Do 3500 calories lost = 1 pound lost over long haul?

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peterdt
peterdt Posts: 820 Member
in Success Stories
I had a pretty big revelation today. I went back and recorded all my exercise and food for the last 6 months since I started. Though the records are not complete and I had to do some estimating (about 5% of the time for food only).

I recorded the following in a spreadsheet. I set my daily basic calorie need (BMR) to 2500 calories. Charts say my daily BMR should have been higher at the beginning of course and gradually goes down as I lose the weight. The BMR calculator said it should be just over 3000 calories when I started and reduce 7 calories for every pound I lose. But I did not use that, I used 2500 calories in my calculation. To be really accurate for the BMR I think I would need to get that measured more accurately just for me ( I know there are ways).

Deduced the calories I actually ate and added the exercise. for example, 2500 - 2000 calories eaten - 1100 calories exercise = 1600 calories excess. There are 3500 calories in a pound. It worked out very close over a month period to what I actually did lose. I was quite surprised.

Before I did this I thought that the numbers were actually quite a bit different, but when taking all numbers into account it is very close. That means (for me at least) that losing weight is really a numbers game. But if you take the calculated BMR into account my monthly loss should have been about 4 more pounds. Now I am motivated to get a more accurate reading on my BMR. I am thinking maybe on average I might have been off by 400-500 calories in my calories consumption estimates to account for this differential.

I think I was paying too much attention to the day to day or even week to week changes that did not reflect what going on month to month. The month to month was accurate for all 6 months, or very close. This may be an indictment of the scale since daily or weekly weight fluctuations can be quite discouraging. It was discouraging for me when I would string together some great days and have no or little loss, sometime even a gain.

This really encourages me to keep at it. It makes me really think twice before I go off "plan" since the effects are quite direct. I "knew" this before but did not realize how directly accurate the 3500 calories in a pound really was.

I use a HRM to measure my calories burned while at the gym.

Wondering if anyone else had similar results? If you've been recording your calories for less than a month please DO NOT respond. If you have not been honest in recording of your calories please do NOT respond.

I would like to simply hear if others have had similar findings? Do net calories lost directly link to the amount of weight lost?
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Replies

  • poeco76
    poeco76 Posts: 139 Member
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    For me, no. I've been recording for just over 8 months, and my losses are not what they should be if I calculate my BMR, calories consumed, and exercise done. From my calculations, at this point in time (if 3500 = 1 lb), I should've lost just over 85 lbs (I'm at 62.5 right now). I do record accurately (measure foods, with the exception of rare meals out, which I tend to actually over-estimate). While I want to believe the 3500 calories lost will equate to 1 lb loss, it just doesn't seem to happen for me. I've learned to live with it because I'm losing - regardless of the exact calculations. :O)
  • restoreleanne
    restoreleanne Posts: 217 Member
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    I have started to not belive it any more. My 1st year I did great and it worked of me. At this ponit I eat about 1700 cals a day( bmr 1620) and burn about 500 (6 days a week). Some week I will put on weight last month 10 pounds. I measure and weight everything I have mixed thing up but nothing works any more. Good luck
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    thank you for your feedback on this. I guess for me too I've lost 33 pounds so far, but should have been about 57. Unlike you I often estimate the calories and don't measure portions much of the time. Regardless, I am happy with my results so far and feeling better and better day by day. thanks again.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    For me, no. I've been recording for just over 8 months, and my losses are not what they should be if I calculate my BMR, calories consumed, and exercise done. From my calculations, at this point in time (if 3500 = 1 lb), I should've lost just over 85 lbs (I'm at 62.5 right now). I do record accurately (measure foods, with the exception of rare meals out, which I tend to actually over-estimate). While I want to believe the 3500 calories lost will equate to 1 lb loss, it just doesn't seem to happen for me. I've learned to live with it because I'm losing - regardless of the exact calculations. :O)

    thank you for your feedback on this. I guess for me too I've lost 33 pounds so far, but should have been about 57. Unlike you I often estimate the calories and don't measure portions much of the time. Regardless, I am happy with my results so far and feeling better and better day by day. thanks again.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    I have started to not belive it any more. My 1st year I did great and it worked of me. At this ponit I eat about 1700 cals a day( bmr 1620) and burn about 500 (6 days a week). Some week I will put on weight last month 10 pounds. I measure and weight everything I have mixed thing up but nothing works any more. Good luck

    thank you for the feedback. Sorry to hear you are having some setbacks.
  • poeco76
    poeco76 Posts: 139 Member
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    thank you for your feedback on this. I guess for me too I've lost 33 pounds so far, but should have been about 57. Unlike you I often estimate the calories and don't measure portions much of the time. Regardless, I am happy with my results so far and feeling better and better day by day. thanks again.

    That's all we can ask for! To feel good at the end of (and throughout) the day. :O)
  • arikag
    arikag Posts: 94 Member
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    Not sure if this is the case but I feel like just because you loose 1 lb of fat doesn't mean that it will always show up on the scale- if you're building muscle as well it could be that you're loosing fat but not lowering your scale number. Does that make sense?
  • Doesntplaynice82
    Doesntplaynice82 Posts: 119 Member
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    Keep in mind that calories in food and calories burned is not an exact science. Just because your bag of popcorn says it is 100 calories, in reality it could be 120 calories because this bag has 10 more kernals than the last one! Its a really close estimate but not an exact science.

    Also I agree with the last poster, if you are putting on muscles you may be gaining weight from muscle mass and losing fat. Dont rely on the scale alone....just look at your body and the measurments :)
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    Not sure if this is the case but I feel like just because you loose 1 lb of fat doesn't mean that it will always show up on the scale- if you're building muscle as well it could be that you're loosing fat but not lowering your scale number. Does that make sense?

    understood. but what I am looking for is hard numbers from people to try to get a better understanding of the calorie/pound ratio.

    what you just mentioned could be a factor also to be sure. muscle loss could also be invovled. so many variables but perhaps there is a megatrend to be found.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    Keep in mind that calories in food and calories burned is not an exact science. Just because your bag of popcorn says it is 100 calories, in reality it could be 120 calories because this bag has 10 more kernals than the last one! Its a really close estimate but not an exact science.

    Also I agree with the last poster, if you are putting on muscles you may be gaining weight from muscle mass and losing fat. Dont rely on the scale alone....just look at your body and the measurments :)

    thanks for your feedback. BUT what I was asking for is YOUR actual results, not your opinion.
  • dianita01
    dianita01 Posts: 19 Member
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    Yup, it's always been true for me. In fact, looking at it as a numbers game is what motivated me to keep going. I would break down my goal into days- I always knew how long it would take me to reach a certain weight, provided I stuck to my eating and exercise plan properly (no cheat days, etc.) Isn't it great? :)

    Of course, the only time that the scale didn't really show true was when I started weight lifting. That's when I started measuring instead because the scale was NOT my friend.
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
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    You might find this interesting
    Http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/3500-calories-to-lose-a-pound-is-this-formula-all-wrong-237.html
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    bump for later
  • sadyel
    sadyel Posts: 250
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    If your working out your muscles will hold water to repair, plus and muscle built will add on to weight I think gettin body fat tested and measuring is the best way to go the scales dont always show the true fat loss
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Yup, it's always been true for me. In fact, looking at it as a numbers game is what motivated me to keep going. I would break down my goal into days- I always knew how long it would take me to reach a certain weight, provided I stuck to my eating and exercise plan properly (no cheat days, etc.) Isn't it great? :)

    Of course, the only time that the scale didn't really show true was when I started weight lifting. That's when I started measuring instead because the scale was NOT my friend.

    care to share some actual data?
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    If your working out your muscles will hold water to repair, plus and muscle built will add on to weight I think gettin body fat tested and measuring is the best way to go the scales dont always show the true fat loss

    thanks for your feedback. BUT what I was asking for is YOUR actual results, not your opinion.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    You might find this interesting
    Http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/3500-calories-to-lose-a-pound-is-this-formula-all-wrong-237.html
    \

    this in an interesting and detailed article. thank you for pointing it. can you share YOUR actual results far? are you on the Tom Venuto diet?
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
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    thanks for your feedback. BUT what I was asking for is YOUR actual results, not your opinion.
    You keep saying this and it's a bit rude.

    The whole number game is estimates built on estimates. The calories in the food is estimated. The amount of fat in your body is estimated. The number of calories burned is estimated. The amount that it takes to burn the estimated amount of fat is estimated. The amount your body consumes at rest is estimated. The amount you burn when you exercise is estimated. Even the best scientific studies and tests under the most controlled conditions still have to rely on estimates, guesses, and assumptions. Add to that every person is different, there is no magic formula.
  • iceqieen
    iceqieen Posts: 897 Member
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    Oh and your BMR is an estimate - not exact.. unless you really did take a complicated test at a clinic ;)

    so the "doesnt work for me" could just be "my BMR is actually different from what I thought it was".

    Was for me. Measured everything for 12 weeks - and found that the BMR estimate was 2-300 cal too high. fixing that, then the whole thing made sense and was actually pretty accurate.
  • nhradeuce
    nhradeuce Posts: 168 Member
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    You're not going to find what you are looking for. As has already been mentioned, short of some very controlled and very pricey testing done in a clinic, you have no way to know your actual BMR, actual caloric intake, and actual calories burned. You also have to consider body composition and water retention on top of all that. There are just too many variables that are near impossible to nail down accurately to say for sure. At the end of the day, you have to adjust the numbers that you are using to get the amount of weight loss you want to achieve.

    I have MFP setup for a 1.5 lb/week loss right now but I am actually losing more like 2-2.5 lb/week. I tend to overestimate my food and underestimate my exercise so it's not surprising at all that I lose more than I should. I also expect that to slow down now that I have changed my workouts as I should be putting on more muscle.

    The point is, if you are not losing as fast as you like, eat less or exercise more. Or try something different if you don't like the results. Do more heavy weight and less cardio or vice versa. As long as you keep losing and getting fit, what's the rush? This is a lifetime commitment, not something that you forget about once you get to your goal weight.

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