Confused ...

craigmandu

The reason you see some differing opinions on whether or not to eat back exercise calories is people have different reactions to eating on a low calorie diet. Some can handle it longer than others, and thus they will tell you they are doing fine eating 1200 cals and "not" eating back exercise calories. Usually that ends up with them stalling, once their metabolism slows to the point of trying to maintain normal functions on their actual "net" calories for the day.

If you eat 1200 and burn an additional 2800 calories a week, you are effectively at a 800 calorie a day "net" intake. That is considered very low, and is usually not sustainable for long periods of time.

So you have a couple of options...you could use a TDEE -20% method, where your TDEE has your normal exercise calories figured in...that can be difficult for people, especially if their activity is not consistent. If you have a consistent exercise routine, then it works very well. Or you could do the TDEE at sedentary and eat back your exercise calories (this requires that your exercise calories are relatively close to what they actually are).

When using this site, you should be eating back exercise calories, as your deficit is already built into your calorie goals, and NOT eating them back could land you in the 800 calorie "net" daily intake example I gave above. Also realize that the less you eat, the more your body will instinctively want to eat more..it may work in the beginning, but you will usually get tired, weak, and very hungry...not be able to sustain your workouts and end up binge eating.

Healthy weightloss is dependent on your body fat %, the higher it is, the higher the amount you can lose each week and it still be in a healthy weightloss range.

Focus on your "Net" calories for the day. The only other advice I can offer is if you use this site to track exercise, I have noticed it being a little "high" on certain exercises. I personally check with multiple online exercise calculators to get a picture in my head of what I should really expect an exercise to burn..and I adjust my "time" on exercise here to get the calorie level close to what I've found with a little research.

I wish you great success!

thisismeraw

I'm currently 194 (5' 7" tall; big frame) and my goal is to get to 155. I workout about an hour 3 - 4 times a week right now. Just cardio, but eventually I want to add weight training of some sort. So knowing that is 1200 too few calories?

Yes, too few calories. Check with various online TDEE calculators but you should probably be up around 1600 minimum PLUS eating your exercise calories back. You'll be happier eating more, your mood will be better, and you'll be less likely to stall out before you reach your goal .

Don't eat your calories back. If you have a weight loss goal and a specific caloric intake in mind, why would you eat calories you just burned? Doesn't that sound like it defeats the purpose? 2500 calories equals one pound of body weight. That means you have to burn 2500 more calories than you consume to lose one pound. If you eat back your calories, wouldn't it take longer to get to that 2500 mark? Think about it...

To lose a lb you need to have a deficit of 3500 calories... not 2500.

And eating back exercise calories doesn't defeat the purpose. That's how this website is designed. You can lose weight eating strictly your daily goal... which is why when you exercise you get to eat more. Too high of a deficit can be harmful and increase muscle loss.

You are correct, I hit my 2 instead of my 3. I don't like your statement, "which is why when you exercise you get to eat more". Just because I exercise, I can eat more? That doesn't make much sense. Too high of a deficit would only result if you were told by this website to eat 1200 calories, like some people are told, then don't "eat your calories back". You are defeating the purpose because you shouldn't eat back burned calories, you should have a caloric goal and stick to it. If you want to "eat back" your calories, set a higher caloric goal and don't waste your time logging exercises into a nutrition site.

If you are following the TDEE method of figuring out your daily calories than sure, don't eat your calories back. However, most people here (especially those who are newer) are following MFP recommendations which do NOT include exercise calories. When following the MFP calories you do eat your exercise calories back because your deficit to lose is already factored in.. and for a lot of people that deficit is already too high as they select a weight loss goal too large for how much they have to lose. You are in no way defeating the purpose when you eat back exercise calories if you are going based off of MFPs intake numbers. You do risk too high of a deficit when you go by MFPs numbers and don't eat your exercise calories back. Simple. Properly knowing how this website works is good knowledge to have. And this website does work... so does eating your exercise calories back... it has been proven with the hundreds of successful people here.

Alphastate

I'm currently 194 (5' 7" tall; big frame) and my goal is to get to 155. I workout about an hour 3 - 4 times a week right now. Just cardio, but eventually I want to add weight training of some sort. So knowing that is 1200 too few calories?

Yes, too few calories. Check with various online TDEE calculators but you should probably be up around 1600 minimum PLUS eating your exercise calories back. You'll be happier eating more, your mood will be better, and you'll be less likely to stall out before you reach your goal .

Don't eat your calories back. If you have a weight loss goal and a specific caloric intake in mind, why would you eat calories you just burned? Doesn't that sound like it defeats the purpose? 2500 calories equals one pound of body weight. That means you have to burn 2500 more calories than you consume to lose one pound. If you eat back your calories, wouldn't it take longer to get to that 2500 mark? Think about it...

you should probably learn the correct number of calories it takes to lose or gain a pound of body mass before you go spouting off incorrect advice.

You should probably read back to previous posts stating that I accidentally hit my 2 instead of my 3 before you go spouting off peanut gallery comments.

DavPul

great comeback