Calories vs Excercise

[guidoLaMoto]

It all boils down to some simple arithmetic---

A lb of fat contains a little over 4000cal.

Hard exercise only burns about 600cal/hr (You could burn it faster, but can't exercise for long at higher rates.)

4000 / 600 = 6.7 hrs of hard exercise AFTER you've exercised enough to burn all your glycogen stores each session to burn off one lousy lb of fat. (average person has ~2000 cal quickly available from glycogen-- ~3 hrs worth for exercise)

Conclusion-- Exercise is not an efficieint way to lose weight, but it can be very helpful in preventing weight gain as you burn off the excess dietary calories each day rather than turn them into fat.


We used to prescribe diets for diabetics based on the rule of thumb that it take 10 cal to maintain each lb of body weight each day, ie-- eat desired weight x10 worth of calories daily. Everybody is different. Your results may vary.

[luckyme609]

Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto

It all boils down to some simple arithmetic---

A lb of fat contains a little over 4000cal.

Hard exercise only burns about 600cal/hr (You could burn it faster, but can't exercise for long at higher rates.)

4000 / 600 = 6.7 hrs of hard exercise AFTER you've exercised enough to burn all your glycogen stores each session to burn off one lousy lb of fat. (average person has ~2000 cal quickly available from glycogen-- ~3 hrs worth for exercise)

Conclusion-- Exercise is not an efficieint way to lose weight, but it can be very helpful in preventing weight gain as you burn off the excess dietary calories each day rather than turn them into fat.


We used to prescribe diets for diabetics based on the rule of thumb that it take 10 cal to maintain each lb of body weight each day, ie-- eat desired weight x10 worth of calories daily. Everybody is different. Your results may vary.

One pound of equals an average of 3500 Calories. So that is kind of better news. But you are right about exercise. You can blow a strenuous work out very easily.
I find that exercise boosts my mood, makes me more confident, and keeps my heart rate healthy.

[IShootNikon]

Exercise is great, just don't expect to lose weight with it.

I exercise to increase blood flow for heart health and a bunch of other health factors. It makes me feel good after a good run/bike ride.

But typically weight loss is not one of the benefits.

That mainly comes from the kitchen. All based on what you eat, how much you eat, and WHEN you eat. I emphasize WHEN because that is what got me over the hump. But it has to be a lifestyle. Don't call it a diet. Diets are not sustainable.

I do one-meal-a-day (OMAD) but understand this is not for everyone.