How much deficit do you strive for?

mammafrog
mammafrog Posts: 176
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
How much of a deficit do you strive for each day? Each week?

I am wondering if I am not expecting enough from myself. I try to have sort everyday but it is hard on days I can't work out. I want 500-100 calorie deficit a week.

Replies

  • cooter2533
    cooter2533 Posts: 108
    I have about a 600-800 daily deficit so about 5000 a week give or take.
  • cakeums
    cakeums Posts: 228 Member
    How much does MFP have factored in for you already? If your goals are at 1lb/week, it already has a 500cal deficit, if you are at 1.5lbs/week, it has a 750cal deficit calculated, and if you are going for 2lbs/week, it has a 1000cal deficit calculated. You don't need to go lower than that.

    Mine is 500/day, some days I hit 600-750 if I am not hungry enough to eat all of my net.
  • shayshay01
    shayshay01 Posts: 40 Member
    I just used the tools and figured my BMR.... I always try to stay at least AT that... really I try to strive for 100 cals. or so less.... that way I will continually lose. Obviously we get out of bed and move around even if we aren't super active so we will lose weight if we stay at or below that number. Good luck! :)
  • mammafrog
    mammafrog Posts: 176
    How much does MFP have factored in for you already? If your goals are at 1lb/week, it already has a 500cal deficit, if you are at 1.5lbs/week, it has a 750cal deficit calculated, and if you are going for 2lbs/week, it has a 1000cal deficit calculated. You don't need to go lower than that.

    Mine is 500/day, some days I hit 600-750 if I am not hungry enough to eat all of my net.

    I am at 1 pound a week and get 1200 calories a day. I wish I could do 500 deficit a day but not yet. Just starting out and working around 3 small kids
  • Heidi64
    Heidi64 Posts: 211 Member
    I try for a 100-250 calorie deficit and I also "allow" myself to go over by 100-250 cals a couple of days out of the week. Worked for me pretty well.
  • mammafrog
    mammafrog Posts: 176
    I try not to go over. i though my deficit was good but not sure now. I have hit a wall
  • lbraybourn
    lbraybourn Posts: 1 Member
    so when you say "deficit" you mean not eating all the calories in a day? Most days I burn minimum of 500 calories, some days 1000...I noticed that the calories burned are added back on. I generally don't use all of them. I was wondering, though, if I need to use some of them to lose weight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I strive for as much as I can get and still not be hungry and have my evening wine, which isn't much.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    do you meant like...calories left over each day? or the built in deficit?
    i try to get as close to 0 calories left each day as i can on my cardio days it can be a little harder lol but i always eat them, just sometimes not that day. even if i go into the red on a day or two, i hit my weekly goal.
    my built in daily deficit is 1000 for now. when i lose some more weight ill lower it to 750 or 500, depending on how things go.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Yes, can we define what you mean by deficit?
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    I aim to meet be as close as possible to my MFP goal each day, just using the deficit I'm given.
  • granolagrl85
    granolagrl85 Posts: 135
    I used the MFP calculator and it gave me 1200 calories to lose like 1.5 pounds a week. So I brought my calories down a bit lower to get the 1000 calorie deficit a day to lose 2 pounds a week.
  • mammafrog
    mammafrog Posts: 176
    Yes, can we define what you mean by deficit?

    I mean if MFP give you 1500 how much under that do you try to eat.
    OR
    If MFP gives you 1500 and you earn 400 working out you have 1900 how much do you eat and how much do you leave left over
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    Yes, can we define what you mean by deficit?

    I mean if MFP give you 1500 how much under that do you try to eat.
    OR
    If MFP gives you 1500 and you earn 400 working out you have 1900 how much do you eat and how much do you leave left over
    i eat all of it :D
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    If MFP gives you 1500, I'd eat as close as possible to that. 1200 is pretty much the absolute minimum you should eat, unless you are really petite or on an extreme diet monitored by medical professionals.

    Additional exercise calories are a different matter, and there's a range of opinion on those - but if you exercise your body is going to need some decent fuel, so probably a good idea to make sure its got some.
  • chriscooney
    chriscooney Posts: 11 Member
    I eat exactly my MFP every day in my custom split 40/40/20, and i usually eat half of my exercise calories every day too.
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