Confused about my daily calorie deficit

vixinyo
vixinyo Posts: 13
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've searched on the forum and read a couple posts but I'm still confused about what it is. Should my daily calorie deficit be low or high to lose weight? I know its a bit of a stupid question but I'm just so confused about it. Currently its about 800 but varies each day

Replies

  • schmorla
    schmorla Posts: 77 Member
    Your gonna get flamed here for not eating 1200 min a day!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    MFP will figure it for you if you put in your information. If you want to lose 1 pound per week, the site will set it at a 500 calorie deficit per day.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Your gonna get flamed here for not eating 1200 min a day!
    Maybe I'm mistaken, but I believe she is saying her deficit is 800, not that she's eating 800.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    What do you mean by "it's 800?" Do you mean you have 800 calories left at the end of the day?

    You don't need to do that... in fact, it'll make the deficit too big. Depending on your settings (to lose .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds a week) your calorie goal already includes the deficit you'll need to lose weight. Eat as close to your calorie goal as possible, even if it means going over a tiny bit. Your "net" calories on your homepage should be close to your "goal."
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
    To lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit. Calorie deficit = you are eating less calories than you burn.

    A low calorie deficit means that you are eating only slightly less than you burn, so you will lose weight slower.

    A high calorie deficit means you are eating a significant amount less than you burn, so you will (theoretically) lose weight quicker.

    But, it often depends on how much you need to lose as to what kind of deficit you should have. MFP generally recommends 1 lb per week, which equates to a deficit of 500 calories per day. So, when MFP calculates what it thinks you will burn in a day (based on your age, weight, activity level, etc....but keep in mind, it does NOT assume you exercise outside of what you set your activity level at), it takes that calorie level and subtracts 500 to equal 1 lb per week.

    If you don't have much to lose, .5 to 1 lb is probably best. If you have significant amounts to lose, you can get away with a higher deficit.


    It what you mean by "its about 800" is that your net calorie intake is 800 per day, that's probably too low. But that's a difference question. Your net calories should equal roughly what MFP sets for you as a target (i.e., 1200, 1340, etc. My net calorie target is 1420 daily). That is different than your calorie deficit.
  • vixinyo
    vixinyo Posts: 13
    What do you mean by "it's 800?" Do you mean you have 800 calories left at the end of the day?

    You don't need to do that... in fact, it'll make the deficit too big. Depending on your settings (to lose .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds a week) your calorie goal already includes the deficit you'll need to lose weight. Eat as close to your calorie goal as possible, even if it means going over a tiny bit. Your "net" calories on your homepage should be close to your "goal."

    My calorie deficit is about 800, I usually eat between 1200 - 1400 and exercise about 500 calories. Is a daily calorie deficit of 800 too high or too low?
  • CindyCountingCalories
    CindyCountingCalories Posts: 321 Member
    Bump, I would also like to know...
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    What do you mean by "it's 800?" Do you mean you have 800 calories left at the end of the day?

    You don't need to do that... in fact, it'll make the deficit too big. Depending on your settings (to lose .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds a week) your calorie goal already includes the deficit you'll need to lose weight. Eat as close to your calorie goal as possible, even if it means going over a tiny bit. Your "net" calories on your homepage should be close to your "goal."

    My calorie deficit is about 800, I usually eat between 1200 - 1400 and exercise about 500 calories. Is a daily calorie deficit of 800 too high or too low?

    Wait - at the end of the day what are your NET calories, typically? This sounds like you might be saying 800, where are you getting the 800 from? And what weight loss goal/week did you enter into MFP? When you set up MFP you are given the deficit based on your goal, then you eat the calories you are told to eat. The less weight you have to lose, the smaller your goal should be - like if you have 15-20 pounds your goal should probably be .5/wk, then MFP gives you your calorie goal and you meet it. That's it.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    My calorie deficit is about 800, I usually eat between 1200 - 1400 and exercise about 500 calories. Is a daily calorie deficit of 800 too high or too low?

    From this the OP is talking about their deficit. They're taking the MFP given calorie goal, and eating at a deficit to lose weight from that number. But using their own numbers if eating 1200 calories less 500 calories of exercise they're getting 700 calories for the day. Or 900 if eating 1400.

    OP... eat more, seriously. Eat more and see how your weight loss goes. MFP already gives you a deficit to lose weight BEFORE lifting a finger in exercise based on what info you entered. (height weight, desired rate of loss - which needs to be 0.5 to 1 lb per week if you have less than 40 lbs or so to lose) I've stalled a couple times in this weight loss journey over the past year and each time I stalled I increased my calories and got the loss moving again.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,339 Member
    It sounds fine to me based on the information I have available. Here is a helpful guide to how big your calorie deficit should be. Notice that as you lose weight, the amount of deficit your body will lose weight well with gets smaller. 800 calories is pretty close to a pound and a half a week. Based on the weight you are in your ticker, you would likely be fine at that level, but if you weight loss slows or stops and your being good about your calories, then you would want to change your goal down to 1 pound per week.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • CindyCountingCalories
    CindyCountingCalories Posts: 321 Member
    Here is what mine say: I'm very confused, sorry I'm new:blushing:

    Your Fitness Goals
    NUTRITIONAL GOALS
    GOALS
    Net Calories Consumed* / Day 1,200 calories/day (RED)
    Carbs / Day 165 g
    Fat / Day 40 g
    Protein / Day 45 g

    FITNESS GOALS GOALS
    Calories Burned / Week 600 calories/week (RED)
    Workouts / Week 5 Workouts
    Minutes / Workout 20 mins

    YOUR DIET PROFILE TARGET
    Calories Burned
    From Normal Daily Activity 1,830 calories/day
    Net Calories Consumed*
    Your Daily Goal 1,200 calories/ day
    Daily Calorie Deficit 630 calories (RED)
    Projected Weight Loss 1.3 lbs/ week (RED)
    * Net Calories Consumed = Total Calories Consumed - Exercise Calories Burned

    Would appreciate it very much if someone can explain this to me please...
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