newbie Q's

I'd like to start off by saying great site. My wife and I hope to lose a lot of weight by using it

My question is about something I saw on the forum.

"total calories burned - minus calories eaten = equals deficit
keep deficits between 500 - 1,000 to be safe"



If my calorie goal for the day, as calculated by this site, is 2500. And I burn 3700 that would leave me with a deficit of 1200

3700-2500=1200

Should I eat 200-700 more calories to stay in the safe zone?

Should I adjust my daily calorie goal to match that maybe make it 3000?

I set my activity level to light because I am a desk jockey, but I do go work out before work and according to the machines, I burn about 1000 calories. I try to do this 5 times a week. Should I change my activity level to moderate?

I too am a 'desk jockey' so keep my activity level at sedentary and add most of my activities that I do each day including cycling to work daily, running 3 times a week and swiimming once. That way I know exactly what I need to eat each day to achieve a daily 500 or so calorie deficit. If I have a busy day at work where I'm on my feet I include that as well.

From reading this forum I've picked up on the theory is that for a bloke all your organs need around 1500 cals a day just to work (1200 for a woman). So if you eat 2500 and burn off 1000cal you are left with the bare minimum your body needs to survive. Any less and the body goes into 'starvation' mode apparently and stores fat...

Do you need to eat more? I would do if I felt hungry..but identifying 'hunger' from 'boredom' or 'thirst' or 'stress' can be quite difficult.

I would keep an eye on how much you are losing and adjust your diet accordingly so you don't lose it too fast

So, if my net calories for the day is under 1500 my body will try and store more fat and I may not lose any weight?

From what I have read yes. My understanding is (and this may well be wrong and am happy to be corrected by somebody more qualified) is that your body will start using a higher proportion of stored protein (muscle) to provide the cals your body needs to survive. So while you may still lose weight you will have an increasing % body fat as you are losing muscle mass not fat. As muscles use more cals than fat your BMR drops and eventually you reach a plateu where you can't lose anymore weight and you are unhealthy as well...

so, if I have burned 3832 and taken in 1252 (I still have dinner and  snacks to eat) that makes the deficit 2580

3832-1252=2580

I need to eat at least 1580 more calories to make a safe weight loss.

That would make my intake 2832, but my recomended calorie intake for weight loss is 2500. Which number should I work with?

the recommended intake is based on (if set to sedentary), the absolute lowest calorie intake you should eat to get the most weight loss.  for me, my recommended is 1250--a bare 50 calories above my needed 1200, which makes a 750 calorie deficit for me (i burn 2000 by existing).  while i do aim for this number, i do go a bit over because 1250 cuts awfully close to the number i should not go under by aiming for at least 1300 calories (if that makes sense), and then i eat back whatever i burn exercising (half hour swimming and i burn 378 calories, so i eat at least 1628 for that day, and i do use this as an absolute minimum and aim for 1675-1700). 

I guess what i'm trying to say is that the recommended intake seesm to be the absolute lowest caloric intake you should do to lose the most amount of weight in one week, but because it cuts close to the minimum (1200 or 1500, female or male), i generally aim above that to make sure i eat enough.

Does that make sense?

A little.

so if my recomdation was to loose 1.5 pounds a week, and I am happy with losing 1 pound a week. I can go over this number

Just change your activity level to moderate and shoot for eating 1000 less than you are expending (adding in the exercise itself is too complex for me, I just switch categories and the site does it for me). Working out 5 days a week and burning 1000 calories per workout (that's what, over an hour on the stairmaster or something?) sure seems like "moderate" to me.

You are a big guy, based on your sedentary burn, so a 1000 deficit should be fine. On days you don't work out, eat a few hundred calories less.

The site might have set your calorie goal low for a number of reasons. I'd just go with what it tells you you're expending, and do the math yourself from there.

thanx, that make sense, but then every time I start thinking it makes sense I get confused again

I was able to burn about 850 on an elliptical (45 minutes) this morning and another 315 (30 minutes) on a tread mill

I am just over 200, so maybe I'll up myself to moderate,

The thing is, we have this weight loss contest at work and I dont want to screw it up  This is the second time I'm in it (came in 4th  place by a pound the first time(one less soft taco meal might have done it for me :) )

So I think I am over analyzing it.


Thanx all for your responses.

I would change your activity level to moderate.

I went from sedetary since Im a desk jocky and noticed I spend all of my day on my butt to lightly active. I walk on average 3-4 miles a day 3-4 times a week.

But since I dont always get to walk or walk as long as I like I plan my daily menu around my minimum recommended calories per day. Then if I walk or do something else I figure out how many calories I burned and then use those extra calories as treat of some sort. Usually I keep some 100 cal snack packs around or twizzlers for a treat.