500 vs 1000 calorie deficit - which is better?
I want to lose weight as fast as possible (beach trip in 4 months). Is a 1000 cal/day deficit safe or should I stick with 500? I'm 210 lbs so I have a good amount to lose.
At 210 lbs you can probably tolerate a larger deficit initially. General guidelines:
- 1% of bodyweight per week is a good upper limit
- That's about 2 lbs/week for you, which requires ~1000 cal deficit
- As you get leaner, slow down to 500 to preserve muscle
Make sure protein is high (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight) and you're lifting.
500 is more sustainable. 1000 sounds great on paper but after 2 weeks you'll be miserable, hungry, and your workouts will suffer. Slow and steady wins.
I did 500 and lost 50 lbs. My friend did 1000 and lost 30 lbs in the same time because he kept falling off the wagon. Consistency > aggression.
1000 deficit is how you lose muscle. Unless you're obese and have a lot of fat to pull from, you're going to sacrifice lean mass. Not worth it.
Research shows larger deficits lead to more muscle loss unless protein is very high and resistance training is maintained. If you go aggressive, protein needs go UP not down.
Tried 1000 deficit once. Lost a bunch of weight fast, also lost a bunch of strength. Looked skinny-fat at the end because I lost so much muscle. 500 deficit + lifting is the way.
Ok ok, 500 it is. I'd rather look good at the beach than just be lighter on the scale. Thanks for talking me off the crash diet ledge lol.
Start at 750 as a compromise? You'll lose a bit faster than 500 without the downsides of 1000. Just monitor how you feel.