One pound of fat is 3500 calories.....

TheNewCrystal

Ok, so can someone explain something to me?? When they say "burn 500 more calories a day than you eat and youll lose 1 lb a week does that include your BMR? (I hope this question makes sense)

Scenario:

For example... A 5'6" 180lb, 26 year old females BMR (the amount of calories your body burns at rest) is 1626.

If you eat 1200 calories a day your caloric defecit is 426. (You should lose 0.852 pounds per week)

If you exercise and burn 300 calories everyday then the defecit will be a total of 726 calories. (You should lose 1.452 pounds per week)

Or... are we supposed to eat, for example, 1200 calories a day AND burn 1700 calories a day? That seems almost impossible to me, not that its impossible to burn that many calories a day but it seems like theres not enough hours in the day to accomplish that.

*The numbers I chose are just random, but my calculations should be correct, but if Im wrong please tell me!

RLeighP

Well, your BMR is the amount of calories your body would burn just sustaining life. What your body would burn if you were in a coma. That's not your typical person.

Getting up and moving burns calories. Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is a more accurate portrayal of what you burn in a day. Mine is around 2500 calories, and I have a desk job.

If you are eating 1200 calories and burning 300, you need to eat 1500 in total to balance that out.

See, MFP puts you at a calorie deficit so that you will lose weight even if you don't work out. So, if you do, you should eat back those calories. (There are many different views on this)

I hope that answers some questions, and I may be confused but did you really mean burning 1700 calories and only eating 1200? Just a tip, your net calories should never be in the negative.

Glucocorticoid

Your BMR is not your maintenance caloric intake.

susannamarie

Don't forget that your body burns calories just existing. You shouldn't be burning 1700 from exercise alone, but from existing AND exercising.

TheNewCrystal

That was my question... Is MFP factoring in your BMR? My assumption is it has to, because its not possible for me to eat 1200 calories/day & burn 1700 to maintain a 500/day defecit in order to lose 1 lb/week. I think after typing the entry before I basically walked myself to the answer.

So if I set my daily intake to 1200 calories, and burn say 300 calories/day I should eat 1500 right? And Ill still lose pounds right? Because if Im only eating 1200 calories/day Id lose weight even if I didnt exercise at all??

I think I got my answer but thanks for everyone chiming in.

And NO WAY am I burning 1700 calories a day! Today was my highest caloric burn and that was only 902. But thanks for your concern!

rainbowbow

MFP calculates your goal like this-

BMR x 1.2 for sedentary , 1.3 for lightly active, 1.4 for active, etc.

This calculates your tdee. Then it creates a deficit depending on your weight loss per week you select. 250 less for half pound, 500 calories less for 1 pound, 750 for 1.5 pounds, 1000 for 2 pounds.

Here's just an example!

Say your BMR is 1500 and you are sedentary. The math goes like this!

BMR 1500 x sedentary 1.2 = TDEE 1800 calories to maintain your weight

Create a deficit! Select 1 lb loss per week (500 calories a day).

Your goal = 1300 calories to lose 1lb per week.

Because you are already eating at a 1lb loss per week deficit any calories you burn with exercise you eat back so you net 1300 calories per day.

Creating too high of a deficit, especially if you are not OBESE will hinder your weight loss goals. It's generally best to stick to a moderate/small deficit will ensure slow, sustainable weight loss. DO NOT eat below your BMR. You should be netting as close to the goal given by MFP. As long as you are netting below your TDEE and above your BMR you are on the right track!



Also, FYI you don't have to "burn 500 a day" to lose 1 lb a week. What that means is you have to be 500 calories less than your tdee.

Hope that helps!

That was my question... Is MFP factoring in your BMR? My assumption is it has to, because its not possible for me to eat 1200 calories/day & burn 1700 to maintain a 500/day defecit in order to lose 1 lb/week. I think after typing the entry before I basically walked myself to the answer.

So if I set my daily intake to 1200 calories, and burn say 300 calories/day I should eat 1500 right? And Ill still lose pounds right? Because if Im only eating 1200 calories/day Id lose weight even if I didnt exercise at all??

I think I got my answer but thanks for everyone chiming in.

And NO WAY am I burning 1700 calories a day! Today was my highest caloric burn and that was only 902. But thanks for your concern!

TheNewCrystal

For some reason this has been the hardest math equation Ive ever had to do, AND it was nearly impossible to word my question correctly so it made sense! LOL Thanks everyone, I think I got it now!

MFP calculates your goal like this-

BMR x 1.2 for sedentary , 1.3 for lightly active, 1.4 for active, etc.

This calculates your tdee. Then it creates a deficit depending on your weight loss per week you select. 250 less for half pound, 500 calories less for 1 pound, 750 for 1.5 pounds, 1000 for 2 pounds.

Here's just an example!

Say your BMR is 1500 and you are sedentary. The math goes like this!

BMR 1500 x sedentary 1.2 = TDEE 1800 calories to maintain your weight

Create a deficit! Select 1 lb loss per week (500 calories a day).

Your goal = 1300 calories to lose 1lb per week.

Because you are already eating at a 1lb loss per week deficit any calories you burn with exercise you eat back so you net 1300 calories per day.

Creating too high of a deficit, especially if you are not OBESE will hinder your weight loss goals. It's generally best to stick to a moderate/small deficit will ensure slow, sustainable weight loss. DO NOT eat below your BMR. You should be netting as close to the goal given by MFP. As long as you are netting below your TDEE and above your BMR you are on the right track!



Also, FYI you don't have to "burn 500 a day" to lose 1 lb a week. What that means is you have to be 500 calories less than your tdee.

Hope that helps!

jameslis

Hey everyone. I have been using fitness pal for awhile. I am curious though when I put in my exercise n it calculates it into my caloric intake am I able to eat the amount of calories I still have left? Or do I still eat the 1410it says I should eat to lose weight. It says I should only eat 1410 with out exercise n sometimes when I exercise I still eat only 1410 or even less. N I don't see the weight loss

ladyraven68

Hey everyone. I have been using fitness pal for awhile. I am curious though when I put in my exercise n it calculates it into my caloric intake am I able to eat the amount of calories I still have left? Or do I still eat the 1410it says I should eat to lose weight. It says I should only eat 1410 with out exercise n sometimes when I exercise I still eat only 1410 or even less. N I don't see the weight loss

MFP ignores your exercise until you do it, so you can lose weight on diet alone eating at MFP numbers, but if you exercise you will make that defict bigger, so MFP lets you eat those calories back to keep the original defict you chose for 1lb a week etc.

A large defict made greater with exercise can be detrimental to fat loss.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

jameslis

Why would creating a high deficit if not obese create a problem to weight loss goal?

Captain_Tightpants

MFP assumes you are alive. Therefore it includes your BMR.

If you are not alive you will need to go over to MyCorpsePal.com

AmyParker979

If you are not alive you will need to go over to MyCorpsePal.com

Site's available, Captain... you should buy it.

Glucocorticoid

Why would creating a high deficit if not obese create a problem to weight loss goal?

It's exactly the opposite actually. The more obese you are, the more you can get away with a higher deficit without much LBM loss.

susannamarie

Why would creating a high deficit if not obese create a problem to weight loss goal?

Most people have the goal of not just losing weight, but looking and being healthy. Losing muscle can interfere with that.

When you are quite obese, you have a lot of fat for your body to live off. Usually you can afford to run a higher deficit with all those fat cells. That's what they're for, after all.

When you get leaner, you don't have as much fat to live off. Your body starts converting muscle into energy as well. This usually isn't a good method long-term.

jameslis

Okay. I have another question. I know our bodies burn calories by just existing n if u were a acoma . Now I wore aheart rate monitor monitoring how many calories I burn at work. With also working out before work doing insanity I calculated at the end of work I burn 1000 calories . Now should I put in MFP the 1000 calories I burned at work of just the 350 I burned while doing insanity In the morning?

suziecue66

Okay. I have another question. I know our bodies burn calories by just existing n if u were a acoma . Now I wore aheart rate monitor monitoring how many calories I burn at work. With also working out before work doing insanity I calculated at the end of work I burn 1000 calories . Now should I put in MFP the 1000 calories I burned at work of just the 350 I burned while doing insanity In the morning?

Just the 350

ladyraven68

Okay. I have another question. I know our bodies burn calories by just existing n if u were a acoma . Now I wore aheart rate monitor monitoring how many calories I burn at work. With also working out before work doing insanity I calculated at the end of work I burn 1000 calories . Now should I put in MFP the 1000 calories I burned at work of just the 350 I burned while doing insanity In the morning?

Just the 350.

But also make sure the daily (non-exercise) activity level in MFP is accurate.

i.e a waitress on their feet all day burns more calories through the day than an office worker sat at their desk.

ElizabethRoad

For some reason this has been the hardest math equation Ive ever had to do, AND it was nearly impossible to word my question correctly so it made sense! LOL Thanks everyone, I think I got it now!

But you don't need to DO the equation. You just plug your numbers into MFP and it calculates for you.

jameslis

Yeah I am a camp counselor so I would assume I would be under the waitress one?!?!

jameslis

Okay so I am just curious if MFP is accurate because when I calculate what my bmr is on other calculators its not the same. For my self I have 69 inches weigh 150 and I want to get to 140 but look lean. I do participate in the insanity work outs at least 4-5 times a week. MFP says I should eat 1420 calories and I sometimes don't eat back my calories I burned off. I am not seeing any results. Is my deficient too high? Where my body goes in starvation mode, even if I stick too the 1420 caloric intake? A lot of other calculators say with my activity level I should be eating near the 2000.!?!?! So confused

Helloitsdan

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Should clear up some of these questions.

Prudiddy

Well, your BMR is the amount of calories your body would burn just sustaining life. What your body would burn if you were in a coma. That's not your typical person.

Getting up and moving burns calories. Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is a more accurate portrayal of what you burn in a day. Mine is around 2500 calories, and I have a desk job.

If you are eating 1200 calories and burning 300, you need to eat 1500 in total to balance that out.

See, MFP puts you at a calorie deficit so that you will lose weight even if you don't work out. So, if you do, you should eat back those calories. (There are many different views on this)

I hope that answers some questions, and I may be confused but did you really mean burning 1700 calories and only eating 1200? Just a tip, your net calories should never be in the negative.

Yes this! but by the time I log all the cals and exercise for the day it is too late to start eating back the buned cals, so off to bed.

Helloitsdan

Well, your BMR is the amount of calories your body would burn just sustaining life. What your body would burn if you were in a coma. That's not your typical person.

Getting up and moving burns calories. Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is a more accurate portrayal of what you burn in a day. Mine is around 2500 calories, and I have a desk job.

If you are eating 1200 calories and burning 300, you need to eat 1500 in total to balance that out.

See, MFP puts you at a calorie deficit so that you will lose weight even if you don't work out. So, if you do, you should eat back those calories. (There are many different views on this)

I hope that answers some questions, and I may be confused but did you really mean burning 1700 calories and only eating 1200? Just a tip, your net calories should never be in the negative.

Yes this! but by the time I log all the cals and exercise for the day it is too late to start eating back the buned cals, so off to bed.

So just eat the right amount of calories per day and you wont have a problem.
Figure out what your average burn is and just add it in.
You wont explode like a sausage if you over eat by 1 day.

rebeccalouise14

So can I please ask someone because math has never been my speciality.


I am 5"1 21 year old female. I weigh 140 pounds.

Now, 2 weeks ago I weighed like 143 pounds. Unfortunately, I don't know how many calories I was on before a day that made me go over weight. I have just eaten like mcdonalds and kfc's and stuff like that. I didn't note down how many calories i were eating a day.


So, to diet, and to loose weight, I have cut my calories down to 1000 a day and sometimes in the week i've not eaten that. I know this is apparently really bad for you, but I don't feel weak, tired, stressed or overworked... . 2 weeks ago this was WITHOUT exercise. Up until now, I have lost 3 pounds. however, just 2 days ago I have started a HIIT workout for 20 minutes this burns about 250 calories.


So I have tried to calculate how many calories I burn in a day just sitting around and doing nothing (my bmr calculator) and apparently I burn 1445 calories a day. -- I didn't know you burned calories by doing noting ! ha

and so Ive calculated how many calories i burn DOING exercise and its close to like 1700.

So my question is.... I want to lose 2 pounds a week - How many calories a day should I be eating in a day. I have no idea what this NET calories is in a day my NET calories are like between 700 - 1000 a day ... is that good or bad?? I don't want to harm my body, I just wanna lose some bloody weight haha


Thanks

NRSPAM

So can I please ask someone because math has never been my speciality.


I am 5"1 21 year old female. I weigh 140 pounds.

Now, 2 weeks ago I weighed like 143 pounds. Unfortunately, I don't know how many calories I was on before a day that made me go over weight. I have just eaten like mcdonalds and kfc's and stuff like that. I didn't note down how many calories i were eating a day.


So, to diet, and to loose weight, I have cut my calories down to 1000 a day and sometimes in the week i've not eaten that. I know this is apparently really bad for you, but I don't feel weak, tired, stressed or overworked... . 2 weeks ago this was WITHOUT exercise. Up until now, I have lost 3 pounds. however, just 2 days ago I have started a HIIT workout for 20 minutes this burns about 250 calories.


So I have tried to calculate how many calories I burn in a day just sitting around and doing nothing (my bmr calculator) and apparently I burn 1445 calories a day. -- I didn't know you burned calories by doing noting ! ha

and so Ive calculated how many calories i burn DOING exercise and its close to like 1700.

So my question is.... I want to lose 2 pounds a week - How many calories a day should I be eating in a day. I have no idea what this NET calories is in a day my NET calories are like between 700 - 1000 a day ... is that good or bad?? I don't want to harm my body, I just wanna lose some bloody weight haha


Thanks

Scroll up n read the other posts. Then read the link provided from helloitsdan. Very helpful.

Tigredia

Bump need answers also