If you're very active and do alot of exercise...

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domeofstars
domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
...and are trying to lose weight, how many calories are you eating? I'm eating around 2100 calories a day and have lost almost 4 kilos now (I think that's about 10 pounds). I spend an hour on an exercise bike and do 10 000 steps a day.
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  • slowbubblecar
    slowbubblecar Posts: 91 Member
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    Eat whatever you need to without going over your goal (exercise calories included). Some days I will do an hour on the elliptical in the morning and hit up spin class at night. Just because I work out more, doesn't necessarily mean I will eat more if I am not hungry. Everyone has their own preference of how much of their exercise calories they will eat back but it is up to you on what you want to do.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,944 Member
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    Regarding exercise, you can see what I do on this thread ... scroll up a tad to my most recent post ...
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10509217/24-hours-of-exercise-per-month-challenge-february-2017#latest

    I have my calories set at 1340/day right now + I eat most of my exercise calories back.

    Yesterday, for example, I walked 7.7 km + 20 flights of stairs and burned approx. 413 calories.

    413 + 1340 = 1753 calories.

    I ate 1718 calories.
  • Charlene_1985
    Charlene_1985 Posts: 122 Member
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    I run 30 miles per week, swim when I can, am on my feet at work 15 days a month for 12 hours shifts, play tennis and golf, bike ride when home (I travel for work those 15 days) and stay active almost all the time. At 122-125lbs, I have a hard time not losing weight on 2200-2400 calories per day.
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
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    Most days I try to stay within my regular goal even with exercise.. Some days I go over and go into my exercise calories but I don't fret about it..
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I walk 20000+ steps a day, lift 3x a week and attend between 2 and 7 high intensity classes a week (+the occasional PT session). I guess that counts as very active, I tend to eat what my Fitbit gives me which is 2000-3000 Calories, but I average it out over the week so it's around 2250 Calories a day to lose 1lb+ a week (12.5lb so far this year).
  • domeofstars
    domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
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    Glad to see I'm not the only one not on 1200 calories per day. I've been trying to eat only when hungry, I'd rather lose weight a bit slower and keep it off rather than lose it quickly and gain it all back.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i am half marathon training, so doing 3 runs, 2 sessions on the stationary bike and 2 days of active rest (walking or yoga). i started at net 1550 cals which is a deficit of 250 cals, but found myself too hungry, so am on 1700 now which is much better!

    i guess the vanity pounds will have to wait till after my race!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    When I'm active, I eat 2000 calories a day to lose 1-1.5 pounds, and I'm not even as active as many here. I'm also obese, so there is that for the higher calorie allowance. People default to 1200 for several reasons: they aren't active, short, light, simply don't know better or a combination.
  • domeofstars
    domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
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    I'm only 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) over the healthy weight range for my height, so I'm not obese. But still eating what a lot of people would eat just to maintain weight yet i'm still losing. I love exercise :smiley:
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    domeofstars wrote: »
    Glad to see I'm not the only one not on 1200 calories per day. I've been trying to eat only when hungry, I'd rather lose weight a bit slower and keep it off rather than lose it quickly and gain it all back.

    I am short and no longer weigh much. 1200 is not much less than my maintenance weight. If I didn't exercise that would be all I could eat and I'd lose around 1/4 of a kilo a week.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    When I'm really active I eat usually 2000-2250 to lose weight. If I look at all my food logs my average for weightloss tends to be 2000. I am trying to cut a few vanity (regain) lbs right now, but since I'm not as active as I was this time last year I have cut back to 1800. However, you will never catch me on a 1200 cal diet. I tried 1400 once and felt sluggish, dizzy, frequent headaches and well you get the point (it was 2 wks and I was at 12k + steps with 8 hrs of exercise a week....I do not recommend it.).
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    domeofstars wrote: »
    ...and are trying to lose weight, how many calories are you eating?

    Anywhere from 4000-8000 a day depending on my routine when very active.


  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    It's different every day.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    MFP has me at 1410, I do between 2-400 cals worth of exercise on any given day and usually eat back to within 100 of that. This week I've been under by 300 a couple days so for the week I'm about 2,000 under which is great because I have friends coming over later and possible pizza plans B)
  • Hensonator1084
    Hensonator1084 Posts: 195 Member
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    I like to track my calories over a week rather than a day it just makes it a little more flexible
  • domeofstars
    domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
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    Chieflrg wrote: »
    domeofstars wrote: »
    ...and are trying to lose weight, how many calories are you eating?

    Anywhere from 4000-8000 a day depending on my routine when very active.


    That is a tremendous amount of calories for anyone to eat....you're really eating that many and LOSING weight? What exercise are you doing exactly?
  • croftie4
    croftie4 Posts: 221 Member
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    I do 10,000 steps in a normal day but can go up to 20,000 on a weekend day or if I go hiking.

    I tend to go to the gym everyday attending classes or just using the machines.

    I don't attend to eat many exercise calories back as I don't trust the predicated burn but if I feel hungrier or find I'm not recovery enough I will eat more. I do struggle though as I'm full on around 1500 calories
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
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    On very active days I eat up to 2500 calories. I am a 5'4" woman who lifts heavy and runs. On less active days I still to about 1650, though sometimes I average it out for the week and eat in the middle of those numbers each day. It depends. I have no idea how anyone survives on 1200 calories a day and I think most people who do that are losing muscle right along with fat. Slow and steady works best for me.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Though I'm active, I'm old, short, and pretty light (115). To lose weight I need to eat anywhere from 1650-1850, depending on the day and my activity. I can sometimes eat more.

    I'm not complaining though. When I started out dieting, I was at 1200 calories. I feel like I'm feasting now.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Though I'm active, I'm old, short, and pretty light (115). To lose weight I need to eat anywhere from 1650-1850, depending on the day and my activity. I can sometimes eat more.

    I'm not complaining though. When I started out dieting, I was at 1200 calories. I feel like I'm feasting now.

    This is me. I'm 5'3.5 and just around 115.

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