calories in vs calories out

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ynvsna87
ynvsna87 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This might sound crazy but just wanted to know if my daily calorie count is 1500 then should I be working out long or hard enough to burn 1500 calories each day????

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  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    You are forgetting that you burn calories just living. It takes calories to move, walk around, digest food, keep your heart beating, etc. You probably burn around 2000 each day just living your life.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    edited October 2014
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    not really. you could lose weight on 1500 calories with no exercise.
  • ingasmile2
    ingasmile2 Posts: 43 Member
    edited October 2014
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    No, no, no. If MFP gave you a goal of 1500 calories that is what you should eat. Your deficit is already built into that number. If you work out then you can eat those calories back also. Most machines and MFP overestimate calorie burn for exercise so take that into consideration when inputting exercise. Most people only eat back 50% or 75%. Most exercises will only burn 200-400 per hour of exercise so burning 1500 a day would be very difficult for the normal person.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    No. You burn calories just by existing, breathing, brushing your teeth, walking to your car, etc. MFP is telling you that you need to eat 1500 calories to lose at the rate you selected at the activity level you selected. So, if you said you were sedentary and want to lose 1lb a week and then you go exercise, you need to log those calories, and you actually get to eat more food for the day.

    Here's a really good guide to getting started since it sounds like you're just starting out:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    No. When you talk about burning more than you eat you have to take into account the calories you burn just being alive and doing every day tasks. Check out an online TDEE calculator to get a basic estimate of how much you burn each day. That's the number you need to eat below to lose weight.
  • ynvsna87
    ynvsna87 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for all the positive feed back... lol. Me and my best friend was just arguing about this so I had to you guys
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    nope. Your body burns calories 24/7. Calories are the fuel our bodies use to function (like gas for a car).
    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) - Calories your body burns every day. You would burn this amount if you did nothing but sit/lay down all day.

    TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) - Total daily calorie burn. This is the number you want to eat under to lose weight. Your TDEE is your BMR calories + Daily Activity calories + Exercise calories.

    MFP gives you a goal to eat at that doesn't take into account exercise. So if MFP gave you a goal of 1500 then you should lose weight eating that amount without exercising. If you exercise, you will be able to eat a bit more and still lose weight.

    For example:

    MFP goal : 1430 (mine...sedentary 1lb per week loss) calories a day
    ***I let fitbit adjust my calories for my activity level....I'm not really sedentary. Probably at least Lightly Active. I don't mind large adjustments however and if I choose to have a very lazy day, I don't lose too many calories with this setting

    My average total intake: 1920 calories per day

    My average total daily burn for the last 30 days: 2477 per day

    My exercise usually amounts to 200-400 calories 6 days a week.

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