Can anyone explain how to use the burn box to me?

Hi, my name is Tracy. I was wondering if anyone can help me understand the burn box and how to use it. For some reason it is going over my head. I think I got it and then I go to look at my calorie intake along with the burn calories and I get lost all over again. Some help would be wonderful!!!!! Thanks.

Hi Tracy ~ from one newbie to another, this is what I've learned:

The small number in the top right corner of your burn meter box is the number of calories you burn each day without changing a thing.  This is based on your profile (what type of lifestyle you have, bone structure ect) and will stay constant while you are at the same weight.  For example, I am 41, 5'7 and 255 lbs when I started on March 3.  I live a sedentary lifestyle and my daily calories burned is 2200. 

Now, the big number is the amount of calories you have burned to that moment in time when you are looking at it.  If you check your account after you add your lunch, say at 12:30 pm and your burn meter reads 1200, then you have burned 1200 calories to that point in the day.  It will continue to change as the day goes on and resets itself at midnight.

If I exercise during the day, I add that to the activity log, and both numbers goes up by that amount.

Also, as you lose weight your daily calories burned (small number) will change.  It will go down because less weight to move around burns less calories and you will have to adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

I hope this helps!

Officespudette,

Thanks for the clarification. Ok, to get this strait, I'm 35, 307lbs when I started at the end of Mach I think. I live a light active life, which I'm not sure is accurate because I go to the gym at least3 time a week and work out for 1 & 1/2 hrs, plus ride my stationary bike for an hour 1-2 times a week. My calories burned is 2880 and my cal in take is 2750 a day. So if 1 work out the burn cals. can go up into the 3000 mark, so how many cals do I need to eat that day to loose weight?

What "both numbers go up if you work out"? The calorie intake for the day or the cal burned? Do you know what the ratio should be between the 2 numbers to loose weight? For example, say I ate 1839 cal and I burned 3718 cal. Is that too much of a difference, should I eat more?

And how often should you update your weight? Every month, every 2 weeks?

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!

Tracy

Tracy ~ I left my lifestyle at sedentary, which is my default lifestyle, and add my workouts so I can see how it changes my calories burned.  I found this works better to plan my calorie intake for the day as well.

I really like it this way so when I really really want that piece of cake at work, I know I have to up my workout by that many calories.  I find that when I add the extra activity it is very satisfying!

When I said "both numbers go up if you work out" I meant both burn meter numbers...both the big one and the little one in the corner.

If you want to lose weight you should have a reduction of 500 calories per day between your calorie intake and those burned.  This should result in a 1 - 2 lb per week weight loss.  I have reduced my calorie intake by approx 500 calories per day and have lost 1.5 lbs each week consistently since Mar 3 when I started.  I love it!

I've also read on cc that your calories in should never be more than your calories out at any point in the day.  That works if you update your info as you eat or exercise, but sometimes, if I know I am going out for a big supper, I put my entire day in to make sure I stay in my calorie zone.

I only update my weight once a week and I try not to weigh myself any more than that.  The scale can become an obsession!

The last time I was successful at loosing weight, although I gained it back, I only weighed myself once a month...but I just can't stay off the scale this time.

Melanie

I also left my activity level at "sedentary", which I update as I am active (even if it is just 10 minutes); I find it hugely satisfying to "see" the burn meter go up (it means I can lose weight and eat more).  Hey, little rewards do it for me.  (I am a cheap date.)

If you log your weight on your home page, the burn meter adjusts itself to your new lower weight.  Which means, if you want to keep at a 500 calorie deficit without lowering how much food you eat each day, you have to add enough activity.  I find this a weird combination of dismaying (what -- I lose weight and I am punished by being forced to eat less?) and satisfying (I lost weight!  and it is real!).  The good thing from an overall health standpoint is that it encourages me to be more active, which probably has equal benefits, overall, as getting thinner.

I used to only weigh at the gym, but since buying a good home scale, I weighed myself every day for the last week, and logged it here at CC.  Ask Mary says that 80% of weight maintainers weigh every day, but I decided I would start doing that when I am maintaining.  It is too frustrating to log it every day when you still have so much left to lose.  Sometimes after a low calorie day the weight went up, sometimes after a high calorie day the weight went down.  Starting tomorrow, I plan to make Monday my official weigh-in day (will help keep me honest over the weekend).

Good luck to all us "newbies"!

I also use Mondays as my weigh in day...it really does keep me in line on the weekend!  It's that love/hate relationship with my scale...I love to see the weight come off and hate to see it remind me when I've been off the wagon!