Understanding calories

[SunsetRunner]

I need help understanding everything that the calories entail...I have an X amount of allowed calories each day. As I take steps and workout I burn calories, therefore those are incoming calories, correct?  Those incoming calories are added to my allowed calories so does this mean I have that much more calories that I am allowed to eat throughout the day? I have never really understood this. Can someone please clarify!

[SteveH]

Your calories in come from the food you eat.

Your calories out come partly from the exercise you do and partly from the work your body does just keeping itself alive (this second type are known as your BMR calories).

If your calories in is more than your calories out then you will put on weight.

If your calories out is more than your calories in then you will lose weight. As a guide, for every 3500 calories out more than in you will lose around 1 pound. This is known as your calorie deficit. If your daily deficit is 500 calories then you will lose around 1 pound per week.

When you set up a food plan in fitbit and log all your food your tracker will do all the sums for you. If you exercise more then it will allow you to eat more.

There is a a good help file on food plans here:

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1375/

[nfetzer]

so in theory if i burn 700 calories according to my tracker and eat 700 calories of food i have a 0 deficit and 0 intake- right?

thanks for clarifying

[SteveH]

That's correct. Your fitbit shows your total calories burned. If you eat less than that amount then you should lose weight but note that you continue to burn BMR calories right up to midnight.

[nfetzer]

thank you!!!