Curious exercise vs calorie deficit

[pancakes22]

Hi all
Just a quick curiosity question. I have started doing couch to 5k and my app tells me I burnt 200 calories. I'm doing this for fitness rather than dieting but just out of curiosity would my body still change for the better by me going out and running and burning 200 calories but still eating the same vs not going out running but eating 200 calories less?

[Runningonempty84]

Of course your body will change for the better - you're building cardiovascular fitness, you're building muscle, and you'll be realising a whole host of other health benefits. The 200cals is neither here nor there when it comes to how running can be beneficial to mental and physical health.

[Zampa]

Running will help build muscle. More muscle equals a higher basal metabolic rate so you'll start burning more calories at rest too.

[pancakes22]

Interesting thank you

[AuntieStella]

I always found that when it's a small number of calories (such as your example 200 - less than a flapjack) they are terribly useful in counterbalancing errors in measuring portion sizes or just things forgotten. So I wouid always go for exercise on top calorie allowance, and not eat them back.

Exercise has all sorts of other benefits, in terms of your bodily and mental health.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Yes. Plus that 200 calories is just calories burned while exercising. There is also an ongoing increase in calorie burn as you build muscle, because muscle requires more fuel all the time (ie your BMR will increase).

The 200 deficit eg by not eating the flapjack is limited to that, whereas the calories burned by exercise are like an investment that has 'interest' on top.

[lljkk]

The BMR increase is tiny, I mean it's like 30 calories a day extra if you convert 2 kg of fat into muscle (and yes that's hard work to gain 2 kg of muscle unless you're starting with almost none).

You should be more 'toned' for having more muscle, and have more energy. For me, having more energy would be a huge benefit.