To lose 1 lb I need to burn how much?

Famof72015
Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
To lose 1lb a week, what do I need to burn?

Replies

  • vjd317
    vjd317 Posts: 9 Member
    3500 calories more than you ate per week OR
    500 calories more than what you ate per day
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    You can eat 500 calories less (than maintenance) per day OR do 500 calories worth of exercise OR you can do a combination of the two.

    Maintenance - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    The exercise only approach can work. However, it usually doesn't. Keeping a handle on your calorie intake.....and keeping it the same while adding exercise is key. Too many people think they are burning massive exercise calories.....and then proceed to eat (a little bit) too much.
  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    You can eat 500 calories less (than maintenance) per day OR do 500 calories worth of exercise OR you can do a combination of the two.

    Maintenance - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    The exercise only approach can work. However, it usually doesn't. Keeping a handle on your calorie intake.....and keeping it the same while adding exercise is key. Too many people think they are burning massive exercise calories.....and then proceed to eat (a little bit) too much.

    I'm not sure what my maintenance is? So I've got my calories set up at 1480... so I need to burn 500 calories a day/ 7 days a week to burn 1lb a week? I weigh 130 and would like to get to 123-125

  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    If you set my fitness pal up to lose 1 lb a week, you don't need to burn any if you're logging accurately. If you want to lose faster or find the calories MFP set you at aren't working, then they either need to be lower, log more accurately, or you need to burn more.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    You can eat 500 calories less (than maintenance) per day OR do 500 calories worth of exercise OR you can do a combination of the two.

    Maintenance - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    The exercise only approach can work. However, it usually doesn't. Keeping a handle on your calorie intake.....and keeping it the same while adding exercise is key. Too many people think they are burning massive exercise calories.....and then proceed to eat (a little bit) too much.

    I'm not sure what my maintenance is? So I've got my calories set up at 1480... so I need to burn 500 calories a day/ 7 days a week to burn 1lb a week? I weigh 130 and would like to get to 123-125

    With less than 10 lbs to lose, you should aim to lose 0.5 lb/week.
    Enter your current stats, goal weight, activity level, and rate of loss into MFP.
    MFP will calculate a NEAT calorie goal for you - this is your target assuming you do no purposeful exercise.
    Eat a variety of foods within that calorie goal, focusing on those that provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), satiety (fill you up) and enjoyment (keeps the process from being too restrictive).
    Log everything you eat as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale for solid foods.
    If you exercise, log and eat back at least 50% of those calories.
    Monitor and adjust after a period of 6-8 weeks when you have actual results.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what my maintenance is? So I've got my calories set up at 1480... so I need to burn 500 calories a day/ 7 days a week to burn 1lb a week? I weigh 130 and would like to get to 123-125

    Yes, 3,500 calories is approximately equal to one pound of fat. However, weight tends to come off in chunks. So don't expect to lose 1/7th of a pound every day you eat 500 less calories.

    To determine your maintenance you have to calculate your TDEE. There are several ways to do it, and plenty of links on google. Once you know your TDEE, then you can set your daily calorie goal to 500 calories below that. Because TDEE calculation has lots of uncertainty, you may find after a month that you're losing more quickly or more slowly then planned. Just keep track of things and adjust your calories as needed.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    You can eat 500 calories less (than maintenance) per day OR do 500 calories worth of exercise OR you can do a combination of the two.

    Maintenance - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    The exercise only approach can work. However, it usually doesn't. Keeping a handle on your calorie intake.....and keeping it the same while adding exercise is key. Too many people think they are burning massive exercise calories.....and then proceed to eat (a little bit) too much.

    I'm not sure what my maintenance is? So I've got my calories set up at 1480... so I need to burn 500 calories a day/ 7 days a week to burn 1lb a week? I weigh 130 and would like to get to 123-125

    Mfp has already given you a deficit in the 1480
  • JonDrees
    JonDrees Posts: 161 Member
    I found this TDEE calculator to be really easy to use and accurate for my clients - https://tdeecalculator.net/
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    You can eat 500 calories less (than maintenance) per day OR do 500 calories worth of exercise OR you can do a combination of the two.

    Maintenance - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    The exercise only approach can work. However, it usually doesn't. Keeping a handle on your calorie intake.....and keeping it the same while adding exercise is key. Too many people think they are burning massive exercise calories.....and then proceed to eat (a little bit) too much.

    I'm not sure what my maintenance is? So I've got my calories set up at 1480... so I need to burn 500 calories a day/ 7 days a week to burn 1lb a week? I weigh 130 and would like to get to 123-125

    Where did you get a 1480 calorie goal? Did you tell MFP you wanted to lose 1 pound a week?

    If yes - then you don't have to exercise at all. In fact if you choose to exercise, you eat 1480+exercise calories. That's because 1480 doesn't have exercise factored in.

    Keep in mind exercise calories are estimates. So if you are eating 1480 and doing exercise....start by eating back 50% of the estimated burn. Then adjust that number up or down after several weeks....based on actual weight loss results.

    With 5 or 7 pounds to lose don't expect 1 pound a week. A 1/2 pound a week result is more likely.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    3500 calories = 1 lb.

    you can slice it and dice it any way you want.
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    So if my tdee is 1664 at sedentary level, to lose weight does that mean I'd have to eat 1664 minus 500 = 1164 calories per day?

    I also workout at 4-6x per week! I currently have my calorie intake set at 1500 but the last three weeks I've stayed the same weight, I put it down to increasing my HIIT workouts?!?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    KMAF00 wrote: »
    So if my tdee is 1664 at sedentary level, to lose weight does that mean I'd have to eat 1664 minus 500 = 1164 calories per day?

    I also workout at 4-6x per week! I currently have my calorie intake set at 1500 but the last three weeks I've stayed the same weight, I put it down to increasing my HIIT workouts?!?

    1664 - 500 + exercise calories = 1 pound a week loss OR your TDEE INCLUDING exercise then subtract 500 calories.........pick one. You include all calories in.....so you want to include all calories out too.

    A couple of things - everything is estimates. Your TDEE is an estimate. Your activity level is actually a range.....you could be on the high end or the low end. The food you log is an estimate, we all think we log accurately.....not everyone does. Exercise calorie burns are guesstimates.

    A new workout routine may mean you are holding onto water weight. Time of month, waste cycle, higher sodium day.....can all lead to water weight fluctuation.

    Tighten up your logging (digital food scale?) and double check your entries (lots of crap in the database).
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    Ah OK that makes sense! I do weigh everything too with digital scales, so would u say 1500 per day is about right then for (not eating back exercise calories)?
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    And its almost time of the month too ha!
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    So I updated my goal settings on MFP to lose 2lb a week and confirmed I am Active and this gave me 1290 calories per day - would this mean that I could EAT my exercises calories?
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    So today for example calorie goal is 1290 and I had 1297 but according to fitbit I gained 527 calories through exercise - does that mean if I wanted to and was hungry could I eat some of those exercise calories?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited May 2017
    KMAF00 wrote: »
    So I updated my goal settings on MFP to lose 2lb a week and confirmed I am Active and this gave me 1290 calories per day - would this mean that I could EAT my exercises calories?

    MFP always means you SHOULD eat your exercise calories. MFP uses NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) - exercise was not included up front.

    If you signed up for "active"......that's active as in your job involves activity.....as opposed to office workers who are generally sedentary.

    Eating just 1290 calories & then increasing the deficit further (by choosing exercise) would mean faster "weight" loss. But large deficits make it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass. Do you want a lower body fat %....or no?
  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
    Thanks for everyone for replying to my question.
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    edited May 2017
    Yes I want to lose body fat, I still dont get it
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    Yes I want to lose body fat, I still dont get it
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
    Its not posting my whole post haha! Yes I want to lose body fat, I still dont get it
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    KMAF00 wrote: »
    Its not posting my whole post haha! Yes I want to lose body fat, I still dont get it

    Don't use smileys if you're posting from your phone. It causes the post to truncate.
  • fattothinmum
    fattothinmum Posts: 218 Member
    Also bear in mind, that some of us, TDEE or not, will gain on 1480 a day. Be honest with your intake and if you're not losing on that calorie limit, adjust it down bit by bit, or increase exercise.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    KMAF00 wrote: »
    So I updated my goal settings on MFP to lose 2lb a week and confirmed I am Active and this gave me 1290 calories per day - would this mean that I could EAT my exercises calories?

    with only 5-7lbs to lose you should NOT be trying to lose 2lbs a week. the less weight you have to lose the less you should be trying to lose.2 lbs @that little bit of weight if you did lose that much in a week would result in losing some muscle and that doesnt mean you would lose 2lbs of fat either.set your goal to .5(1/2) lb a week and lose it slowly.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Also bear in mind, that some of us, TDEE or not, will gain on 1480 a day. Be honest with your intake and if you're not losing on that calorie limit, adjust it down bit by bit, or increase exercise.

    Only people who are very short and very sedentary or have thyriod problems would gain on 1480. People who gain on that are usually just eating more than they think.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Also bear in mind, that some of us, TDEE or not, will gain on 1480 a day. Be honest with your intake and if you're not losing on that calorie limit, adjust it down bit by bit, or increase exercise.

    Only people who are very short and very sedentary or have thyriod problems would gain on 1480. People who gain on that are usually just eating more than they think.

    if a person has a metabolic disorder they could possibly gain on that as well. or those who have yo-yo dieted most of their life/those who have eating disorders(which means BMR could be lower than it should be).
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Also bear in mind, that some of us, TDEE or not, will gain on 1480 a day. Be honest with your intake and if you're not losing on that calorie limit, adjust it down bit by bit, or increase exercise.

    Do you have some indication that the OP, or anyone else in this thread, would be an outlier that has such a low TDEE? Because that would be a situation reserved for someone with a medical condition and/or someone extremely petite and/or extremely sedentary.
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