Eat back calories or not
Replies
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Trying to maintain weight. I bike (8-10mi) or run (4mi 2x/wk, one long 6-13 mi 1x/wk) everyday, mixing weights and yoga in on occasion. I'm not very active at work but very active at home. Struggling to find the balance between burn and eating back what I've burnt. I usually eat 1300-1400 calories a day, rarely adding back in what I've burnt, but I actually think maybe I'm not consuming enough.
Honestly, I would eat back calories if I were you. I eat back exercise cals on a regular basis and have maintained/gained (muscle) consistently as desired. When I cut out the "eating back" factor, I ended up losing weight quickly which was not what I had hoped for (and I felt hungry all the time on top of that because of how hard I work out). Listen to your body. Try eating them back little by little, if you seem to gain, cut that in half.0 -
RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!1 -
The most we can burn from exercise per day is about 200 calories (on average, varies from person to person). After that, our bodies adjust and we do not burn more. Our bodies can adjust by limiting repair and immune function, so there really is zero advantage to over-exercising. It doesn't matter if you do 1 mile of walking or 60 minutes of incredibly horrible spin class, you will not burn more calories. There is a sweet spot and you have to find it, that's where you hit that 200 calories with the least amount of effort. A general guideline is 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, and you can break it up into 10 minute chunks.
That's the biggest load of mythical fiction I've ever heard.
Ok, maybe not ever. But it's been a while.6 -
DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
My stats are similar to Ruthee - I'm 5'2 and maintaining at 120 with a TDEE of about 2200 cals. I don't run, and don't lift heavy. I walk about 15K steps/day and do circuit training about 3 times/week. I eat back all my FitBit calories.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
My stats are similar to Ruthee - I'm 5'2 and maintaining at 120 with a TDEE of about 2200 cals. I don't run, and don't lift heavy. I walk about 15K steps/day and do circuit training about 3 times/week. I eat back all my FitBit calories.
Wow! Good to know! I'm intrigued... I need to try upping my calories and see if I can do this too... SLOWLY though... cuz if I can eat more and maintain my weight then I'm all for it!
Although I weigh a lot less...and I like my size, so maybe that's where the difference lies...
Anyway, sounds like an experiment is in order...Thanks!
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I am another short girl who eats a hearty amount
I m 5 foot even, 100ish pounds and eat around 2000 calories a day. I spend most of my working day on my feet - but not really running around much. I lift 3 times a week for about 45 minutes. The other 3-4 days a week I ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes. Nothing outrageous - enough to work my heart and lungs.
I would definitely slowly up your calories. You probably can get away with more.DoreenaV1975 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
My stats are similar to Ruthee - I'm 5'2 and maintaining at 120 with a TDEE of about 2200 cals. I don't run, and don't lift heavy. I walk about 15K steps/day and do circuit training about 3 times/week. I eat back all my FitBit calories.
Wow! Good to know! I'm intrigued... I need to try upping my calories and see if I can do this too... SLOWLY though... cuz if I can eat more and maintain my weight then I'm all for it!
Although I weigh a lot less...and I like my size, so maybe that's where the difference lies...
Anyway, sounds like an experiment is in order...Thanks!0 -
I am another short girl who eats a hearty amount I m 5 foot even, 100ish pounds and eat around 2000 calories a day. I spend most of my working day on my feet - but not really running around much. I lift 3 times a week for about 45 minutes. The other 3-4 days a week I ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes. Nothing outrageous - enough to work my heart and lungs.
I would definitely slowly up your calories. You probably can get away with more.DoreenaV1975 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
My stats are similar to Ruthee - I'm 5'2 and maintaining at 120 with a TDEE of about 2200 cals. I don't run, and don't lift heavy. I walk about 15K steps/day and do circuit training about 3 times/week. I eat back all my FitBit calories.
Wow! Good to know! I'm intrigued... I need to try upping my calories and see if I can do this too... SLOWLY though... cuz if I can eat more and maintain my weight then I'm all for it!
Although I weigh a lot less...and I like my size, so maybe that's where the difference lies...
Anyway, sounds like an experiment is in order...Thanks!
You do way more than me exercise-wise though....0 -
Plenty of exercise is a sure fire way to up your TDEE1
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DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
I'm envious also. I'm 5'7" and would GAIN weight at 2000 calories. My TDEE is about 1750 and MFP sets me at 1250 to lose 1 pound a week. They put me at 1500 to lose 0.5 pound a week.0 -
Right. My TDEE wasn't 2200 when I started MFP. I almost never exercised and when I did it was walking for 30 min a couple times a week. As I started losing and started feeling better I increased my activity, walking every day. About 6 months into my loss I got a FitBit and was averaging 10k steps a day (which was what I had worked up to). At that point my TDEE was probably 1900 or so. Now I average 15K steps per day and my TDEE is actually higher than before I lost the weight because I'm more active.Christine_72 wrote: »Plenty of exercise is a sure fire way to up your TDEE
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DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
I'm envious also. I'm 5'7" and would GAIN weight at 2000 calories. My TDEE is about 1750 and MFP sets me at 1250 to lose 1 pound a week. They put me at 1500 to lose 0.5 pound a week.
MFP recommended 1200 for me when I first started to lose 1 lb/week. I was always over, but was still losing. I started reading up on these forums about how most people can lose eating more than 1200, so I upped my goal to 1400, then 1500, always eating back exercise calories and still losing. I lost my weight eating between 1600-1900 cals. I've worked over the last three years to increase my activity so that my TDEE is higher and I'm pretty sure I eat more food now after losing 30 lbs than I did before I lost weight.1 -
This is all very informative...thank you!
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DoreenaV1975 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »I eat basically all of my exercise cals to maintain. 1400 can't be your maintenance cals? You must be eating more than you think as I'm 5ft 2 and maintain on 2100-2300 cals.
What the?! Do you lift? OMG! I'm 5'2 and I eat between 1300-1400 a day. I never eat my exercise calories... which are my Fit Bit calories that generally average about 400. So base don that I would say the most I might be able to eat 1800 ( I doubt it though because my current weight loss is minimal) So 2100 -2300 seems crazy! Wow! And YES I do weigh, log, and properly account for ALL my food, I'm actually VERY OCD about it!
I'm not doubting you, I'm just envious, LOL!
Yes I lift but I also run 5 days a week (3-5 miles) and walk loads too, I'm active so I have to eat more to fuel my body.
I wish I could eat more than that 2100+ I already do lol, but I know I can't or I'll gain, but I'm happy that I can eat as much as I do
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I eat back my exercise calories without an extra thought if I'm hungry. Otherwise I ignore them. My body seems to know what to do.1
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