Calorie deficit question

[mortation]

Hi,

Looking to get some advice from those of you more seasoned than I. I want to make sure my current deficit isn't too large and going to leave me with some nasty skin pooches :P According to most calculators my base cals are between 2500 - 2700 for maintenance.

I have been using fitday to track everything and manage my macros. Well now that I am logging everything the numbers are looking very skewed and I'm not sure if I should eat more or stick with what I am doing.

Looking at yesterday (Typical day) in fit day they say I burnt 3,346 calores between my workout and lifestyle. I only consumed 2056 calories (51% carbs, 32% protein, 17% fat), leaving me a deficit of 1290. This is pretty typical of my normal days, though usually my intake cals are more like 1900 +/-.

I'm bringing this up because I was doing planks last night and looked down to see whats left of my gut hanging like a deflated udder I still look and feel like I am loosing weight but the scale seems to just keep fluctuating between 170 - 175lbs I assume because of building muscle.

I dont know how much I trust any of these numbers so I'm at a loss and just want to make sure I'm on a good path. Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

[boathead]

i'm a believer that gains as well as reductions should be attacked in increments.

maybe for the first week, 200 calories. then maybe another 200. gives the body time to acclimate.

more sustainable lifestyle changes = win. something that you can live with....forever.

[mortation]

i'm a believer that gains as well as reductions should be attacked in increments.

maybe for the first week, 200 calories. then maybe another 200. gives the body time to acclimate.

more sustainable lifestyle changes = win. something that you can live with....forever.

I've been running this way for 3 +/- months now, so are you recommending I increase by 200 or going to maint and start decreasing by 200?

[boathead]

i'm not the guy to ask. i've never had to lose weight before. hopefully some others will chime in...

my point was simply to make a diet/exercise adjustment that you can make a way of life.

[ironwill2008]

how long have you been at the 1290 cal deficit, and how much bodyweight have you lost?

[Singe03]

I posted almost this exact topic on the fat loss forum today except according to calorie count I'm sitting at around a 900 deficit after counting my workouts (which is probably higher since I walk a lot at work). I had a couple of replies that fit what I expected, which was pay attention the weight loss and inches, no so much the targets on the website. If you are dropping near 1-2 lbs a week, you are on a good track, just adjust your calories up or down to fit that.

I think the sites are good for tracking calories, the one I use breaks down the macros nicely, but maybe not tailored so much for people who have a more active lifestyle.

[JerryB]

Gee, I'm 5' 7" and I never ate more than 3,000 calories per day since I started weight training 25 years ago. The exception may have been Thanksgiving and Christmas. I averaged the mid two thousand calories. I gained about 40 pounds of muscle mass over the period.
What's up with all the calories people are eating?

[Singe03]

Gee, I'm 5' 7" and I never ate more than 3,000 calories per day since I started weight training 25 years ago. The exception may have been Thanksgiving and Christmas. I averaged the mid two thousand calories. I gained about 40 pounds of muscle mass over the period.
What's up with all the calories people are eating?

For my part, I'm only taking in +/- 2100 right now and losing about 1.5 lbs a week, which seems on target but when I (actually both the OP and I) look at our actual burn, we're at deficits of between 900 and 1200 calories despite our maintenance supposedly being in the 2600 range. What I asked on my thread, was if I was actually eating enough or should I just stick with what I'm doing since the weight loss is about on target and the numbers are not an exact science.

I think the OP was concerned he was dropping weight too fast, but he's never said how fast he is losing.

BTW 62 years old? Seriously? All I have to say is one word.... Inspirational.

[VIsland]

Try to make your deficit as little as possible as to retain as much muscle as you can and still lose fat. You won't build muscle on a calorie deficit so put that thought aside. Don't make drastic calorie drops or you'll vaporize all that hard earned muscle. For me I consume anywhere between 3700 and 4000 cals per day for maintenance. On a cut I'll start with a 20 percent drop (700 or 800 max) and see how it goes for a month or so. Then I simply tweak it from there.

[Taur]

You won't build muscle on a calorie defecit so put that thought aside.

This is complete Bull!!!

I and thousands of others have seen muscle gains when on The Velocity Diet; and that is about as calorie defecit as you can get. Don't believe me, just search for Velocity Diet.

Lately, I have just been on a simple calorie defecit diet and I have seen my weight stay at 201 for the last 5 months, but my bodyfat has dropped 1 percentage point every month for a total bodyfat loss of 5.3%. What does this mean? Yes, it means that while I am losing bodyfat on my Diet, I am gaining muscle at the same time.

Don't let anyone here try to tell you that you can't lose bodyfat and gain muscle at the same time!!

Now, please disreguard everything I have written if your Bodyfat percentage is under 9%. Because, then you are going to have to choose between gaining muscle or losing fat. This is where I am at right now teetering on the 10%-9% range, so I am going to have to make a choice here pretty soon and change my Diet.

[ChocoChick]

Hi,

Looking to get some advice from those of you more seasoned than I. I want to make sure my current deficit isn't too large and going to leave me with some nasty skin pooches :P According to most calculators my base cals are between 2500 - 2700 for maintenance.

I have been using fitday to track everything and manage my macros. Well now that I am logging everything the numbers are looking very skewed and I'm not sure if I should eat more or stick with what I am doing.

Looking at yesterday (Typical day) in fit day they say I burnt 3,346 calores between my workout and lifestyle. I only consumed 2056 calories (51% carbs, 32% protein, 17% fat), leaving me a deficit of 1290. This is pretty typical of my normal days, though usually my intake cals are more like 1900 +/-.

I'm bringing this up because I was doing planks last night and looked down to see whats left of my gut hanging like a deflated udder I still look and feel like I am loosing weight but the scale seems to just keep fluctuating between 170 - 175lbs I assume because of building muscle.

I dont know how much I trust any of these numbers so I'm at a loss and just want to make sure I'm on a good path. Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

My experience with Fitday is that its estimation of calories burned is waaaaay over-stated.

Ultimately, tools that calculate your maintenance calories are just starting points. You'll get a better of idea of what is maintenance for you by determining how much you can eat and neither gain nor lose. From there, cut ~15%-20%. Keep monitoring weight loss. You probably don't want to lose more than 1-2 pounds if your intention is to lose fat and not muscle.

What is your goal weight? Do you know your current bodyfat?

[Ceramist]

I feel that you need to look at your total calories and what the scale and mirror are telling you. I would suggest you track body weight and body fat %. All the sites that estimate your calorie burn are just that estimates, everybody is different. The key is to try a level for a couple of weeks and see what the numbers are telling you. I would target 1-2lbs per week to try to preserve muscle. If you are not where you want to be after several weeks then make a switch, either up or down again depending on what the numbers and mirror are telling you.

The key for me now after losing ~60 lbs the wrong way is to carefully monitor calories in against my weight and bf%. As long as I am losing fat and minimizing LBM loss then I figure I'm on the right track.

I will say I have the benefit of using a BodyMedia device to track my activity and give me a calorie burn estimate. I still treat the numbers with some skepticism although I think it is a lot closer than estimating.

[mortation]

how long have you been at the 1290 cal deficit, and how much bodyweight have you lost?

About 3, I have only been tracking everything in detail for a week to manage my macros but I have been keeping my calorie intake to 2k for the last 3 months. My starting weight was 195 - 198, my current weight fluctuates between 170 - 175 depending on the morning. Its a cheap scale...

So figure I have lost 25 lbs +/- so far so about 1.9lbs per week.

[mortation]

Now, please disreguard everything I have written if your Bodyfat percentage is under 9%. Because, then you are going to have to choose between gaining muscle or losing fat. This is where I am at right now teetering on the 10%-9% range, so I am going to have to make a choice here pretty soon and change my Diet.

I wish I think my BF % is like 26 - 27% if not higher.

[mortation]

What is your goal weight? Do you know your current bodyfat?

I don't have a goal weight, I have a goal BF % of 15% - 18%. So I guess I really should get some calipers so I know where I am going with this. I used some measurements done with a tape measure and entered into an online calculator to estimate my body fat at about 26% - 27%.

[ironwill2008]

About 3, I have only been tracking everything in detail for a week to manage my macros but I have been keeping my calorie intake to 2k for the last 3 months. My starting weight was 195 - 198, my current weight fluctuates between 170 - 175 depending on the morning. Its a cheap scale...

So figure I have lost 25 lbs +/- so far so about 1.9lbs per week.

By bodybuilding standards, a 2-pound per week drop for someone your size is too severe; you're sacrificing muscle along with whatever fat you manage to lose.

You didn't mention any weight training; the key to a successful cut is to continue to train with the same heavy weight as before the cut, and to consistently maintain a calorie deficit that allows you a 1-pound per week drop in bodyweight. This will usually amount to a daily deficit of 500 calories. The deficit should come from cutting carbs, while keeping your protein and fat intake up. If you adhere to these standards, you should be okay; anything else, and it will not end well, at least if you're training as a bodybuilder.

[mortation]

By bodybuilding standards, a 2-pound per week drop for someone your size is too severe; you're sacrificing muscle along with whatever fat you manage to lose.

You didn't mention any weight training; the key to a successful cut is to continue to train with the same heavy weight as before the cut, and to consistently maintain a calorie deficit that allows you a 1-pound per week drop in bodyweight. This will usually amount to a daily deficit of 500 calories. The deficit should come from cutting carbs, while keeping your protein and fat intake up. If you adhere to these standards, you should be okay; anything else, and it will not end well, at least if you're training as a bodybuilder.

OK, thats what I was afraid of. My routine is:

Day 1: Chest & Arms
Cardio (20 - 30 minutes)
Abs (Crunches x 30, scissor crunches x 30, planks)
Bench Press, 3 x 8 - 12
Decline Bench Press, 3 x 8 - 12
Incline Bench Press, 3 x 8 - 12
Flies (Dumbbell or bench attachment depending), 3 x 8 - 12
Barbell curls, 3 x 8 - 12
Alternate DB Curls, 3 x 8 - 12
Alternate Hammer Curls, 3 x 8 - 12
Skull Crushers, 3 x 8 - 12
Seated Tricep Press , 3 x - 8 - 12

Day 2: Back & Shoulders
Cardio (20 - 30 minutes)
Abs (Crunches x 30, scissor crunches x 30, planks)
Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover, 3 x 8 - 12
Bent Over Barbell row, 3 x 8 - 12
DB Shoulder press, 3 x 8 - 12
DB Side raises, 3 x 8 - 12
Rear DB Raises, 3 x 8 - 12
Wide grip pullups, (after workout, upstairs with the door hanger)

Day 3: Legs
Cardio (20 - 30 minutes)
Abs (Crunches x 30, scissor crunches x 30, planks)
Squats, 3 x 8 - 12
Leg Extensions, 3 x 8 - 12
Leg curls, 3 x 8 - 12
Calf raises, 3 x 15 - 20

Day 4:
OFF

<REPEAT>

I would say its a good workout but I am not pro I do as heavy a weights as I can to keep the reps between 8 - 12. Maybe I should bring the cals up to 2500?

[mortation]

I posted almost this exact topic on the fat loss forum today except according to calorie count I'm sitting at around a 900 deficit after counting my workouts (which is probably higher since I walk a lot at work). I had a couple of replies that fit what I expected, which was pay attention the weight loss and inches, no so much the targets on the website. If you are dropping near 1-2 lbs a week, you are on a good track, just adjust your calories up or down to fit that.

I think the sites are good for tracking calories, the one I use breaks down the macros nicely, but maybe not tailored so much for people who have a more active lifestyle.

I'm dropping fat without a problem, my concern is more of ending up with sagging skin. I would rather drop weight slowly and keep my skin firm. But then on the other hand I'm impatient and don't want to drop tooo slowly lol.

[mslman71]

Gee, I'm 5' 7" and I never ate more than 3,000 calories per day since I started weight training 25 years ago. The exception may have been Thanksgiving and Christmas. I averaged the mid two thousand calories. I gained about 40 pounds of muscle mass over the period.
What's up with all the calories people are eating?

Ok, this makes me feel better. I was wondering if I was some sort of metabolic freak holding weight at 2500-2750 kcal/day with a routine that is fairly high in volume while so many others are talking about starving at 3000-3500 kcal/day (of comparable weight).

[ljimd]

Rocket science:
1. trac cals 2 wks
2. gain wt - drops cals
3. lose wt - keep going
4. Orbit achieved

[ironwill2008]

I do as heavy a weights as I can to keep the reps between 8 - 12.

That should be okay. What's most important is to not start lifting light weight/high reps. To do so will signal your body to burn off for fuel any muscle unneeded to meet training demand. An this is especially true while in a calorie deficit.

Maybe I should bring the cals up to 2500?

Bring them up to a point where, as I posted above, you see a weight loss of no more than a pound per week.



Get over your impatiance. The most successful cut will be the one where fat is lost slowly but steadily. This slow loss of bulk will also allow your skin a better chance to slowly shrink along with the departing chub. Take it slow.

[freebirdmac]

I have your maintenance cals around 2700 so your intake is fine. After 3 months of dieting though you may need a break. Do you have any higher calorie days? Any break in your dieting these past 3 months?

Sagging skin, you're just going to have to deal with it, be patient for it to tighten, and eventually gain some mass to help fill it out.

[JerryB]

BTW 62 years old? Seriously? All I have to say is one word.... Inspirational.

Yes, I'm 62 years old. I have been weight training since I was 34. The things I now know about my training I wish I knew when I was younger.