Weight loss/calories

Jenna_m_85

Hey guys....I need some help! In the last few weeks Ive started my new diet and also joined the gym. Im trying to only consume 1200 calories a day, and can only work out 3/4 times a week. Now what I need help with is this as Im a little confused.
Im consumming around 1200 calories a day or less, now do I need to aim to burn 1200 calories at each gym session to loose weight?
Each gym session I do im not burning anymore then 400 and I thought this was good for me..but Ive been told that I need to burn more then I consume to loose weight?? Please help ........

Jenna_m_85

soo If you burn 400 cals at the gym its ment to give you another 400 to consume during the day yes? How does this work? Isnt that back tracking

yarwell

think of it like money :-

Your body spends your BMR say 1400 cals a day, plus you move about and spend another 300 say to make a spend of 1700.

If you weren't to exercise and wanted to lose 1 pound a week you would subtract 500 from that and need an income of 1200

That is you'll spend 1700, get 1200 from food and 500 from your fat reserves.

That's how MFP works.

If you want to exercise 500 calories on top of the above then you're spending another 500 and either need to eat it or use it from reserves. With the numbers above eating at least some of the 500 would probably be wise.That help ?

bethmac_va

I'll tell you what I am doing.

My BMR is 1325. That's what it takes for my body to survive, at the very minimum. I normally live a sedentary lifestyle, but I do get up and go to work every day, so I typically burn around 1600 calories a day. I am on an 1100 calorie diet, which will mean I will lose 1 lb a week (1 lb = 3500 calories).

I burn another 1200 a week in exercise, which is roughly a third of a pound more.

Just remember that 1 lb is 3500 calories.

Hope that helps.

ladyraven68

The stickied threads above will explain it very well - start with this one

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again