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Originally Posted by L.J.
Some one please help me out here.....
As simple as..I choose 2000 calories for my daily intake....I burned, say 200 Calories @ a high intensity workout....therefore I've consumed 1800 calories for my day.......Is my deficiet then 200???
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Aphil has it exactly right (as usual).
But, to answer your specific question, to create a deficit, you need an estimate of how many calories it takes to maintain your current weight. The Mayo Clinic has a good calculator (although it will be an estimate, because each person is unique).
Let's use 2000 calories as an example. In this example, if you ate 2000 calories and didn't work out, you would keep the same weight. You would like to lose weight, so you want to create a caloric deficit. To lose one lb, you need to create a deficit over time of 3500 calories. To lose one lb a week (a very safe, reasonable, attainable weight loss goal), you need to create a deficit of 500 calories a day (500 per day x 7 days = 3500).
You can do this in several ways. You could cut your calories to 1500 a day. That would create a deficit of 500 calories a day. You could cut 250 calories a day and then burn 250 calories a day with exercise. That would create a deficit of 500 calories a day. You could eat 2000 calories and burn 500 calories with exercise. That would create a deficit of 500 calories a day.
A combination of small caloric reduction and exercise would probably be the best idea. Exercise has so many positive benefits, good for your heart, builds muscle, etc etc. Plus, you don't want to restrict calories too much - your body might interpret it as famine or you just might not get all the nutrition you need a day. Eating is pleasurable, being hungry is not.
Just like Aphil, I never paid attention to the deficit when I lost weight. I counted calories, I exercised, weight came off. At the very best, the deficit is an estimate. At the very worst, you do everything perfectly, create a huge deficit and the scale still doesn't budge. The human body is not a pin ball machine that you put a quarter into and it does exactly what calculators/web sites say it will. There were many weeks, where I ate on plan, exercised and STILL didn't lose weight. That's why I would advise not getting all caught up in the math, it can be frustrating.
Eat less junk, eat more vegetables, lean protein, low fat dairy, fruit, whole grains, healthy fat and exercise. You will do wonderful, healthy things for your body.
Calorie Deficiet as easy as...........??
Perhaps I didn't read it clearly enough. Either way it is Calorie Counting for me, and taking into consideration what the treadmill records I burned. It worked so I'll stay with that..even if it may not be exact, I am burning something, right! 