Calories burned..

Currently, I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories a day. Most days, I work out at the gym, burning about 400-500 calories a day. Does this mean I HAVE to eat about 1600 calories in order to be healthy? Or do you not subtract the calories burned from your daily consumption?

OH also, obviously it's almost impossible to eat EXACTLY 1200 calories a day..so about how many calories off is it ok to be (higher or lower than 1200)?

anybody?

You do need to take into account calories burned. If you burn 500 through exercize, you'll need to consume 500 more. 500 - 1000 calories is a safe daily deficit, and will ensure a 1 - 2 pound weekly weightloss. So no need to worry about hitting 1200 exactly.  Hope that helps you in your quest. Best of luck!  ~Charlie

1200 calories is the minimum that you should be eating. if you work out, you will need to eat more. Log you excersises that you for the day,

check http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/account /index.php to see what your total calories burned.

Then go to http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/calorie s-burned.php and see which activity level matches those calories burned.

then plug that lifestyle into http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/calorie s-goal.php and put the date that you wish to meet your goal. see what the calculator says.

I'm almost willing to bet it'll tell you to eat more.

You are right.  If you burn off 500 calories, you need to eat those calories back.

What told you to be at 1200?  Was it the tools here on CC (or other websites) or the fact that 1200 is the bare minimum women should be at?

If its the tools, then you need to find out what your current weight maintenance level is.  How many calories you need to maintain the weight you are now at.

From that, substract 500 and then 800.  This is now the range you need to be in each day for a 1 - 1.5 lbs loss per week.  Note that the amount should never be under 1200.

Original Post by bigtwinky:

You are right.  If you burn off 500 calories, you need to eat those calories back.

What told you to be at 1200?  Was it the tools here on CC (or other websites) or the fact that 1200 is the bare minimum women should be at?

If its the tools, then you need to find out what your current weight maintenance level is.  How many calories you need to maintain the weight you are now at.

From that, substract 500 and then 800.  This is now the range you need to be in each day for a 1 - 1.5 lbs loss per week.  Note that the amount should never be under 1200.

If the calculation is done that way the deficit number can be very different then if you use the burn meter/eat meter method though.