Burn more than you consume?

Question

Everyone always says "Burn more calories than you consume to lose weight." How is this possible if dieticians say you should consume 1500-2000 calories a day.... You would have to be running or doing cardio for 4 hours a day to burn that many calories. That's insane. And then the trainers say 45 min. of cardio a day is good enough to lose weight. Doesn't this go against the whole, "Burn more than you consume theory"? I don't get it.

Answer 1

No, because your body will burn calories throughout the day without doing anything, even if you are just lying around. The cardio is added to burn even more calories. That's why people say you have to eat at least 1200 calories a day, because your body will burn that off by itself, and you don't want to go in starvation mode.

Answer 2

Thats why so many people are overweight, they don't actually burn more calories than they consume. There is no 'healthy' number of calories to eat in a day, it depends on so many personal variables.

If you are a large person and are very active you might want to eat even more than your indicated range, if not you may want to eat less. What is important is a balanced diet not the number of calories that you consume.

When calculating calories consumed you have include your basal metablolic rate. What this means is that your body, even at rest, consumes calories just to stay warm and to keep the bodily functions going. The number of calories you burn during exercise is over and above this.

To calculate all of that precisely is to me a waste of time. Look at it more from the results end. Are you happy with your percentage of body fat? Are you happy with your fitness levels? Adjust your diet accordingly.

There's too much misunderstood science being applied to dieting and not enough common sense.

Answer 3

You are burning a little over 1000 calories a day just by breathing and being alive....

Answer 4

Stop making excuses and get busy. Now Get off the computer and go running. Make it an 8 minute mile.