Calorie Deficit Question - Confused

[annleschik]

Hello,

I'm confused. I've read, to lose fat, you need to cut calories. But i've also read, if you dont eat enough calories, you're body will store the fat?

Help!!!!

[kimm4]

A proper calorie deficit is what's needed for fat loss.

The body stores fat when you eat too much, not too little.

[oregonchick76]

That 'starvation mode' is a myth. Eat in a deficit to lose fat. You would have to eat extremely below maintenance for a significant length of time before any slowdown of metabolism would be noticeable, and even at that point, it would only be a marginal slowdown.

[chicky74]

Hello,

I'm confused. I've read, to lose fat, you need to cut calories. But i've also read, if you dont eat enough calories, you're body will store the fat?

Help!!!!

As with many things in life, there is a bell curve representing how many calories one should eat when dieting. Or, maybe a better way to explain it is the Goldilocks story. If you eat too many calories, you will gain weight. If you eat too few, you will lose weight too quickly (which will be fat and muscle). But if you eat just the right amount, you will lose fat, but wont have to sacrifice so much muscle. This "just right" amount depends on lots of other factors, but if you are lifting heavy weights, a 500 calorie deficit seems to be about right.

[kimm4]

It still varies from person to person. And it takes tweeking and you paying attention to your specific body.

I used to never eat back workout calories. Couldn't lose weight to save my life. Started eating back 1/3 to 1/2 of my workout calories and it all seems good now!

People just have to realize we all state what works for us. But may/may not work for you.

Unless you have a medical condition or are an alien, the basic calorie deficit based on one's individual stats works for everyone.

If you weren't losing weight, it's because your tracking methods were off.

[kimm4]

Well granted I do have a medical condition and take meds for it.

The point is calorie deficits work for all humans. It's simple math, not rocket science.

[chicky74]

The point is calorie deficits work for all humans. It's simple math, not rocket science.

^^This.

I used to believe the "Starvation mode" myth. But there are confounding variables that can explain what seems like "starvation mode".
1.) genetics. There are some variations that lead some people to burn slightly more than others (these differences are very small in the scheme of things)
2.) Lean body mass. Indeed, if a person has been crash dieting, her lean body mass is lower than another person who has not been crash dieting (or yo-yo dieting), and she will burn less calories.
3.) miscounting food. We are bad at estimating calories. Really really bad. Particularly when we eat out. There is lots of research on this.
4.) Environmental effects. There is some evidence that people who were formerly obese never burn as many calories when they are thin as people who've always been thin. Again, these appear to just be small differences.
5.) decrease in energy expenditure when you lose weight. Once you no longer are carrying as much weight, you no longer need as many calories.

What holds true is that if you eat less than you burn, you WILL lose weight. Accurately estimating what you are eating and burning is the harder part.

[ctgblue]

When dieting, one of the keys is to get the protein in FIRST, then build around that.
MINIMUM of one gram per pound of lean mass.

Here's what basically happens in a calorie deficit scenario:
You are burning more than you take in
After a few days, your body recognizes this
It starts to slow the metabolism (this is where strength training, cardio, and lots of water help) to keep from starving
Then it goes after muscle first, why - protein is easier to metabolize than fat AND muscle is the only thing that burns calories
So it eats muscle, to slow the metabolism, to keep from starving
Eating enough protein helps to spare the muscle from being used for fuel

So - protein first, and lots of water (one ounce of fluid per pound of bodyweight per day, shoot for more than half being pure water - add crystal light if necessary)
then complex carbs (IE green stuff, no rice, potatoes, corn, etc.. after 5pm)
then healthy fats - the omegas
keep your strength training as heavy as you can without going into "breakdown mode" - WHY?
If you do the high rep low weight stuff, your body senses there is not sufficient load on the muscle, then it decides it doesn't need the muscle, then it tries to eat the muscle for fuel
Moderate paced cardio

Lastly, give it TIME!!!
That 10, 15, 25, 50 lbs did not go ON in one week, it's NOT coming OFF in one week, a solid 1-2 lbs /w eek is a healthy sustainable loss, faster than that and you'd better know more than I've written because refeeds, metabolic boosting days, etc.. are too hard to explain with my slow assed typing skills

I did this using the above outline



Time for me to do it again, unfortunately


added note:
People who are trying to lose weight generally UNDERestimate their caloric intake, people trying to gain weight generally OVERestimate their caloric intake.
So, if you want to be successful at eight, keep a food journal with calories and macronutrient breakdown

[megdaig]

Starvation mode is a myth, else you wouldn't have anorexia or malnourished African children.

Weigh all your foods on a scale in grams (no measuring cups or spoons, they're way off) and eat in a slight deficit. If you aren't losing weight, you're eating too much.

[AloFlito]

When dieting, one of the keys is to get the protein in FIRST, then build around that.
MINIMUM of one gram per pound of lean mass.

Here's what basically happens in a calorie deficit scenario:
You are burning more than you take in
After a few days, your body recognizes this
It starts to slow the metabolism (this is where strength training, cardio, and lots of water help) to keep from starving
Then it goes after muscle first, why - protein is easier to metabolize than fat AND muscle is the only thing that burns calories
So it eats muscle, to slow the metabolism, to keep from starving
Eating enough protein helps to spare the muscle from being used for fuel

So - protein first, and lots of water (one ounce of fluid per pound of bodyweight per day, shoot for more than half being pure water - add crystal light if necessary)
then complex carbs (IE green stuff, no rice, potatoes, corn, etc.. after 5pm)
then healthy fats - the omegas
keep your strength training as heavy as you can without going into "breakdown mode" - WHY?
If you do the high rep low weight stuff, your body senses there is not sufficient load on the muscle, then it decides it doesn't need the muscle, then it tries to eat the muscle for fuel
Moderate paced cardio

Lastly, give it TIME!!!
That 10, 15, 25, 50 lbs did not go ON in one week, it's NOT coming OFF in one week, a solid 1-2 lbs /w eek is a healthy sustainable loss, faster than that and you'd better know more than I've written because refeeds, metabolic boosting days, etc.. are too hard to explain with my slow assed typing skills

I did this using the above outline



Time for me to do it again, unfortunately


added note:
People who are trying to lose weight generally UNDERestimate their caloric intake, people trying to gain weight generally OVERestimate their caloric intake.
So, if you want to be successful at eight, keep a food journal with calories and macronutrient breakdown

Great post. In your opinion..How great of a calorie deficit should I start with to begin to lose some weight...I was cutting for a couple of months then life hapenned and I fell off for about two weeks...no diet/training in that time. I was making good progress too smh..looking for the optimal way to jump back in. pick up right where i left off...or eat at maintenance for a few weeks to gauge how much of a deficit to start with??