burn 800-4000 calories per day, how much should I eat?

Get ready for a super long post!

Does anyone have extensive knowledge regarding nutrition or maybe know someone that I can speak with? So far I am down 25lbs since January 1st, 2012 and I really need some help with planning my diet. I'm in a weight loss competition and could really use some expert advice! I need to win this competition!!! hahaha

Here is the issue. MyFitnessPal says that according to my weight/height I should be eating 1870 calories per day in order to lose 2lbs per week. Ok, that sounds good but I am burning between 800-4000 calories per day exercising. How does that figure in?

Let's say that on any given day I am eating 1870 calories and burning 3000 additional calories via exercise. MyFitnessPal says that I need to eat the 3000 more calories in order to not go into starvation mode and still lose 2lbs per week.

The thing is I do not want to eat 3000 calories more, I don't want to go into starvation mode and I don't want my body to consume muscle because of a lack of nutrients. I have been using a juicer for the veggies and fruits, as this is a great way for me to get a highly potent dose of healthy nutrients. I have been trying to eat primarily fruits and vegetables, recommended intake of protein and little meat and carbs.

I also try to do an hour of weight lifting per day. All in all I workout about 6 days a week on average and I love it! I have the motivation and the time, but don't want my workout/nutrition flaws to have a negative effect on my maximum weight loss with maximum muscle gain.

I thought that I knew about nutrition and working out, but this issue proves that I definitely don't know what to do. There are so many opinions everywhere and everyone says something different.

Some say:
-put back on the calories you burn;
-that you can exercise as much as you want and not worry about eating more;
-that if you don't eat enough of what you burn your body will eat away at the muscles;
-worry about losing weight now, including muscle, and then build muscle once you have lost weight;
-any workout more than 45 minutes is a waste of time;

Man....

It is very difficult to sift through all of the pages of contradicting info on the internet- I wish I could figure this out!! Anyone have any ideas? Please help!!

I am also going to copy/paste this onto some weight loss forums and see if there are some experts that may be able to help.
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Replies

  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    You should never be netting below your bmr. Either start eating more calorie-dense foods, or exercise less. Your body won't last long if you put that much strain on it; it's like trying to make a car run with no gas.
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    You should never be netting below your bmr. Either start eating more calorie-dense foods, or exercise less. Your body won't last long if you put that much strain on it; it's like trying to make a car run with no gas.

    If I don't eat below my BMR how can I lose weight? My BMR may be around 2200 or so and MFP says to eat 1870 or less to lose 2lbs per week.

    Wouldnt my body just use the stored fat as energy?

    How come the people on biggest loser are exercising a ton and not eating more to compensate for the calories they burned?

    *so confused*
  • Sweet_kiwi99
    Sweet_kiwi99 Posts: 16 Member
    Sorry, I'm still confused as to what exercise burns 3000 calories/day if you're not a professional athlete....
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    Your BMR and TDEE are very different. TDEE takes into account your daily activities, while BMR is what your body needs just to survive (pump blood, respire, etc). You need those calories; if you are eating 2000 calories a day and burning 3000, you may think your body will begin to break down fat. You would be wrong. The first thing your body uses when it isn't getting enough fuel is muscle. When your muscles begin to break down, not only does your metabolism slow, but you have to keep in mind that your heart is also a muscle. If your body begins to break it down as well, you are surely in some trouble.
  • StartingAnewDay
    StartingAnewDay Posts: 319 Member
    What kind of exercising are you doing that burns 3000 calories per day???? I have never seen numbers like that before!

    ^^^^^^^^ *sits and waits patiently*
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
    If you are working hard enough to burn 3000 calories a day you need to east back at least half of that. You are going to make your self sick before you reach your goal. If your BMR is 2200 and you are eating 1870 you are at a huge deficit. It isnt possible to lose if you eat more than your bmr if you are sitting on the couch all day but if you are burning 3000 calories its very possible. I would say increase to at least 2500. get most of your calories from lean proteins, fresh fruits and veggies and good carbs.
  • spammyanna
    spammyanna Posts: 871 Member
    How do you burn 4000 calories per day?
  • dgage8
    dgage8 Posts: 28 Member
    I guess I'm trying to understand the 3000-4000 calories / day too. I have only burned that many once, when I ran a marathon!
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member


    How come the people on biggest loser are exercising a ton and not eating more to compensate for the calories they burned?

    *so confused*

    What they show you from the biggest loser is false advertising. The time frame is wrong and they are all doctor supervised. Im pretty sure you do not have 24 hour access to your own doctor. If you watch that show often you will know that many of the losers gain back all of the weight and then some. Slow and steady is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. The ideals shown on the biggest loser are un realistic and not a sustainable life style.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    First of all,
    HOW do you burn that many calories per day?!?!

    Second of all,
    don't work the same muscle groups twice in a row. So you can do a split program but don't do a full body program 6x a week. Your muscles need time to repair and grow.
  • samf36
    samf36 Posts: 369 Member
    Are you training for an Iron Man ?
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    Sorry, I'm still confused as to what exercise burns 3000 calories/day if you're not a professional athlete....

    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.


    I wanted to post this real quick and now I am going to reply to the rest of the posts in order. :)
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    If I don't eat below my BMR how can I lose weight? My BMR may be around 2200 or so and MFP says to eat 1870 or less to lose 2lbs per week.

    -Eat below you TDEE and you will lose weight.

    Wouldnt my body just use the stored fat as energy?

    -Some of it will. Fat isn't the only energy source.

    How come the people on biggest loser are exercising a ton and not eating more to compensate for the calories they burned?

    -Because they are desperate, and stupid.


    *so confused*

    -Stop watching stupid tv shows.
  • Sweet_kiwi99
    Sweet_kiwi99 Posts: 16 Member
    Sorry, I'm still confused as to what exercise burns 3000 calories/day if you're not a professional athlete....

    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.


    I wanted to post this real quick and now I am going to reply to the rest of the posts in order. :)

    You do 2-3 classes per day??? :noway: .... So basically you're working out 2 - 3 hours every day.... that's crazy. Personally I would burn out from exercising that hard. The body needs to rest and recover. How long have you been maintaining this regimen?

    Eta: You need to eat a lot of those calories back or you're going to pass out eventually (if not from body/muscle fatigue then from lack of sustenance and energy).
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    Your BMR and TDEE are very different. TDEE takes into account your daily activities, while BMR is what your body needs just to survive (pump blood, respire, etc). You need those calories; if you are eating 2000 calories a day and burning 3000, you may think your body will begin to break down fat. You would be wrong. The first thing your body uses when it isn't getting enough fuel is muscle. When your muscles begin to break down, not only does your metabolism slow, but you have to keep in mind that your heart is also a muscle. If your body begins to break it down as well, you are surely in some trouble.

    Wow, that surely would be some trouble. Hmmmm.. If what you are saying is true then I will have no problem getting the extra calories. I will just juice more fruits and veggies. Luckily the protein shake gives me some added calories after each workout.

    So if I burn 3000 calories per day and my fitness pal says that I should eat only 1870 to lose 2lbs per week, I should eat 3000 more calories? I was thinking about bringing the number to 1600 calories and then replace what I burn. Are you saying that would be a good strategy for losing the most weight possible? I really enjoy the physical activity and have no problem whatsoever doing the work.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Eat IF you are hungry and
    your calorie is higher than your BMR and LESS than TDEE calorie.
  • Drastiic
    Drastiic Posts: 322 Member
    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.

    I suggest you read this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
    You're not burning 800-1000 calories per hour session. Why are you doing 2-4 classes per day anyways?
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    If you are working hard enough to burn 3000 calories a day you need to east back at least half of that. You are going to make your self sick before you reach your goal. If your BMR is 2200 and you are eating 1870 you are at a huge deficit. It isnt possible to lose if you eat more than your bmr if you are sitting on the couch all day but if you are burning 3000 calories its very possible. I would say increase to at least 2500. get most of your calories from lean proteins, fresh fruits and veggies and good carbs.

    I agree, it is possible that I may need to ease back. I am just looking to lose as much weight as possible. I am not sure exactly what my bmr is. I would have to go and get it measured at a local gym that offers this service.

    I weigh 284 and am 5'11 if that gives you any insight.

    So you are saying that if I were to eat 2500 calories I can still burn the 3000 in the gym no prob? If that were the case I am sure I would lose weight pretty quick!!
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member


    How come the people on biggest loser are exercising a ton and not eating more to compensate for the calories they burned?

    *so confused*

    What they show you from the biggest loser is false advertising. The time frame is wrong and they are all doctor supervised. Im pretty sure you do not have 24 hour access to your own doctor. If you watch that show often you will know that many of the losers gain back all of the weight and then some. Slow and steady is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. The ideals shown on the biggest loser are un realistic and not a sustainable life style.

    I was going to start watching the show(I haven't even seen 1 episode) in order to learn what they are doing to lose so much weight so quickly. Thanks for the heads up. I think I'll pass on the show and go with advice from you guys!! :)

    Eat more or exercise less, or your body will give out eventually.
    Ok, I get what you are saying. Maybe on days that I want to cheat a little bit on the food are the days I can do the 3-4 classes!


    First of all,
    HOW do you burn that many calories per day?!?!

    Second of all,
    don't work the same muscle groups twice in a row. So you can do a split program but don't do a full body program 6x a week. Your muscles need time to repair and grow.

    Kickboxing classes at LA boxing is how I am burning that many calories. I seriously am trying almost as hard as I possibly can for the entire class. By the end I am drenched, then I shower and go back to work and then come back later at night. I really feel great afterwards!

    Are you training for an Iron Man ?

    Nope, just a weight loss competition that I am the host of. I have to represent!! lol
  • Drastiic
    Drastiic Posts: 322 Member
    There's really no reason to be doing that amount of exercise to lose weight. You could more easily do it by just eating fewer calories. But, to each his own.
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    If I don't eat below my BMR how can I lose weight? My BMR may be around 2200 or so and MFP says to eat 1870 or less to lose 2lbs per week.

    -Eat below you TDEE and you will lose weight.

    Wouldnt my body just use the stored fat as energy?

    -Some of it will. Fat isn't the only energy source.

    How come the people on biggest loser are exercising a ton and not eating more to compensate for the calories they burned?

    -Because they are desperate, and stupid.


    *so confused*

    -Stop watching stupid tv shows.

    Ok, my BMR couldnt possibly be 2200 if MFP says to stick around 1870. I think 1200-1500 is starvation mode. If MyFitnessPal says i should stick under 1870 with no exercise, do you think my BMR will be less than 1870? I am guessing the 1870 is the TDEE right?



    Sorry, I'm still confused as to what exercise burns 3000 calories/day if you're not a professional athlete....

    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.


    I wanted to post this real quick and now I am going to reply to the rest of the posts in order. :)

    You do 2-3 classes per day??? :noway: .... So basically you're working out 2 - 3 hours every day.... that's crazy. Personally I would burn out from exercising that hard. The body needs to rest and recover. How long have you been maintaining this regimen?

    Eta: You need to eat a lot of those calories back or you're going to pass out eventually (if not from body/muscle fatigue then from lack of sustenance and energy).


    It is tough but I am doing it with no problem. I have been going for 6 months now. At first I started it 3 days a week, real light, barely even trying. Then I bumped it up to 4, then 5, then 6 days a week. After that I have been trying harder while in the classes too. I am punching and kicking nearly as hard and fast as I can until I start slowing down and take occasional very small breaks. It's going good so far and I can't wait to be in shape. I was hoping to have a flat stomach by summer or the end of summer but it seems that I can't just work harder to lose more quicker. That sucks. I really would like to be able to just put more hours in the gym if it meant that I could lose more quicker.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Your HRM is wrong.

    What brand is it?

    If not Polar - did you input age, gender, weight at minimum?

    By the way, keep this mantra in mind.

    Diet is for fat loss.
    Exercise is for body shaping and heart health. it can help or hinder fat loss.

    If you want to exercise that much that often - you would be better served eating at maintenance level, and just let your exercise create the deficit.

    So go back to diet/fitness profile, change activity level to whatever is true for your non-exercise time.
    Set goal to Maintain.

    Exercise away!
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.

    I suggest you read this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
    You're not burning 800-1000 calories per hour session. Why are you doing 2-4 classes per day anyways?

    Im reading it now. thanks for the link
  • hutchy100
    hutchy100 Posts: 103 Member
    Are you a pro sports man as i'm pretty sure pro's don't train that long?
  • kristinL16
    kristinL16 Posts: 401 Member
    Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE at www.freedieting.com or www.fat2fitradio.com?
  • minnesota_deere
    minnesota_deere Posts: 232 Member
    What kind of exercising are you doing that burns 3000 calories per day???? I have never seen numbers like that before!

    ^^^^^^^^ *sits and waits patiently*

    hilarious!!!!
  • nivlage
    nivlage Posts: 26 Member
    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.

    I suggest you read this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
    You're not burning 800-1000 calories per hour session. Why are you doing 2-4 classes per day anyways?

    I read part 1 of the link you posted and I understand what it is saying. It is saying that it is unrealistic for people to have the time or motivation to do such intense excercise, but exercise at greater levels has shown to have more of an effect on weight loss.

    I have no problem doing 2-4 classes per day and look forward to getting to a point where I can maintain and maybe only work out 1 hour per day, 6x per week.

    i am burning 800-1000 calories per session. I have a polar HRM and it has my height, gender, and weight in there. Trust me, the workouts that I am doing are like NOTHING else around. It is more intense than racketball, swimming, basketball, and anything else you can think of. it goes from punch/kick combos to jumping jacks, pushups, burpies, squat jumps, back to punch/kick combos NONSTOP for an hour. I know it doesnt seem possible to burn that many calories per hour but it is.

    What were you getting at though? I know I can probably turn it down a little in the exercise department. My diet is pretty good though, no fast food, little processed food, no pop and many fruits and veggies. I could go into more detail but I was just wondering what you wanted me to discover in the article. It was a very intersting one btw!
  • minnesota_deere
    minnesota_deere Posts: 232 Member
    There's really no reason to be doing that amount of exercise to lose weight. You could more easily do it by just eating fewer calories. But, to each his own.

    agreed, its all about balance. if I were you and you had that much motivation i would work out like you are, and eat only when i am hungry until i couldn't do it anymore and than start learning form it. this way you will lose a ton of weight really fast and when your finally tired and cannot do it anymore, the mind suddenly opens up for new information.
  • minnesota_deere
    minnesota_deere Posts: 232 Member
    I bought a heartrate monitor and people say its probably about 90% accurate. I go to LA Boxing and each hour session I do burns 800-1000 calories. I am soaked in sweat every time and I am hooked. I sometimes do 4 classes per day no problem. Usually I do 2-3 classes per day. Certain light days(1x per week) I will only do 1. I drink plenty of water and get the proper protein after each class.

    I suggest you read this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
    You're not burning 800-1000 calories per hour session. Why are you doing 2-4 classes per day anyways?

    I read part 1 of the link you posted and I understand what it is saying. It is saying that it is unrealistic for people to have the time or motivation to do such intense excercise, but exercise at greater levels has shown to have more of an effect on weight loss.

    I have no problem doing 2-4 classes per day and look forward to getting to a point where I can maintain and maybe only work out 1 hour per day, 6x per week.

    i am burning 800-1000 calories per session. I have a polar HRM and it has my height, gender, and weight in there. Trust me, the workouts that I am doing are like NOTHING else around. It is more intense than racketball, swimming, basketball, and anything else you can think of. it goes from punch/kick combos to jumping jacks, pushups, burpies, squat jumps, back to punch/kick combos NONSTOP for an hour. I know it doesnt seem possible to burn that many calories per hour but it is.

    What were you getting at though? I know I can probably turn it down a little in the exercise department. My diet is pretty good though, no fast food, little processed food, no pop and many fruits and veggies. I could go into more detail but I was just wondering what you wanted me to discover in the article. It was a very intersting one btw!

    seriously, i would keep doing what your doing, it may take a couple of weeks or a month or 2, but you will hit the wall or plateau like everyone talks about, when that happens make some changes. go after it man knock the pounds off. you can do it.
  • minnesota_deere
    minnesota_deere Posts: 232 Member
    There's really no reason to be doing that amount of exercise to lose weight. You could more easily do it by just eating fewer calories. But, to each his own.

    agreed, its all about balance. if I were you and you had that much motivation i would work out like you are, and eat only when i am hungry until i couldn't do it anymore and than start learning form it. this way you will lose a ton of weight really fast and when your finally tired and cannot do it anymore, the mind suddenly opens up for new information.

    and the body gets tired, and then you don't want to workout, and you start to eat junk food again, and you gain the weight back. It's the most common cycle. He will learn. Seems he's missing the most critical points. No matter how many times you repeat yourself some people still don't listen, they learn by experience.

    If he wants to exercise as much as he does that's fine, nothing wrong with it, just as long as he provides sufficient fuel to his body.

    this exactly, i am going through this right now, we make mistakes in order to learn. good luck, keep going after it. don't worry about eating to much or to less or working out to much or to less. if it feels good, do it!!