Calories in/Calories out question

Im honestly lost about the Calories in/calories out thing. My daily intake is around 1350-1400 calories/day (from MFP) Im always within that range sometimes higher on week ends but I’m totally clueless about what I should do as workout/cals burned. Should I burn more than what I eat or stick to the 1000cals(or so)MFP tells me to lose? Any help?

Replies

  • dreamchaser12
    dreamchaser12 Posts: 223 Member
    Thank you for posting this. It helps answer my question from earlier this morning. :smile:
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    If your calories burned are accurate, then you should be getting you 'remaining ' number as close to zero as possible, to prevent too large a deficit,
  • jconnors2012
    jconnors2012 Posts: 22 Member
    It takes roughly a defiict of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So if you are eating 500 cals less a day you should be roughly losing a lb a week. You always want your calorie intake to be less than output. If you want to maintain the weight it should be roughly the same. For a rough guidance i would stick to what MFP tells you. Once you are more comfortable with everything then customizing your goals are an option.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    It takes roughly a defiict of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So if you are eating 500 cals less a day you should be roughly losing a lb a week. You always want your calorie intake to be less than output. If you want to maintain the weight it should be roughly the same. For a rough guidance i would stick to what MFP tells you. Once you are more comfortable with everything then customizing your goals are an option.

    False!
    Try again.

    It's never simply a numbers game due to hormones and body type.
  • jconnors2012
    jconnors2012 Posts: 22 Member
    Also, you do not want to eat too little or your body will begin going into a starvation mode and you will plateau. You will need to shock your system once and awhile if you plateau and eat more calories than normal. Hope this helps.
  • jconnors2012
    jconnors2012 Posts: 22 Member
    It is a general guideline. Yes there is always exceptions just like anything in life.

    It takes roughly a defiict of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So if you are eating 500 cals less a day you should be roughly losing a lb a week. You always want your calorie intake to be less than output. If you want to maintain the weight it should be roughly the same. For a rough guidance i would stick to what MFP tells you. Once you are more comfortable with everything then customizing your goals are an option.

    False!
    Try again.

    It's never simply a numbers game due to hormones and body type.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    It takes roughly a defiict of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So if you are eating 500 cals less a day you should be roughly losing a lb a week. You always want your calorie intake to be less than output. If you want to maintain the weight it should be roughly the same. For a rough guidance i would stick to what MFP tells you. Once you are more comfortable with everything then customizing your goals are an option.

    False!
    Try again.

    It's never simply a numbers game due to hormones and body type.
    What do you not understand about "roughly"?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,203 Member
    It takes roughly a defiict of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So if you are eating 500 cals less a day you should be roughly losing a lb a week. You always want your calorie intake to be less than output. If you want to maintain the weight it should be roughly the same. For a rough guidance i would stick to what MFP tells you. Once you are more comfortable with everything then customizing your goals are an option.

    False!
    Try again.

    It's never simply a numbers game due to hormones and body type.
    What do you not understand about "roughly"?
    Also, hormones and body type is already accounted for in the calorie out side of the equation......everyone loses weight differently, and that is where the challenge lies and not in the math.
  • rieltbo
    rieltbo Posts: 7
    Thanks everyone for the replies :) it does depend on body type and medical conditions too, i have hypothyroidia (in check) and crohn disease so for my body stocks fat easily than the good nutrients (according to my dr idk if its true or not) but anyway thats not the question lol.
    I do eat healthy (too much carbs apparently :-/) i eat lots of veggies and fruits, bread only in the mornin and only multigrain/whole wheat my weakness is pasta my body has troubles digesting properly whole wheat pasta though so its a bit annoying but when i do have normal pasta its a small portion but still and i found out that MFP's calories burn count for the exercises I do isnt accurate, at least not for me, i just bought a heart rate monitor to keep track fully of it and i realize i have to work out another hour to match what MFP was telling me but i just dont wanna work out for 4/5 hours per day bcz i know that at the moment my body wont handle it well im just so out of shape (getting better though lol) and have still a lot to lose i just dont wanna wear myself out and get bored of working out (im workin out at home, no money to get a gym membership or the car to go there as there is none in my city BUT i do have a stationary bike and an elliptical, dumbells and a few DVD's)