Burning calories by breathing. Man that was an easy workout!

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JollyHodgers87
JollyHodgers87 Posts: 165 Member
edited March 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
:) That's right, you burn calories just by being alive. It's amazing how our bodies put out energy. Anyway, I've recently read that the average person burns 1200 calories a day just through their daily inhales and exhales even in a sedentary position. My goal is to consume at least 1200 calories a day. So in theory, I'm burning enough if I exercise to meet my deficit. Woohoo! Just finding this out and it's pretty motivating. Even if you have breathing problems, you are still burning calories as long as you are at least breathing! So go you! Be healthy and stay alive! Too bad breathing isn't an option to add in as exercise on mfp. lol Why is it not?! But anyway, my theory is that if I workout every day, even if it's just 10-20 minutes, I'm burning 1200 calories on top of the calories I log on MFP (my fitness pal). So I should lose some weight! You should too! That's my theory at least. Am I right or totally left field on this? B)

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Breathing isn't an option for exercise on MFP because it's part of the calories that MFP assumes you will burn each day when they're giving you a calorie goal.

  • BekkiS1130
    BekkiS1130 Posts: 3 Member
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    Am I right or totally left field on this? B)

    You're totally left field.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited March 2016
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    You're beyond left field, over the wall in up the upper deck...
  • JollyHodgers87
    JollyHodgers87 Posts: 165 Member
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    Breathing isn't an option for exercise on MFP because it's part of the calories that MFP assumes you will burn each day when they're giving you a calorie goal.

    Well first I was up here..........-->(me!)
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    And now I'm down here!<--
    (lol).

    Haha I will just continue to watch the green number. It's hard to eat over 1200 calories a day and also burn more than 1200 calories a day in exercise). I knew I had to be thinking too optimistically on this.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Options
    Breathing isn't an option for exercise on MFP because it's part of the calories that MFP assumes you will burn each day when they're giving you a calorie goal.

    Well first I was up here..........-->(me!)
    .................
    ..........................
    ...................................
    ...............................
    ...............................
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    .............................
    ...........................
    .............................
    ..............................
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    And now I'm down here!<--
    (lol).

    Haha I will just continue to watch the green number. It's hard to eat over 1200 calories a day and also burn more than 1200 calories a day in exercise). I knew I had to be thinking too optimistically on this.

    Why would you need to burn 1200 calories through exercise?
  • JollyHodgers87
    JollyHodgers87 Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Breathing isn't an option for exercise on MFP because it's part of the calories that MFP assumes you will burn each day when they're giving you a calorie goal.

    Well first I was up here..........-->(me!)
    .................
    ..........................
    ...................................
    ...............................
    ...............................
    ...............................
    .............................
    ...........................
    .............................
    ..............................
    ..................................
    ................................
    ............................
    ......................
    ......................
    ...............
    ........
    And now I'm down here!<--
    (lol).

    Haha I will just continue to watch the green number. It's hard to eat over 1200 calories a day and also burn more than 1200 calories a day in exercise). I knew I had to be thinking too optimistically on this.

    Why would you need to burn 1200 calories through exercise?

    You have to burn more calories than you eat to lose weight... To be healthy, I try and eat around 1200 calories. So that's why I was assuming that the burning calories to do so includes everyday activities like breathing.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I think I understand what you are saying. You are saying that:

    Just breathing while sedentary (what is normally called BMR) = 1200

    Your current food intake = 1200

    Thus any movement above and beyond breathing while sedentary, including that which you log as exercise in MFP = your deficit.

    In other words, you are eating at your BMR so if you burn an addition 200 calories doing anything for the day, you have achieved a 200 calorie deficit.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2016
    Options
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Breathing isn't an option for exercise on MFP because it's part of the calories that MFP assumes you will burn each day when they're giving you a calorie goal.

    Well first I was up here..........-->(me!)
    .................
    ..........................
    ...................................
    ...............................
    ...............................
    ...............................
    .............................
    ...........................
    .............................
    ..............................
    ..................................
    ................................
    ............................
    ......................
    ......................
    ...............
    ........
    And now I'm down here!<--
    (lol).

    Haha I will just continue to watch the green number. It's hard to eat over 1200 calories a day and also burn more than 1200 calories a day in exercise). I knew I had to be thinking too optimistically on this.

    Why would you need to burn 1200 calories through exercise?

    You have to burn more calories than you eat to lose weight... To be healthy, I try and eat around 1200 calories. So that's why I was assuming that the burning calories to do so includes everyday activities like breathing.

    Your body is using calories 24/7.....heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. Those 1200 calories are already spoken, they are being used for basic bodily function.

    Plenty of women who eat 1200 (and even upwards of that) .....lose weight with zero exercise. Now, if you plan on exercise, then you should eat more than 1200. 1200 is just the baseline for nutrition. A huge deficit is not healthy weight loss. Healthy weight loss helps you lose fat, and limits lean muscle loss.
  • MichelleLea122
    MichelleLea122 Posts: 332 Member
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    Oh dear God, this can't be serious.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    You're over thinking this. Enter your stats into mfp including your activity level (excluding exercise). Log any exercise you do (actual exercise, not every day activities). Eat what it tells you your daily goal is.

    After 4 to 6 weeks, reassess barsed on expected weight loss versus actual weight loss.
  • JollyHodgers87
    JollyHodgers87 Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    jemhh wrote: »
    I think I understand what you are saying. You are saying that:

    Just breathing while sedentary (what is normally called BMR) = 1200

    Your current food intake = 1200

    Thus any movement above and beyond breathing while sedentary, including that which you log as exercise in MFP = your deficit.

    In other words, you are eating at your BMR so if you burn an addition 200 calories doing anything for the day, you have achieved a 200 calorie deficit.

    Yes. This is exactly what I meant by it. I was just excited that I finally figured this out. lol
  • JollyHodgers87
    JollyHodgers87 Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    Oh dear God, this can't be serious.

    It makes sense. @jemhh worded it better than I did. What he said.
    And I am never serious. Life's too short to be serious when you can be silly.
  • TheJamesRBlack
    TheJamesRBlack Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    MFP is attempting to account for things such as breathing in it's caloric intake recommendation for you. Logging exercise is more intended for things beyond your baseline, normal day-to-day living.
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    :) That's right, you burn calories just by being alive. It's amazing how our bodies put out energy. Anyway, I've recently read that the average person burns 1200 calories a day just through their daily inhales and exhales even in a sedentary position. My goal is to consume at least 1200 calories a day. So in theory, I'm burning enough if I exercise to meet my deficit. Woohoo! Just finding this out and it's pretty motivating. Even if you have breathing problems, you are still burning calories as long as you are at least breathing! So go you! Be healthy and stay alive! Too bad breathing isn't an option to add in as exercise on mfp. lol Why is it not?! But anyway, my theory is that if I workout every day, even if it's just 10-20 minutes, I'm burning 1200 calories on top of the calories I log on MFP (my fitness pal). So I should lose some weight! You should too! That's my theory at least. Am I right or totally left field on this? B)

    You do not "burn" calories by breathing directly. You continually "burn" calories by being alive, and that process (metabolism) uses oxygen you breathe in and produces CO2 which you breathe out. If you stop breathing you stop the metabolism and you die.

    MFP estimates that MINIMUM amount of calories to LIVE, according to your stats and gives you the number. If you exercise, you use up more, you NEED to eat some back or you may start having issues.