the math of eating a losing?

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katelyn002
katelyn002 Posts: 260 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so i know that there are calories in and calories out... is there a math of eating a losing? Meaning, if you eat this many calories, and you burn this many calories, a lb equals this many calories, so by the end of the week since you burnt this many calories, you should lose this much?

Sorry if that makes no sense at all, but im looking for the help to have it make sense :smile:

Replies

  • Bearface115
    Bearface115 Posts: 574 Member
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    bump
  • HeatherYevette
    HeatherYevette Posts: 56 Member
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    If by the end of the week you have burned 3500 calories more than you took in, you should be down a pound :) However, remember that things like water weight can skew the real weights ;)
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    3500 calories is equal to 1 lb gain or loss. MFP assumes this is over 1 week, so to lose 1 lb a week you need a daily calorie deficit of 500. Alternatively, if you you're looking to gain weight, increase daily calories by 500 and you'll gain 1 pound in a week.

    Is this what you were looking for?

    If you're looking to lose 2 lbs a week...1000 calorie deficit a day unless that takes you below 1200 calories. 1200 calories is the absolute minimum for one day.
  • katelyn002
    katelyn002 Posts: 260 Member
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    Sort of, a lb equals 3500 cals, so if im eating right, and gosh i know im not burning 3500 in a day or two, what makes up that 4-5 lb weight loss at the end too?
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    You'll lose more than 1-2 pounds in the first week or two of a diet/exercise change because you're body is not used to it.

    You daily calorie deficit is worked out when you set your goals and activity level. Say your BMR (Basal metabolic rate - calories your body burns doing absolutely nothing) is 2500 cal, for a 2 lb/week loss you need to reduce your daily calories by 1000 = 1500 calories. This is WITHOUT exercise. So, any exercise you do on top of this, you should eat all your earned calories to keep the loss at 2 lbs a week.
  • jbaden01
    jbaden01 Posts: 10
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    also, avoid hitting the dreaded plateau by eating at least 1250 calories AFTER excercise calories have been figured in. That would be your "Net" calories. I am currently trying to pull myself out of starvation mode. I ate 1750 calories/ day but my excercise increased to from 300 to1200 calories a day. This left me at just 550 Net calories per day- not good. My body just started holding onto it like a camel, not gaining but also not losing one pound for about 4 weeks. I knew something was wrong when I started losing my appetite and for 3 months I lost 2lbs /week guaranteed which just came to a halt- and this is eating 1750 calories/day!!
  • katelyn002
    katelyn002 Posts: 260 Member
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    Okay those comments helped, thanks alot!!

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