Exercise Anyone

[Aube 42]

Does exercise really subtract calories ? I have a concern If I eat 1000 calories and burn 200 calories have I really only eaten 800 calories? Ijs or asking

[JamieLogical 8,727]

It's really not quite that simple, but yes. If you are going to increase your activity level, you need to consume more calories to sustain yourself. While a calorie deficit is required for weight loss, too large a deficit will decrease your metabolism and slow your loss overall. So you need to strike a balance, which you can only really do through trial and error on your end. Also, listen to your body. I know that when I started seriously exercising, I started to feel more real, actual hunger and had to add a bit to my diet to make up for that.

[leximik 1]

I am power walking 3-4 miles a day and when I get back I have done a Protein drink or bar. Gained 3 pounds all the sudden. Not going to follow the fitpal to add more calories in.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I am power walking 3-4 miles a day and when I get back I have done a Protein drink or bar. Gained 3 pounds all the sudden. Not going to follow the fitpal to add more calories in.

No no no. The gain has NOTHING to do with increased calories. You didn't increase your calories by 10500 did you? When you begin exercising intensely after a long period of not exercising, your body retains Water to heal your muscles. That 3 pounds is 100% Water weight. Read this:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan

[leximik 1]

Thank you so much for the information. Makes sense.

I am power walking 3-4 miles a day and when I get back I have done a Protein drink or bar. Gained 3 pounds all the sudden. Not going to follow the fitpal to add more calories in.

[KingMoose 238]

Ok calories in/calories out. If you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight plain and simple right? Not really, there is something called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) it is the amount of calories your body needs to function on a daily basis if all you did was sat on the couch and did nothing all day. So let's say your BMR is 3000 but you are losing weight, so you only eat 2000 calories you are already -1000 calories for the day. Then you work out and burn another 500 calories so your total beily deficit is -1500 calories. If you did this you would lose about a pounds every 2 days because 1lb of fat =3500 calories.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Ok calories in/calories out. If you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight plain and simple right? Not really, there is something called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) it is the amount of calories your body needs to function on a daily basis if all you did was sat on the couch and did nothing all day. So let's say your BMR is 3000 but you are losing weight, so you only eat 2000 calories you are already -1000 calories for the day. Then you work out and burn another 500 calories so your total beily deficit is -1500 calories. If you did this you would lose about a pounds every 2 days because 1lb of fat =3500 calories.

Except you aren't taking into consideration the decreased metabolism from losing weight. When your body has to start burning stored energy for fuel, you metabolism slows. So your basal metabolic rate will decrease as a self-preservation mechanism. That's why it takes some trial and error to strike the right balance. If you go too low on calories or too high on exercise, your body will start hanging onto every single bit of fat as long as it can. So you have to try to find a calorie range where you can sustain your level of activity and still continue losing weight steadily. That's why people who are stalled in their weight loss are often encouraged to consume MORE calories to lose weight. They need to consume enough calories to convince the body it's not starving.

[KingMoose 238]

Yes and no. That is why I said weight/resistance training is so important. The more muscle you have the higher your BMR will be. Also as you lose weight your BMR will naturally lower because it does not take as much to power your body as it weighs less. If all you do is aerobic training yes it will slow down faster. But think about it the more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn as it takes almost 50 calories a day to fuel 1lb of muscle. Yes you can drop into starvation/preservation mode but it takes time for that to happen it is not a light switch that can be turned on and off. Dropping below 1000 cal a day for LONG periods of time will do it. But again that is why building muscle is so important for us!

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I agree with @@KingMoose that strength training is critical. Not only does it help stabilize or even increase your metabolism, it helps prevent you from losing muscle as you lose weight. If you don't do any strength training, a fair percentage of the pounds you lose WILL be muscle. The whole idea is to be losing FAT, so in order to do that, you need to work to maintain your muscle.