Weight loss and calorie consumption?
Question by Eric E: Weight loss and calorie consumption?
Hello. Im 15 yrs old, weigh 215 lbs, 5’7 (67 inchs tall if my math is right) I got a eliptical today and was wondering how is it I lose weight? most of my body mass is FAT not muscle. Im sorta lost because I need to burn off 500 cal a day for a total of 3,500 cal a week = 1lb lost. but is it unhealthy if i consume lets say 1500-1800 cal a day and burn 500-1000 cal a day, will that remaining like 500-800 cal be unhealthy for me? Like isnt that a small amount of cal for the body to keep functioning??
Best answer:
Answer by joyful_girl
Hi, Eric. Since you’re looking to lose about a pound a week, what you actually want to create is a ~3,500 calorie deficit. That is, to lose weight, you need to use up more calories than you consume. However, your body burns calories in many ways, not just exercise, so let’s look at some example math to get you started.
First, you want to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is an estimate of the minimum amount of energy required for body functions such as circulation and breathing. Though lab tests are required to figure out an individual’s unique BMR, a simplistic way to estimate your BMR is to multiply your weight by ten:
215 x 10 = 2,150 calories
This, however, only represents ~60 percent of your daily caloric needs. The remaining ~40 percent is required for digestion (10%) and by physical activity (30%). In total, to maintain your current weight of 215 pounds, you require about 3,600 calories per day:
BMR……………….. 2,150 calories
Physical Activity…. 1,090 calories
Digestion…………….. 360 calories
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Daily energy use.. 3,600 calories
(I rounded up some numbers here, in case you actually do the math. 
That, however, is to maintain your current weight–and you’re here asking about *losing* weight. Using the healthy and reasonable estimate you provided of losing one pound per week (3,500 calories), you need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day. You can do this by diet, exercise or a combination of both, which is ideal. For example, you can cut 200 calories a day from your normal meals and add extra exercise to burn 300 more calories a day and that would create the deficit you’re looking for.
I recommend endeavoring to lose no more than one to two pounds a week and also allowing some leeway and expectations for weight-loss plateaus. A good way to monitor your progress and get help understanding your caloric intake and expenditures while trying to lose weight is to use online calorie calculators (such as calorieking.com) or weight-loss support communities (like sparkpeople.com).
I hope this helps and wish you luck!
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