1000 Calorie Deficit

It is ok to have a 1000 calorie deficit in one day?  I currently weigh 204 and I'm 5'3".  I eat around 1500 to 1600 cals per day and with exercise my burn is around 2600.

I have been losing weight at about a rate of 1 lb a week, but it seems like I'm burning more cals than I'm seeing reflected on the scale in lbs.  I say this because I've seen a few times on this site that 3500 cals burned = 1 lb lost.  So by the "math" I should be losing more like 2lbs a week.  what gives? 

Are you using a HRM, or are you going by the calories listed on CC or on your equipment?  I know that my eliptical will tell me I've burned (for example) 1300 calories, when, in reality, I'm sure it's much less than that.  Only a good HRM will tell for sure :) It could also be that you're taking in more than you think...do you weigh or measure your food?

Oh the joys of counting calories!  There's always so many variables...

progress is not always linear, but stick with it and you will see results.

You could also be building muscle which offsets some of the fat loss.  For example, you may have lost a pound of fat but gained a quarter of a pound of muscle resulting in a net loss of 3/4 pound.  Have you noticed a change in the way your clothes fit?  That's what you're really after anyhow, right?  A change in your appearance, not necessarily a change in your weight.

And lets not forget the mysteries of the body - you think you are not losing weight, but one day you get on the scale and instead of 1 bs - its 3 and it stays off.

At least that what happens to me.

What I want to know, is who the heck decided that men should lose weight faster than women?

Thanks everyone.  I do know that my body tends to lose is spurts, even if I stay even with my intake and exercise.

I do measure my food but I do not have a reliable HRM.  How does the HRM help you calculate calories burned?   I am basing my "burn" on CC's estimate plus what my treadmill says I'm burning.

I do not log dog walks, cleaning the house, stuff like that.  Just strenuous or purposeful activity.

And my clothes do fit better.  In fact my "skinny" jeans now fit even when I'm bloated or feeling "fat".  So I guess I should just be patient and enjoy the journey!

Thanks again.

i eat about 1000 to 1200 calories to me thats the only way i can keep losing weight, i started out at 1800 so i know sometimes i am at more than 1000 deficit even though people on here say you shouldnt be but if i do what everyone else tells me on here i would never lose weight so i do what i have to do to continue to lose weight instead of plateuing.

My experience is that No one is the same, and for me the 3500cals=  xlbs loss does not apply, I exercise a lot and I always have large deficits if the math worked like it supposed to do mY WEIGHT loss journey would be over, but its slow and not so steady, some times I don't lose for 2 weeks and then lose 2lbs in a day. Its just weird!

My cal deficit is usually between 1,000-1,300 and i've lost 10lbs in the last 3 weeks.  I know different things work for different people.  I don't see how it could be unhealthy because I eat over 1500 a day so im eating healthy, I just work out a lot.

I believe a 1000 calorie deficit is the MAX amount anyone should have. You may find that you lose more consistently with an 800 or so deficit. Anything over 1000 will put your body in conservation mode and you will start to lose more slowly - at least that's what the experts say and I've found that to be true for me too.

To those who are eating 1000 calories a day, that is in no way healthy or sustainable and it will completely trash your metabolism in the long run. The minimum is 1200 for an adult female and that is only if you are very short and small. I hope you will consider upping your calories.

jodi,

My guess is that your exercise machine vastly OVERESTIMATES the calories being burned. I can SLAVE on an eliptical trainer for 40 minutes at cardiac pace (85% of max heart rate) and I'll reach only 400 calories and believe me, I have NOTHING left for any other exercises except maybe a walk all day.

My guess is that your output is something closer to 2000-2100 calories/day and that gives you the even pound a week at 1500-1600 calories that you are seeing. When there's a dispute between what my body says and what the machine says, I always believe my body.

Remember too, that since you have come such a long way, your body is battling you and will not shed weight as readily as it did 40 pounds ago.

A pound a week is a SUPERB weight loss (52 pounds a year!) and one that is less likely to bounce back up than 2 pounds a week.

Original Post by jodiferjuniper:

I do measure my food but I do not have a reliable HRM.  How does the HRM help you calculate calories burned?   I am basing my "burn" on CC's estimate plus what my treadmill says I'm burning.

You should really get a HRM. The HRM physically calculates your caloric expenditures via height, weight and body structure.  There are two pieces.  1.  The watch on your wrist calculating. 2. The belt that monitors your heart rate which is worn directly over your breast bone that sends HR info to the watch.  You set the watch settings for your height, weight, and structure and then you choose (often with a personal trainer after a pinch test) where you individually should keep your heart rate at in order to burn as many fat calories as possible during your workouts.  Then the HR watch will file your workouts based on time, calories and days. 

I am 5'9" and range from 148 to 152lbs with 20% body fat.  I am pretty athletic but even for me i need to keep my heart rate down in the 130-150 beat per minute range in order to burn fat and not bulk muscle.  I find it very difficult to keep my HR that low.  That is my hugest challenge. 

HRM is great but sometimes I can be a little obsessive about it.  They run from $60 to $180 but a middle range price is always best.  I have a Polar brand from sears and I love it.

Best of Luck.

i agree with all natural girl (i always do).   i havent been counting calories exactly for the past few months, but i noticed that the weight was coming off very slow after it coming off faster initially.  i finally started counting calories again to see what i was eating daily and as it turns out i was unintentionally undereating.  i was eating around 1300 calories a day just naturally, when i should be eating at least 1700 since i exercise.   I am already losing weight quicker eating more calories than when i was  eating less.  

do yourself a favor:  listen to the people on this site who have been here for a while.  they arent just some annoying people who want to lecture you.  they know what they're talking about.  ive been on this site for over 2 years and i wish i would have listened to these people more often.

Original Post by jodiferjuniper:

It is ok to have a 1000 calorie deficit in one day?  I currently weigh 204 and I'm 5'3".  I eat around 1500 to 1600 cals per day and with exercise my burn is around 2600.

I have been losing weight at about a rate of 1 lb a week, but it seems like I'm burning more cals than I'm seeing reflected on the scale in lbs.  I say this because I've seen a few times on this site that 3500 cals burned = 1 lb lost.  So by the "math" I should be losing more like 2lbs a week.  what gives? 

You ask, "what gives?" and there's no way of knowing because you didn't include a time reference in your post.   After a month?  A week?  Two days?   

There's no way you're exercising with a consistent calorie deficit of 7,000 calories a week and only losing one pound a week. 

No way.

It sounds to me like your calorie counting is off.

I started off with a 1000 calorie deficit, but found that I lost very little weight that way--usually half a pound to a pound a week. After consulting with my doctor and dietician, we switched to a 750 cal deficit, and the results have been better.  Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the number that works best for you.

Thanks again everyone, I think allnaturalgirl and ziptoplay hit the nail on the head.  The weight seemed to fall off a lot quicker when I was heavier.  And although I have been losing steadily, it's not the "BIG" numbers I was used to  when I was heavier.  It also doesn't help that i'm totally addicted to the biggest loser where they lose 5+ lbs a week, every week.

Gterv, I think my body is the same way.  I went from 204 to 202 just yesterday.  So all in all I guess it's working!

And again, ziptoplay, you're right...if I can do a lb a week I'll be at my goal in 1 year! 

Original Post by portugueselove:

i eat about 1000 to 1200 calories to me thats the only way i can keep losing weight, i started out at 1800 so i know sometimes i am at more than 1000 deficit even though people on here say you shouldnt be but if i do what everyone else tells me on here i would never lose weight so i do what i have to do to continue to lose weight instead of plateuing.

I couldn't agree more . . . fluctuating a little is good for me too, 1200 one day, 1300 the next, then 1100 .. . also, exercising changes.  I'll walk 4 miles one day all at once, then the next day I may do interval running/walking 2 miles in the morning and then 1 mile light walking in the afternoon, the next day maybe nothing to give the body the break which confuses it if you kow what I mean.  Keep up the good work!!

Original Post by 100orbust:

Original Post by portugueselove:

i eat about 1000 to 1200 calories to me thats the only way i can keep losing weight, i started out at 1800 so i know sometimes i am at more than 1000 deficit even though people on here say you shouldnt be but if i do what everyone else tells me on here i would never lose weight so i do what i have to do to continue to lose weight instead of plateuing.

I couldn't agree more . . . fluctuating a little is good for me too, 1200 one day, 1300 the next, then 1100 .. . also, exercising changes.  I'll walk 4 miles one day all at once, then the next day I may do interval running/walking 2 miles in the morning and then 1 mile light walking in the afternoon, the next day maybe nothing to give the body the break which confuses it if you kow what I mean.  Keep up the good work!!

I do that too sometimes 3 miles a day sometimes 2 sometimes 1 sometimes 0 lol.
Thank you. Good luck to you too.