Do I need to.....

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mlavalley73
mlavalley73 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
eat the "earned" through exercise calories that are added in to my target? My goal is weight loss and toning and feel like the 1650 calories should be sufficient without the additional 475 calories it added in to my total. I don't want to not eat enough and stall potential weight loss so looking for input or other experiences. Thank you.

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  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    eat back about 50%
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
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    The 1650 reflects your preferred rate of loss as well as your daily activity. Eating none would cause you to lose faster and may have health consequences if you lead a very active lifestyle and are set at 2 lbs/week. Eating 50%, IME, has caused me to lose faster than my preferred rate. (Other posters may feel that 50% is just right.) Eating all of them may cause you to lose slower or maintain your current weight.

    What will NOT happen is that you will stall potential weight loss by not eating enough. That is a prevalent myth.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    You won't stall by not eating enough.

    If you are really that active to earn 475 calories, you may need to eat at least some of those calories to fuel your exercise. I spread my exercise out throughout the day most days, so I don't necessarily "need" the extra calories, but most days I want and eat them.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Assuming you calculated your goal of 1650 accurately taking your true daily burn and rate of loss into account, and assuming you're burning exactly that many calories in your exercise, then yes, you should eat them back.

    That's a lot of assuming, and a lot of accuracy, which for all practical purposes, isn't possible. So most people suggest eating 1/2 of them back to start with, track your results for a few weeks, and then make slight adjustments as necessary.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Few women wouldn't be properly nourished on 1650 calories per day. Eat some back if you want, don't if you don't want.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Yes you should eat some of them back. At least 50%. I often equate it to gas in a car...if you have a full tank and drive it away from your house until there is 1/4 of a tank would you only fill ot to half to get back home? No you would put in at least 3/4 or you will run out before you get back.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    eat back about 50%

    ^MFP overestimates burns, so some people find if they eat back all of the calories, they don't lose. I'd suggest starting with eating back half and see how you do. You want to fuel your workouts, so it's usually a good idea to eat back at least some of the calories. MFP already gives you a deficit without accounting for the exercise.
  • mlavalley73
    mlavalley73 Posts: 17 Member
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    Thank you! I will take your suggestions. I am currently doing an Intense Fitness Boot Camp and a pilates class but was surprised how much it wanted me to eat. I eat a lot of vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats (pumpkin seeds, Chia and a pat of butter), fruit (blueberries or pear) and still today I am only at 1300 calories after dinner. I am still over 300 away from the 1,650...never mind the over 400+.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
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    mlavalley73 wrote: »
    Thank you! I will take your suggestions. I am currently doing an Intense Fitness Boot Camp and a pilates class but was surprised how much it wanted me to eat. I eat a lot of vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats (pumpkin seeds, Chia and a pat of butter), fruit (blueberries or pear) and still today I am only at 1300 calories after dinner. I am still over 300 away from the 1,650...never mind the over 400+.

    You will probably be hungrier tomorrow (that's the way it works for me, anyway). I wouldn't sweat the calories you don't eat today, as long as you adequately nourish yourself most of the time.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    mlavalley73 wrote: »
    eat the "earned" through exercise calories that are added in to my target? My goal is weight loss and toning and feel like the 1650 calories should be sufficient without the additional 475 calories it added in to my total. I don't want to not eat enough and stall potential weight loss so looking for input or other experiences. Thank you.


    How, *exactly*, is it that you think NOT eating will "stall" weight loss. By what specific mechanism does this work?

    HINT: Whatever Malarkey you have in mind is wrong.
  • mlavalley73
    mlavalley73 Posts: 17 Member
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    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    mlavalley73 wrote: »
    eat the "earned" through exercise calories that are added in to my target? My goal is weight loss and toning and feel like the 1650 calories should be sufficient without the additional 475 calories it added in to my total. I don't want to not eat enough and stall potential weight loss so looking for input or other experiences. Thank you.


    How, *exactly*, is it that you think NOT eating will "stall" weight loss. By what specific mechanism does this work?

    HINT: Whatever Malarkey you have in mind is wrong.

    WOW! Tough crowd and on my first day here too. Thanks! The malarkey that I am referencing is in terms of keeping my metabolism burning with sufficient calories. There are numerous reports and my doctor's advice because of a blood clotting disorder that I inherited that I should eat a minimum number of calories for proper functioning of my body.

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