Deficit in Eating All Daily Calories Help to Lose Weight?

carrierella
carrierella Posts: 109 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
If I leave at least a 100-200 calorie "deficit" in my daily food allottment, will that help me to lose weight more quickly? Especially if I add a little bit of daily exercise in the form of walking?

Replies

  • carrierella
    carrierella Posts: 109 Member
    If I leave at least a 100-200 calorie "deficit" in my daily food allottment, will that help me to lose weight more quickly? Especially if I add a little bit of daily exercise in the form of walking?
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    there is already a deficit when you eat all of your calories. you increase that deficit when you exercise, which is why you get to eat back your exercise calories. if you try for too great a deficit, you will hamper your metabolism and will actually slow your weight loss.

    don't have to believe me- go check out the threads:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • Families_R_Forever
    Families_R_Forever Posts: 630
    Yep what LuckyLeprechaun said. Your body earned it... Trust me you will still loose weight by eating them!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    If I leave at least a 100-200 calorie "deficit" in my daily food allottment, will that help me to lose weight more quickly? Especially if I add a little bit of daily exercise in the form of walking?

    Your most likely already eating less calories than before even if you arent eating healthier forms of food so you will see weight loss-
    I don't know what deficit MFP has you on-

    But for the one it tried setting up for me it didn't even put me at a deficit of 500- But I have a customized plan now that I do myself since i came back to MFP's website in February--

    But exercise is great and with exercise and calorie restriction (not a crazy restriction) you will lose weight- I don't know how fast you want to lose it though but remember the weight didn't come on over night and it won't come off that fast either set a goal of 1lb a week so if you have 20lbs to lose give yourself 20 weeks as an example--
  • pickadilly2009
    pickadilly2009 Posts: 320 Member
    I am glad you asked that question because I was wondering the same thing. Does that apply to the carb intake as well? I never eat as many carbs...not even close. I have a total of 838 calories for my intake today, 41 carbs and I went on a two hour mountain hike which supposedly burned 827 calories. I still have 1200 calories to eat. No way am I going to be able to manage that so is that going to hurt me or help?

    Like I said...good question and I was just wondering the same thing.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    I am glad you asked that question because I was wondering the same thing. Does that apply to the carb intake as well? I never eat as many carbs...not even close. I have a total of 838 calories for my intake today, 41 carbs and I went on a two hour mountain hike which supposedly burned 827 calories. I still have 1200 calories to eat. No way am I going to be able to manage that so is that going to hurt me or help?

    Like I said...good question and I was just wondering the same thing.

    Your going to get different answers-

    Some people eat ALL of what they earned from working out

    Some eat 1/2 of the calories

    Some just eat a little

    and Some eat NONE

    With that said you have to find what works for you cause what works for someone else may not work for you--
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    The rule of thumb (so it's an average) is that you lose 1 lb. a week if you have a calorie deficit of 500 a day, 2 lb. a week, if it's 1000 a day.

    But once you have a deficit of more than 1000 calories, there is a diminishing return -- you don't lose another extra pound for each additional 500 calories. So most people don't bother. After all a deficit of 1500 calories per day is pretty miserable for most people and, if it's only going to give you an extra .25 to 5. a lb loss a week, it's a lot of suffering for very little return. :laugh:

    The main thing I caution people who want to eat all their exercise calories is to make sure those calories are *accurate*. The machines at the gym and the online formulas are not accurate enough IMO and I wouldn't eat all of those because it's too easy to completely wipe out your calorie deficit doing that. I'd give myself a cushion.

    A HRM is the most accurate you can use and so its safer, if you are going to eat them all. But even so, it's only about 90% accurate, so again, I think a cushion is in order. But YMMV.
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