Confused about burning vs consuming calories..

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tylerplaysmusic
tylerplaysmusic Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sorry if this is an obvious thing, I'm a bit lost on it.. I only started the other day, I'm sorry! I've read that I have to burn off more calories than I consume, but then I've also read that I should eat the calorie amount thats recommended and do the exercise amount recommended to lose a healthy amount..

Just for example, today I've got on my daily summary;
Goal: 1620
Food: 1318
- Exercise: 645
= NET: 673.

Do I need to burn another six or seven hundred, or am I on track?

Replies

  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
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    you need to EAT another seven hundred.
  • rsteinberg07
    rsteinberg07 Posts: 6
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    I work in the medical field, so let me explain.

    Your body burns calories while sleeping, breathing, walking, quite frankly im burning calories as I type this.

    An average male who weighs roughly 180 lbs. will burn about 2100-2300 Calories daily with very min. activity.

    Thats why they say if you consume about 2000 and do absolutly no activity you should never really gain weight. which is why if you eat less than that you will lose weight. Add in some excersise and you will lose even more.
  • deadyankee
    deadyankee Posts: 74
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    I'm sorry if this is an obvious thing, I'm a bit lost on it.. I only started the other day, I'm sorry! I've read that I have to burn off more calories than I consume, but then I've also read that I should eat the calorie amount thats recommended and do the exercise amount recommended to lose a healthy amount..

    Just for example, today I've got on my daily summary;
    Goal: 1620
    Food: 1318
    - Exercise: 645
    = NET: 673.

    Do I need to burn another six or seven hundred, or am I on track?

    The 645 you quote is calories burned during specific exercise. You also burn a lot of calories during the day and night just by breathing, watching tv etc etc. You don't need to burn off every calorie that you eat by doing weight training or running! Read up on Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and it'll start to make more sense to you
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    What they mean by you have to burn more than you eat is total calories burned, not just calories burned from exercise. To see how many cals you burn with no exercise go to your goals tab and look at the top right, "calories burned from normal daily activity" If you eat less than that you lose weight. If you exercise you increase that number and as such can eat more and still lose weight.

    So if that number shows 2,000 you can eat up to 2,000 and still lose weight. If you burn 600 in the gym you can now eat up to 2,600 and lose weight (500 cals below this number will lead to about a 1 lb/week weight loss)
  • tylerplaysmusic
    tylerplaysmusic Posts: 37 Member
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    Okay I think I'm starting to get this, the 1600 ish I've been recommended by MFP is enough to lose weight on its own, right? And then that, combined with some exercise, should get this thing happening! Its a relief knowing I don't have to burn every single calorie I take in, I was under the impression thats what was necessary!! I'll have a read up on TDEE now, thank you so much guys!
  • deadyankee
    deadyankee Posts: 74
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    Okay I think I'm starting to get this, the 1600 ish I've been recommended by MFP is enough to lose weight on its own, right? And then that, combined with some exercise, should get this thing happening! Its a relief knowing I don't have to burn every single calorie I take in, I was under the impression thats what was necessary!! I'll have a read up on TDEE now, thank you so much guys!

    Yep. Just be aware that most measures of exercise over-estimate the volume of calories expended. So be cautious about your figure of 645 when deciding whether you are going to eat back any of those burned calories..
  • tylerplaysmusic
    tylerplaysmusic Posts: 37 Member
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    Okay I think I'm starting to get this, the 1600 ish I've been recommended by MFP is enough to lose weight on its own, right? And then that, combined with some exercise, should get this thing happening! Its a relief knowing I don't have to burn every single calorie I take in, I was under the impression thats what was necessary!! I'll have a read up on TDEE now, thank you so much guys!

    Yep. Just be aware that most measures of exercise over-estimate the volume of calories expended. So be cautious about your figure of 645 when deciding whether you are going to eat back any of those burned calories..

    Okay, yeah I don't think I'll be playing with fire too much, maybe just some grapes while I watch a movie tonight haha!

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