calorie deficit vs net calories

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i am new to the forum. i have been doing this site for 3 weeks. i was at my highest 214lbs and before i started here i got down to 208 by just eating less. since i've started this site i've lost 4 lbs. i'm now 204. i've been racking my brain trying to figure out the difference between these two words

my BMR which i assume is what i need to take in WITHOUT exercise=2,006c (very close to what this site gave me when i signed up [2,000 per/day]

i then multiplied 2,006x1.375 using the formula (for lightly active every day) and it gave me 2,759c/daily to maintain my current weight i've gotten down to which is 205

what i want to know is whether my daily deficit is how much less i've eaten than the 2,759 i've been given for maintenance or how much less i've eaten than the 2000 as the site gave me?


what i found is using my diary for today as example
2,759-1,265 (today's intake before exercise)=1,494+800c burned through exercise=2,294 deficit for today

what i'm wondering is whether the pounds that i will lose is measured by how many calories i burn all week which last week was 3,149 or by adding up my deficits each day

thanks

Replies

  • tvboi88
    tvboi88 Posts: 4
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    when i used that formula i wound up coming up with 10,269 which would seem appropriate b/c last week i actually did lose 2 lbs. so i'm wondering if that formula is correct b/c i only burned through exercise 3,149c
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    If I'm reading you right, you are correct. Your total deficit is what predicts your loss. So you lost nearly a whole pound just today, if your tracking and other estimates are fairly accurate. That's a huge deficit. They say aim for 2 lbs/week. Sounds like that's what you did last week, though. Good math and nice losses there!
  • heatherherring15
    heatherherring15 Posts: 22 Member
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    There is a really good website that was recommended to me - scoobysworkshop.com - that explains it all. Plug in your weight, gender, and age and it tells you what your BMR is, what your TDEE (maintenance) and how many calories to eat to lose weight. I just looked at it a couple of days ago when I got frustrated with gaining weight instead of losing it. I found out I wasn't eating nearly enough. I've since lost 2 pounds.
  • tvboi88
    tvboi88 Posts: 4
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    i have a pedometer i calculate down to the decimal point how many calories i burn each today. for example today my total food intake was 1265. i exercised 800 so my net today was 465 (very low) but i'm confused was to what #'s should be what. i did the BMR on several sites and they came very close (app. 2,012). for me to maintain i need 2762/day. using this site below it came within 4 calories of what my BMRx1.375 gave me (2,766) the site gave me the 2,762
    http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/caloriedeficitcalculator.php
    what i'm gathering is that if my BMR is about 2762 and the one site that asked for a goal to be lost i put 5 lbs (200) and it said if i consume 1928 a day, i would lose app. 5 by 7/28. i am assuming that the 1928 they mean is your net, correct?. does that mean my daily deficit should be 2762-that day's net? and that each day i subtract the 2762 from my net to tabulate every day's deficit and add that at the end of the week and THAT is the # i use to find out how much i should lost?
    OR
    the # of calories i've calculated i burned? which sounds more realistic bc each week i've burned about 3,000-4,000c. not 10,000. that's the # i got from that weird formula
  • ncwall
    ncwall Posts: 64 Member
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    from my understanding of this its 3500 c to burn 1lb

    mine is statting that if i eat 2440 with setadary activiity ( i have a desk job) i would burn 1 calorie a week due to having a 480 deficientcy

    so if my net is under 2440 a day with food intake and with excercise I should by the end of the week lose 1 lb

    I think the net is just how many you consume, and the deficientcy is what you are under your matnaince goal

    so that if you want to be 2 lbs a week you should be at a net of about 1700 a day