Quick Question, please explain this for me.

emilybackway
emilybackway Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Today, I had an apple and went out for a run and burned 224 calories then did additional exercise which burned more calories so probably around 330. Then I had breakfast which was 348 calories. Did I just ruin whatever exercise I did? or can I still create a deficit by the end of the day leaving 330 calories behind?

Replies

  • florymonde
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member
    So, you've eaten about 400 calories, and exercised over 500 calories worth? You're already at a deficit, not even factoring in your non-exercising caloric needs.

    You probably don't want to be focusing so closely on the numbers, anyway. They're all approximations, so don't put too much stock in them. As the saying goes, they make a good teacher (guidelines) but a bad master (absolute rules).
  • sinfinity
    sinfinity Posts: 4
    You absolutely have not ruined the exercise you've done.

    The whole idea is to find what your body needs throughout the course of the whole day just to maintain your weight, then create a deficit from there according to the weight you want to lose. You don't want to burn off calories equal to what you eat! So right now you're at a net of 18 calories. If your daily goal is 1500, you've still got 1482 calories to eat and still be under goal!

    I hope that helps - and that it answered your question!
  • emilybackway
    emilybackway Posts: 8 Member
    So, you've eaten about 400 calories, and exercised over 500 calories worth? You're already at a deficit, not even factoring in your non-exercising caloric needs.

    You probably don't want to be focusing so closely on the numbers, anyway. They're all approximations, so don't put too much stock in them. As the saying goes, they make a good teacher (guidelines) but a bad master (absolute rules).

    No no, I mean only 330 in total for all the exercising I did.
  • emilybackway
    emilybackway Posts: 8 Member
    You absolutely have not ruined the exercise you've done.

    The whole idea is to find what your body needs throughout the course of the whole day just to maintain your weight, then create a deficit from there according to the weight you want to lose. You don't want to burn off calories equal to what you eat! So right now you're at a net of 18 calories. If your daily goal is 1500, you've still got 1482 calories to eat and still be under goal!

    I hope that helps - and that it answered your question!

    ahhhhhh, gotcha. Thanks!
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Also, don't focus on exercise as strictly a numbers game. I think of it as good stress relief, revving your metabolism, making your heart and lungs a litlte stronger, etc. Even if you eat back every calorie you expended exercising, the exercise still did you a benefit.
  • sinfinity
    sinfinity Posts: 4

    ahhhhhh, gotcha. Thanks!

    Happy to help! If you have questions on the whole numbers thing and how it works, feel free to message me. Everyone's right in that it's not ALL that matters...but it is a helpful guideline - even more so if you understand the reasoning behind it!

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