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

1.74K views

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

50 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Exercising is good for your overall health, but unless you’re doing full-time endurance training, it’s not going to do anything noticeable for your weight loss.

It’s far easier to not eat that one slice of bread than it is to run the 3 miles it takes to burn the same amount of calories.

Definitely get regular exercise for your total health, but don’t rely on it to help get your weight down. Eat less and eat better for that outcome.

You are viewing 1 out of 50 answers, click here to view all answers.