confused about daily calorie deficits...help?

So, I know that CC recommends a daily deficit of 500-1000 calories (I got that right, yeah?). I'm looking for some clarification on some research I've been doing about maximum daily deficits a person can have without have adverse effects on their lean body mass (LBM). Here's the link to the article I've been trying to figure out...

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/articles/lyle_mc donald/maximum_fatloss

So here's my question: given my percentage body fat and current weight I calculated my theoretical maximum daily deficit (930 calories). Here's where I get confused. I felt like the article implied that this was the maximum deficit from dieting that my body can take without deteriorating LBM. What about calories burned from exercise? Can those be additional to the 930 calories or should the 930 calorie deficit include calories burned from exercise?

I feel silly asking this question, but I want to achieve weight loss as fast as I can without endangering my health and body. Thanks for your replies!

Not silly at all, it's awesome you are doing so much research on this!  I believe that, regardless of what the article implied, your deficit needs to include both diet and exercise - that's why a lot of us eat more on the days we work out.  So basically on the days you work out, you can add back some of those calories in food!  Yay!  930 is at the high end of deficits as it is, so don't be discouraged if you have a hard time with that; it's perfectly fine to have a deficit of 500 and you'll still lose a pound a week (in theory), PLUS it'll be easier to stay on for longer because you won't feel as deprived. 

Exercise is just a way to increase how much you burn in a day - your body doesn't know the difference between exercise or just being really active.

So the deficit is the difference between total eaten and total burned, including the calories burned living, exercising, or just moving around.

I calculate my deficits EVERYDAY like this:

calories consumed - BMR - exercise - additional activity (work, walks, playing with kids, cleaning house, etc) = deficit

shouldn't it be;

BMI + exercise + additional activity - calories consumed = deficit ?

Original Post by louised1991:

shouldn't it be;

BMI + exercise + additional activity - calories consumed = deficit ?

 No...I don't see how Body Mass Index (BMI) is more important than your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which factors in your weight.

If you start with the total calories you consume and subtract your BMR, exercise, and activities, this gives you your deficit.

For example my deficit yesterday looked like:

1,500 (calories consumed) - 1,400 (my BMR) - 600 (calories burned at the gym) - 400 (calories burned during other activities) = -900 calories (my deficit) 

I think louise has BMI and BMR confused. BMI is Body mass index (height vs weight) and BMR is Basal metabolic rate (what you burn in a coma).

Assuming she meant BMR, then the only difference is louise's equation will give a deficit as a positive number, and montana's equation will give a deficit as a negative number.

BMI has no relevance.

Montana, just remember to include the calories you burn being sedentary or lightly active, or whatever you are outside the gym (that might be what the 400 number is, I just want to make sure - it sounds like you've got it right).

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Montana, just remember to include the calories you burn being sedentary or lightly active, or whatever you are outside the gym (that might be what the 400 number is, I just want to make sure - it sounds like you've got it right).

 Yeah...the 400 includes grocery shopping, doing laundry, dishes, work, etc, or anything else I would do in my day that wasn't lying around or exercising ;)  Thanks

sorry, just a typo!

BMR + exercise + additional activity - calories consumed= deficit

You can also do it this way:

BMR- total calories consumed+ total calories burned= deficit

Any of those ways comes up with the same numbers.