Calorie deficit questions

[Caloriecountskick]

Hi everyone, new to calorie counting. Started on New year's day and weighed 13 stone 6lb. Weighing again today.

I am using my fitness pal to track my food and have been aiming for around 1500 calories, does this sound good? Too much/ too little? Any other apps that are better?

My main question too is what happens if I go for a run or something, do I eat more or still stick to 1500?

I would like to lose bout 2 stone. Thanks for any help.

I’ve found in the past that adding exercise calories doesn’t work. Stick to your allowance and do the exercise as a bonus and you’ll lose consistently.

Agree with the above post.
I’m sure you know that 3500 calories is equivalent to 1lb .
my rule of thumb was multiply my weight in pounds x 10 to get daily maintenance calories and then create a deficit from there. So for your NYD weight and 1lb loss per week that would be 1380 calories a day?

How have you calculated 1500? Have you looked at your TDEE or similar?

I don’t add more calories to my day when I’ve exercised, I do however “bank” calories throughout the week and use them at the weekends (eg. be 100 calories under each weekday) which works well for me.

Do a TDEE calculator, it would be more accurate

And never add exercise calories back - they are negligible really

TDEE Calculator: Learn Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure https://share.google/CrCRezeQeA1A7N6fJ

Hi all, thanks for your quick replies. I did use that calculator above and it said my maintenance calories would be 2152 per day? And it said to take away 500 from that. So I have just been aiming for around 500 with a view that I may go a bit higher on one weekend day. Should I really only be having 1380?

I have just weighed and am 13 stone 1 this morning but last week I weighed in the afternoon and it was post christmas so not sure how accurate. I was hoping for 1 lb a week or even average of 3lbs every 2 weeks.

Do you think i need to go lower than 1500?

If your maintenance is 2152, is that without the exercise you’re doing? So if you knock off 3-500 from your maintenance and add in exercise, it’ll put you in a larger deficit? 1380 seems really low to me, I know my PT doesn’t put anyone lower than 1500/1600.

Don't drop really low straight away. My maintenance calories are 2150 and I usually start a diet on 1950 and then drop every couple of weeks as I get some momentum going.

You will only really know what level is right for you (big enough deficit to get results/tolerable level of deficit for hunger and energy levels/accuracy of tracking) by picking a number and doing it for 2 or 3 weeks and seeing what happens.

I never go below 1550-1500, it's just too low for me.

@NewYearNewMee makes a good suggestion which is to start with a smaller deficit and up your movement/exercise.

Thats fairly high for maintenance- are you very active and tall? My maintenance is 2050, I walk 20k steps a day and lift weights 3-4 times a week plus some cardio. Im 5'6. Do weigh less though

Unless you exercise quite a bit put sedentary as your level. MFP way overestimates calories burned during exercise so as PP have said don’t add it back. 1500 seems a sustainable amount. Why not try that for two/three weeks see how it goes? You really do have to weigh and measure everything though - the milk in your tea, the butter on your toast, oil you use to cook with, for example. Lots of calories that people forget to add in.

Thanks all again. This is super helpful. I will not add in my exercise into MFP and will stick to 1500. I did use the calculator above but don't have an office job so used the light exercise 1-2 days option as I do walk a lot with my job. However the first option gives 1389 and the second option says 1665 calories. So actually I reckon 1500 calories is probably about right for me.

I have been doing 1500 for the last week and honestly so far it seems okay. So will give it a go for a month and see where I am at. If I need to change it in future then I will.

@HorrorFan81 I am 5ft 6 too. I guess it must just be because I weigh a bit more? I imagine as I lose weight that it will recommend less calories ?

Yes you're right OP - i tried inputting with your weight. I would say 1500-1600 should be good then, focus on hitting a decent amount of protein and doing some resistance training to avoid losing muscle alongside fat. Lots of walking will help too but really its about being consistent with your deficit. Good luck - i did the same a few years ago. Went from 190lb to 140lbs and now maintaining, feel so much better in myself

Take those tdee calculators with a pinch of salt as they only take in to account such basic information. It just told me my maintenance was 2150, I would gain rapidly if I ate that. Then again I've been dieting most of my adult life in one way or another so maybe my body is just fucked.

Don't add back on the calories from exercise, it will really slow you down

If you're on FB OP there is a good group called Macros Inc - they can help you calculate calories for weight loss more accurately

Never weight in the afternoon. You need to weigh first thing in the morning after going to the toilet, and naked.

Also for women the time of the month you weight matters. Just before my T.O.T.M I can weight 5lb more, by day 5 of my cycle I've lost it. Its all to do with water retention. So if you are weighting once a month, do yourself justice and make sure its not around your period.

I weight every day. I am not suggesting you do this, I have a different goal to you. But I definitely see how our weight differs depending on cycle, salt intake etc. I would just make sure you are weighting at the same time every month, and definitely 1st thing in the morning after the toilet.