Could someone explain "deficit" for me?

I've seen on a couple posts people talking about a "deficit"...."not going below a 400 calorie deficit", and so on. 

Could someone explain this for me?

A deficit is the difference between what you burn in total (including exercise) and what you eat.

Pretty much OUT - IN = Deficit.

A deficit of 500 calories per day will lead to a pound lost per week (in theory, because there are other factors that go into your daily weigh-in weight)

A deficit of 1000 calories will lead to 2 pounds lost per week.

You should not go over a 1000 deficit, however for people who are smaller, it is better to keep to about a 500 deficit. In addition, you do not want to eat less than your BMR (the amount your body burns doing nothing, not even getting out of bed), so depending on your activity level and size, you might not be able to have a large but still safe deficit.

Thanks - that helps!

im confused as well..can someone give an example using numbers?

ok this is the way I do it.

THe average women needs 2000 to maintain her wieght, so to lose wieght she needs to reduce that number. approximately 3500 calories = 1lb. so we need to reduce or intake by around 500 calories a day.

You need to take the number of calories you have eaten say 1800, then you need to minus from that number the amount of calories you burned during exercise, say 300. that equals 1500. so if you minus 1500 from your original 2000 maintenance that leaves a deficit of 500.

DOes that make sense?

Original Post by fairydust125:

im confused as well..can someone give an example using numbers?

If you eat 2000 calories in a day and you burn 2500 then your deficit is 500 (2000 - 2500 = -500)

Yes thats exactly right :)

My deficit always seems to be a lot larger than it should be.

I work out a lot and can not possibly eat that much food in one day.

Check this log to see what I'm talking about. (my base caloric burn is 2450 cals)

2008-01-14 ~ Calories In; 1,662 Workout Burned Calories ; 703 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3153 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1491 DAILY WEIGHT~ 222.22

2008-01-15 ~ Calories In; 1,955 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,097 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3547 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1592 DAILY WEIGHT~ 220.00

2008-01-16 ~ Calories In; 1,493 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,440 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3890 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2397 DAILY WEIGHT~ 219.80

2008-01-17 ~ Calories In; 1,500 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,804 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4254 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2754 DAILY WEIGHT~ 219.50

2008-01-18 ~ Calories In; 1,352 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,491 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3941 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2591 DAILY WEIGHT~ 219.20

2008-01-19~ Calories In; 2,149 Workout Burned Calories ; 671 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3121 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 972 DAILY WEIGHT~ 219.00

2008-01-20~ Calories In; 1,624 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,391 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3841 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2217 DAILY WEIGHT~ 219.00

2008-01-21~ Calories In; 1,734 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,490 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3940 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2206 DAILY WEIGHT~ 218.00

2008-01-22~ Calories In; 1,600 Workout Burned Calories ; NA Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 2400 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 800 DAILY WEIGHT~ 218.20

2008-01-23~ Calories In; 1,702 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,940 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4390 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2668 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.00

2008-01-24 ~ Calories In;2,005 Workout Burned Calories ; NA Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 2450 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 445 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.00

2008-01-25 ~ Calories In;1,932 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,482 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3932 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2000 DAILY WEIGHT~ 217.20

2008-01-26~ Calories In; 2,141 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,597 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4047 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1906 DAILY WEIGHT~ 218.00

2008-01-27 ~ Calories In;1,835 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,557 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4007 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2172 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.00

2008-01-28 ~ Calories In;2,330 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,483 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3933 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1603 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.50

2008-01-29~ Calories In; 2,396 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,998 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4448 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2052 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.60

2008-01-30~ Calories In; 2,128 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,809 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4259 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2131 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.40

2008-01-31 ~ Calories In;1,770 Workout Burned Calories ; 605 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3055 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1285 DAILY WEIGHT~ 216.40

2008-02-01 ~ Calories In;1,674 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,513 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3963 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2289 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.20

2008-02-02~ Calories In; 2,551 Workout Burned Calories ; 2,248 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4698 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2147 DAILY WEIGHT~ 214.40

2008-02-03 ~ Calories In;2,458 Workout Burned Calories ; 267 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 2717 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 259 DAILY WEIGHT~ 214.20

2008-02-04 ~ Calories In;2,372 Workout Burned Calories ; 2,478 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4928 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 2556 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.40

2008-02-05 ~ Calories In;1,840 Workout Burned Calories ; 1,159 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 3609 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1769 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.20

2008-02-06 ~ Calories In;2,823 Workout Burned Calories ; 2,052 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4500 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1677 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.20

2008-02-07~ Calories In; 2,866 Workout Burned Calories ; 2,121 Base Rate Plus Workout Burn; 4571 Caloric Deficit for Day ~ 1705 DAILY WEIGHT~ 215.00

 

 

I guess I should cut back my workouts but they are the only real form of "exercise" I get because I have a desk job. Plus I always feel real good after my workouts.

I have the same problem....I usually workout five times a week I think it's best I work out three times a week because everyday my cals is only 1500 so that means I am burning too much cal. I usually do tae bo. But the strange thing is I am addicted to exercising but I can't eat more than 1500. I will see how this week goes with only exercising three times a week.

Original Post by lose40:

I have the same problem....I usually workout five times a week I think it's best I work out three times a week because everyday my cals is only 1500 so that means I am burning too much cal. I usually do tae bo. But the strange thing is I am addicted to exercising but I can't eat more than 1500. I will see how this week goes with only exercising three times a week.

  Respect^^^

Thats what I should do. Either cut my workout in half /  or Do 3 full on workouts a week.  Today I was just diagnosed with bronchitis, so thats an automatic 4 days off while taking a z-pack. C'est la vie

~MF'er (fat bastard w/a ponytail)