Advice on the 1000 calorie deficit limit

Hi all-

I could use some feedback here. The advice I read online says my caloric deficit shouldn't exceed 1000 calories per day. On days when I work out, the Burn Meter regsiters somewhere around 3400; does that mean I should be eating 2400 calories on those days? Or are fewer calories beter in the long run?

Thanks-

Are you a man or woman, because 3400 sounds high unless you are an athlete or something? (This is for a woman though, I am not 100% on what men need as far as calories).

I can't really say, I have found that deficits and such are really only arbitary at best, and I do not rely on them heavily as these BMR calculators aren't generally very accurate, I do not think.

I would say that if you think you can stick to eating 2400cals a day, do it for a week or two, and if you haven't lost any weight I'd decrease it some more. However, if you are exercising 30min 3/4 times a week this may not be the best thing to do.

I sometimes eat under my 1000cal deficit, and when I was at my ideal weight I was eating well under - for this reason I do not beleive in this starvation mode **** that is peddled around CC by every man and his dog, quoting (technically, copy and pasting) from other starvation mode evangelicals " YOU ARE EATING TOO LITTLE AND WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT STARVATION MODE BURNING AWAY YOUR HEART MUSCLE"  et cetera ad nauseum.

I will say that I think it is impossible to eat too little to lose weight, however lowering your calorie intake significantly will cause a high amount of weight loss, and then a plataeu as your metabolism ajusts to the change.

I would trial the restriction for 2 or 3 weeks, and then adjust it higher or lower depending on whether you have lost weight, have too little energy, are feeling good etc.

If you were having to maintain a 1000 calorie deficit to maintain a weight, it was not your "ideal weight".  An ideal weight can be maintained by eating maintenance calories (i.e. eating what you burn).

The reason you should not have too large of a deficit is that it has been scientifically proven that the body is only capable of burning 30 calories of fat per pound of fat per day.  So, a person who has 20 pounds of fat can burn 600 calories worth of fat per day and, after that, the body has to look to other sources of energy.  This is a maximum amount for the ideal person under ideal conditions.  Realistically, the number will be closer to 15-20 calories per pound of fat per day for most people most of the time.

Yes, you will lose weight if you eat less than that, but it'll be the kind of weight you don't want to lose - stuff like bone and muscle.  Keep in mind that a person with a lot of fat can maintain a much higher safe deficit than someone who's at or close to an 'ideal weight' for this reason.

Aim on the cautious side for a 500 calorie deficit and then adjust upwards or downwards after about 2-4 weeks.  If you're constantly hungry it's likely that your deficit is too high.  If you're not losing weight then your deficit is not in the right range, typically it will be too low, but sometimes bodies prefer a smaller deficit to lose, particularly as you get closer to your goal weight.  Be aware that medications and medical conditions may have a large impact on your ability to lose weight.

Saying to someone that they should have a 500 or 1000 calorie deficit without knowing all they're stats is bad advice.   This is a out dated method for determining what someone's caloric deficit should be.

An alternate method is to set your calorie deficit as a percentage of your maintenance level. 15-20% is a recommended starting calorie reduction for fat loss. This is considered a small calorie deficit and a small calorie deficit is the key to losing fat while maintaining muscle.  With a 2100 calorie maintenance level, 20% would be a 420 calorie deficit, which would put you at 1680 calories per day. With a 2900 calorie maintenance level, a 20% deficit would be 580 calories. That would put you at 2380 calories per day.

The reason the percentage method is better is because using an absolute number like 500, 750 or 1000 calories as a deficit instead of a percentage deficit might drop your calories into the danger zone. For example, if you are a male with a 3500 calorie maintenance level, a 750 calorie deficit to 2750 calories per day is only a 21% drop (a small, safe and acceptable deficit.) However, if you are a female with an 1800 calorie per day maintenance level and you cut your calories by 750 per day to 1050 calories, that is a 41% cut. Using the percentage method is more individualized.

Hi

As said above it all depends on the your stats.

For me my burn estimates have ranged from 2200 (non exercise days) to  3900 (Hike for a couple of hours plus dance classes in evening), I always aim for a 750ish deficit so adjusted the calorie intake for them days to keep that. (having said that not always possible so look at an average daily deficit over a week).

Going over the 1000 on occasion won't hurt (did this a few times when i started) but found on those days teneded to feel tired, be more hungry and tempted to snack more. Since I started aiming for the 750ish deficit don't tend to get as tired or hungry as much. Also have managed to maintain a steady weight drop (17 lbs in 14 weeks) without feeling like I am on a strict diet. (actualy eat all the things I used to just less of them and move about a bit more)

hope this help some

Rob

I am male, 5'7", 42 years old.  I started at 208 lbs on June 1 and now weigh 166 lbs.  I eat on average 1700 calories per day with a mix of 50% carb/30% protein/20% fat.  If I am hungry, I eat.  I have not starved myself at all and typically only get hungry right before meal time.

At the start, my calorie requirements were 208 lbs X 13 calories per lb + 700 calories burned during exercise = 3400 calories.

I work out 5 days per week.  I do intense cardio at the gym for 1 hour.

At the beginning, I was losing around 3 lbs per week.  Now that I am nearing my goal weight of 150, I am losing just under 2 lbs per week.

My philosophy - everything in moderation.  Eat in moderation but eat enough that you are not hungry between meals.  If you get hungry, then absolutely eat.  Exercise in moderation as well - 3 hours per day in the gym is not required. 

I certainly do not want to discount what everyone else has said on this posting.  At the same time, what I have been doing works well for me.  I am sure you will find something that works well for you.  Good luck!

Thanks everybody, for the feedback. Much appreciated.