Should I eat the calories I burn with exercise?

Lydia_Mae

Hey all,

I'm very new to myfitnesspal and wondering how this all works!

I am on a 1200 calorie/day diet plan and I find that because I exercise (lets say I burn 300 calories one day)...should I then be eating 1500 calories that day? Or stick with the 1200 and consider the 300 calories burned a bonus?

I wasn't sure since I know 1200 is supposed to be the minimum amount of calories I should eat each day.

Also, when I don't eat the extra calories myfitnesspal tells me that i'm eating too few calories and my body will go into starvation mode...?

Help

ZebraHead

Welcome!

check out this conversation going on over here about this topic...

Lydia_Mae

Over where? Sorry...I don't see anything to click on to check out this topic.

ZebraHead

Sorry my bad. I'm too smart for my own good.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/103253-hungry-all-the-time

aymetcalf

search the message boards for "starvation mode" and you will see many conversations on the topic. Personally, I eat about half of my exercise calories.

surrencyd

It is very important to "eat" those calories. The BMR, Basic Metabolic Rate, is the minimal amount of calories that your body needs to sustain life. (Digest food, Breath, Pump Blood, make your kidneys work, Etc...) If your average daily intake drops below what is required to sustain life, your body will begin pulling it from other sources, but it won't be fat sources. Your body will only burn a certain amount of fat each day, and then it begins pulling from other sources... No matter what you weigh. The body freaks out because it needs a certain amount of fat to live. Fat serves vital functions such as to Insulate the body from hypothermia and cushion organs from getting knocked around. (If you had no body fat at all... you would die of hypothermia in 90 degree weather.) The body knows this and once you exceed your daily "fat burning limit, It will pull extra calories that it needs from muscle mass (including your heart) and bone density. That is why you can only lose two pounds per week safely. (i.e. burning up to about 1000 calories of fat a day.) Any more and you risk permanent heart damage.

austinusn

Hi - some good discussions here and agree with pretty much everything that has been said. I am working with a trainer who said I should be eating at least 60% of the calories I've consumed in exercise.

Now what I didn't see (unless I missed it) is of course you don't want to say -- burn 500 calories doing something and then immediately go have a 250 calorie hamburger MFP does a pretty good job in increasing your nutrients proportionately so that the calories are distributed the right way. And of course it doesn't mean trying to get that (say 250 calories) extra in one setting. This takes just a little bit more planning on your part to try and distribute appropriately.

Some very good comments here about starvation mode - so you do want to keep that in mind so that your body does not go into fight or flight mode and start feeding on muscle and that kind of stuff. 1,200 calories is not very much to have everyday so you'll need the extra nutrients to supplement that.

Best of luck and welcome

rells

Hi,
I also am set at 1200 cal. Think of that as if you don't exercise at all. Once you fill in your food, you may go over 1200 which will make the green cals consumed turn to red, when you go over. Then fill in your exercise i.e. Cardio - walking at brisk pace, Jogging, running, dancing, gardening, or light cleaning. even preparing food . Plus what else you want to add. Then look at food for that day again and the red will hopefully have gone back to green. As long as its in green you are under your daily calorie goal.
If you are too low on cals when you click complete it may warn you that you are at risk of being in starvation mode. Don't worry about this if its just a one off. If you keep getting it add more good foods to your diet. like some rasins, nuts, hummus with raw veg nut potato chips. Experiment and see. Its a guide. Keep down on the saturate fats.
Sorry if this is all obvious, just hope its of some help.
I've lost 12 since April. I now enjoy jogging. I'v lossed 3 inches from my waist, 1 1/2 inches hips and 1 inch from thighs (each). I'm feeling really good!
Good luck with your new slimmer, fitter body.

chelseap891

I never eat my workout calories. I think it's a waste if I go and workout, then eat them back.