Calorie Deficit?
Discussion
Due to a lazy end of 2012, and my partner having a baby in Jan my cycling took a real hit, so much so I only did 11 hrs between New Year and mid April. Because I didn't really pay attention to my weight it crept up to just over 100kg, from 85kg.
I'm now back on the bike, riding around 6 to 7 hrs a week, and added to this I am keeping track of my calories, aiming to keep to 1500 although I normally go over by 1-150 each day.
A typical 90 min ride (which I do each day) burns about 1200 calories at an estimate. If I'm only eating 1500 in a day, I'm ending up with a difference of 300. Yesterday I did 120 mins, which equates to about 1600. At the moment this is working, and I have lost 1.5kg in 2 weeks.
My question is this. Can I sustain this, or will my body go into starvation mode soon and stop losing weight?
I'm now back on the bike, riding around 6 to 7 hrs a week, and added to this I am keeping track of my calories, aiming to keep to 1500 although I normally go over by 1-150 each day.
A typical 90 min ride (which I do each day) burns about 1200 calories at an estimate. If I'm only eating 1500 in a day, I'm ending up with a difference of 300. Yesterday I did 120 mins, which equates to about 1600. At the moment this is working, and I have lost 1.5kg in 2 weeks.
My question is this. Can I sustain this, or will my body go into starvation mode soon and stop losing weight?
You can (sustainably and consistently) lose around a kilogram a week - much more than this on a consistant basis and you're probably losing muscle mass instead.
To lose a kilogram of fat over a week, you need a calorie deficit of around 8000 kcal...so a little over 1000 kcal a day.
To calculate what your intake ought to be, you need to work out your TDEE - this is the calories you burn each day when you take into account the exercise/work you do. Eat this many calories and you'll stay the same weight. So, to lose a kilo a week, reduce whatever that number is by approximately 1000 kcal a day.
The above is relatively rough science, but it works - I lost around 35kg at this sort of rate. Remember though, as you near your target weight, the loss will become slower as your TDEE begins to reduce. Oh, and if you can, eat a high protein diet and lift weights whilst cutting - it'll help preserve lean muscle mass
To lose a kilogram of fat over a week, you need a calorie deficit of around 8000 kcal...so a little over 1000 kcal a day.
To calculate what your intake ought to be, you need to work out your TDEE - this is the calories you burn each day when you take into account the exercise/work you do. Eat this many calories and you'll stay the same weight. So, to lose a kilo a week, reduce whatever that number is by approximately 1000 kcal a day.
The above is relatively rough science, but it works - I lost around 35kg at this sort of rate. Remember though, as you near your target weight, the loss will become slower as your TDEE begins to reduce. Oh, and if you can, eat a high protein diet and lift weights whilst cutting - it'll help preserve lean muscle mass
Didn't get much of a response beforehand, but I have been doing a bit more analysis.
I'm eating approx 1500 per day, but last week I cycled for 7hrs 20mins, covering 120 miles.
Based on burning 600cal p/hr my net calories for the week is 6000. I have a feeling this is too low (around 870 per day) and this is having a negative impact on my weight loss.
Would I be better eating more?
I'm eating approx 1500 per day, but last week I cycled for 7hrs 20mins, covering 120 miles.
Based on burning 600cal p/hr my net calories for the week is 6000. I have a feeling this is too low (around 870 per day) and this is having a negative impact on my weight loss.
Would I be better eating more?
I asked a similar question which had more responses:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I am finding that some days when I do lots of exercise my deficit is way low. Today I have cycled to the swimming pool, swam for 40 mins, then cycled to work (and back later). So have done 40 mins swim, 1 hour 15 on the bike. I use a garmin to track my training and the calories burned from that comes in at 1310 (I have knocked that down a bit so I am not over estimating).
That basically means that today's goal is 3000 calories. My breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks comes to 1656 so now I have to eat another 1400 odd calories. Which without tucking into some wine or a Mars bar I find hard to do, but at the same time it can't be healthy to have that big a deficit - although I have plenty of fat reserves to tap into!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I am finding that some days when I do lots of exercise my deficit is way low. Today I have cycled to the swimming pool, swam for 40 mins, then cycled to work (and back later). So have done 40 mins swim, 1 hour 15 on the bike. I use a garmin to track my training and the calories burned from that comes in at 1310 (I have knocked that down a bit so I am not over estimating).
That basically means that today's goal is 3000 calories. My breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks comes to 1656 so now I have to eat another 1400 odd calories. Which without tucking into some wine or a Mars bar I find hard to do, but at the same time it can't be healthy to have that big a deficit - although I have plenty of fat reserves to tap into!
Sorry, didn't see the thread before. I'd aim for a mild deficit taking into account exercise. Caveats:
1) people tend to underestimate calorie intake
2) people and machines tend to overestimate calorie burn
Work out your typical TDEE and eat around 20% less than that - it's completely sustainable in the long run. I did it for about a year.
1) people tend to underestimate calorie intake
2) people and machines tend to overestimate calorie burn
Work out your typical TDEE and eat around 20% less than that - it's completely sustainable in the long run. I did it for about a year.
Dunno if it's much help but I've been shifting some weight since the middle of Januray and started at around the same as you - 99kg in my case. I'm now 18 weeks in and I'm at 86kg, a loss of 13kg and about 1kg every 10 days.
Like you I've been trying to work it all out based on calorie deficit and have been eating about 1600-1800 on a non exercise day (twice a week) and about 2400 on days when I'm exercising (five days - which I've worked out to be on average burning about 800 cals per session). I roughly worked out that this would give me a deficit of about 800 calories a day which sort of ties in with what was mentioned in a previous post about needing a deficit of 8000 calories in order to lose 1kg.
Having a net intake of 300 calories like you've been doing doesn't sound healthy, or fun.
Like you I've been trying to work it all out based on calorie deficit and have been eating about 1600-1800 on a non exercise day (twice a week) and about 2400 on days when I'm exercising (five days - which I've worked out to be on average burning about 800 cals per session). I roughly worked out that this would give me a deficit of about 800 calories a day which sort of ties in with what was mentioned in a previous post about needing a deficit of 8000 calories in order to lose 1kg.
Having a net intake of 300 calories like you've been doing doesn't sound healthy, or fun.
Glad that is not just me that is confused by all this!
I posted a few weeks back that I was doing some HIIT workouts as well as a low calorie diet through diet chef.
I've been on it for just over 7 weeks and the weight loss so far is 22lbs/10kg. Which is probably higher than most recommend and I admit that I dont think it is sustainable. The workouts are getting tougher as I am able to do more reps and keep pace so I'm going to cut the diet chef stuff out and work towards an increased calorie intake.
My TDEE comes in at 2715 based on age, height, weight and 6 days a week exercise - so if I aim for about 2100 a day that deficit should be about right hopefully.
So my next challenge is how best to go about eating "clean". Being on the diet chef plan my cooking decisions consisted of taking the packet out of the cupboard, nuking it in the microwave and adding some veg. Any suggestions on recipes, cookbooks, online resources to inspire some clean cooking?
I posted a few weeks back that I was doing some HIIT workouts as well as a low calorie diet through diet chef.
I've been on it for just over 7 weeks and the weight loss so far is 22lbs/10kg. Which is probably higher than most recommend and I admit that I dont think it is sustainable. The workouts are getting tougher as I am able to do more reps and keep pace so I'm going to cut the diet chef stuff out and work towards an increased calorie intake.
My TDEE comes in at 2715 based on age, height, weight and 6 days a week exercise - so if I aim for about 2100 a day that deficit should be about right hopefully.
So my next challenge is how best to go about eating "clean". Being on the diet chef plan my cooking decisions consisted of taking the packet out of the cupboard, nuking it in the microwave and adding some veg. Any suggestions on recipes, cookbooks, online resources to inspire some clean cooking?
You don't have to eat clean all the time... make a gradual change, you'll lose weight slower (oh no!) but it will become a lifestyle change and you're more likely to not be twice as fat this time next year because you've quit the diet - a lifestyle change means you were never "on a diet".
You are undone then.It's possible to calorie count to lose weight, countless weight watchers and similar to prove it. The trouble is by going the calorie restriction/deficit route is 1. it's hard, hard work and 2. at some point you have to return to a 'maintenance' level - which pretty much nobody ever succeeds at. They invariably go back to what they did before nad get the same results, or more often worse.
You need to change something, permanently.
Men generally need 2500 cals a day to stay the same weight so 1500 or less a day should see you lose weight as others have said. I've gone from 13st10 to 12st7 by doing this (during the week and then eating "normally" at weekends) over about 6 months so gradual weight loss for me. Intend to carry on for a while yet to get down to 11st10.
Whilst a nett of 300 cals a day seems low to me is there really any such thing as "starvation mode" as mentioned by the OP, surely the effect will simply be severe weight loss rather than gradual?
TX.
Whilst a nett of 300 cals a day seems low to me is there really any such thing as "starvation mode" as mentioned by the OP, surely the effect will simply be severe weight loss rather than gradual?
TX.
Very interesting to watch and sorry if this is a minor thread hijack.
About 6 weeks ago I decided that I wanted to loose weight ahead of an upcoming holiday.
I am doing 30 miles a day 5 days a week on the bike and have cut out carbs nearly completely, allowing myself one 'cheat day' every week (normally a meal out).
In the first 3.5 weeks I wasn't really cycling, just at the gym every other day but eating very strictly, I went from 109kg's down to 102kg's and now I am currently sitting at 100kg's bang on, dispite the increased exercise and strict diet (admitedly with the one 'cheat' day as above).
My daily calorie intake isn't typically that big, orange or banana but often nothing for breakfast (<100cal), a Tesco finest salad or NYC soup at lunch (300cal) some nuts/grapes in the afternoon and then some form of salad (with a lot of meat/fish - 2 whole haddock tails/6 sausages, 2 chicken breasts etc.) for dinner.
Dispite the increased exercise (Presume I am burning about 1,300 cal's cycling) the weight loss has slowed substantially and I just cant work out why? (Aiming for 90-95 kg's end weight)
About 6 weeks ago I decided that I wanted to loose weight ahead of an upcoming holiday.
I am doing 30 miles a day 5 days a week on the bike and have cut out carbs nearly completely, allowing myself one 'cheat day' every week (normally a meal out).
In the first 3.5 weeks I wasn't really cycling, just at the gym every other day but eating very strictly, I went from 109kg's down to 102kg's and now I am currently sitting at 100kg's bang on, dispite the increased exercise and strict diet (admitedly with the one 'cheat' day as above).
My daily calorie intake isn't typically that big, orange or banana but often nothing for breakfast (<100cal), a Tesco finest salad or NYC soup at lunch (300cal) some nuts/grapes in the afternoon and then some form of salad (with a lot of meat/fish - 2 whole haddock tails/6 sausages, 2 chicken breasts etc.) for dinner.
Dispite the increased exercise (Presume I am burning about 1,300 cal's cycling) the weight loss has slowed substantially and I just cant work out why? (Aiming for 90-95 kg's end weight)
LordGrover said:
You are undone then.It's possible to calorie count to lose weight, countless weight watchers and similar to prove it. The trouble is by going the calorie restriction/deficit route is 1. it's hard, hard work and 2. at some point you have to return to a 'maintenance' level - which pretty much nobody ever succeeds at. They invariably go back to what they did before nad get the same results, or more often worse.
You need to change something, permanently.
I did calorie counting for a year. Maintenance isn't difficult but eating intuitively and doing cardio isn't going to guarantee results you want even if it's "not be fat again". My current mission to stay lean but build muscle is just as tricky. Now I'm eating slightly over TDEE with a training routine but also keeping an eye on protein levels.
Eating low carbs will at least ensure I don't get fat.
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