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Eating 1250 calories a day, how much should I burn?

Sevh91
Sevh91 Posts: 9
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'2, female and weigh 150 last I checked. But I'm not too worried about the number on the scale. I mostly want to lose inches. But if I'm eating 1250 calories a day, how much should I be burning?

Replies

  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    Bump!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    There is no causal relationship between how many calories you're eating and how many calories you need to burn. Eat at a moderate deficit. Exercise ideally 6x/week - 3 cardio and 3 strength training sessions. You'll burn as many calories as you burn.
  • jdier
    jdier Posts: 110 Member
    Make sure that you're netting above your BMR (after exercise calories) so as not to kick your body into starvation mode...
  • fairc3jam
    fairc3jam Posts: 136 Member
    Make sure that you're netting above your BMR (after exercise calories) so as not to kick your body into starvation mode...

    Agreed! You may not be eating enough. Did you do the bmr calculator?
  • knowwhentoshutup
    knowwhentoshutup Posts: 318 Member
    Search the boards for some posts about finding your BMR and TDEE, then figure out what your body needs.

    You should always net above your BMR (base metabolic rate), which is what your body needs to function if you were to do nothing but lay in bed. Again, net means calories consumed minus calories expended during exercise.

    I don't have the link many people reference, but I think it is fat2fit bmr calculator which can be found on google.

    Good luck!
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
    Do you plan to eat your exercise calories back, so you would be maintaining a moderate deficit?

    If yes, burn as much as you want. Aim for at least 25-30 minutes of light cardio exercise like walking everyday, or do more intense exercise 5-6 days a week. For the more intense exercise, do 2-3 days a week of primarily weight training with a short cardio warm up.

    I no, stick to 20-30 minutes of light cardio like walking or you will likely start running short of energy pretty quickly.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Search the boards for some posts about finding your BMR and TDEE, then figure out what your body needs.

    You should always net above your BMR (base metabolic rate), which is what your body needs to function if you were to do nothing but lay in bed. Again, net means calories consumed minus calories expended during exercise.

    I don't have the link many people reference, but I think it is fat2fit bmr calculator which can be found on google.

    Good luck!

    This is a good one to start with.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    none

    ur eating way below ur bmr
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    I just did the BMR, it said 2,232. I never eat that much, even when I'm not exercising. I don't eat that bad but I think my problem is mainly that I never used to exercise. Now I do about an hour and a half of cardio and strength and thirty minutes of pilates, usually. This thing is all new to me, I have no idea what I'm doing.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I just did the BMR, it said 2,232. I never eat that much, even when I'm not exercising. I don't eat that bad but I think my problem is mainly that I never used to exercise. Now I do about an hour and a half of cardio and strength and thirty minutes of pilates, usually. This thing is all new to me, I have no idea what I'm doing.

    That is far to high to be your BMR at your height/weight. It sounds more like your TDEE.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Is that your exercise per week or per day?
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I'm 5'2, female and weigh 150 last I checked. But I'm not too worried about the number on the scale. I mostly want to lose inches. But if I'm eating 1250 calories a day, how much should I be burning?

    You will burn your TDEE. Eating anywhere even slightly below TDEE will make you lose weight (yes, even if you don't exercise you burn your sedentary tdee). If that number you listed is your TDEE (Seems a little high to be your bmr for your size and height) you're eating about half of that.....:noway: :sick:
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
    I'm your height, though I am heavier. I am working out roughly 40-50 minutes a day 5 times a week doing various exercises, on average, and I eat 1,700-1,800 calories a day and am losing much better than back when I was eating 1,200. My TDEE is 2,400. Try eating about 500-600 less than your TDEE. You might gain initially from the bounce up, but it will quickly stabilize and then you'll start losing again in a month or so — but by eating closer to your TDEE you'll be happier since you're eating more and you can get in better nutrition while you're at it. Plus, when you go off your diet completely you'll be better off since you wont be going from 1,200 to 2,400 overnight.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    You should burn more than you eat. Roughly 500 more to lose 1lb a week.

    Or do you mean through exercise? Because that doesn't matter... just make sure you have an appropriate deficit and you aren't netting below your BMR. (net meaning what you eat minus how much you burn through exercise)
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    Is that your exercise per week or per day?

    Per day.
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    You should burn more than you eat. Roughly 500 more to lose 1lb a week.

    Or do you mean through exercise? Because that doesn't matter... just make sure you have an appropriate deficit and you aren't netting below your BMR. (net meaning what you eat minus how much you burn through exercise)

    So what should my deficit be?
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    Sorry, y'all are right. That was my TDEE. So, should I eat the amount of calories it says? I'm really confused!
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    Bump!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Sorry, y'all are right. That was my TDEE. So, should I eat the amount of calories it says? I'm really confused!

    Eating anywhere below TDEE will make you lose weight.

    3500calories=1lb of fat so you'll here a lot of people claiming if you cut out 500 calories you'll lose a pound, but not everything you burn is fat, so that's not exactly how it works (there's studies you can find online about it and calculators made by scientists etc).

    Long story short, eat slightly below TDEE to see a difference. If you under estimate your TDEE you might lose at that
  • Sevh91
    Sevh91 Posts: 9
    Sorry, y'all are right. That was my TDEE. So, should I eat the amount of calories it says? I'm really confused!

    Eating anywhere below TDEE will make you lose weight.

    3500calories=1lb of fat so you'll here a lot of people claiming if you cut out 500 calories you'll lose a pound, but not everything you burn is fat, so that's not exactly how it works (there's studies you can find online about it and calculators made by scientists etc).

    Long story short, eat slightly below TDEE to see a difference. If you under estimate your TDEE you might lose at that

    Thank you!
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