How am I supposed to burn more than I eat everyday?

Question

I probably have about 2,000 each day. I'm 16 years old. People tell me to burn more than I eat, how is that possible? That means about 3 hours on the elliptical with my pace. I don't have that time right now. And isn't the a basal metabolic rate, where I need calories to LIVE?! So if I burn them all, I'm be running on empty. Right??

Answer 1

You will start converting fat to energy and lose weight, if that's what you mean.

If you want to burn more then pick up the pace on the elliptical. AND DO WEIGHT TRAINING. You body will burn more energy if you do the resisitive excercises. It's different than aerobic excercise, and it's valuable to burn more calories and feel less hungry.

Cut down on carbs. Eat more proteins. You will feel less hungry even though you are taking in fewer calories.

Also drink lots of water, and avoid soda and sports drinks (if you drink those).

Answer 2

No, you misunderstand. The goal isn't to burn 2000 calories all at once but to gradually build up.

If you consume about 2000 calories per day and are not gaining weight, then let's say that you burn around 2000 calories per day just to keep going. Then you do the elliptical for 20 minutes. (3 hours is really long, I certainly don't exercise that much.) So instead of your usual burning of 2000, you've burn 2200 because of that twenty minutes on the elliptical. You took in the same amount of calories (2000) but burned 200 extra calories.

Eventually, those extra calories burned will add up and you'll lose weight.

Answer 3

I agree with Ohthechemistry...all you need to do is burn a little extra...just by being alive and walking around you are probably burning 1500 to 1700 calories a day! So, if you eat 2000...you have an extra 300-500 per day that will either be stored or burned off. So, go for a run, go biking or swimming...or, eat a bit less. Or, some combo of both.

Answer 4

Wrong. There's no such thing as empty. The body burns stored fat. That's the idea behind taking in fewer calories than you burn. 2000 is a bit high for you. (Assuming you're under 6 feet). You burn around 1600 to 1800 just living and breathing. Taking in fewer calories is as simple as reducing your fat, sugar, and carbohydrate intake and replacing it with lean white meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate exercise will burn 200 to 400 calories depending on how hard you work. It's not necessary to eat up your valuable time staying healthy, but it's sure worth the good feeling you have afterward. Read more here: http://www.chetday.com

'nuff said?

Answer 5

If you are 16 years old, you are probably still growing. If this is the case, eat three healthy meals a day and exercise for 1 hour a day.

If you are one of the 2/3 Americans that are overweight/obese, begin to eat only three healthy meals a day and exercise for an hour a day. Your body will need the nutrients in the food to function correctly, but you will burn the fat within your body when the food runs out.

By burning off the body fat, you will loose weight. More importantly, the daily exercise will give you a strong heart and lungs. You';l need these fo your whole life. Take care of them.

Answer 6

I remember your name. You are the young lady that might be ANOREXIC. You should follow the advice of your parents and doctor. You may not need to lose any weight at all. If you are underweight then you should eat more than you burn because you do not have enough fat stored up to provide the energy that your body needs to live. That means you are right and you are running on empty. The only exercise you need if you are underweight is regular activities like walking. You could also do something fun like swimming and dancing - but make sure that you eat healthy snacks so you have enough energy to enjoy these activities. Power bars and energy drinks are healthy and provide a bit of energy as well.

Answer 7

I would only worry about burning any calories over the 2000. If you decide to splurge and eat a little extra one day. I'm pretty sure the 2000 calorie diet is based on normal every day stuff. I mean technicall just typing or walking to the bathroom burn some calories. You only need to work extra hard to burn calories you didn't want.

Answer 8

If you're trying to lose weight, then yes you need to burn more than you consume. If you don't have the time to exercise, then cut back the calorie consumption to 1500-1800 a day. You're burning calories constantly throughout the day, even when sleeping, just at different levels. Walk whenever you can, clean your room, participate in sports, join some kind of activities club at school...there are lots of ways to burn calories aside from just exercising. Even if you don't need to lose weight, staying active is just plain healthy.

Answer 9

Unless you're having a real weight issue, I would simply continue doing what you're doing. The idea of burning more than you eat only applies to people trying actively to LOSE weight, because it will use up the calories you've eaten that day and thus your body will have to take energy from the fat reserves.

If you're just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stick with your 2,000 calories and try to use around that many as well. (Not difficult considering just walking from class to class uses up calories, and so does studying!)

Answer 10

You have to base everything on estimates:

Assumption 1 - take your body weight and add a zero on the end, ex: I weigh 210, so I should burn 2100 calories per day without exercise.

Assumption 2 - workout and burn an additional 500 calories per day.

Assumption 3 - consume only 1800 calories per day

If you do this, you will have created an 800 calorie deficiency per day and approximately 3500 calories is one pound, so if you create this deficiency 4 days a week, you should lose 1 lb. per week.