[tenpoundhammer]

When I start exercising and tracking how many calories I burn, I realize how hard it is to outrun your diet. Thinking, "This cookie would cost me 35 minutes on the treadmill," is a huge deterrent.

When I stop working out, I quickly forget what calories actually cost.

[Yeroc]

Totally this. I've recently embarked on a weight loss/fitness journey (coming up on 50 rotations around the sun) and I find it incredibly helpful to think of the 250 calorie chocolate bar as roughly 25 minutes on the treadmill.

[goodmythical]

Burning a thousand calories an hour on a treadmill is kind of high, isn't it? Like, you'd have to be pushing really hard for the entire hour to hit a thousand calories, wouldn't you?

Brief search says us male is 200lb on avg, 200lb male burns just over 1000 in an hour at 8mph, average adult 10 mile is 1:17. Soo, 8 miles in an hour is 7:30 miles...10 in 1:17 is 7:42.

Closer than I thought, I suppose, but definitely requires above average pace (where the average is times recorded by runninglevel.com)

[Paracompact]

250 in 25 minutes is 600/hour, not 1000/hour.

[goodmythical]

You are correct. I blame sixty minute hours.

[rabbitlord]

but that is also discouraging. For example, I just ran for 30 mins, but that only gives me half a cookie. Why the f do I even run?

[timerol]

Run because cardiac health and general fitness are important. Manage calorie intake if your only goal is weight loss

[jjice]

+1 - Exercise gives the benefit of calories expended for weight loss, but it really isn't enough to matter for the average person. Exercise is great for improving your cardiovascular function, your muscles, your neurological pathways (could be butchering the terminology) for those movements, and it often leads you towards other good things, like spending time with others and getting outside.

[Yeroc]

Sure, but if you're trying to manage your weight it helps you to decide whether that cookie is worth it or not. If it's an Oreo cookie (or 3), I'll pass. If it's my wife's home made chocolate chip cookie I'll eat it (but not 2). It's a useful calibration for effort vs reward as opposed to eating a couple cookies without thinking about it.