please help - I am confused about calories in versus out

I have gone to those on-line calorie calculators and I am unsure about the calorie deficit ratios.

I get the calculation that I need 1545 calories per day with a moderately active lifestyle ( I did mark that I workout (mildly) several times a week)

Then after my calculation comes up, there is a note to cut 500 calories or burn 500 more calories in order to lose weight. Does this mean I need to only have 1045 calories to lose weight?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Mon. Jan 23, 11:52am

I'd have to see the on-line calculator you're using - do you have a link?

It's not safe to eat less than 1200 calories a day unless you're being medically supervised. You can't get enough nutrition with less than 1200 calories and it's detrimental to your health.

If that's really what that calculator is saying - to cut back to 1045 cals. or burn 500 more - if I were in your shoes (which actually I am ;-) ) I'd cut back to 1200 calories eaten per day and burn an extra 200 calories a day.

blozzom :-)

I'm doing well with losing weight by eating 1200 calories a day and exercising 3 to 4 times per week. I've lost 10 lbs. since 1/1 without killing myself in the exercise department! You can check out my log... I weigh myself daily but only record it weekly here .... I started 2006 at 182 and am down to 172 as of this morning!

Link

Monday, January 23, 2006, 12:08 PM

I second Blozzom's comments. Generally, a calorie deficit of 3,500 will result in losing one pound. You can create a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day by reducing the amount of calories you eat, or by increasing your activity level. The site is not smart enough to know that you would be below the 1200 minimum calories a day if you cut 500 calories out of your diet.

You could burn 500 calories in one hour running, on the eliptical, or many other activities. This will also help your metabolism. Cutting calories will negatively affect your metabolism.

Monday, January 23, 2006, 12:25 PM

Also...:)

When it says to burn 500 cals that's with exercise or other activity. So you can take in 1545 cals and burn 500 and lose about 1 lb. per week.
Instead of online calculators, I take my weight times 11 and subtract 500. Then I try and burn 500 a few times a week as well to lose a little over a lb. a week.
BUT, if you're already in a normal weight range, I THIRD the previous comments and say take in no less than 1200 cals a day. It is cals in cals out, but remember that the quality of cals also has an effect.
Good luck!

Monday, January 23, 2006, 1:23 PM

Even if you're above the average weight range, don't eat less than 1200 calories a day, b/c it'll put your body into "starvation mode" - it won't be getting enough nutrients on a regular-enough basis, so it'll start storing everything it can get ahold of, to feed your body later. Basically, your metabolism will just slow down a ton, so you won't lose any weight, even though you're eating less!

Monday, January 23, 2006, 4:02 PM

Another way to figure out your target calorie limit is to keep food journal for a week, concentrate on making healthy food choices, but don't have a final number in mind. At the end of the week, figure out your average daily consumption. Subtract 500 calories from that number and that's your new target number. If that number is less than 1200, then set 1200 as your target and look at the nutritional profile of your diet - you may be filling up on carbs and not getting enough protein or fat.

Monday, January 23, 2006, 5:23 PM

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