Those with a track record using the meters, please advise.

If you are really careful with your food so that you know your calorie intake is correct, do you find that the burn meter is also correct--that is, do you lose what you expect to? It seems rather optimisitic to me, but I've never done anything like this before.

Also, if I average about 1500 calories (and I'm not getting really hungry), is it ok to have a larger deficit than 1000--more in the 1200 to 1500 range? As I lose weight, my deficit should decline simply because the calories needed to maintain my weight will decline, but I'll keep eating and excercising about the same. If I need to eat more now, I will; 2 pounds a week seems fine.

thanks.

huh? the calories to maintain your weight will decline? surely they will increase as you don't need a deficit you'll only need maintenence to maintain. have I missed the point of your post?

I find that I lose more weight then it says I should.

There is debate about not going over 1000 calorie deficit, but I think a good rule of thumb is you can go below 1000 calorie deficit if you do not go below your caloric intake for your maintenance at your ideal weight. (which pretty much means do not go below a 1000 calorie deficit)

do you mean do not go above a 1000 calorie deficit? Because you lose a lb a week with a 500 cal deficit

Original Post by shanonna:

huh? the calories to maintain your weight will decline? surely they will increase as you don't need a deficit you'll only need maintenence to maintain. have I missed the point of your post?

 As I lose weight, it takes fewer calories to maintain that weight (a 150 woman needs fewer calories to maintain 150 than a 200 pound woman needs.)

Right now, the "burn meter" says I burn about 2500 calories just in my normal day (because of my age, weight, body type, etc). At my goal weight, 148, I will need fewer calories just to stay the same.

here's the math: if I need 2500 just to maintain my current weight, plus I burn 350 in exercise, I'm burning 2850. I may eat about 1500; therefore my calorie deficit is 1350.

As I lose weight, I will need fewer calories just to maintain the new weight--say, 2300. I will exercise and burn 350 more; now my burn meter will read 2650; if I eat the same 1500, my deficit is only 1150; that's what I meant.

Of course, as I get to goal, I have to increase my calories eaten so I don't have a deficit because then i won't want to lose anymore; then the deficit should disappear altogether.

Original Post by shanonna:

do you mean do not go above a 1000 calorie deficit? Because you lose a lb a week with a 500 cal deficit

 Yeah... But to expand on what i said... (I reread it and it was confusing) Here is an example.

A 400 pound man burns around 3,800 calories just sitting around all day. His goal weight is 180 pounds. If he kept a 1,000 calorie deficit he would eat 2800 calories, but his maintenance caloric intake at 180 pounds is 2,200. It would be a safe and healthy weight loss if he had a 1,600 deficit (basically eating his ideal weight of 180 pounds maintenance calories.) Most people do not fall into this catagory however...

I would suggest having a 1,000 calorie deficit (assuming that you've met the minimum 1200F/1500M +300teen +%exercise) while you're in any of the obese BMI categories.

In the overweight BMI category (again assuming that you're at least at the minimum), I'd drop it to a 700 calorie deficit.

In the slightly overweight and normal BMI categories (making sure you're at least at the minium) I'd go fro 300-500 depending on how you feel and how your body reacts.  Alternatively you could zig zag with -1000 one day and -300 the next day.

The recommendation is to not lose more than 1-2% of your body weight per week.  For most people, 1-2 lbs per week meets that criteria.  As you get closer to a normal BMI, your rate of weight loss will tend to slow and if you keep too high of a deficit you'll tend to lose muscle instead of the fat that you want to shed.  Even when you're in the obese categories, unless you're under medical supervision and direction, a deficit of over 1,000 calories is not recommended.  The idea for most of us is to lose the flabby fat and keep the leaner muscle.  Too high of a deficit will shed some of the muscle and then you have to work at rebuilding it later.

I have been losing exactly what is says I should according to the numbers. My journals are an ongoing testimony to this.

I'm confused about this as well. Let's say my goal is 1300 calories and I'm already listed as "light activity."  I do the eliptical for an hour and burn 500 calories at high intensity but I ate 1450 calories where does that put me in for real?