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> The only thing you really need to know is that you should be eating fewer calories than your body burns everyday. If you do this, you will lose weight – it’s
by jsty 8y ago
> The only thing you really need to know is that you should be eating fewer calories than your body burns everyday. If you do this, you will lose weight – it’s science. Nothing else matters for weight loss. The magnitude of the caloric difference will regulate how quickly or slowly you lose the weight.
One important point to note is that past a certain level, usually around a 500kcal per day deficit, it becomes extremely hard to maintain. Performance physically + mentally will start dropping off quickly. If you do want / need a larger deficit, do more low-intensity exercise rather than reducing caloric intake, and make sure you have a reasonably varied diet (or at least take a multivitamin).
(I used to do competitive sport with weight classes, and messing up your weight plan was never fun ...). Standard disclaimer: I am not a doctor or nutritionist etc.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoLow-intensity exercise burns such a remarkably tiny amount of calories that it basically worthless. A 200lb person running will burn about 150kcal/mile, which is a single can of soda, a third of a donut, 1.5 apples, 2 eggs, or 1.5 slices of bread.
- nonbel 8y ago>"A 200lb person running will burn about 150kcal/mile, which is a single can of soda, a third of a donut, 1.5 apples, 2 eggs, or 1.5 slices of bread." The error is to think that 1 mile is a long distance. That takes like 7-20 minutes.
- noarchy 8y ago>The error is to think that 1 mile is a long distance. That takes like 7-20 minutes. That time frame represents a big range of abilities. The person doing it in 7 minutes is probably in good shape. The person doing it in 20 minutes is probably walking it, and not fast.
- nonbel 8y agoEven walking is going to be ~100 kcal/mile, so I'd say even walking 5 miles in 1.5 hrs is substantial calorie-wise.
- masklinn 8y agoEven high-intensity exercise burns very little energy in the grand scheme of things. The value of exercise for weight loss is building muscle mass which increases BMR.
- ssijak 8y agoWhy is that low? One mile is very little. But running at least 3-4 miles it is about 500kcal for that person. Is that little? Even 150-200kcal daily will make big difference in a year. And that is not even accounting for health benefits beside weight.
- freehunter 8y agoI doubt an overweight person is running 3-4 miles per day, that would be incredibly strenuous amounts of exercise.
- tsenkov 8y agoSure, but they can probably walk at least that. And (not) surprisingly walking is comparable (usually about 1/2 from jogging) as energy expenditure. Low intensity exercise (cardio) is the biggest burner of energy, since you can sustain it for long periods of time. Try burning 500 Kcal with weight lifting. You will quickly see that an hour long walk is much easier thing to do.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoIt's still easier to just not eat that 500kcal.
- tsenkov 8y agoIs it? When you are losing weight for more than a month, I guarantee you, if you are a reasonable person, you wouldn't be losing a donut with those 500 Kcal. You'd instead be giving up 500grams (almost 2 pounds) of tomatoes + 80 grams of cheese + slice of wholegrain bread. That's a meal right there. BTW, training during weight loss (by caloric restriction, at least) is mostly done to keep your existing muscle mass + keep metabolic rate up. You wouldn't train to create a bigger deficiency. So every calorie you burn through training (even low-intensity) you should intake back as food. I will be walking for about an 1.5h tonight to "gather" some calories for dinner. I spend my rations for a bit more caloric lunch and now I will have to pay for it. :)
- throwaway413 8y agoIt’s not all about the immediate caloric burn though - that run will boost your metabolism for the next several hours and will cause you to continue to burn calories at an elevated rate.
- jsty 8y agoIt's true, there were a lot of 60-90 min sessions sitting on an exercise bike. High intensity can work for lots of people, but depends quite heavily on your weight / health condition. There's also a heightened risk of illness and injury if you're combining lots of high intensity training with a significant caloric deficit. I'd suggest talking to a PT and /or your doctor before jumping into doing high-intensity work if you haven't before.
- toomanybeersies 8y agoThat's not that low. 3 miles is a fairly short run and about 500 kcal burned. Do that 3 times a week and you'll burn a pound every second week or 25 pounds a year. I also find that I tend to eat less if I exercise. No idea why, but it just seems to work that way for me.
- rootusrootus 8y agoIMO one of the key values of exercise (when it comes to losing weight, at least) is mental. Sure, maybe I can eat more calories in a spoonful of peanut butter than I can burn in an hour of exercise ... but the exercise makes me feel healthier and more willing to stick to my dietary goals. And let's face it, losing weight only comes down to calories in vs calories out when you look at it biologically. In reality it's 100% a psychological problem.