I was going to say. The slower the loss, the less muscle you will also lose. You should also be doing a progressive resistance training program if you aren't already.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    There isn't a chart that says this much deficit for this much muscle loss, everybody responds differently. But always with the same general patterns. That's a big deficit you have going, and it will stand in the way of your goal to build muscle. Stand in the way doesn't mean it's impossible, but it's hard to build muscle at all, and a calorie deficit makes it harder, a big one even more so. Exercising legit factors in to your calorie deficit.

    To build muscle, you should be lifting heavy things, and making them heavier every week or two. It sounds like Strong Curves might be worth looking into.

    Good luck! Sounds like you've already had a lot of success. 🙂
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Just to clarify, did you mean 500 under what MFP gives you? If you have it set to lose, that already includes a deficit, depending on how much you set as your weight loss goals.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,950 Member
    edited March 2020
    If I consume 500 calories less and when I workout let's say I burn 200-300 calories. Does that make me 700-800 calories deficient?

    There for if I do that every day it equals out to be 5600 calories deficient for the whole week? So about 1.5 pound loss?

    It depends. 500 calories less than what? 500 calories less than your NEAT? Then yes. 500 calories less than something else? Then no.

    ETA: If you mean 500 calories less than the goal MFP gave you when you said you wanted to lose X number of pounds per week, your deficit is already built into that goal. If you mean 500 calories less than what you've been eating, we'd need to know if you have been maintaining your weight and whether you were already exercising.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,091 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    It's so easy to lose muscles, yet so difficult to build new ones. And where, in a massive deficit should the body take the energy from to actually build them?
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,091 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    It's so easy to lose muscles, yet so difficult to build new ones. And where, in a massive deficit should the body take the energy from to actually build them?

    I said nothing about building muscle. (Though that is possible for some in a deficit) I was talking about preserving existing muscle when in a deficit.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    I think we assume that most people do not run proper training programs and get adequate protein consistently. So keeping at a smaller deficit closer to goal is a good idea generally.

    However, someone with more experience and who is running progressive programming, getting enough protein..so usually a deliberate cutting cycle coming from a massing phase, generally I would say loss no more than 1% of bodyweight per week which is typically more than 0.5lb per week. However these are very specific cases mostly for bodybuilding or experienced lifters.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    I think we assume that most people do not run proper training programs and get adequate protein consistently. So keeping at a smaller deficit closer to goal is a good idea generally.

    However, someone with more experience and who is running progressive programming, getting enough protein..so usually a deliberate cutting cycle coming from a massing phase, generally I would say loss no more than 1% of bodyweight per week which is typically more than 0.5lb per week. However these are very specific cases mostly for bodybuilding or experienced lifters.

    You're forgetting the fact that this kind of deficit is being maintained from a previous 30+ lb loss. It's not a brief aggressive short period after a bulk.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited March 2020
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    I think we assume that most people do not run proper training programs and get adequate protein consistently. So keeping at a smaller deficit closer to goal is a good idea generally.

    However, someone with more experience and who is running progressive programming, getting enough protein..so usually a deliberate cutting cycle coming from a massing phase, generally I would say loss no more than 1% of bodyweight per week which is typically more than 0.5lb per week. However these are very specific cases mostly for bodybuilding or experienced lifters.

    You're forgetting the fact that this kind of deficit is being maintained from a previous 30+ lb loss. It's not a brief aggressive short period after a bulk.

    I am in agreement that any aggressive deficit is not recommended since OP is not a bodybuilder coming off a massing phase. Sorry that was not clear
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Running a 700-800 cal deficit with only 9 lbs to lose is a pretty surefire way to lose muscle.

    Doesn’t that depend on if OP is doing resistance training and what their protein intake is?

    I know it is often said that one should not aim for a loss if more than half a pound a week for the last few pounds but honestly I do f think I’ve lost much/ any muscle with a 500 cal daily deficit over a 6 week period of dieting.

    It's so easy to lose muscles, yet so difficult to build new ones. And where, in a massive deficit should the body take the energy from to actually build them?

    I said nothing about building muscle. (Though that is possible for some in a deficit) I was talking about preserving existing muscle when in a deficit.

    Kind of. You wrote that eating enough protein and doing resistance training will counteract muscle loss, despite the big deficit.
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    Ok thanks:) I'm trying to lose weight but build muscle. I have increased protein but does anyone know how much deficit I should be max in this situation?

    I already lost 35 pounds. I went from 174 to 139/140 pounds at the moment and I want to lose 9 more pounds max but I need to gain my butt back. I had a peach bum but its flat now which i do not like. Also want a tighter tummy :)
    Just trying to figure out how much I should be deficient in consuming and burning through exercise while building muscle. Thanks again!

    So what I read from those who know here, it's really hard to actually build muscle while in a deficit. Especially a large deficit like you have. You would weight lift while in a deficit to keep the muscle you already have. Then, what people do is follow a bulk/cut cycle which means you eat at maintenance or slightly above (I think I've heard like 250 cal) and follow a progressive lifting program like Strong Curves. You will gain muscle AND a bit of fat while doing this. You try to build a bit of muscle and then you do a cut (deficit) while lifting still so that you can drop the small amount of fat you gained. Rinse and repeat and each round makes you leaner.

    Although just so you have realistic expectations, if you are female, and doing everything right (the lifting, the nutrition) you can probably gain 1 lb of muscle MAX per MONTH. I think most people dont realize that when they are getting started. smile: