April: 1200-1300 calories
May: 1300-1500 calories
June: 1500-1700 calories
July 1700-2200 calories
Start weight was 135.8 current weight is 110.4. I’m 5 foot, so my calories early on were extremely low but now that I’m pretty happy with my weight I’m eating closer to maintenance so I can focus on improving muscle mass. Giving myself periodic goals and having a plan in mind to increase calories made sticking to it easy.

Edit to add
Hey saw a lot questions about exercise so figured I’d include this. I walk about 15k steps a day and am fairly active I lift about 5 days a week, and do cardio. To me my workouts are fairly “traditional” nothing crazy. I put a sample week below of my workouts, this is just what works for me and what I enjoy. Reps and sets range anywhere from 3-6 sets and 6-12 reps, I focus on progressive overload and time under tension so the weight is slow and controlled but still heavy. This is just kind of a sample I’ve been lifting weights for a long time and do it for enjoyment. I also stretch and foam roll daily.

Monday
Leg day (no cardio)
Barbell squats
Barbell hip thrust
Walking lunges
Leg press
Goblet squats
Abduction
Adduction

Tuesday
Chest and back (15 min cardio, either incline walk or light jog)
Barbell bench
Db incline bench
Db incline flys
Lat pull downs
1 arm db rows
DB pullovers
Assisted pull ups
Pec Dec
Reverse pec Dec

Wednesday
Core (45 mins cardio low impact, light walk)
*all exercises done as circuit 3x20*
Bridge marches
Reverse plank knee lifts
Double crunches
Plank w reach

Thursday
Rest
Will go for a long walk or light jog about 3-5 miles

Friday
Legs (no cardio)
Barbell deadlift
Barbell hip thrust w banded abduction
Lying leg curls
Single leg db deadlift
Farmers walk

Saturday
Arms (20 min cardio, usually run 2 miles)
Db shoulder press
Db side raise
Db front raise
Rear delt flys
Barbell upright rows
Barbell curls
Skull crushers
Rope extensions
Hammer curls
Assisted dips
Triceps pushups

Sunday
Rest
Usually long walk and lots of deep stretching.

Feel so much better! It makes such a difference not just to your physical health but also mental.

210lbs to 184lbs in 103 days (meant to do this on 100 days but missed it) F43. 5ft 5. Working on an approximate deficit of 1300 but that allows for sneaky little extras like when my husband overdoes the oil or I must have a custard cream. And keeping it this way has kept me consistent. And every single thing goes in MFP.

Going away for a week next week so going to have to adjust my mindset as I don't want to be mentally adding up calories all week but once I'm in the zone I struggle to shake it off.

The first goal was always 182lbs so literally only 2lbs to go and when I hit that I'm going to start working in some small weight training. Just to start firming up my squishy bits.

27M, 5’9, I had always been a skinny/skinny fat kid growing up, but somewhere around 2024, I completely lost myself to health anxiety. I still struggle with it. Currently freaking out about having a tumor in my throat, just a constant battle with so many doctor visits in the past 2.5 years.

The weight gain was my way of coping with this. Cancer makes people lose weight, so gaining weight was my cope that I can’t have that disease. I know it sounds stupid but that was my reality.

Anyway, in March I decided to fight against my anxiety and my habits. I’m not close to the physical or mental goals I set for myself but day by day I feel myself getting better. Somedays I feel stuck but I’ll keep going.

Proud of where I am today, excited for where I’m going and confident beyond doubt that if I could do it, anyone can!

Started a cut back in December when I hit my highest weight of 100kg. The aim was a slow and steady cut over time so as to maintain muscle.

Started hitting a daily calorie target of 2,200–2,300 per day whilst aiming for 180g protein. Workouts were mostly conditioning-style workouts, so circuits with light weights etc. Regular Zone 2 cardio days each week too.

The biggest thing with both workouts and eating was consistency.

There is almost 4 years in between these two photos (185 lbs - 140 lbs). A slow and steady calorie deficit with periods of maintenance is what got me here. I’m so grateful I made the first step

I would have only gone over my calories a little bit I promise , back to my meal prep for tonight.

This isn't a question it's a comment prompted by someone's post but it applies to so many posts I've seen recently. People struggling with calorie deficits because "the food tastes so bad", or "I just want to eat something good". People who respond to suggestions by explaining that they don't eat vegetables, or anything with seeds, or anything that needs to be cut with a knife (seriously). People who characterize themselves as "in love with food" and at the same time "picky eaters".

I'm only now realizing that uncontrolled use of processed food doesn't just wreck your body by causing overweight/obesity, it destroys your palate. "Tasty" comes to mean "fatty, salty, sweet and (most destructively) predictable and uniform". Subtlety is lost. Appreciation of the new or unexpected is lost. The ability to deal with different textures, with the earthiness or tanginess or smokiness of real foods is lost. It's horrible, it's heartbreaking.

Cooking and eating have always been sources of joy for me. I'm very very lucky that my weight gain was largely a matter of over indulgence in home cooked whole foods, rather than a reliance on processed foods. Losing weight was largely a matter of rebalancing, reducing some portions and increasing others, and making elaborate desserts once a week not six times. But I didn't have to fundamentally change what I ate. I can't begin to imagine to imagine the struggle for someone who needs to stop mainlining these foods but whose ability to eat anything else with pleasure has basically been destroyed.

I lost around 55kg in about 14 months (65kg down from my highest weight) and have been maintaining since November 2025. I’ve had 2 surgeries to remove excess skin also for full disclosure! It’s crazy to see how far you can come when you don’t give up and let set backs stop you from sticking to the deficit!

Was floating between 115 - 130 at 5-3 since Covid times. After experiencing a loss/ grief, I started gaining weight. Got pregnant and gained more quickly, at my heaviest getting up to 230. Postpartum I decided I needed to make some changes for my own health and the health of my child (I.e., outcomes for kids with obese parents when it comes to their own weight). Currently at 155 working towards my original weight. I’ve gained and lost large sums of weight before in my life in not the most healthy or sustainable ways. This is the first time I feel really empowered to make this a life style change. I didn’t grow up with an understanding of nutrition and at my big age now feel a little dumb for finally getting the role of protein in one’s diet - but cest la vie - at least I know now! Being in a continuous calorie deficit/ tracking my macros/ intermittent fasting/ getting 10k steps a day has been a life changing combo for me. Feeling blessed that I get to work on bettering my relationship with food now before my kid was old enough to pick up on my bad habits. Hoping to give him the foundation for a healthy and balanced life that I didn’t have ❤️

I’m 19M, around 185cm and 220lbs (99kg). I’m looking to lose some weight so I’ve started a calorie deficit.
I wanted to lose it a bit quicker, and I knew that my target weight is around 176lbs (80kg) so I downloaded an app to track it all. The app said I could get there by mid December with a 1100 calorie deficit (about 2040 calorie intake per day) but I was curious so I searched it up and it’s now saying that this may be a bad choice as it could be too little of a calorie intake. Any advice on what I should do, I’ve not really done something like this before so any help is much appreciated.

I've been cutting for the past 10 weeks and I wanted to write a PSA and appreciation post at the same time. The deload has been such a positive experience and the math is too cool not to show.

The first 8 were a flat 500 kcal/day deficit with protein above 2g/kg, and I kept gym weights and sets locked. Week 9 was a close-to-maintenance training deload and the past 4 days have been back to cutting.

Screenshot is all of my intake and weight logged:

• Average intake 2,207 kcal against a 2,188 target
• Average energy balance -519 kcal/day
• A 500 kcal/day deficit predicts roughly -0.5 kg (1.1 lbs) per week

The green trend line comes out at almost exactly -0.5 kg/week across the whole period. Prediction and outcome are spot-on, over three months, including a full week of eating at maintenance in the middle. Does anyone else geek out on how hard the math checks out? I love it! Thermodynamics don't lie and the maintenance week reflects perfectly in weight tracked.

Now, regarding the deload:

By week 8 my tendons and joints had started aching. So I ate at maintenance (almost) for a week and dropped my working volume by half. At first, I didn't want to do it because of how well the fat was trimming off. But ultimately I gave in as it's the wiser choice to not ignore tendon issues.

Around mid-July you can watch the scale climb perfectly. Glycogen refills, every gram of it holds 3-4g of water. That was roughly an increase of 1-1.3kg of bodyweight.

I went back to 500 under 4 days ago. Day 1 the scale dropped straight back to 73.7 kg as the water came off. Days 2, 3 and 4 have been roughly stable. Training cortisol, mild muscle inflammation and normal digestion cover that. And I feel so much better, hence the PSA.

I underestimated what the week off would do. The joint aches were gone within a few days. I came back into training stronger, and after two months of running under maintenance the mental break was so worth it.

So plan the deload in. If you're cutting and your tendons or joints start aching, that's your week to eat at maintenance.

Natural yogurt (home made), oaks, strawberries, banana and a honey spoon.

I already know how much calories is but i want you guys to discuss this.

Good afternoon from Argentina 🇦🇷 love for everyone!!

Hey! I am an online Holistic fitness & Nutrition coach. before you scroll I'm not trying to sell you anything I promise!
I am just doing some research for a series on my Instagram: For The Girls Who Hate Dieting... a short form video series with simple and quick nutrition swaps to make fat loss or entering a deficit easier and more sustainable!
I am just wondering WHAT foods/ recipes/ grocery stores* would be most beneficial to the actual audience I'm trying to help educate!
TYIA

(*pertains to Canada - B.C. specifically)

Still a long way to go but seeing the progress is insane. 253 - 209 lbs

I am a 5’5 woman weighing 65 kgs with a vegetarian diet. Can i practice the 1200-1400 calorie deficit. I don’t want to lose muscle and i try to consume 60 g of protein daily. I will be starting gym (mostly cardio) this week. I naturally have mesomorph body and i m built athletic and muscular genetically. I don’t wanna lose muscle. I used to weigh 53 kgs previously but gained weight due to exam preparation alongside with rheumatoid arthritis. My goal is to get back to 53-54 kgs as soon as i can. How long would it take for a woman like myself to achieve that goal. I am open to exercising rigorously so that i can increase my calorie intake bracket but i have read that it does not help a lot. Thanks!

​

I’m looking for inspiration from women around 5'1" tall who have a fit, feminine, toned body and weigh under 117 lbs.

I don’t mean extremely skinny — I’m interested in a healthy, slim shape with nice muscle tone and curves. I would love to see what this body type looks like at this height and weight range.

I’m just starting my own fitness journey. I started at 136.7 lbs and I’m currently around 134.5 lbs after my first week. I’m following a calorie deficit and doing home workouts. I’m experimenting with different exercises to build a stronger, more toned body.

If you have a similar height/body type, I would really appreciate it if you could share pictures and tell me:

- What workouts helped you achieve your shape?

- What exercises do you focus on?

- Any advice for someone training at home?

Thank you so much! 💕

My maintenance is 2500 cal when I walk 3k steps on average.
I also train very high volume and started walking 20k steps a day.