For those confused or questioning "Eating your exercise calo

maverickyanda

Banks, you can't just give a link to the Mayo Clinic's website that explains metabolism (sort of) and say it's citing your cause.
*sigh*
"Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance — consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both."
...that doesn't prove your claim!

I'm hesitant to jump in here but what the heck

Maybe you're misunderstanding--No one is talking about eating more than what your body burns in a day. What is being referred to here is that if someone has already cut down their caloric intake to below their daily basal metabolic rate to create a calorie deficit, then even if they don't exercise they will lost weight.

So, if you add exercise on top of that, you are creating even more of a daily caloric deficit by now burning up even more of the calories that you have eaten. Thereby, reducing the amount of caloric energy available to your body to function.

Most people seem to reduce their caloric intake to 1200 a day when trying to lose weight--even though for most people that is too large a deficit. But....if they then exercise and burn up, say, 300 calories, now they are only giving their body a total of 900 calories to function that day. And that ain't good. Too long at that low level of calories will cause problems.

Some of us, like me, who over a large amount to lose (still got over a 100 pounds to go personally) can get away with fudging on how many a day to eat and how much of our exercise calories to eat. We've got enough fat for our body to draw on for energy. BUT FOR MOST--like you who have a relatively small amount to lose, it's not advised by most doctors to ever ever ever go under 1200 a day.

Not sure if any of this makes sense.

I will tell you this--I have lost 30 pounds in a little over 2 months--I eat at least 90% of my exercise calories every day. I feel great, I'm losing weight, and I'm not starving. Proof is in the pudding, I guess. I've tried this before "your" way--by exercising the heck out of my body, eating barely 1000 calories total a day, and I starved all the time, and did bad things to my body.

Frankly, I prefer the way I'm doing it now--eating healthy, exercising, and eating most--if not all--my exercise calories.

But, do what you want when it comes down to you.

Banks, me, and many others on here have lost weight eating our exercise calories. If you disagree, fine. But don't question how others have lost weight, as long as they did it by being healthy.

People come on here to get help, support, and suggestions--and I tend to listen most to those who have been the most successful AND have done it in a healthy manner--but that's me.

Essentially - eating your exercise calories means you're probably going to lose 1 (or 2, depending on your size and body makeup) lb a week and gain muscle mass and get leaner -- assuming you really ARE exercising a lot.

1. I don't question as in, I don't accuse others of lying about how they lost their weight. I just say I'm not going to do it because I don't see the science (in terms of numbers) and why hasn't the rest of the world discovered this?
2. You do have more fat to lose, and you probably can stand to eat more food.
3. I don't eat less than 1200 calories a day. I changed the foods I ate, though!
4. I've never EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVERRRRRRRRRRRRRR
may I repeat
EVER
advocated starving yourself and exercising the heck out of my body!

So do not, I repeat, do NOT
EVER
imply that

"I've tried this before "your" way--by exercising the heck out of my body, eating barely 1000 calories total a day, and I starved all the time, and did bad things to my body."

That is a very nasty and disgusting thing to say as I have NEVER said that, NEVER told anyone to do that and I have NEVER even IMPLIED in an exercise thread that I do such a thing.

I'm out of this thread...

runawaybride

Banks, you can't just give a link to the Mayo Clinic's website that explains metabolism (sort of) and say it's citing your cause.

*sigh*

"Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance — consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both."

...that doesn't prove your claim!

First, I most certainly CAN state that as I'm not trying to prove the theory of metabolism to you, as it is already a proven fact, if you want to learn about the metabolism, go find an Anatomy and Physiology book but don't try to FLAME on me! Second, It's obvious to me you didn't read my initial post, because your second paragraph basically says the same thing as it. I just go into more depth then that to try to explain WHY it happens.
I find it amusing that you call what I wrote a "claim"; I didn't claim anything in that post. I just summarized generally accepted theories. You want to fight the establishment about how the metabolism works, go right ahead, but I'm not who you should be "trying" to discredit, go fight the USDA, NEJOM, and most major Health organizations if you want to change the way the human metabolic process is described.
Personally, I think you skimmed this post, read the title, and decided you didn't agree. Just my opinion, but what you stated tends to lean toward it in my opinion.

I know how metabolism works, Banks. You don't have to treat me like I'm a child. I'm not trying to flame "on" you. I said I don't believe that you need to eat all of your exercise calories in order to lose weight.

I still don't see concerete evidence (or a well-laid out theory) as to why. Just because you type out a lot of words doesn't mean you have evidence.

I even poked around online quite a bit after reading your stuff to get more insight. I found nothing. Hey, I was happy because I wanted to eat more!

If you read to what I was saying, Banks, I never said you were trying to prove theories of "metabolism".

I said your theory that eating exercise calories leads to weight loss better results than not...that's the mindset that's all over MFP and you seem to repeat (including this post). If I'm wrong, correct me and I'll stand corrected!

OK OK OK... here's an idea. Everyone keep moving forward with trying to live a healthier life. Everyone has different ways to go about doing so, and everyone needs to find what works for them. I believe the most important thing here is Banks cares about everyone here on this site and was trying to give some helpful tips and information. If one finds that they do not agree, then that is ok. Bottom line is we all want to be happier and healthier and love encouraging others to do so. Right?!

Ty

Well said Ty!!!!!!! (if you cannot cheer us up then there is NO help:sad: :bigsmile: )

TamTastic

From my own experience (JUST MINE)....

I was losing steadily since September and around the beginning of the year I thought "Hey, let me start working out a lot more and lower my calories more"....so I did, thinking it would give me an even bigger boost....well, the opposite happened. I started burning A LOT of calories (like 700 at a time) and only eating around 1500..which means my net calories were 800 cals. I didn't think anything of it and thought I was doing the right thing.

At that exact time, my losses that were anywhere from 2-4 lbs a week (averaging 3)...slowed..to like 1 lb or even stopped. Coincidence????

So, I started eating more and my losses started again. I am down 88 lbs. I lost 1 lb this week, 2 lbs last week...2 lbs the week before that. Yes, I maintain sometimes..but I lose pretty regularly. On days I don't work out (which is 3 days a week), I eat around 1460 caloris. On days I do work out, I eat around 1800 calories. I don't eat ALL my exercise calories but I do eat some of them back.

Obviously my height, weight, age and activity level will make my calories different from someone else...but the point is that eating at least some of my exercise cals back has got me back on track.

For what it's worth............

-Tami

frankp

Maverick,

You actually might not be disagreeing with everything on this thread. Perhaps we can narrow it down a bit.

Based on the research and explanation provided in this thread...

1) Your maintenance calorie level for any given day increases by the amount of calories you spent excercising.

2) What you don't want to do is have your calorie deficit for the day be below your maintenance level by more than 1000 calories thereby lowering your bodies metabolism. (On a regular basis, a day here and there probably doesn't make a difference)

Do you disagree with either of those above statments?

So you don't have to eat all your excercise calories, you just need to stay above that (mantenance calories plus excercise calories less 1000 calories) threshold.

Edit: And I want to add that it's working for me, I'm 50 years old, my calories were set with a goal of 1/2 lb per week, my measured body fat % is now 14.5%, I eat my excercise calories, and I continue to loss weight. And if I'm not in a difficult phase of continueing to loss weight (with my high age and relatively low body fat %) then I don't know who is. My real target is not weight but an 11% body fat.

laureneva

From my own experience (JUST MINE)....

I was losing steadily since September and around the beginning of the year I thought "Hey, let me start working out a lot more and lower my calories more"....so I did, thinking it would give me an even bigger boost....well, the opposite happened. I started burning A LOT of calories (like 700 at a time) and only eating around 1500..which means my net calories were 800 cals. I didn't think anything of it and thought I was doing the right thing.

At that exact time, my losses that were anywhere from 2-4 lbs a week (averaging 3)...slowed..to like 1 lb or even stopped. Coincidence????

So, I started eating more and my losses started again. I am down 88 lbs. I lost 1 lb this week, 2 lbs last week...2 lbs the week before that. Yes, I maintain sometimes..but I lose pretty regularly. On days I don't work out (which is 3 days a week), I eat around 1460 caloris. On days I do work out, I eat around 1800 calories. I don't eat ALL my exercise calories but I do eat some of them back.

Obviously my height, weight, age and activity level will make my calories different from someone else...but the point is that eating at least some of my exercise cals back has got me back on track.

For what it's worth............

-Tami

congrats to you TAM!!!!!
:flowerforyou:

banks1850

I know how metabolism works, Banks. You don't have to treat me like I'm a child. I'm not trying to flame "on" you. I said I don't believe that you need to eat all of your exercise calories in order to lose weight.

I still don't see concerete evidence (or a well-laid out theory) as to why. Just because you type out a lot of words doesn't mean you have evidence.

I even poked around online quite a bit after reading your stuff to get more insight. I found nothing. Hey, I was happy because I wanted to eat more!

If you read to what I was saying, Banks, I never said you were trying to prove theories of "metabolism".

I said your theory that eating exercise calories leads to weight loss better results than not...that's the mindset that's all over MFP and you seem to repeat (including this post). If I'm wrong, correct me and I'll stand corrected!

I'm trying very hard to be polite about this, but you added statements that were never offered. Just to be clear, I never said it was better, I said it was safer. And I said and explained, why it works. I just don't understand why you dispute this. If you don't want to eat your exercise calories, fine, don't, it doesn't bother me, but it's not going to stop me from explaining why I believe you SHOULD eat them.


Rather then saying it doesn't work, please show me what part, specifically please, of my post is wrong. Then we can discuss, and open it up for others. This is pointless, you just keep saying I'm wrong, and I keep trying to figure out what part you are even talking about. Well, I'm done with that.

melissa73

Well said Tami....


Everybody has their own opinion some time it is best to just keep it to yoursielf..Please don't mess with this usful thread any more. If it gets locked then the Newbies will be screwed... speak your mind that is fine just do it on another post. Thanks...

wildkitty505

1. I don't question as in, I don't accuse others of lying about how they lost their weight. I just say I'm not going to do it because I don't see the science (in terms of numbers) and why hasn't the rest of the world discovered this?

I guess I just wonder why you assume no one else has figured this out?

-Years before I discovered MFP my nutritionist told me the same thing.
-Weight Watchers adds points to your day when you exercise
-Biggest Loser sets a daily calorie goal for their members and that number increases based on their daily exercise.

Besides the fact that it just makes sense, that is why it was easy for me to accept that eating exercise calories is important. Not for crash dieting, but for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and losing weight in a way that helps develop that new way of living.

IndigoElectron

Edited to remove comment

IndigoElectron

Well said Tami....


Everybody has their own opinion some time it is best to just keep it to yoursielf..Please don't mess with this usful thread any more. If it gets locked then the Newbies will be screwed... speak your mind that is fine just do it on another post. Thanks...

Sorry, I've just seen this! You're right, this thread isn't the place, I will delete my last post and keep my mouth shut.

mary1127

bump

krawls33

I have a few questions for you. I am actually trying to gain weight. How does this information pertain to me. My bmi is 18.6. My bmr is 1150. My current wight is 105 and my goal is 125. My target fitness goal is 350 calories/week. Does daily calories deficit -500 mean extra calories eaten and not burned? I have a very fast metabolism and gaining weight has always been hard for me. Oh my height is 5'3".

banks1850

I have a few questions for you. I am actually trying to gain weight. How does this information pertain to me. My bmi is 18.6. My bmr is 1150. My current wight is 105 and my goal is 125. My target fitness goal is 350 calories/week. Does daily calories deficit -500 mean extra calories eaten and not burned? I have a very fast metabolism and gaining weight has always been hard for me. Oh my height is 5'3".

hi Krawls33,

It's pretty similar either way. If you are looking to gain in a healthy manner, the most important thing is to keep going with your exercise routine, add the exercise calories to how much you should be eating, and make sure you eat a healthy diet. One thing to keep in mind is that MFP tends to go very low on the protein %, I have spoken with 3 different trainers on this, and all have recommended between 20% and 30% for a person trying to gain muscle in a moderate setting (I.E. not bodybuilding). Along with that most recommend that you take the % away from carbs as opposed to fat. I.E.
My current breakdown of carbs/fat/protein is 50%/25%/25%
add in your daily requirements for vitamins and minerals and watching to make sure you keep the saturated fat and simple carbs low and you should gain weight in a healthy, toned manner. Assuming you do a mix of cardio and weight training that is.
NOTE: I'm not a trainer or a dietician, if you are at all concerned about your food breakdown, you should go see one, it will cost a few bucks, but totally worth it to get a registered dietician to examine your caloric intake.

krawls33

Thanks for the help.

stschulz

Makes sense to me. Very good reading too.
I will in the future try to eat all my exercise calories. Or at least as many as possible.
I'm sure there are some treats I can eat that will help (dreaming of that Nutella jar I can not buy)

banks1850

felt like bumping this one too.

Poison5119

Thanks very much. I guess a bump is in order here (whatever a bump is -- kind of like a thumbs up??)

Anyhow, your dedication to dissecting this matter has been extremely helpful to me in understanding my calories.

You're awesome!!!!

xoxo

banks1850

Thanks very much. I guess a bump is in order here (whatever a bump is -- kind of like a thumbs up??)

Anyhow, your dedication to dissecting this matter has been extremely helpful to me in understanding my calories.

You're awesome!!!!

xoxo

lol, you bump just to keep a post at the top so others can read it.

natalie1

Thanks, that really helped

cmriverside

Three thousand one hundred seventy five. good morning bankable. :glasses: