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Freedom-No-781 OP t1_j6hcgxz wrote

Reply to comment by thismyvibe in ELI5 - When losing weight, why is it common to hear "burn more than you consume" in reference to calorie intake. if you consume" 1000 calories, how do you burn 1500? by Freedom-No-781

Let me know if I'm understanding this correctly then, so to lose said weight, if my goal is to eat 1000 calories, I do then need to actually burn 1500 calories to lose weight?

Could I not just burn 500 for example because I'm already in a huge calorie deficit by only consuming 1000?

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othatchick t1_j6hcutl wrote

you burn calories by existing. just as an example : you burn 1500 calories a day by just living and working. if you want to maintain your weight, you need to eat 1500 calories. if you consistently eat 3000 calories per day, you will gain. If you eat only 1000 calories, you will lose weight.

There are calculators to estimate your energy output during the day. Whatever that number is, adjust your goal caloric intake accordingly.

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thismyvibe t1_j6hcuq7 wrote

eat more/burn less = gain weight bc you’re adding to storage without getting rid of much/anything

eat regular/burn regular = stay at weight bc you’re getting rid of what you’re putting in

eat less/burn more = lose weight bc you’re taking from storage without putting anything in.

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MrWedge18 t1_j6io9h9 wrote

> I'm already in a huge calorie deficit

Then you already burn more than you consume. "Burn more than you consume" is just another way of saying "have a calorie deficit".

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thismyvibe t1_j6hckrj wrote

burning the 500 from storage is just, not eating. you have to proportionally consume and burn more than you consume (output more than input)

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firelizzard18 t1_j6jlb2e wrote

You burn calories by living. If you exercise, you burn more. If you consume zero calories you will starve because you burn 1500-2500 each day (depends on the person) by living. If you know your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn per day) and you eat 500 calories less than that number, you’ll lose about a pound per week.

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annomandaris t1_j6l05uf wrote

Sort of. Everyones bodies are different, but lets just assume your body burns 1500 calories a day just surviving, thats what it takes to keep your body temp up, and your organs working etc. And if your pretty sedentary, you might use another 500 calories to work your muscles, bringing your average calories per day at 2000.

If you keep the same amount of activity, and only ate 1000 calories a day, then yes, you would lose a pound every 3.5 days or approximinately 2 lbs a week.

But, your body really doesnt like starvation, and its going to make you feel like shit for a while. So typically what is "easier" for people is to exercise, which lets say means you now need 2500 calories a day, and you eat 2000 calories instead of 1000.

This way your still at a caloric deficit (500) and youll still lose about a pound of fat a week, you will lose weight, but you wont be starving all the time. Also you might have days where you work harder, and some days that are cheat days that you eat more, this is up to the persons preference.

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