Setting your number — how big a deficit is sustainable
Your daily calorie deficit is a choice you make. Pick one you can hold for months, not one you quit in a week.
You open Burnie and see 'daily deficit'. A number sits there. You wonder how big it should be. Bigger means faster, right? Not always. The number you can keep for months is the one that works.
What a safe rate looks like
Health bodies agree on a steady pace. One to two pounds a week is the safe speed. That is about half to one kilo. To get there, you eat 500 to 750 fewer calories than you burn each day. Faster loss sounds great, but it usually fails.
The biggest deficit gives you the fastest result.
mostly falseMostly false. A huge deficit works for a few days, then people quit. Adherence — your ability to stick with it — drops as the deficit gets harsher. A moderate deficit you actually follow beats a harsh one you abandon.
Pick your deficit size
How to find YOUR number
The bottom line
A moderate deficit you keep for months beats an aggressive one you quit in a week. Your number is the one you can actually live with. Set it from your own log, hold it, and let the maths do the work.