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Calorie count question

  • 31-05-2006 12:50AM
    #1
    Corholio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,014 ✭✭✭✭


    Been trying to lose weight for couple of weeks now and the results are pretty decent so far, just a question about calories. I've read the equation of lose weight loss = calories burned > calories in, ok that's fine of course, but im just wondering if someone is on an average of say 1500 calories a day, isn't that a hell of a lot to burn off in a day, consistently. Like i do 30 min cardio on an exercise bike, that burns maybe 350, soccer training probably burns 400-500 when intense and just general walking around etc burns maybe another 200-300, thats just over a 1,000, of course thats very very loose calculating but its just is that the way exactly weight loss is calculated ? or is there more to it than just that simple?


Comments

  • #2
    DubNside
    Closed Accounts Posts: 184 ✭✭DubNside


    Ermm...Dont forget the calories your body needs to function, you know for things like respiration and general bodily activities!

    The only thing you can calculate is the amount of calories you will take in through food. And if you want to get a "Calorie Counter" watch, although i dont believe that is an exact way to tell.


  • #3
    g'em
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,819 ✭✭✭✭g'em


    When we say 'calories burned' we don't just mean through exercise. Your body requires a certain number of calories just to exist. Every movement you make, every function your body does is powered by a chemcial called ATP. The vast majority of food you take in every day is used purely to make this energy.

    So you have what's called you Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) which is the baseline number of calories you need a day just to stay alive. As a general estimate this is around 2500 cals/ day for men, 2000 for women. The exercise you do every day is 'activity calories' which increase the calories you burn and speed up weight loss to make the deficit between calories bunred over calories used even greater.

    To lose weight efficently you need to decrease your calorie intake by about 15%- any more than that and you run the risk of pushing your body into starvation mode.

    It is of course a little more complicated than that- a calorie is never really just a calorie- 200 calories from bar of chocolate will not nearly be as nutritious as 200 calories froma chicken salad, and you have to make sure you calories come from good sources, but as a starting point its handy to figure out what your basic calorie needs are from the stickie and work from there.


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