Burning more than you take in?

Jess0218
Jess0218 Posts: 138
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks...after watchin the biggest loser recently i heard Jillian say, basically, you have to burn more than you take in to lose weight. So im wondering have I got this all wrong? My calorie intake is 1200 a day..i dont burn 1200 a day usually..w/ excercise its usually about 800 or so. So will I not lose weight unless I burn 1201+ calories?

Replies

  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    Remember you are burning calories when you are not working out - even sleeping. You can see this on your goals page - left hand column (what MFP has calculated for you).
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    your body will need more than 1200 calories just to keep you alive. to lose weight you need to create a deficit between what you take in and what your body needs. at 1200 mpf creates this deficit which means you exercise you can also eat these calories because its accounted for already.
  • priskar
    priskar Posts: 156
    I'm sure there are those that can answer better than I can but, don't forget that you burn calories as you go about your average day - shopping, working, household chores, cooking, looking after a child if you have one...going about life in general. Exercise isn't the only way you burn calories. You can add to calories burned in little ways by parking in the furthest parking spaces, taking stairs, etc. on top of whatever exercise you do.

    For myself, I was told by my nutritionist, personal trainer and physician NOT to eat back exercise calories but then, I have a great deal of weight to lose. I'll be anxious to see how others respond. Good luck in your weight loss quest!
  • bsexton3
    bsexton3 Posts: 472 Member
    3,500 calories equals one pound. If you eat 3,500 more calories, in a given time, than you burn, you will gain one pound. And if you eat 3,500 less, you will lose. That is if you don't shut down your metabolism. A slower metabolism will actually use less calories. From what I have read, learned, etc., you would need to be in a healthy weight, with a short stature, to need less than 1,200 calories. If your BMR is under 1,200, maybe you should talk to your doctor.

    You can check your BMR calories under tools. This is how many calories you burn if you sleep all day.
  • smasucci
    smasucci Posts: 4
    I don't think you have to burn 1200 with exercise, remember your BMR-(use the tool under the tool tab for more information - you do burn some calories just by living and breathing). I'm at 1200 calories a day as well and burn about 250 in exercise a day and have still been losing.
  • vickiele1
    vickiele1 Posts: 394 Member
    I'm pretty sure she meant to include the basal metabolic rate, plus your exercise caloric burn - not just your caloric burn from exercise. If you add your calories burned just doing a normal day (BMR) to your calorie burned doing your exercise, you should be using more calories than you eat - that would equal weight reduction/fat burn.
  • maryrshstattoo
    maryrshstattoo Posts: 206 Member
    I'm not going to say she is wrong but I think maybe she should have said something like you need to stay at 1200 intake a day and if you want to eat more than you have to burn those calories off. So if you want to eat 1800 calories you need to burn 600 at least. Hope this helps.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    this site figures what your body needs to just survive. Then it subtracts some calories so that you're already at a deficit of calories to help with weight loss.

    So say the site gives you 1600 cal. to just survive a day. Then they subtract 200 calories and tell you to eat 1400 cals a day. So already you are taking in less then you're burning...

    Does this help?

    That's why when you exercise they tell you to eat those calories. Don't go below 1200 per day or your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto everything you consume.
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    Don't go below 1200 per day or your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto everything you consume.

    not strictly true if your exercising but its not healthy to go below 1200 anyway
  • Jess0218
    Jess0218 Posts: 138
    Remember you are burning calories when you are not working out - even sleeping. You can see this on your goals page - left hand column (what MFP has calculated for you).

    Ok, i just looked at that tab you said and it says from "normal daily activity" 1,690 So does this number represent what I burn doing nothing but breathing? Sorry to sound like such a dink..haha this just gets confusing sometimes and I cant afford a trainer and everything on the internet is so all over the place with there info I just wish there was a way to simply put what I need to do to lose these extra 15lbs! oi vey! :noway: haha
  • Jess0218
    Jess0218 Posts: 138
    Thanks to all of you for tryin to help me. maybe i make it to confusing for myself to figure out what i need to do? I think over time all the stuff ive' read online has just confused me more. lol which isnt hard to do. hahaaha I always tell my hubby to talk to me like im 2..:laugh: .so I will say the same to yous too. LOL :laugh:
  • Jess0218
    Jess0218 Posts: 138
    3,500 calories equals one pound. If you eat 3,500 more calories, in a given time, than you burn, you will gain one pound. And if you eat 3,500 less, you will lose. That is if you don't shut down your metabolism. A slower metabolism will actually use less calories. From what I have read, learned, etc., you would need to be in a healthy weight, with a short stature, to need less than 1,200 calories. If your BMR is under 1,200, maybe you should talk to your doctor.

    You can check your BMR calories under tools. This is how many calories you burn if you sleep all day.


    just checked my BMR and it said 1353. So what is the calories burned number of 1690 under "goals" that I got?
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    for example... for me to maintain my current weight I need 1540 calories. If I exercise I need to eat those to maintain because thats the number my body burns through just my normal life activities and breathing!

    so to lose weight if I stick to 1200 the weight drops off... if I exercise then I eat those too or some of them sometimes leaving a 100 if im not 100% on the numbers ive entered.

    My daily activity level is set to the lowest one so if I have a very busy day and ive been on my feet rushing about all day just through my daily activities not exercise this would impact the amount of calories my body needs. Just double check the activity level you have set for yourself on mfp and then you should be good to go :) honestly this works!
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    3,500 calories equals one pound. If you eat 3,500 more calories, in a given time, than you burn, you will gain one pound. And if you eat 3,500 less, you will lose. That is if you don't shut down your metabolism. A slower metabolism will actually use less calories. From what I have read, learned, etc., you would need to be in a healthy weight, with a short stature, to need less than 1,200 calories. If your BMR is under 1,200, maybe you should talk to your doctor.

    You can check your BMR calories under tools. This is how many calories you burn if you sleep all day.


    just checked my BMR and it said 1353. So what is the calories burned number of 1690 under "goals" that I got?

    1353 bmr is what ur body needs to keep you alive 1690 is your bmr + your daily activities.

    If you ate 1353 and lay in bed all day you wouldnt gain weight - you wouldnt have much muscle tone but you wouldnt gain..... obviously a normal person does other things like washing dishes and going to work... thats where the 1690 comes from. By eating 1200 your creating a decifit so your body will lose weight and maintain its metabolism
  • Jess0218
    Jess0218 Posts: 138
    I'm pretty sure she meant to include the basal metabolic rate, plus your exercise caloric burn - not just your caloric burn from exercise. If you add your calories burned just doing a normal day (BMR) to your calorie burned doing your exercise, you should be using more calories than you eat - that would equal weight reduction/fat burn.

    ok, i think i might have it after readin your quote...hehe I have a BMR of 1353..calories burned just today were 770 =2123. my calorie intake are set at 1200. so my calories burned today were 2123, i took in roughly 1200 so there is a 923 difference. I so suck w/ math stuff so I guess maybe I got it now?? what do you think? LOL
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    I'm pretty sure she meant to include the basal metabolic rate, plus your exercise caloric burn - not just your caloric burn from exercise. If you add your calories burned just doing a normal day (BMR) to your calorie burned doing your exercise, you should be using more calories than you eat - that would equal weight reduction/fat burn.

    ok, i think i might have it after readin your quote...hehe I have a BMR of 1353..calories burned just today were 770 =2123. my calorie intake are set at 1200. so my calories burned today were 2123, i took in roughly 1200 so there is a 923 difference. I so suck w/ math stuff so I guess maybe I got it now?? what do you think? LOL
    [/quote

    where did the 770 burned come from? exercise? x
  • Jess0218
    Jess0218 Posts: 138
    I'm pretty sure she meant to include the basal metabolic rate, plus your exercise caloric burn - not just your caloric burn from exercise. If you add your calories burned just doing a normal day (BMR) to your calorie burned doing your exercise, you should be using more calories than you eat - that would equal weight reduction/fat burn.

    ok, i think i might have it after readin your quote...hehe I have a BMR of 1353..calories burned just today were 770 =2123. my calorie intake are set at 1200. so my calories burned today were 2123, i took in roughly 1200 so there is a 923 difference. I so suck w/ math stuff so I guess maybe I got it now?? what do you think? LOL
    [/quote

    where did the 770 burned come from? exercise? x

    Yes, it came from my excercise today.
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