How do calories work? I bike 5 miles, I lose ~120-150 calories. But a small snack can be more than that?

Question

Trying to lose weight and putting it in numbers is demoralizing. I’ve started riding a stationary bike for 5 miles and then doing minor weight lifting after and I maaaaybe lose 200 or so calories. Is that not a good exercise? I’ve been doing this almost everyday starting 2 weeks ago. But it’s starting to feel useless if it’s such a minor amount of calories burnt. Is this a good trend to continue? What am I missing?

Edit: everyone here has been incredibly helpful, and surprisingly consistent with one another. I feel much more confident about what I’m doing and what I need to do. Seriously, thank you all.

In: 209

Answer 1

Exercise is not the best sustainable way to keep weight off. Instead eating the appropriate amount of calories for your height, age, level of activity and target weight is what you should eat daily.