Dumb question about calorie deficits and weight loss

[nothing2lose]

I may have overthought this and confused myself....

If you need to have a deficit of 7000 calories to lose a kilogram of fat, does this figure come off your BMR calorie requirement or your 'usual' daily caloric intake??

For example, say your BMR calorie requirement is 1500 calories. (if I've got it right, BMR calorie intake is the minimum amount of calories your body needs at its current weight to maintain basic functions).

But, you have been eating 2500 cals a day - which is why you're overweight.

So, does the calorie deficit you need to make come from the 1500 or the 2500?

If it's the 1500, you would pretty much need to average the 7000 needed to lose a kilo over two weeks, and aim for 500 gm weightloss a week. Otherwise, you would have to restrict your cals to 500 a day!

If it needs to be deducted from your usual daily intake of 2500 cals then, in theory, it should be easy to lose a kilo a week simply by eating 1500 a day.

So, which is it??

Thanks

[Jellyfish]

I think it would need to come from your BMR value as you would need to be providing less than your body needs so that it starts taking from fat stores. If you are doing exercise though then that would affect things as that is beyond your bodys natural requirements right? So you could eat 1500 and lose 1kg a week if you did enough exercise to balance it or something...

I think 0.5-1kg a week weightloss is a good, reccommended amount for health reasons and because it becomes easier to maintain when it is done gradually? Doesn't it help to prevent your body going into starvation mode and trying to hold onto its current stores?

I'm not too sure so probably shouldn't add to the confusion haha but my best friend is a dietician and this is the vague information I've gleamed.

[nothing2lose]

That's what I was kind of thinking Jellyfish. Thanks

Exercise is a whole other question!!!

[chody47]

It would come off the 1500. Don't forget that you can still eat the whole 1500 (or more) if you want to, but you would then just need to burn off the 7000 (+ any extra you ate) by doing exercise.

(e.g. I've been eating 1200ish per day and burning off 500 on our exercise bike every 2-3 days - so on these days it is like my calorie intake is only 700)

[nothing2lose]

Thanks Chody

I think exercise is my biggest problem

[chody47]

It's usually my problem too, but I've been finding it easier now that we dug the exercise bike out of the garage. Now, instead of sitting on the couch watching some tv at night, I sit on the exercise bike whilst watching tv a few times a week. I've found it easier as I don't actually have to make time for it if that makes sense?

Oh, and it's actually working. I usually suck at losing weight. I'm not overweight at all, but my weight has slowly been climbing by 1-2kg a year. I've managed to lose 4.5kg in about 6 weeks, so I'm very happy

[nothing2lose]

Can I ask how long, at what heart rate it takes to burn off 500cals on your exercise bike??

My counter is broken


TIA

Eta: my BMR is about 1850cals (because I am overweight)

Calorie King recommends my daily intake as 1700cals to lose weight. I have it set at 1650. I have been eating approx 12-1300 a day for the past six days (except for one day when it was closer to 1600 ) I have not done any real purposeful exercise yet so haven't recorded it. This WILL change this week