Eating back exercise calories

eileenmcpartlin

Hi I would love a bit of advice about how to approach eating calories burned during exercise. I have been dieting now for over three years and have gradually lost weight slowly but steadily.

Over the last couple of months, I have significantly increased my exercise from one or two sessions on the cross trainer a week to swimming one to two kilometers twice a week and jogging 5k twice a week, sometimes a little more.

Since then my weight loss has halted, so, instead of losing a half to one and a half pounds a week steadily as I had been doing beforehand, I now have a pattern of losing half a pound one week only to gain it back - or more - the next week: half a pound off, half a pound on etc.

I use an apple watch to track my calories burned. I know this isn't particularly accurate so I only eat back around half of the calories stated. I always track everything I eat religiously and everything I eat is weighed or measured first.

Am I eating too much? Or is there something else going on. I'd really appreciate any feedback,

Eileen

NicoleKhb

I'm no expert, but am a nurse and always remind patients not to take much notice of weight or bmr when dieting mixed with exercise....go by how clothes fit and remember muscle weights more....Good luck

eileenmcpartlin

Thanks for your advice Nicole, it makes a lot of sense. I can see more definition and am beginning to notice muscles where I didn't know I had them. However, I'm still nearly 30 pounds away from my ideal weight so am somewhat frustrated as I obviously would very much like to lose more weight. But I would be happy if I lost a good few inches too. However, I measured myself the other day for the first time since February. Whilst I'd lost a centimetre around my hips, I was a bit dismayed to find I'd gained a centimetre round my waist!

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Ironandwine69

I myself don't even log my workouts.
But it depends on what your settings are and how much you are eating. Try to not eat any of the calories back and see what happens.

eileenmcpartlin

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

I myself don't even log my workouts.
But it depends on what your settings are and how much you are eating. Try to not eat any of the calories back and see what happens.

Thanks. This is definitely worth a try. I have, however, set my lifestyle settings to "sedentary" and "zero exercise a week" so I'm not given any extra calories as part of my daily allowance. Currently, I've been adding in around half of my exercise calories but it'll be an interesting wee experiment to see what happens when I don't eat any. Sometimes I swim for 90 minutes and burn around 1000 calories so I might get pretty hungry!

eileenmcpartlin

JerSchmare wrote: »

Over the years, I've noticed a funny trend and I can't explain it. But, let's say I move from 4 days a week, to working everyday, plus some days doing double, which is a workout in the morning, and then a workout at night. When I do this, even for extended periods, I cannot lose weight, and often gain. It's unexplainable to me. I've even played with more or less food to see if that matters and it doesn't seem to. Just strange. I associate it to overtraining. That's the only thing I can think of. I have a sweet spot, which is 4 days a week.

I don't do as much exercise as you, JerSchmare - more like one workout a day for about 5 days a week. But I do think there's something else at play other than calories in/calories out. Fluid retention due to DOMS or something? I really don't know. I don't think in my case I'm overtraining although I have seriously upped my quota recently.

I don't know enough about the science of sport and exercise to understand what happens to one's body after intensive exercise.

sijomial

FYI - Choosing "zero exercise a week" doesn't make any difference to the calorie goal MFP sets you.
It's just a statement of intent. Your daily calorie goal is nnnn + exercise calories whether you tell MFP you will exercise zero or seven times a week.

The activity setting is different.

Are you feeling sore or fatigued from your change of exercise routine? I'm wondering if inflammation / water retention might be the culprit.

eileenmcpartlin

sijomial wrote: »

FYI - Choosing "zero exercise a week" doesn't make any difference to the calorie goal MFP sets you.
It's just a statement of intent. Your daily calorie goal is nnnn + exercise calories whether you tell MFP you will exercise zero or seven times a week.

The activity setting is different.

Are you feeling sore or fatigued from your change of exercise routine? I'm wondering if inflammation / water retention might be the culprit.

Thanks for the headsup re calorie goals: I always thought MFP took into account your activity levels as part of the base calories they give you.

I wondered if my lack of weight loss might be something to do with fluid retention - certainly if I do an intensive swim or push myself further during a jog then I do experience a bit of DOMS the next day. Hopefully this will decrease as I get fitter and more accustomed to the exercise I'm doing.