You have to burn 1000 cal a day to lose 2 pounds in one week

allyalexandria

I made a huge revelation tonight you guys probably already know this. You have to burn thousand calories a day to to lose 2 pounds in one week. I thought you just had to eat less like 1200 cal. But really for me to burn 1000 cal a day, I have to exercise for about two hours a day or take a class at the gym and go on the treadmill for a little bit. Why did I never know this before? I've been stuck at the same weight for eight weeks, I've definitely not been burning and additional1000 cal a day. I had a body analysis done at golds gym and my basal metabolism rate is 1300 cal a day I'm really shortto maintain my current weight

allyalexandria

I made a huge revelation tonight you guys probably already know this. You have to burn thousand calories a day to to lose 2 pounds in one week. I thought you just had to eat less like 1200 cal. But really for me to burn 1000 cal a day, I have to exercise for about two hours a day or take a class at the gym and go on the treadmill for a little bit. Why did I never know this before? I've been stuck at the same weight for eight weeks, I've definitely not been burning and additional1000 cal a day. I had a body analysis done at golds gym and my basal metabolism rate is 1300 cal a day I'm really shortto maintain my current weight

kathrynjean_

Unless you are significantly overweight, a 2 lb/week loss is much too agressive anyways ...

seska422

No.

You need to burn (which includes all body functions and movements, not just exercise) on average 1000 more calories per day than you consume.

If it would take you 2450 calories to maintain your current weight then you would need to consume 1450 calories (2450-1000) in order to lose an average of 2 pounds per week.

You don't have to exercise at all, although it's good for overall health.

As for not losing weight, this chart has good advice:

Christine_72

Or you could reduce your calories by 1000, which is only advisable if you have a lot to lose, or you could burn 500 calories in the gym and reduce your calories by 500.

You don't look like you have over 50lbs to lose in your profile pic, so 2lbs per week may not be the healthiest route to take..

JohnDavid1969

Excellent chart. And yes, MFP's "calories burned" calculations are way, WAY off. It overestimates like crazy.

rileysowner

No, you don't have to burn 1000 calories, you need a 1000 calorie a day deficit. Your body burns calories all the time. First there are the majority of the calories you burn in a day from your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is basically the calories burned to simply keep you alive--heart pumping, lungs breathing, organs functions, etc. Then there is NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). That is the calories you burn beyond you BMR through your daily activity. You start burning NEAT calories the moment you start moving, and burn them to greater or lesser amounts depending on you activity throughout the day. Finally there is Exercise Activity. That is any intentional exercise you do. It also burns extra calories above the combined total of BMR and NEAT. The total amount burned in call TDEE meaning Total Daily Energy Expenditure. That is the total number of calories your body uses to provide for the energy needed to survive, move around, and exercise. You need to eat 1000 calories a day below that to lose 2 pounds a week.

So where do you get those numbers. Thankfully MFP does most of the work for you. Enter your information, select a weight loss goal (probably not 2 pounds a week--see below) and it will give you a calorie goal based on the calorie numbers for people of similar ages, weight, height and sex as you. They are not exact, but the vast majority of people will fall quite close to them. Then you eat the calorie goal they give you. Exercise calories are not included in that goal, so when you exercise you are supposed to eat those calories so you don't have too big a calorie deficit.

Having said that, 2 pounds a week is the maximum people should shoot for, and it too much for people who are not obese. 1 pound a week is much better for those who are only overweight, and for the last 15-20 pound half a pound a week is good. Too big a deficit will result in excessive loss of lean mass. So set a reasonable goal.

dreamsignals

It's like @seska422 said. It's not about burning, it's about the difference.

A pound of fat 'costs' 3500 calories, to lose or gain. However you achieve that deficit (or surplus) throughout your week is really up to you.

Exercising is cool though.

SLLRunner

allyalexandria wrote: »

I made a huge revelation tonight you guys probably already know this. You have to burn thousand calories a day to to lose 2 pounds in one week. I thought you just had to eat less like 1200 cal. But really for me to burn 1000 cal a day, I have to exercise for about two hours a day or take a class at the gym and go on the treadmill for a little bit. Why did I never know this before? I've been stuck at the same weight for eight weeks, I've definitely not been burning and additional1000 cal a day. I had a body analysis done at golds gym and my basal metabolism rate is 1300 cal a day I'm really shortto maintain my current weight

Your BMR, or basal metabolism rate is 1300, is the amount you eat just to stay alive and has nothing to do with weight loss. A 1000 calorie deficit would be based on your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).

What is your TDEE? What is your height, weight, and how much do you have to lose?

Francl27

You burn calories by just existing...

sijomial

Why did I never know this before?

Because it's not true!
Needing a 1000cal a day deficit is not the same as "You have to burn 1000 cal a day to lose 2 pounds in one week".

If your profile picture is a current picture then there is no way that 2lb/week weight loss goal is appropriate, especially if you are short.
BMR isn't what you need to concern yourself about, TDEE is what you need to undercut to lose weight.

JustMissTracy

Why would you want to lose 2lbs a week? It seems you're at or close to optimum weight?

RoxieDawn

allyalexandria wrote: »

I made a huge revelation tonight you guys probably already know this. You have to burn thousand calories a day to to lose 2 pounds in one week. I thought you just had to eat less like 1200 cal. But really for me to burn 1000 cal a day, I have to exercise for about two hours a day or take a class at the gym and go on the treadmill for a little bit. Why did I never know this before? I've been stuck at the same weight for eight weeks, I've definitely not been burning and additional1000 cal a day. I had a body analysis done at golds gym and my basal metabolism rate is 1300 cal a day I'm really shortto maintain my current weight

No that's not true. I am curious about what you read that said you had to "burn it" as in exercise only? What this source did not tell you is that you burn calories all day long through BMR, NEAT (non exercise activity), TEF (thermo effect from food) and EAT (exercise activity). All four of these makes up your total TDEE.

Your calorie deficit (if 1200 is what you are eating now) already has your calorie deficit to lose weight built in that, if you exercise, that is additional calorie burns helping you meet your deficit, the key in MFP is that a person is supposed to NET calorie goal including the exercise calories (portion thereof).

Sometimes this jargon is a little over the top until you learn how all of this works in the very beginning of setting and trying to obtain weight loss and fitness goals.

Now you have stalled at 1200 calories? Perhaps this is set at 2 pounds loss and sedentary? If your profile is up to date, losing 2 pounds per week is very aggressive.

I am curious how long you have been eating 1200 calories? How many pounds you have lost in total since you started losing? I would take a look at the flow chart above. It has the basic points to follow when determining what may be occurring with your weight loss now.

SezxyStef

JohnDavid1969 wrote: »

Excellent chart. And yes, MFP's "calories burned" calculations are way, WAY off. It overestimates like crazy.

not for all it doesn't.
MFP Calorie burns were always bang on for me...

savithny

No, you have to use 1000 calories more than you take in per day.
That's across all activities you do, not just exercise.
If you sit on your behind all day, you can still use more calories than you take in.

cwolfman13

You have to consume 1000 calories per day less than you burn...you burn friggin' calories 24/7...most of your burn is you being alive...then you daily...then exercise. If you're eating 1200 calories per day, that is significantly fewer calories than your body is already burning just existing and doing your daily...those 1300 basal calories you mention...those are the calories you burn merely existing on this planet without doing anything at all...you would burn those calories in a coma doing nothing.

Example...let's say you need 2000 calories per day to maintain the status quo...if you're eating 1200 calories, you have an 800 calorie deficit...aka you're burning more calories than you're taking in...and because of this, you burn fat to make up the difference...body fat is just stored energy.