3. Do I really need to exercise to lose weight?
Keep in mind that exercise is just one part of a successful weight loss program. Eating and exercise are not separate issues. They are intrinsically linked. Too many people are under the misconception that they can eat exactly what they like if they exercise.
4. How Much Exercise Do I Need To Be Doing?
You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound. So if you’re burning 300 calories in one workout, it will take you nearly 12 workouts to lose one pound. If you cut your calorie intake by 300 calories in addition to burning 300, it will take you half as long to lose a pound. If you want to lose weight, you should aim for at least approximately 3 hours a week of moderate intensity exercise. If you cut your calories and exercise you can probably get away with a minimum dose of 2 1/2 hours per week.
If you’re a beginner start with 50 minutes of exercise a week and work up to 200.
Remember you didn’t put on extra weight overnight, so you aren’t going to be able to shift it overnight.
5. How Much Exercise Do I Need To Be Doing?
Firstly you need to work out how much weight you want to lose. Do this by subtracting your goal weight from your current weight.
Current Weight – Goal weight = Number of pounds/kilograms to lose.
A pound of body fat is 3500 calories, while a kilogram of body fat is 7700 calories.
If using pounds: take the number of pounds you need to lose and multiply by 3500. If using kilograms: take the number of kilograms and multiply by 7700.
This is the calorie deficit you need to create, over time, according to the “calories in, calories out” theory.
e.g. You want to lose 30 pounds – 3500 = 105.000 calories.
I’m going assume that you will aim to lose a pound per week (0.45kg), which is the general sensible recommended. This means that for every pound you need to lose, you will need a daily calorie deficit of 500.
In conclusion:
Take the number from the calculator above (Your average daily calorie need) and subtract that by 500:
- Female – 2000-500 = 1000
- Male – 2500-500 = 2000
This is the number of calories you should eat a day to lose weight.
