Calories In V.S Calories Out - Proper Caloric Deficits

For the love of well sauced buffalo wings....

Even as a personal trainer, things are tough folks. Fat loss is not easy for the majority of people out there trying to lose body fat and maintain a lean healthy body. Let me be frank when I tell those out there willing to listen that there is no other way to drop the fat. You must make better nutritional choices than a Pogo and Poutine for lunch, and you have to get off your butt more often than to run up to the corner store to check your Super 7 numbers. (most of us are even lazier, and we use the web for that). This includes me, as I work hard every day to stay in shape, fuel my body with only the best nutritional choices as I also help others achieve their goals.

Sorry folks, there are no magic pills, no magic diets, and no ab blasters will help you and your body lose fat. It's hard to accept sometimes isn't it?

Fat loss is about the ratio of calories in vs. calories out. Plain and simple. But what most magazines and infomercials do not tell us is that in order to achieve our fitness goals the ratio is actually 70% nutritional and 30 % exercise. But that does not mean starve yourself and do as little exercise as possible. It means eat sensibly, have 5-6 smaller meals per day to balance the blood sugars, that will also keep the metabolism stoked, and exercise on a regular basis, which should include strength training to maintain and develop lean muscle mass. This too helps boost your metabolism.

So why am I here? Simple, because I need assistance in losing fat. "But you're a personal fitness trainer for God's Sake!"

Yes, but I was naughty, and I did not keep track of my daily calories like I tell my clients, and lo and behold, I discovered that I was not eating ENOUGH calories!!! YIKES... that is not a good thing folks. Here I was thinking I had it all under control, yet, I could not understand why my body fat percentage did not drop over the course of the past 4 weeks. WHat had happened was I was starting to plateau, so I changed up my exercises and even dropped some calories, but I did not keep a watchful eye on those calories and now I have discovered that I am actually sabatoging my efforts by not eating enough calories.

Folks. Remember to only drop your caloric intake by 500 calories per day via a proper nutritional plan and exercise. If you increase your caloric deficit by over 800 calories per day nature has a way of protecting the body against excessive weight loss. At first you will lose alot of water, a little fat. Then suddenly you stop losing. You've plateaued, because your body now refuses to give up the fat, regardless if you want it off for summer or not.

It is a scientific fact that when your calorie count suddenly drops, your body will compensate for the fact by reducing your metabolic rate. As a result, you'll need fewer calories to maintain your weight. This explains why some people lose weight up to a point and then cannot lose any additional weight, no matter how hard they try. Friends, this is one of the most dangerous myths in the weight loss world. You literally have to eat yourself thin, not starve yourself thin.

Know your BMR, know your activity level and know your caloric needs, and monitor them closely. You will achieve!

The key is really that the number of calories you eat directly affects your metabolism. If you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into "famine" mode. Fooled into believing you cannot find enough to eat, your endocrine glands PURPOSELY slow your metabolism to conserve energy. Slowing the metabolism means burning less fat. Is this really what you wanted to do??? It sure isn't what I wanted to have happen. Counting Calories is an important aspect of fat loss. Thank goodness for such resources as www.Calorie-Count.Com.

So here I am, on board to eat myself thin baby!!! Where's the Tofurkey.....(yuck!)

Oh my goodness that is much more then I normally have so I will fill in a few snaks with applesauce and peaches. Thanks for the tip on walking I had been walking a bit at home then life happened and I didn't get back to it.

It is great to have you here.

By the way I have hyperthyroidisum they are trying to get under control so far so good.

Janie *:)

Hey saro....

I have not worked with Marathon runners or those training to run one. My training specialities are sports-specific (hockey, soccer, baseball, lacrosse) functional training, and strength/athletic training, predominately with women. However what I can suggest is looking up SHELLY GLOVER on the net. She has a master's degree in exercise physiology from Columbia University. She co-authored The Runner's Handbook and The Competitive Runner's Handbook. Also you should get a copy of  The Sports Nutrition Guidebook by Nancy Clark, MS, RD

What you are asking about is something referred to as Carb Loading. The practice of carbo-loading dates back to the late 1960s. The first carbo-loading protocol was developed by a Swedish physiologist named Gunvar Ahlborg after he discovered a positive relationship between the amount of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles and liver) in the body and endurance performance.

Scientists and runners had already known for some time that eating a high-carbohydrate diet in the days preceding a long race enhances performance, but no one knew exactly why until Ahlborg's team zeroed in on the glycogen connection.

This is a very SPORTS SPECIFIC NUTRITIONAL issue, and not one for the average person working out now and then, or doing cardio 3-4 times per week.  You should speak to someone who is a qualified and certified in sports nutrition.

What I can say is that when it comes to the tactic of Carb Loading I would say that in general, for best results carb loading should begin three days prior to an endurance event. Fluid intake must be increased during carb loading phase, allowing for maximum carbohydrate storage. Avoid alcohol during carbo-loading phase, as it leads to dehydration.

I highly recommend that you find a sports nutritionist in your area to work closely with.

Good Luck!!!!

Thanks so much- I'll check those resources out!

Thanks so much for all the info CoachDee,

I am female, and extremely overweight (I have lost 11 kgs already, but have approx 64 kgs still to go). Using the calculations you gave us, I appear to have a daily caloric requirement of 3130 Cals to maintain my weight (I work out at the gym at least 1 hr a day, 6 days a week), and should be consuming 2300  -  2600 Cals if I want to lose weight healthily.

My question is this.... if I am eating really healthy, mostly raw, foods (which I am), but I am watching portion sizes (which I also am), then how can I possibly eat that much in a day??? 

I really don't want to start adding junk to my diet just to get those calories up!

Regards,

Mandy

OMG this is so helpful. I am a 250 lb. 26 year old woman from Minnesota. I am about 5' 3" tall.

I figured out my BMR as being 1916.4. So that means I should be at about 1900 after taking out all my exercise and activities for the day?

I just want to make sure I do this right. I am just starting and I am so determined to succeed this time!!!

Hey everyone, well I never thought I would receive so many replies to this thread.  I am very pleased to hear that many of you are seeing results. It is not an easy process, and since it did take awhile to pack on the fat, it will take some time to melt it away. It's stubborn, and for some of us with metabolic issues such as adult-onset diabetes, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance etc. it can even take longer!!!!

Some of you still are confused by the calculations and that is to be expected. Here is another simple way for many people to figure out what amount of calories should be eaten in a day to eventually (weeks, months, even years for some) to reach their goal weight.

Let's say I wanted to be 155lbs. At 5'9 with a medium to large frame, that is a safe, and achieveable goal weight.  So what I could do is (some personal trainers do this for clients in a pinch) multiply my goal weight by 12 if I am sedentary, 13, light activity, 15 for moderate, and 17 if I am seriously training 5-6 times per week. Then minus 500.  It is pretty close to the RMR/BMR and harris benedict formulas that I shared with you. Try it.  You might like it.

As an FYI, be honest with yourself about your activity level. If you do 1 hour of cardio 3-5 times per week, you would still use 15.  17 is really reserved for those individuals who are involved in intense training, like hockey players, lacrosse players, bodybuilders, marathon runners, mountain bikers etc...

So someone who's looking to weigh 135lbs and who does cardio and maybe a bit of weight training twice a week would take 135 X 15 - 500= 1500 calories. For effective fat burn, your macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats) should be 40-40-20% and look to lower Glycemic Index foods.

If this same person was only walking 3-5 times per week, and maybe going for a bike ride as well, that would be light activity, and the calculation would be 135X13-500=1255 calories per day.

REMEMBER NEVER DROP BELOW 1200 CAL PER DAY WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPERVISION!!! I can not stress this enough ladies.

I hope this helps those who have been trouble figuring out the calculations and caloric deficits.

Hi Coachdee! Thanks so much for the information.. but I'm still confused. I'm a 32 year old 'gal that's 4'11 3/4 (gotta mention the 3/4!). Maybe all the rules go out the door for us small gals?

So, I'm currently 117 lbs and am trying to get back to my "ideal" weight of 105. I work out 5 days a week (1hr running/cross-training) usually, but this week I missed 2 days. SO, I calculated using "light" activity. 105 X 13 = 1365-500 = 865! I've read over and over that we shouldn't go below 1200 cals .. but what if you're super small?? I've been keeping my cal intake at 1200, but haven't been losing anything. Should I go lower?

Thanks so much coachD

Shauna

i was with you till you posted about mutiplying my goal weight by X amount. that is silly to me. since i burn 2400 now, and my goal weight i would only burn 1,800. accourding to my goal times 12. i had been eating 1,500 a day and the weight wouldnt budge, i upped it to 1,900 like your first post suggested... now since i did that i have lost 3 pounds this week. meaning, it worked. i am going no less the 500 of what i burn now and it is so so working great.  but now i read your in a pinch reply. so lost now. if i am lower my cals to 500 less then i would eat at my goal weight, i woul be eating only 1200. LOL. i am stickin with the detailed info you gave first, and eating no more then 500 less per day, changing my cals per every few i loose. the mutiply by x is ok, of you dont minus any calories. am i wrong??

stef

Shaunaz:

First of all your  BMR is approx 1290 calories. That means you really should not try to consume less that that.  You are exercising at a moderate pace, even at a moderate to high activity level. Thus you should have used 16 because it is inbetween 15 & 17.

So the "in a pinch" is to roughly figure out what you should be eating. So take 105X16= that is 1680. If you minus the 500 you'd be so close to 1200 it would not matter.

Everyone is different, all of our bodies are different, our metabolisms are different, our activity levels are different.... Like you said, you're a small gal.  You are someone who has less cells to fuel, so you will need less fuel, but chances are you should not be eating less than 1200 calories.

The first step is to roughly figure out your caloric needs. Perhaps because you are so active you need to eat more (200 more calories per day) or maybe you need to drink more water, or perhaps you need to move to the next step and that is to take a close look at your macronutrient intake.

I would suggest, trying for a couple of weeks to incorporate more strength training (3x per week) reduce cardio to 30 minute of high intensity cardio (intervals) and your calories should come from 40% carbs (reduce starches) 40% protein and 20% fat.

STEF:

For my clients, I pay strict attention to their lifestyles and environments. I'm gonna be really blunt here.  I have had clearly overweight women come to me and tell me they want to lose weight.  So I do what is called a lifestyle and personal environment scan with them. 99.99% of the time guess what I see?  No activity level and eating poorly, too much on the go and poor sleep habits. 

That is not wellness, it is an express way to diabetes, stroke, heart diesease.. you get it.

There is no magic to this, there is no magic pill, there is no special fat melting suit.

Up the activity level in your life, chose healthy foods, use portion control, reduce stress and get some freakin' sleep!

Most people simply consume more fuel than they need so the body stores it as fat, and trust me, the body LOVES to store fat.

IN this case, you had already figured out correctly what you should be consuming.  The post above was just a quick and easy way for people to get a rough idea, not an exact number. (I had many people write to me privately who were very confused)

I am really glad to hear that you are losing, but be aware that about 1.5lbs of that 3lbs is water, so make sure you are drinking plenty of water because if the body is dehydrated by only 2% it can wreak havoc on your metabolism.

Take girth measurements to gauge your progress, the scale is always messing with people.  Keep up the good work and be well.

Coach Dee

Fantastic info, you are clearly well educated in this stuff, and very helpful in plain english.  If I get you right, if my BMR is 1251.7 and my daily caloric need is 2253.6, then I should eat 1753.6 cals a day to loose FAT safely and effectively.  Do I have that correct?  Already an exercise nut, and my BMI is "underweight" but trying to see the abs just for a minute in my life :-)

Thanks for your great information, such a fantastic help.

thanks for the reply, i drink about 3 to 3.5 liters of water a day.  and i lost 2 inches on my hips this week!! so those 3 pounds came off those puppys. I talked to someone else who used the same system that you introduced to me, and he looses 2-3 a week as well. 

I mentioned it cause i was confused, not gunna eat less yet, not till i loose. then change my cals every 20 pounds i loose, or when i need to! your math works out perfect for my metabolism. And i do have to say, before i lost the 43 pounds i am down, i was basicly inactive. a walk down the street made me tired. I have hashimotos disease, and i was able to get on thyroid meds 3 days out of the week to regulate hormones, once that was done i started to get a little  energy, and instead of eating healthy 60% of the time, i upped it to about 85%. now that weight has melted away i eat 100% healthy. and the right amounts.

Thanks for you all your help. You are really helping lots of people!!!

stef

Hey Poohbus....

I would suggest not dropping any calories from your intake since you are underweight, which is possible, but what you want to do is increase your lean muscle mass, plus to see abs, you should hire a personal trainer who can put together a program that will help you add lean muscle mass and sculpt those abs.  Abs are tough to grow.  Like any other striated muscle, they need to be trained.  You can do all the crunches and planks in the world and all you will do is tone the abs, but to get those sexy abs, you need to work them

Our bodies HATE to expend anymore energy that necessary. SO when we work with weights, the body only calls on just the right number of muscle fibers, never more, to do the job. So, my suggestion, and any personal trainer worth your effort and hard earned $$$ will know that you need to incorporate weights, like using a 10lbs plate on the chest when doing a crunch, or cable crunches. Plus, doing double crunches, side planks, and bicycles, leg raises etc... A total program for stablization, slimming, toning, and growing those abs.

You need to eat to fuel that body. Good luck!

Got a personal trainer, got abs, nice 6 pack I can feel, also got a thin layer of that "stubborn belly fat" :-) hiding the 6 pack, need to loose that.  So trying to modify just a little.  I'm so close I can taste it.

Thanks for your input

Thanks so much coachdee! I've been wondering if keeping my cals at 1200 was correct, and you've confirmed it all for me.. I'm not too high --maybe I should even go higher? This week I'm going to take your advice and just do 30mins of HIIT on the elliptical (knees are killing me from the treadmill) and start spending more time on my strength training. As to my macronutrients... I believe I'm a really healthy eater --sort of Southbeachy the way I eat. No simple carbs or starchy foods, TONS of greens, protien and lowfat dairy.. now it's just the water intake that I need to work on!

Thanks SOoOoOo much my dear... you've set my mind at ease ;)

Shauna

Ok I am super confused. I work out 6-7 days a week and eat a littel under my daily calorie needs. So for the last week I have been eating the recommend amount of calories and I am gaining the weight notlosing and now I am so frusterated and dont know what to do. Help please

Thinsky, feel free to e-mail me, my address is on my profile page.  Give me the particulars, such as age, height, current weight, types of "workouts" you're doing, goal weight, and if you have any medical issues. I will try to help you get back on track.

Cheers,

Coach Dee

Hi Coachdee!
Ok - I'm trying to make sure that I'm eating a low enough amount of calories because I'm not loosing anymore... :(

I'm 33, sedintary and I want to weight 200lbs. The site says, without working out I need to eat 1650.

Now, I work out about 300 to 400 calories a morning doing cardo. Do I add these calories to that number? Or am I still supposed to stay at 1650?

My percentages have been great and I eat grade A foods, I'm just wondering where my calories should be...

Thank you!

Cori, you are not losing any weight because you are not eating enough calories to cover off your daily energy requirements so the body refuses to burn the fat because it thinks it is going to need it because of a "fuel"shortage.

Being overweight or obese does not mean that you can just not eat and get thin.  You have more "cells" to energize, including the fat cells.  If you want them to melt, that takes energy too you know.

Girl, you need to walk, do water aerobics, and swim because overweight and obese people risk serious injury to joints and ligaments if they put too much stress on them through high impact/intense exercise. No running, no jumping, etc... be careful.

You need to eat more of the grade A food, and it had best be something that is not white, like rice, potatoes pasta or sugar.  make those choices wisely with sweet potatoes, non-instant oatmeal,whole grain/wheat pasta, brown rice or basmati rice, and no refined sugars!!!

Your intake should be 1850 calories per day  until 15-20lbs have melted off and then we will figure it out again, because it changes as you increase activity or lose body weight. You should be dividing those calories between 5-6 smaller meals per day and the intake % should be (Considering your metabolic issues) 40% carbs 40% protein and 20% fats.

Keep in touch with your doctor, even bring this info in. He/she will be glad to help you achieve your goals too!

Good Luck Sister!!! You will do it!

Thank you Coachdee!
I have been eating 1800-1900 a day. I just wasn't sure if I was eating too much since I only lost 5lbs. My percentages have been 25%Fat 35% protein and 40% carb. I'll re-adjust to what you said.

As for cardio, I walk or bike and row. :)

Coachdee, this thread has been a Godsend for me, and an eye opener! I've been severely overweight more than half my life and I have pretty much despaired of ever getting down to a healthy weight again. Just reading this thread alone (all of the pages) has given me new hope that I can accomplish my goals.

I am 40 years old, 5'2" and I weigh 288 pounds (down from 295 nine days ago). I've been following the calorie guidelines set by Calorie-Count.com and eating 1650 calories a day. Some days, in the interest of variety, I go either above or below that 1650, but I've never gone below 1200, never above 2200. Exercising for a person of my weight has never been easy. I work at a computer all day so I've taken to parking my car farther from the entrance at work and walking, and I'm doing crunches and stretching exercises in the morning. It's a start :)

I'm hoping you could give me some insight as to whether what I'm doing is fine, or if I need to modify it at all. Once I establish a routine, I can stick to it and my mind is 100% made up now. I'm tired of looking and feeling old before my time.

Thank you again for the wonderful advice you've posted here :)