Myth or Fact? Simple Math: 3500 calories = one pound? Eat

RMinVA

Great posts all around!

I don't know if this is good/bad/ugly, but what I've been doing is entering 80% of the calories that the elliptical/treadmill display into the calorie box in exercise section.

I figured this would be a good rule of thumb since you're not burning 100% fat (probably closer to 20% at best) while you're exercising. This way I get back the energy stores yet still create sort of an exercise energy deficit. It seems to be working, over the past month I've gone from 185 to 176 and getting more definition plus a little bulk from strength training.

Any opinions or advice?

Completely agree with that. approach. I think you have to allow for some wiggle room since there are so many variables that contribute to actual caloric burn. And the nutritional side of the equation is another post entirely!

ladyhawk00

Bump

pyro13g

Lean body mass is not lost but usually added IF, and a BIG IF, you perform intense weight/strength training. Beginners performing an intense program should start 3 times a week, then dropping to twice, then dropping to 3 workouts in 14 days. Those that truly learn how lift with max intensity will eventually be able to get by on 1 workout in 7-10 days.

If you're an experienced lifter within the high intensity realm it's the best way to lean up following a diet you have shown takes fat off your own body.

tolygal

bump (and thanks for the info!)

ladyhawk00

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SillySarah

That's amazing.

How would the information you presented translate for someone who is not far out of weight range but has significantly higher body fat than desired? I'm 5'3, 149 pounds, and roughly 28% body fat. I'm currently running a 500 calorie deficit plus around 300 calories a day of exercise (which I do eat back for the most part) and my MFP calculated BMR is ~1760. I'm following the MFP recommended macronutrient ratios - not sure if that's of much consequence but I thought I'd throw it out there.

What am I looking at, calorie and macronutrient wise, for optimum weight loss? I'm looking to get down to 135, ideally 130 if I can maintain it and somewhere in the low 20's for body fat. I think, I've never been that small so I'm guessing on both fronts but I know I want to lose both weight and fat. Help!

Robin, you rock

I'm in the same boat. I'm at about 31% body fat and would like to get down to the low twenties (20-22%) myself. I'm 5'7 and 135 pounds roughly so I don't have a lot of 'weight' to lose so much as I have to build more muscle and get rid of more fat. I'm really at a point where I'm not 100 percent confident about how to start and proceed.

I've started aiming for a 1/2 pound per week loss, working out five days a week and changed my dietary goals slightly to have more of a balance of protein and carbs. However, I'm really flying blind here and have no idea if I'm doing the right thing or not....

I'm also in a similar situation. I'm 5'7'' and about 150 pounds. I am around 28% body fat, if I remember correctly. I'd really like to lose about 15-20 pounds and get down to at least 20% body fat. I'm also not confident about how to proceed.

I've started aiming for 1.5 pound per week loss. The reason for this is because I originally wanted to try and be as close to my goal as I could by Spring Break in March. I'm going to Florida and I'd really like to feel comfortable in a bikini.

So I'll ask the same question: How should I proceed with caloric intake and exercise??

Thank you so much!

Hi guys!

Just thought I'd offer my experience with this whole "calorie restriction/weight loss" paradox.

I have the hardest time losing weight. I can shift weight but never really lose anything.

I've found that when wanting to get lean, the scale is not always the best tool to use to gauge one's progress. I use a tape measurer to measure my hips/waist/thighs periodically as well as the mirror to see if my muscles pop out.

And if I am active at all, I do best to eat all of my maintenance calories plus a little more. A 10%-15% caloric reduction is more suitable for me if I am really active. I think a lot of us get stuck in the mindset that if we don't restrict our intake per the expected "3500 = 1lb loss" (or 500-1000 cal per day deficit), we'll never lose weight/get lean. That's not always true.

Thing is, if you are looking to build lean muscle mass and lose body fat, you need to eat enough nutritious food in order for your body to create the new metabolically active muscle tissue. If you workout and you don't fuel your recovery, your body won't be able to adapt. I'm not saying go overboard and eat as much of anything you want. You'll still need to eat reasonable portions of the most nutritious food available to you. It's just that you may find that you are already at an appropriate weight, but you need to shift the weight so your body composition contains more muscle than fat.

I've had great results in the past by keeping a daily caloric deficit of only 100-200 calories when I am active. The trick is to get enough resistance training in so that your body builds muscle instead of just burning it off via cardio. You can also look to adjust and *kitten* your progress after 4-6 weeks to see if what you're doing is working. And when starting a new, more vigorous exercise program, keep your caloric deficit as low as possible for the first week while your body is adjusting. Once you are no longer sore, start slowly increasing your calorie deficit. You can do this each day, or weekly if necessary.

So if you are a normal weight and would like to get lean, get more resistance training along with some regular cardio and don't be afraid to lower your daily caloric deficit to an appropriate range per your activity. You can also do body weight exercises to start (like pushups, pull ups, lunges, squats) and do super high reps (+25 per move) at a quick pace with very few breaks between moves.

I would recommend too that it is best to listen to you body. If you're hungry (not bored or thirsty) eat a small portion (fist sized) of something nutritious. Stop and gauge how you feel and see if your energy levels are better. Everyone is different, so what works for me may not work for you. Just don't give up. And don't be afraid to eat if you need to.

hemlock2010

Thanks for the explanation of fat loss vs muscle loss, Robin.

I'm a 205lb woman (5' 3"). I don't know my body fat percentage, but I'm sure it's high, since I only recently started any kind of serious exercise. I want to both lose fat and gain muscle, but I not sure whether I mean gain muscle mass or just keep the muscle mass I have and add strength. That's been a topic on the boards before, but I still don't really understand how it works.

So if I want to lose weight and gain strength (which I'm guessing is part of the goal for "experienced lifters within the high intensity realm"?), what do I need to do and how often?

I'm losing 2-3 pounds/month, and I'm okay with losing that slowly because I'm more concerned about a sustainable change than rapid weight loss. I eat maintenance calories (1900 per day) and do cardio 5-6 times/week, stretch 3-4 times/week, and do no special weight training. Some of my cardio is martial arts, and I am noticing some muscle development resulting from that, but not a lot.

Thanks to all of you for your informative posts.

Lean body mass is not lost but usually added IF, and a BIG IF, you perform intense weight/strength training. Beginners performing an intense program should start 3 times a week, then dropping to twice, then dropping to 3 workouts in 14 days. Those that truly learn how lift with max intensity will eventually be able to get by on 1 workout in 7-10 days.

If you're an experienced lifter within the high intensity realm it's the best way to lean up following a diet you have shown takes fat off your own body.

ladyhawk00

Bump

Rnjennmcc

Thank you Robin for an excellent informative article

and Bump:bigsmile:

ladyhawk00

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PoleBoy

to be honest I'm struggling to stick to eating my target calories. I recognised I was overdoing it, so for the last 3 weeks I've been sticking to it, but I'm not enjoying putting on weight. I'm going to stick to it until the end of March, but if I'm still gaining by then I'm going to give it up as a bad job.

My Ki Fit (UK name for BodyMedia's BodyBugg) tells me I have an average daily deficit of 1300 calories when I eat 1500, but I've put on two and a half pounds this week. Some of that will be muscle, but I'm not convinced that the Omron is right when it says I've lost two pounds of fat

epeebes

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hanna541

yes ITS TRUE ASK A DOCTOR 3,500 IS ONE POUND

pyro13g

Science never said 3500 = 1lb fat. Science said 3500 = 1lb weight loss. Marketing spread the lie of it all being fat.

bevpulse

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callipygianchronicle

Missed this the first time around. Thank you for this thorough explanation.

edorice

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Fesse

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mikeyml

This is a great post and I'm kind of sad that I didn't get a chance to read it sooner. I think all people trying to lose weight on this site should read this.

abihaila

bump