Coming Back to Fat Secret

So I joined this site in November 2012, but couldn't really understand how things worked. The entry process is simple enough its just all the numbers I don't understand. For example: I ate 2123 kcals today (2/11/13) and I had an exercise kcal of 2526, that leaves me with -403 kcals. Is that what is supposed to happen? Should that number be bigger or smaller, does that number not really matter, because it depends on what you eat? Any answers would be great.


Thanks,
Scharber

The 'general consensus' is that if you can have a net kcal around -500/day, you will lose weight at a rate of around a pound/week. However, it has also been discussed frequently in the forums that the calories calculated by the FS exercise entries are overestimated (for example, your biking may not have actually burned 700+ calories). If you have an average of -500/day and don't see any weight loss after a couple of weeks, you probably can assume that FS is overestimating your calorie burn, and then you can adjust your RDI or exercise routine accordingly.

In general people underestimate calories from food and overestimate calories burned exercising. If you want to get the best idea, weigh your food and use a heart rate monitor. Even this isn't an exact science--the heart rate monitors at gyms, for ex, are usually making an educated guess as to the number of calories burned and some foods are entered incorrectly.

Use the calories as a general guideline, focus on eating properly and think of exercise as the icing on the cake versus something that will "take away" calories consumed. People seem to all have a different sweet spot of calorie intake/exercise/weight loss and you have to find yours. Good luck!

And yeah--some say "a calories is a calorie is a calorie," but a 100 cal snack pack of cookies definitely doesn't equal 100 calories of kale.

Its really a fat secret topic. Well according to me we can burn all calories and fat easily with regular workout. Last week i burnt so many calories with doing running only.
Gym St Johns Wood

I agree that the calroies burned during exercise is over stated. What I do is report a lower effort. I walk about 3.5 MPH but I record it at the 3.0 MPH level. If I am riding a bike I use the lower intensity. If I am riding a stationary bike then I manualy enter the exercise.

To answer your question: Yes - that is how the numbers are supposed to work.

I agree with beets_yum! I do a few low-calorie days, I could have 6 girl scout cookies or have 4 cups of greens with dressing, tuna, fruit, etc. all for the same calories.

But, Scharber, a good rule I've seen over and over is take your "goal" weight x 10 and see how those calories work for you. To me, it was trial and error until I found what was right for me. I actually ignore the exercise calories but I still log in my exercise.

One thing I've done to help with the Excercise calculations is that I leave my daily routine as 8 hours sleep, 8 hours desk work, 8 hours resting. Doesn't matter than I'm actually walking around the office a lot, up and down stairs several times a day, 1/4 mile each way to my car, coaching the kids basketball practice, light housework/yard work, etc... The only time I change it is when I do actual exercise, in which case I use an HRM to estimate the calories burned.

Also, I agree with beets_yum that "a 100 cal snack pack of cookies definitely doesn't equal 100 calories of kale." Processed foods are MUCH MORE READILY absorbed by the body than natural/raw foods. Meaning, your body might "absorb" 90 of the calories from the snack pack, but only 70 calories from the kale. This applies to all the food you eat, all day long. Which is why people who eat "whole foods" generally do MUCH better with weight loss on the same caloric intake than do people eating processed "diet" foods.