Healthy calorie burning?

nfpeacock
nfpeacock Posts: 38 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone
Was just wondering if anyone knew of a way to work our a healthy calorie burn amount? I do cardio about 3 times a week, and up until a month ago was pushing myself to burn 1000 cals a work out. Then I crashed from a lot of built up exhaustion, and haven't done cardio since.
I'm heading back to the gym today and want to know your thoughts? I'm 5'11, around 198lbs and MFP lets me eat 1300 cals a day. I usually eat just under my goal, and want to know if you have any idea what I should aim to burn at the gym for a healthy weight loss?
Sorry if I worded that strange.

Replies

  • nfpeacock
    nfpeacock Posts: 38 Member
    Buuuuuuuuump
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You don't need to burn anything at the gym for weight loss. Your calorie deficit for weight loss is built into your calorie goal...if you did nothing in the way of deliberate exercise and ate to your calorie goal (provided you properly set up your profile) you would lose weight. This is why you get your exercise calories to "eat back" when you log them with MFP...you aren't needing to create an energy deficit with exercise, it's all built into your diet which is a far more efficient way of doing things.

    Diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.
  • JesGrn
    JesGrn Posts: 10 Member
    In stead of cardioing yourself to death try some circuit training. Weights with short bursts of cardio (jumping rope, box stepping or jumping jacks) in between weight sets. Ultimately muscle is what burns calories and the more muscle you build the more cals you will burn even while resting. And don't worry about getting bulky. The ability to gain excessive bulk comes from testosterone. Which girls don't have enough of unless you supplement.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    If you aren't going to eat any of those back then none I guess, because MFP already has the calorie deficit built in so you will lose weight, and i'm guessing you are already at the maximum 2lb per week goal.

    You should do whatever you feel comfortable doing, and eat at least half of those calories back, and then you wont have that problem of crashing.

    You should maybe try some resistance training, with some light cardio.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 526 Member
    If I were you... I would not aim to burn "x" number of calories. I would aim for "x" number of minutes/days. So - for example, start with 30 mins/4 days a week. Then build up to 45 mins/4 days a week. Or 45 mins/5 days a week.
  • cerimariegillett
    cerimariegillett Posts: 35 Member
    I second that, CALLING ALL WOMEN - LIFT WEIGHTS

    I got off the cardio train last year. I was pretty ok at it for a larger girl, I could run 6 miles after work 3 times a week and would spend ages in the gym hopping from elliptal for 30 mins, treadmill for 30 mins, stepper ...... the list goes on.. I was still fat......

    Now, i'm 2 stone lighter (28lbs) after incorporating weight, I still run, because i enjoy it but I may go once or twice a week max if the weather is good and will probably do 1 3 miles run, 1 6 mile if I want to do it. My mainstay is lifting weight and it has transformed by bosy. Building lean muscle will help you burn more calories and you may really enjoy it.
  • Eoghann
    Eoghann Posts: 130 Member
    You know the muscle burns calories thing is over-played. 1lb of muscle burns 35-50 calories... a day. Unless you're carrying crazy amounts of muscle that's not going to change the calculations much at all.

    A mixture of exercise types is good (some cardio, some strength) but most of the weight loss will come from restricting calorie intake.
  • verhunzt
    verhunzt Posts: 154 Member
    You know the muscle burns calories thing is over-played. 1lb of muscle burns 35-50 calories... a day. Unless you're carrying crazy amounts of muscle that's not going to change the calculations much at all.

    A mixture of exercise types is good (some cardio, some strength) but most of the weight loss will come from restricting calorie intake.

    But why do people lose weight? Probably to be healthy and to look good. :)
    Lifting weights will get you way close to that than excessive amounts of cardio.
  • cerimariegillett
    cerimariegillett Posts: 35 Member
    You know the muscle burns calories thing is over-played. 1lb of muscle burns 35-50 calories... a day. Unless you're carrying crazy amounts of muscle that's not going to change the calculations much at all.

    A mixture of exercise types is good (some cardio, some strength) but most of the weight loss will come from restricting calorie intake.

    It may well be over played, or a new diet myth.

    I can only comment on what worked for me. I lost weight, toned up and my body looks so much better as a result. Mentally incorporating weight and strength training has also stopped my fruitlessly wishing to be 'Thin' - being fir and strong and healthy and able to use my body to it's full extent has replaced it and I have to thank my trainer who introduced weights to me, for that
  • angdpowers
    angdpowers Posts: 311 Member
    Diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.

    ^^ Yep! THIS!!!

    Why in the world would you aim for 1000cals/session?? For me, that would be about a 1.5hr run -- that's a lot to do several times a week. And for what? Maybe if I was conditioning for something in particular (ie running events etc) but otherwise, you don't need to do that.

    And if you were doing that, I sure the heck hope you were eating 2300cals on those days because you NEEDED too. If you weren't, that would be why you totally crashed. Your wt for ht is not too crazy so it will take some time to get your wt down if that is what your aiming for.

    But really, circuit training is wonderful because you get strength training and cardio in one. I think the others above me gave good advice. Most don't even burn 500 in a workout ... not truly. And usually machines are waaaay off and tell you you've burned like 700cals when in fact you've more burned like 300-400 cals.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    You know the muscle burns calories thing is over-played. 1lb of muscle burns 35-50 calories... a day. Unless you're carrying crazy amounts of muscle that's not going to change the calculations much at all.

    A mixture of exercise types is good (some cardio, some strength) but most of the weight loss will come from restricting calorie intake.

    It may well be over played, or a new diet myth.

    I can only comment on what worked for me. I lost weight, toned up and my body looks so much better as a result. Mentally incorporating weight and strength training has also stopped my fruitlessly wishing to be 'Thin' - being fir and strong and healthy and able to use my body to it's full extent has replaced it and I have to thank my trainer who introduced weights to me, for that

    Your earlier post has you doing exactly what Eoghann suggested ... some weights plus some cardio in the form of your continued running.
  • nfpeacock
    nfpeacock Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for all the replies guys! I do strength on other days ... forgot to mention that! I think I'll change my goals to time/week :)
  • Eoghann
    Eoghann Posts: 130 Member
    Well I specifically noted that a mixture is good. Which would preclude "excessive cardio" don't you think? Excessive... by definition... is not good.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    You need a mixture of strength training and Cardio. Cardio is for endurance and strength training is for strength (shockingly). A combination of both is best for health.

    Are you eating back at least 50% of your exercise calories? It sounds like you're not and that might be part of the problem. You're just not getting enough fuel for your workouts.
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member

    Diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.

    I would re-write this to say "Calorie deficit for weight loss; exercise for fitness and to aid in creating a calorie deficit".

    I really only exercise so that I can eat more.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
    You don't need to burn anything at the gym for weight loss. Your calorie deficit for weight loss is built into your calorie goal...if you did nothing in the way of deliberate exercise and ate to your calorie goal (provided you properly set up your profile) you would lose weight. This is why you get your exercise calories to "eat back" when you log them with MFP...you aren't needing to create an energy deficit with exercise, it's all built into your diet which is a far more efficient way of doing things.

    Diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.

    ^This. I am close to your height, and my SW was around where you are now. I lost about 1-1.5 pounds a week on 1500 calories with little to no exercise. Maybe think about upping you calories a little? 200-300 extra calories will give you a little more energy for your workouts. As I started getting closer to my goal (within 20 pounds), my weight-loss slowed, so I started incorporating weights and cardio. With exercise I am trying to eat 1500-1800. I do 40-60 minutes of cardio 3 days a week, and 2-3 days of weight training a week. I am still losing, but have noticed the most change in body since incorporating weights.

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