going under the 500 calorie deficit with cardio?

[imrimr]

So I've set the goal for myself of losing 20 pounds in 10 weeks (190-170 by the end of September). I've read on many different threads that the maximum calorie deficit you should eat is 500 under maintenance intake, which is what I'm currently revolving my diet around. My question is, if I'm planning to do a 500 calorie deficit, and burn about 600-800 calories a day from an hour of jogging/running/elliptical(ing?), is it acceptable to be at a 1.1k calorie deficit per day if I'm achieving the extra through exercise? I take more than my body weight in grams of protein per day and I lift hard 3 days a week prior to cardio. Thanks.

[rickyKIXX]

If you're getting your lbm in protein then the size of the deficit doesn't matter. The concensus is that intense cardio for too long will eat your muscle, but I think that it's actually really hard to get to that point. You'd have to be throwing up at the end of your cardio routine for that.

[imrimr]

Thanks for the reply. My cardio is far from high intensity. I've been doing intervals on an elliptical for cardio, 4 minutes on medium resistance, low incline, then 4 minutes on slightly higher resistance, high incline, for 56 minutes (machine says I burn 800 calories given my age and weight, I'm gonna say its more in the area of 600). My heart rate is def. in the fat burning category, usually under 165 bpm for the majority of the workout.

[andrewmc]

Eat more protein, and have as big of a deficit as you want.

[bbejj123]

the only concern i would have, would be with a deficit like that and training like that youll probably burn yourself out, what a lot of people prefer to do is just eat less and keep training lighter, and its doubtful your burning that much during an hour of exercise. even if the "all knowing" machine says so