Calories: Eat to Burn Ratio

Ok for a healthy weight loss rate

Here is my question:

On a typical day I burn approximately 3000 calories with my workout and BMR

I eat about 1500 to 1600 calories.

Is this the right ratio?

Should I be eating more?

Burning more?

I did post this in another thread but decided to ask here too

Your daily calorie deficit should not be more than 1000 calories.  So you should probably increase your calorie intake.  I personaly aim for about 750 daily deficit.

I agree with dawn: if you really are burning that many calories then you need to fuel your body to keep up with your workout. Eating 2000 to 2200 calories more of the weight you lose would be fat.

I'm interested in what type of workout you do? running, swimming, aerobics? 2 work outs a day?

Even a daily deficit of 1000 is quite big but not unhealthy if you have a lot to lose.

I'd aim for an intake of 2000 a day you'll know you have it right if you lose the 2lbs a week on average. Try that for a few weeks if you aren't loosing up it a bit with the max being 2500 where you should in theory lose 1lb a week before dropping back to 2000. Moving your intake around should keep your metabolism guessing and stop you plateauing.

missree,

Firstly, it is quite unusual for a woman to burn 3000 calories per day. VERY often the amount expended by exercise is exaggerated by optimistic exercise websites, machines, or books.

Secondly, there's no need for guesstimating becasue the proof of the pudding is weightloss.

So if the numbers are as you state them then you are running a daily deficit of 1400-1500 calories which would give you a weight loss of a pound almost every second day or 3 pounds a week. Are you getting that kind of steady loss? Direct evidence beats website guesstimates every time.

If not, then either your calories IN or OUT are not quite correct.

I think most women will not have much success at weight loss with an intake much above 1600 calories a week, so my advice is  to continue doing what you're doing. Good Luck!

Original Post by amayou82:

I'm interested in what type of workout you do? running, swimming, aerobics? 2 work outs a day?

Well on Sunday and Monday, I do 1 hour of strength training, 1 1/2 hours cardio BUT.... on Tuesday thru Saturday my day goes like this:

5:00 am UP and cooking Hubbys meals for the day

6:00 am Get daughter up and cook her breakfast before school

7:30 am take daughter to school ( not on Saturdays)

8:00 Go to grandmothers ( 91 yo ) house to care for her for the day

8:15 cook her breakfast and clean up

9:00 Bath her

10:00 clean her room and change bedding

11:00 sweep, mop and vaccum rest of her home

Noon: Fix and feed her Lunch

12:45 clean up from Lunch

1:30 Run daily errands for her pay bills, grocery shop, Pick RX, etc...

3:00 Return home and get hubby up for work (he works 3rd)

3:30 Fix hubby breakfast and send him off to work

4:00 get daughter off school bus and cook her supper ( Saturdays take care of Grandma's yard)

5:00 Back to grandmothers to fix and feed her supper and clean up

6:00 back home to do my house work and pick up after dogs in the yard

8:00 Get daughters things ready for school in the AM along with packing her Lunch and checking homework. (Saturdays Mow the yard at home)

9:00 Get daughter bathed and ready for bed

10:00 FINALLY time to squeeze Cardio, I work until Elliptical says 800 calories burned

Zip2play

Since March 10 I am down 11.2 lbs

So, you're pretty active then.  Impressive weight loss.  Congratulations!  With days like that, I have no doubt you're burning 3000 calories a day.  I think you could certainly eat more if you want to.  I'm not sure where the hard and fast rule of a 500-1000 calorie a day deficit came from, but I think that as long as you're eating healthy, nutritious foods and you eat when you're hungry, you should be fine.  In other words, do what works.  If at some point your weight loss seems to be stalling, definitely try to up your calories.  All in all, do what works. 

And try to get enough sleep.  Your schedule doesn't look like it allows for it, and sleep keeps you healthy.

Thanks :) I'll get to catch up on alot of sleep next week I have a cousin coming down to stay with Gradma for a week.

Trust me when I get hungry I eat,  I eat "clean" foods such as veggies, chicken and fish nothing processed or in a can ( unless we canned it ourselves from the garden )

I also cut down red meat to twice a week (3 oz each)

Original Post by missree1974:

10:00 FINALLY time to squeeze Cardio, I work until Elliptical says 800 calories burned

 I would be skeptical of what the elliptical says.  Machines are notorious for rounding way up.