diet vs. exercise

lemurcat12

Not eating back exercise calories is a bad idea if you have a 1000 calorie deficit (a 2 lb/week goal), actually log accurately, and then exercise hard on top of that without accounting for it in your activity level (for example, have yourself down as sedentary).

It may not be if you have plenty to lose, ask for a 1 lb/week goal (or log in a sloppy manner so your 1000 calorie deficit is really 500 calories or so), and then decide to exercise for up to another lb or so/week. That's like what a plans will recommend--cut calories by 500 and then exercise about an hour 5-6 days/week.

If you are doing the former, you'd be losing more than MFP is predicting.

I do think it's unwise to aim for more than 2 lbs/week loss unless really obese and if closer to goal more than 1 lb/week loss. I lowered my own loss rate because my DEXA scan showed that I was losing some muscle mass despite doing progressive strength training, and the obvious culprit was that I'd continued to lose about 1.5 lbs/week even as I was within the healthy weight range. As I have no interest in losing faster if my body fat doesn't go down or I risk significant muscle mass, I lowered my rate.

Merkavar

rhiannajohnson2015 wrote: »

So basically if I get on the elliptical for 30 minutes, which burns 270 calories it says I can eat 270 more calories. It feels like it just cancels out then.

So say you have it set to have 1k deficit which I think should result in 1.5 pound weight loss per week(ignore my numbers they are probably wrong). So you eat all your calories.

But then you burn 200 cal exercising. If you don't eat it back your deficit would be 1.2k and weight loss should increase.

But the point of mfp seems to be to lose consistently. So it recommends eating the exercise back so you remain at the 1k deficit.

So I guess in a way it cancels it out, but it cancels it out while keeping your original weight loss goal.

I guess mfp values consistent healthy weight loss over fast weight loss.

CrabNebula

Ninkyou wrote: »

rhiannajohnson2015 wrote: »

Gotcha, thanks for the responses. So is exercise really worth it then as far as weight loss goes or is it more about the other health benefits?

Calorie deficit for weight loss
Exercise for cardiovascular health

However, exercise does allow you to eat more, which of course, is yummy and fun

+1

cwolfman13

rhiannajohnson2015 wrote: »

So basically if I get on the elliptical for 30 minutes, which burns 270 calories it says I can eat 270 more calories. It feels like it just cancels out then.

You are likely not burning 270 calories for 30 minutes on the elliptical...you don't look to be that heavy. That is one huge issue with the MFP method...people tend to substantially overestimate calorie burn because they take data base and machine quoted burns as gospel and estimating calorie output is pretty tricky.

This is one of the big reasons that people who train regularly just use the TDEE method and include some estimate of their exercise in their activity level...thus it is accounted for and you just eat roughly the same every day and it's easy to see where you need to tweak things per your real world results.

I also don't tend to worry too much about light exercise activity like walking or doing a little elliptical...that's not too hard on your body. Lifting, endurance training, etc...these things are hard on your body and this is where fueling your fitness is really important.

jgnatca

It's not an either or proposition. My first reaction to the title of the thread is, Yes and Yes! The diet allowed me to lose enough weight to be mobile. Exercise is fun. If it's not, I find something else to do.

f8tnotfat

The important thing (for me at least), is to adopt a lifestyle that can be maintained once the weight is off. I have lost weight before by following a very low calorie diet (without eating more calories to balance exercise) and then I lost weight on a very low carb diet, but the weight came back because neither of those methods were something I could stick with long term. When I lose weight this time, I want it to be the last time, which I believe will mean eating the added calories from exercise.

1mumrevolution

cwolfman13 wrote: »

DawnieB1977 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

orlandodenise wrote: »

I dont eat back exercise calories - i'd just rather lose weight a bit quicker. Ive never been healthier, fitter , energised, not sick etc since 1st Jan when I started 5-6 times a week at the gym and MFP ( and lost 40 pounds )

This eventually will become a problem...it's not as big of an issue when you have a lot of fat to mobilize...it will become problematic as you lean out.

Fit people eat.

I've been on here 1000 days, through a pregnancy even, and I very rarely eat back exercise calories. I didn't when I was at a healthy weight pre-pregnancy, and I didn't when I was pregnant (I exercised until 38 weeks) and I don't now. I'm fine.

what is your training regimen like? A lot of people are actually shocked when they start properly fueling they're training...that's when they realize that they weren't really crushing it before.

At anyrate, this isn't something I'm making up...training recovery requires energy and nutrients and I'm not going to sit here and tell people it's not important. Why do you think athletes eat?

My wife is a marathon runner...I'm pretty sure she would suck *kitten* at that and probably be injured all of the time if she didn't fuel that. I'm an Olympic lifter and endurance cyclist...same issues would be abundant if I didn't fuel that training.

But hey...if just losing a bunch of weight as fast as you can is what is most important..well, have fun...no sweat off my back.

You speak a lot of sense!

julianpoutram

If your deficit is consistently anything above 500 cals a day, you will suffer from:

Low energy levels
Chronic fatigue
Mood swings
Inability to control body temparature
Headaches, dizzness, faintness

Aaaaand Weight loss

Make sure your diet and exercise do not leave you at a deficit of more than 500 cals a day and do not continue to lose weight once you reach a healthy weight for you. Everyone reacts differently to weight loss and some people get less of the bad effects, that is not an excuse to neglect your diet, in the long run your metabolism and body composition will suffer.

I reccommend weight training as an additional fitness and health aid. It has done me wonders so far.

I hope this helps!

marissafit06

julianpoutram wrote: »

If your deficit is consistently anything above 500 cals a day, you will suffer from:

Low energy levels
Chronic fatigue
Mood swings
Inability to control body temparature
Headaches, dizzness, faintness

Aaaaand Weight loss

Make sure your diet and exercise do not leave you at a deficit of more than 500 cals a day and do not continue to lose weight once you reach a healthy weight for you. Everyone reacts differently to weight loss and some people get less of the bad effects, that is not an excuse to neglect your diet, in the long run your metabolism and body composition will suffer.

I reccommend weight training as an additional fitness and health aid. It has done me wonders so far.

I hope this helps!

While I'm not positive that 500 cals/day is the correct number here, this advice is otherwise what you are looking at if you have too much of a deficit for too long.

julianpoutram

marissafit06 wrote: »

julianpoutram wrote: »

If your deficit is consistently anything above 500 cals a day, you will suffer from:

Low energy levels
Chronic fatigue
Mood swings
Inability to control body temparature
Headaches, dizzness, faintness

Aaaaand Weight loss

Make sure your diet and exercise do not leave you at a deficit of more than 500 cals a day and do not continue to lose weight once you reach a healthy weight for you. Everyone reacts differently to weight loss and some people get less of the bad effects, that is not an excuse to neglect your diet, in the long run your metabolism and body composition will suffer.

I reccommend weight training as an additional fitness and health aid. It has done me wonders so far.

I hope this helps!

While I'm not positive that 500 cals/day is the correct number here, this advice is otherwise what you are looking at if you have too much of a deficit for too long.

I should specify the 500 cal thing is not a general rule, it applies specificaly to me. I get all of these negative side effects if I create a large deficit. I also find that you can avoid some of this better if you do implement good nutrient timing. You'll be aiming to eat something with fast digesting carbs before a significant workout and where weight training is involved a high protein meal or snack afterwards or before or both.

rhiannajohnson2015

Thanks for all of the responses...I am only trying to lose a few pounds and have been working out regularly for over ten years...just seem to have hit a point where I can't lose anymore and was wondering if working out is actually hindering me now.