I don't get how one is meant to burn more calories than they eat to lose weight?

So apparently to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eatIf I am eating 1200 calories a day that would mean I would have to burn at least 1200 calories too lose weight? Which means 80 minutes of running or around 400 minutes of walkingIs this not a tad unrealistic? Because then I read things like 30 minutes of cardio a day to lose weight, but according to other sources you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of "30 minutes cardio a day"?I am so confused!!!

How to Lose Weight With Shift Work

Recommended Answer:

you got it half right... you do need to burn more than you eat to create a calorie deficit for weight loss, but all that doesnt happen through workouts. Your body naturally burns calories even when you are not moving. just to keep you breathing and your organ functioning you will burn about 1000-1200 cals a day, even if you dont move a muscle. This is called your BMR, its a baseline calulation of your bodies caloric needs before factoring in activity, and its based on your current weight/height. now to create a diet from this, you factor in your lifestyle activity as well. this is about 300-500 cals for low activity, 500-700cals for moderate, and up to a 1000 cals or more for high activity. Then anything you burn with additional workouts should also be factored in. SO... a 1200-1500 cal diets should give you enough calories to satisfy your bodies basic needs and create a calorie deficit for weight loss with a moderatly active life style. For a more accurate calulation of what you should be eating, try this. : http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Other Answers:

• Although I'm not sure, I think you'd be burning more than 1200 calories a day if you did 30 minutes of cardio because your body burns a lot of calories throughout the day. Even in your sleep!