3500 calories is 1 lb

**Jerzeebabie04** · 04-01-2009, 07:16 PM

Okay so I know that it takes 3500 calories more then you consume to lose 1 pound... I use a calorie calculator to determine how many calories I should eat to lose weight, I'm on a 1,000 calorie diet. If I'm eatting 1,000 calories a day, how many calories do I need to burn a week to lose 2 lbs? B/c the way that the calculator set it up totally confuses me. Its at about 1400 calories burned a week. If I'm eatting 1,000 a day thats 7,000 in a week. And if I need to do enough exercise to burn 1400 a week... where is that 3500 coming from? I've never quite understood this concept so anyone who knows more about it please help!

**KaytKayt** · 04-01-2009, 09:27 PM

wow 1000 calories a day is insanely low and unless you're seriously tiny that can be very dangerous. Your brain alone needs on average about 500 calories a day to function properly.

**ghanie** · 04-02-2009, 12:55 AM

BMR is your basic metabolic rate. It's the calories you burn just by resting for 24 hours. To lose weight, you eat less than your BMR to create a calorie deficit .. that's your BMR minus 500 to lose 1 pound per week. 500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories per week.

Your doctor already said to go on a 1000 calorie diet to lose 2 pounds per week. So he estimated your BMR to be about 2000. The 2 pounds per week is there at a 7000 calories per week deficit.

Exercise shouldn't be used to create an even bigger deficit. You exercise to build lean muscle, boost your metabolism, and keep your body from adapting to your calorie deficit. MFP tells you how many calories you burned and adds them to your calorie allowance so you can eat them and keep your muscles fueled.

Go to the MFP forum and search for "700 calories a day and not losing". It's really long but a true story about a 185-pound woman who could not lose weight even though she was only eating 700 calories per day. How? Because she was only eating 700 calories per day!

**Jerzeebabie04** · 04-02-2009, 05:28 AM

How do I figure out my own BMR? The weight loss doctor said I could do the 1200 calorie diet, but suggest I start with a 1000 calorie diet since I am so overweight at my age. He's a bit of mean grumpy old man kind of guy, but he specializes in weight loss, gives me diet pills, a B12 energy shot, and a few sample diets so I figure he knows what he's talking about. The thing is, with the 1000 calorie diet, I don't feel hungry & if I do I eat! So I'm not too worried if I go over the 1000 calories, which I havent yet. Not sure if I'm suposed to just eat even if I'm not hungry, just to be sure I've gotten those calories in? I think the protein shakes really fill me up enough & dinner definitely fills me up

**ghanie** · 04-02-2009, 11:12 AM

Your weight times 12 will give you a good idea of where your BMR is. You're probably way under at 1000 calories and don't ever go under 1000.

Yes, be sure to get all your calories and eat every 3 hours even if you're not hungry. It wont always be this way ... this is just until you increase your calorie intake because it's so small and you don't want your body to think you're in danger of starving.

You're already below the minimum that a lot of nutritionists agree is the minimum calorie intake. Right now it's a matter of fueling your organs and muscles so they keep working for you and not against you. If what you're eating is too filling, lower your carbs and increase your fat or protein so you can get your calories without stuffing yourself.

**Jerzeebabie04** · 04-02-2009, 12:16 PM

Okay so I kind of understand how you determind the deficit & where the 3500 calories is coming from. So to lose 2 lbs a week it would be 1,000 calorie deficit instead?
Now on Myfitnesspal when I'm calculating what percentages I want my carb, protein, & fats. Since I reduced my calories from that sites recommended 1200 & reduced it to 1000... under the exercise goals I'm still unsure what I should put that at. I think it was around 1440 calories/week under a 1200 calorie diet to lose 1.9 lbs a week.... I havent changed the exercise calories yet b/c I'm unsure of what to make them... so now it says I would lose 2.3 lbs a week. Do I leave it to that many calories a week or is it suposed to be less?

**ghanie** · 04-02-2009, 01:25 PM

Should what be less?

**Jerzeebabie04** · 04-02-2009, 01:44 PM

Well you know on MFP when you go to change your goals.... the left side is like the calories you need to eat... which they had mine set at 1200.... then on the right side is calories to burn from exercise... like your goal of how many calories you want to burn a week.... They had it set around 1440 or somewhere around there. But when I changed the food calories from 1200 to 1000, I didn't change the exercise calories of 1440.... I wasnt sure what to make that number

**ghanie** · 04-02-2009, 01:57 PM

Oh, dunno, it doesn't change my projected weight loss when I change it.

I think it's more of a personal goal than anything. How many calories do you normally burn per workout?

**Jerzeebabie04** · 04-02-2009, 03:15 PM

Probably between 200-500, not really sure all the time. I do the elliptical sometimes or the tredmill sometimes. So far 1 day a week I take an aerobics class, but am thinking of trying to do it at least 2-3 times a week.

I figured that number on the right side would have to change in order to lose so many pounds per week. Because if you need to eat at least 500 calories less then your BMR, I would think you would also need to burn so many calories a week too.

If my BMR is my weight x 12 & to lose 2 lbs a week I need to eat 1,000 less calories then that total... I should be eatting more then 1200 calories. But too me my body doesnt seem to lose weight well if I'm eatting more then 1200 calories.

04-01-2009, 07:16 PM	#1
Jerzeebabie04 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 95	3500 calories is 1 lb Okay so I know that it takes 3500 calories more then you consume to lose 1 pound... I use a calorie calculator to determine how many calories I should eat to lose weight, I'm on a 1,000 calorie diet. If I'm eatting 1,000 calories a day, how many calories do I need to burn a week to lose 2 lbs? B/c the way that the calculator set it up totally confuses me. Its at about 1400 calories burned a week. If I'm eatting 1,000 a day thats 7,000 in a week. And if I need to do enough exercise to burn 1400 a week... where is that 3500 coming from? I've never quite understood this concept so anyone who knows more about it please help!

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04-01-2009, 09:27 PM	#2
KaytKayt VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 40	wow 1000 calories a day is insanely low and unless you're seriously tiny that can be very dangerous. Your brain alone needs on average about 500 calories a day to function properly.

04-02-2009, 12:55 AM	#3
ghanie Silver Contributor 100+ Posts Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 211	BMR is your basic metabolic rate. It's the calories you burn just by resting for 24 hours. To lose weight, you eat less than your BMR to create a calorie deficit .. that's your BMR minus 500 to lose 1 pound per week. 500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories per week. Your doctor already said to go on a 1000 calorie diet to lose 2 pounds per week. So he estimated your BMR to be about 2000. The 2 pounds per week is there at a 7000 calories per week deficit. Exercise shouldn't be used to create an even bigger deficit. You exercise to build lean muscle, boost your metabolism, and keep your body from adapting to your calorie deficit. MFP tells you how many calories you burned and adds them to your calorie allowance so you can eat them and keep your muscles fueled. Go to the MFP forum and search for "700 calories a day and not losing". It's really long but a true story about a 185-pound woman who could not lose weight even though she was only eating 700 calories per day. How? Because she was only eating 700 calories per day!

04-02-2009, 05:28 AM	#4
Jerzeebabie04 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 95	How do I figure out my own BMR? The weight loss doctor said I could do the 1200 calorie diet, but suggest I start with a 1000 calorie diet since I am so overweight at my age. He's a bit of mean grumpy old man kind of guy, but he specializes in weight loss, gives me diet pills, a B12 energy shot, and a few sample diets so I figure he knows what he's talking about. The thing is, with the 1000 calorie diet, I don't feel hungry & if I do I eat! So I'm not too worried if I go over the 1000 calories, which I havent yet. Not sure if I'm suposed to just eat even if I'm not hungry, just to be sure I've gotten those calories in? I think the protein shakes really fill me up enough & dinner definitely fills me up

04-02-2009, 11:12 AM	#5
ghanie Silver Contributor 100+ Posts Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 211	Your weight times 12 will give you a good idea of where your BMR is. You're probably way under at 1000 calories and don't ever go under 1000. Yes, be sure to get all your calories and eat every 3 hours even if you're not hungry. It wont always be this way ... this is just until you increase your calorie intake because it's so small and you don't want your body to think you're in danger of starving. You're already below the minimum that a lot of nutritionists agree is the minimum calorie intake. Right now it's a matter of fueling your organs and muscles so they keep working for you and not against you. If what you're eating is too filling, lower your carbs and increase your fat or protein so you can get your calories without stuffing yourself.

04-02-2009, 12:16 PM	#6
Jerzeebabie04 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 95	Okay so I kind of understand how you determind the deficit & where the 3500 calories is coming from. So to lose 2 lbs a week it would be 1,000 calorie deficit instead? Now on Myfitnesspal when I'm calculating what percentages I want my carb, protein, & fats. Since I reduced my calories from that sites recommended 1200 & reduced it to 1000... under the exercise goals I'm still unsure what I should put that at. I think it was around 1440 calories/week under a 1200 calorie diet to lose 1.9 lbs a week.... I havent changed the exercise calories yet b/c I'm unsure of what to make them... so now it says I would lose 2.3 lbs a week. Do I leave it to that many calories a week or is it suposed to be less?

04-02-2009, 01:25 PM	#7
ghanie Silver Contributor 100+ Posts Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 211	Should what be less?

04-02-2009, 01:44 PM	#8
Jerzeebabie04 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 95	Well you know on MFP when you go to change your goals.... the left side is like the calories you need to eat... which they had mine set at 1200.... then on the right side is calories to burn from exercise... like your goal of how many calories you want to burn a week.... They had it set around 1440 or somewhere around there. But when I changed the food calories from 1200 to 1000, I didn't change the exercise calories of 1440.... I wasnt sure what to make that number

04-02-2009, 01:57 PM	#9
ghanie Silver Contributor 100+ Posts Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 211	Oh, dunno, it doesn't change my projected weight loss when I change it. I think it's more of a personal goal than anything. How many calories do you normally burn per workout?

04-02-2009, 03:15 PM	#10
Jerzeebabie04 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 95	Probably between 200-500, not really sure all the time. I do the elliptical sometimes or the tredmill sometimes. So far 1 day a week I take an aerobics class, but am thinking of trying to do it at least 2-3 times a week. I figured that number on the right side would have to change in order to lose so many pounds per week. Because if you need to eat at least 500 calories less then your BMR, I would think you would also need to burn so many calories a week too. If my BMR is my weight x 12 & to lose 2 lbs a week I need to eat 1,000 less calories then that total... I should be eatting more then 1200 calories. But too me my body doesnt seem to lose weight well if I'm eatting more then 1200 calories.