Cardio, Calories and Kcal's. Oh my!

  Something that has been weighing down on me the past couple of days. The cardio machines at the gym often have the "Cals burnt this session" window. I understand that it is obviously an estimation however during a 5min jog the counter hit 27cal.
 
Now the daily Kcal intake is approx 2500 for the average Joe in order to maintain his body weight.
 
Now on a standard day how can you burn that many Kcal when even a jog will only burn an estimated 30cal's (rounded up)?
 
I have been aiming at 1200Kcal per day intake, putting the majority balance of carbs at the beginning of the day after my first session at the gym and then enough to keep me going at lunch in prep for my evening gym session. That said am I honestly going to be able to burn those 1200Kcal?
My food is very clean, the worse thing I eat is 1/3 pack of angel delight in my whey shake once a day. The rest is small amounts of chicken breast or tuna or mackerel with salad, low carb rice or pasta (again small amounts), eating small amounts of monkey nuts and raisins for light snacks. Fair enough I had steak last night but it was very lean.
 
I am slightly concerned but that's obviously due to my lack of understanding how and why it works.
My workouts have not been heavy, im still trying to ease into it. I will generally do a 10 Min walk (brisk) from work to the gym as a warm-up. 500m on the row machine at approx 2:30 pace at level 5 have a 1 min rest to get my heart rate down and then do another 500m pushing it as hard as poss the last 100m each set.
 
I will often do some bike for 5 to 10 mins at a low intensity and then work on the weights for 20 mins to 30 mins.
 
Finishing up with another 500m on the row machine and the 10 min walk back to the car parked at work.
 
Last night I managed to do 500m, 1min rest, 500m, 1min rest, 1000m on level 4 at a 3min/500m pace and felt good for it but am still very worried about my heart rate. I find I have trouble breathing after a short time of high intensity cardio. Im hoping that's just the effects of smoking for 7 years and will go away!
 
Am I missing something obvious? Sorry for the long post and my poor spelling/grammar.

  Day 21 of not smoking. 3 Weeks!

Alright mate.

A lot of calories will be used for every day bodily functions so you shouldn't be aiming to burn 2500 or even 1200 if thats all you are consuming.

By the sounds of it you may want to post up your weight, goals and current diet.  Someone will be able to give you some pointers because consuming only 1200 cals daily and doing intense exercise isn't going to do much good in the long run.

Shape up competition journal

You aim for 500 cals below the maintanance level (2500 average joe) - so that's 2000 cals, so theoretically over 7 days you should see roughly 1lb difference on the scales - this is without adding cardio.

7 * 500cals = 3500 cals in fat (9cals every gram) 
3500/9 =

~400g call it 1 lbs - 454g cause not exact science.

Add cardio to the mix and you should burn some more - which cardio is up to you. 

so now look at it from your own intake and exercise. All the cals you burn soon add up over weeks. I try not to look at the cal counter till the end its just annoying.

look good naked :D

Thanks for the replys.

Current stats are:

Height: 5 ft 10
Weight: 140kg (big lad)

Goals: Loose (atleast) 8 stone (10 would be awesome) over 1 year to 18 months
Goals cont: Build a toned and muscular body.

Want to get fit, stay fit and look good.

I can train anyday. I have the time for 2 sessions on weekdays, 2 hours before work and 2 hours after work. Gym is 10 min brisk walk (warmup) from work, the same walk acts as a cooldown after the session. 

I can do anytime sat and sun for however long needed.

I am currently working into a routine, getting my body used to it with 2 Light sessions weekdays and one longer session both sat and sun. I use wednesday as a rest day. I am slowly trying to intensify each session.

Diet:

Normal day would consist of:

Wake up at 5:20 - black coffee or greentea and a proplus for kick.

At gym by 6:30

At work for 8:00/8:30 - breakfast -normally along thelines of tuna and rice cakes/oatcakes with a whey shake. If I find i am still hungry then a little fruit.

Normally have a snack around 10/11 in the form of another whey shake or tuna salad (with no salad dressing) from the sandwich van.

Lunch around 1/2 consisting of chicken and salad or similar.

Afternoon/pre gym snack at 4/5 is normally a whey shake with a 1/3 pouch of angel delight and a couple of crushed pro plus and an asprin.

Gym at 5:30

Dinner around 8 and again it could be anything from chicken to lean steak, tuna etc with veg, maybe a little brown basmalti rice or those half potatoe/half pasta thingys.

I have a green tea with/after dinner in a tall mug with a decentshot of glucosamine.

Bed by 10.

I will have the odd green tea throughout the day at work, I also take a handfull of raisins and monkey nuts to snack on as and when I need a nibble.

Drinking about 1 litre of water a day, need to increase this.

Last note, I am obviously a big guy, massive you could say :) I am desperate, motivated and determind to sort myself out. Realistically, assuming that I can and do stick to the diet, the exersize and the mindset, can I attain a body I can be happy with. By happy I mean well built but not concidered overweight/fat. Or have I left it too long to sort it out?

I am 22 years old and have been like this/on the road to being this since the age of 10. I.e. during my main stages of growth (bones etc).

  Day 21 of not smoking. 3 Weeks!

Hello mate and welcome to the forum

I am 5 feet 10 and started out at 19 and a half stone (about 124 kg) so where you are now and where I began aren't a million miles away.

I was determined to do something too, and over time have done the following:

1. Stopped drinking alcohol (lots of empty calories there).
2. Weight training 3 times a week.
3. Cardio 5 times a week.
4. Completely revised my diet, both what I am eating and how much.

As of my last weight in I am 14 and a half stone (about 92 kg), although obviously this has taken some time. I have lost, and continue to lose, around 2 pounds per week by eating 2,000 calories a day or thereabouts.

Although it doesn't seem a lot, over your 18 month goal that would be 156 pounds, so over 11 stones, so your goals are certainly realistic.

Just accept each gradual loss as a step in the right direction, and don't be put off by odd weeks when you don't lose. They will happen. Also, as you get more into working out, don't get too hung up on the scale weight. Go by how you feel, how your clothes fit, have you had to tighten your belt another notch...that kind of thing. This is because you will get to a point where the scale isn't moving much, but your shape is changing. This is a good thing.

Good luck!! I know a bit about the journey you are about to begin with losing weight, as do many others on here. It can be done and it sounds like your mindset is just right :) 

One other thing, as daft as it may sound...you are not eating enough!!

Aim for around 2,000 calories a day and you'll see a steady loss. With a high level of activity, 1,200 is not going to be anywhere near sufficient.

Thanks Ian,

I mentioned on another thread where you descibed your journey about how it was very inspirational for me. Thanks for confirming it here!

I will re evaluate my diet somewhat and look at my intake, I have not been monitoring my weight becsue of the ammount of weight training I am doing, I figured the more weights im doing the less acurate scale weight will be and I dont want to be putoff by numbers so I have been going by look and feel.

I can already feel my arms getting filled out and a bit tighter and i can see/feel alot of my stomach and leg fat lossening up, quite a bit in some areas already! My chest has started shifting to, my most upsetting areas being chest, bum thighs in that order.

Another big change I have noticed is my vains, particually on my wrist, arm and hands, are very identifiable in places, I assue thats somthing to do with better circulation.

Ive not felt this good in years, not smoking, not drinking and exersizing as much as poss (and enjoying it ;D).

  Day 21 of not smoking. 3 Weeks!

Cracking stuff, soon enough people will begin to comment on how much better you look and that will feel great.

I notice bones in places I didn't know I had them!

Another thing that feels really good is when you need to buy new clothes and you realise they have everything in your size!

My problem areas are my belly and thighs, still have some to lose from there and reckon another 14 to 21 pounds will do it.

If I can be of any help, don't hesitate to ask :)

At 1200 calories your body has decided there is a famine and is busy storing every calorie it can

first step - regular meals - tell the body there is food
second - eat more - if you need 2500 - consume 2000
if you want a bigger deficit then up expenditure to create it

As alraedy said - when you restrict calories too much all fat loss, and weight loss stops as the body gets all survival and tries to stop you starving to death!

Les Willis
Nutrition Consultant
Healthy Action

I used to think I knew what busy was - now I am too busy to think about it!

Thankyou guys, and thanks les. I will address the intake issue right away :)

Cant believe how nice this forum is :) compaired to most others

  Day 21 of not smoking. 3 Weeks!

At 1200 calories your body has decided there is a famine and is busy storing every calorie it can

first step - regular meals - tell the body there is food
second - eat more - if you need 2500 - consume 2000
if you want a bigger deficit then up expenditure to create it

As alraedy said - when you restrict calories too much all fat loss, and weight loss stops as the body gets all survival and tries to stop you starving to death!

the biggest metabolic drop ever recorded is 30-40 per cent in the Minnesota Study. that was after 6 months, semi starved and at 5 per cent bodyfat

at a fat 140kg, I doubt the OP is anywhere near those figures let alone starved. but you state as matter of fact the laws of thermodynamics do not apply i.e. his body is in famine and all without any mention of problems of stalled weight loss from the the original poster. and this from a half wit who does not know what a deficiency is.

to the OP, a big deficit and quick results can be an excellent motivator for a long term success. well done on your progress this far.

-

I have not monitored my weight loss (scale weight) as to not put myselfr off, get dissapointed and becasue im weight training and dontbelive I will get a reliable figure of "fat loss".

I thus far have been feeling and looking. So far i feel and look great :D Compaired to before.

Ive noticed many things that are an improvement on my body and cant wait to see the next. Thanks for the kind words R3261 :D

Off to the gym in 2 mins hehe.

  Day 21 of not smoking. 3 Weeks!

R3261 - your attitude is abysmal.

I dont know anyone who is impressed by your noxious, argumentive approach, or who impressed by your trying to show how clever you are with a big look at me hung round your neck at every given opportunity.

MT is about helpful and constructive: if you want fully referenced papers for every answer then you have come to the wrong place.

Once again locked to prevent a peacock like display by a member who thinks that debating something to the nth degree of absurdity is actually useful.

Knowledge for self  aggrandisement is not knowledge at all - it is merely intellectual masturbation

Les Willis
Nutrition Consultant
Healthy Action

I used to think I knew what busy was - now I am too busy to think about it!