DON'T Eat Exercise Calories!!

merebear

I know it sounds crazy ad against what MFP and most users believe, but please just read on........Just this week I went to a medical weight loss center to sign up and the physician there said to go down to a 1000 calorie diet - as opposed to the 1200 the MFP gave me - and she said that no matter how much I work out, I should still only take in the 1000 calories a day....this confused me because MFP says that "if you keep your calories this low your body will go into starvation mode" - the important thing she said also is to slightly vary how many calories you take in each day - 950, 1050, 1000, etc - to keep your body guessing. Wow! Now I know why I have hit a plateau......I thought if I burned an extra 400 calories then it meant I could have a little extra that day or a treat :sad: Yikes!! But I am going to follow my doctor's advice since I am under her care specifically for this medical weight loss program.

Hoverlight

My mother was a dietician before her current medical career and she keeps up on a lot of diet and medical trends, and she says the same thing about calorie intake. I've been following MFP's way faithfully for 5 months and have only lost about 4 pounds and even that fluctuates. On the other hand, Mom's been losing two pounds per week (lost 35 so far) by keeping around 800-1000 calories with a very high-protein, vegetarian diet and tons of exercising. She hears all the talk about "starvation mode" and has been watching for plateau-ing, but so far she's doing great.

So what I'm saying is, from the evidence I've been seeing - you might be right.

LittleSpy

It's very irresponsible to advise others to starve themselves.
Do whatever you feel you need to do under "medical supervision" but PLEASE don't suggest others should do the same.
It's a bad bad bad idea for long term weight loss.

byHISstrength

Sorry, I know you mean well, but I think your doctor's advice is stupid. I can't imagine burning tons of calories and not being able to replenish SOME of them. And 1000 calories a day??? Have you thought about getting a second opinion? I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect, but that advice just seems wrong...really wrong.

Just be careful, and listen to your body.

bariachic

Ugh, here we go.

DawnOf1969

Someone following a vegetarian diet isn't necessarily starving at 1000 calories. You can load UP on fruits and veggies for 1000 calories. I, personally, wouldn't go below 1200 without a doctor's supervision, but I know on days where I eat wholesome, fruits, veggies, nuts, etc, I can be VERY full and still be in the 1000 to 1200 calorie range.

Hoverlight

Yeah, it may be that the KIND of calories you consume are the most important thing.

RedneckWmn

I know that me eating 1200 calorise and burning 400-600 calories a workout isn't enough fuel. My body feels like it has been beat up and I want to die. This is me personally. I say you need to listen to your body and do what it's telling you to do. I couldn't imagine eating 1000 calories and workout out and burning calories that I can't replenish.

batty5

Just back from my doctor (in UK) & he has told me exactly the same 1000 calories per day vary a bit e.g. 900/1100/1000 but average 1000 & only a little more after exercise if I absolutely have to. Only exercise I am allowed is in deep water so that restricts me but do 5 hours minimum per week. Can you hrms in pools? Would give me an idea how much I burn.
Have to admit that past dieting successes after pregnancies etc have always been based on 1000 calories per day, ill health has caused the current gain.

ttammcnally

MFP already sets your goal calories below your BMR--the calories you would burn if you were in a coma. If you eat less than your BMR you will lose weight. Adding exercise calories allows you to eat those calories. For example if I burn 2000 calories a day without moving, but eat only 1800 daily--I have a 200 calorie deficit per day and will lose about .5 lb a week. If I exercise and burn an additional 600 calories and then eat 2400 calories that day, I have the same 200 calorie deficit. I strongly recommend you listen to Fat2Fit radio's podcasts about eating too few calories and how that can lead to starvation/ weight loss plateaus, and eventual weight gain. Eating 20% below your BMR is healthy for sustained weight loss, any less will starve you over time. If you eat at 1000 calories and aren't losing weight, eat 1800 or 2000 for a day or two to trick your body into thinking you aren't starving it.

Lastly, I agree--advising people to eat 1000 calories a day is irresponsible.

check it out:
www.fat2fitradio.com

Jb27

To each his/her own but i have to say i lost my first 38 lbs from working out and eating all of my calories. On the really hard workout days i really needed those extra cals to keep me going. I know everybody is different and maybe that 1000 cal might be ok for awhile but long term? I now am able to eat between 1300-1650 cals a day without gaining and i feel great. ( and went down 6 pants sizes)

jtapp9

You also need to consider the fact that MFP is trying to teach us a new way to eat FOR LIFE and not just to lose weight. I personally love food to much to ONLY eat 1000 calories a day for the rest of my life. And if I only eat 1000 a day for now then what happens when I lose all the weight then want to go back to a more normal amount of calories? My body wont be able to handle it and I will gain the weight back.

Families_R_Forever

I have lost fine doing the MFP plan...NOT eating the cals or at least some of them makes 0 sense. May I suggest that maybe your were not losing the weight due to overestimating your exercise cals. I just got a HRM and the cals are different by a little bit and if you are eating all of them then you will be going over...Or perhaps you were not 100 % true to the logging? I don't know I am just throwing those things out there. I wish you luck and if you lose the weight this new way...I hope it stays off. People who starve themselves ALWAYS get it back 2 fold...in my experience. Please don't take my post the wrong way...I think when I see posts like this I just worry...

Hold on I just noticed that you have lost 45 pounds...GREAT! This means that mfp was working for you...maybe you just needed to shake up your rountine a little bit to get off the plateau. Who knows but you should be pround of what you have accomplished. I know that we gained the weight slowly so it is going to have to come off slowly...right. Anyways sorry to maybe suggest that you were not logging faithfully and so on. Obviously you were or you would not have lost 45 lbs:happy:

LittleSpy

Someone following a vegetarian diet isn't necessarily starving at 1000 calories.

For the record, there's a big difference between feeling hungry and starving.

saverys_gal

Oh this sounds like a great discussion to me! I'm really looking forward to seeing more responses!

So here's my 2 cents worth; I eat a low carb lifestyle...so yeah...anyone that wants to get into on that one, lets rumble! Peacefully of course! :flowerforyou: My caloric intake is anywhere between 800-1400 on any given day and I never worry about eating back exercise calories. I simply eat when I'm hungry! I load up on protein and fiber-lots of meat and poultry and LOTS of greens! Veggies, certain nuts and small amounts of fruits are my favorite snacks! I've been doing this for over a year, have lost 65lbs. and have never felt better. I'm consistently losing weight also.

With that being said...I'm not a nutritionist, a dietitian or a doctor of any sorts. This is what works for ME. And from what the OP stated, she is just giving out what might work for someone else. It is up to the individual to seek out the advice of a doctor before undergoing something extreme! Don't be ignorant and just follow what someone says!!

brattyworm

ok i'm going to hop in on this one. 1000 calories a day might be good depending on the persons size and bodies needs, don't knock it without knowing them.
Keeping the body guessing works. Its amazing how well it works and it doesn't have to be within a 50 calorie range.
Also, not every body can go down to such a caloric intake right off the bat without some negative effects on their body. The body has to adjust to any changes you make before you make new ones or you'll put it into shock (not like coma shock or whatever, just like stubborn i don't want to change) and it'll fight you, basically.
And doctors generally know a little more then the average layman, but if he/she's not a nutrionist as well I would reccommend consulting one just as confirmation of what your doc is saying..
just my opinion on it

Rugbychick16

Ugh, here we go.

My thoughts exactly! :grumble:

CharityD

Wow! It's a hot mess up in here! I have been thinking about this for months but didn't want to stir the pot. But...
I will just add that from a medical (and even common sense) standpoint, 1200 is not the magic number for all of us. I have checked on other sites for my build and it has suggested 1000 cal/day for a one pound weight loss per week. MFP will not go under 1200. There are lots of factors to consider and what may be right for one may not be for another.

xDeannaGarciax

Whoa, why is everyone getting judgmental on merebear? No one is forcing anyone to do the diet she is "sharing" with all of us. If you think you "know" that this is a "stupid" idea or way to lose weight then obviously you won't use it right?? I'm not meaning to attack anyone either, but come on, she thought she was being helpful to us all by sharing what her dietician told her. You want to listen, then do so...if not move on! Everyone is just trying to help eachother and support eachother. If you think this isn't right maybe be nice and explain to her why you have learned this isn't right , why you believe this isn't right, no need for attacking. Sheesh people.

Anyhow, I too eat lot's of veggies fruits ...FOOD IN GENERAL...healthy food, I guess would be the difference. So I am full all day long, sometimes not even reaching 1200 calories I eat my three small snacks and three meals a day and am losing weight at a healthy rate not eating my excersice calories all the time either but they are good to have left over if your hungry at any givin time. I am NOT telling anyone this is what they should do this is what has worked for me. Only recently after stoping eating my workout calories have I noticed a nice change in my weight loss. Good Luck merebear, everyone's body is different do what's right for you :flowerforyou:

xDeannaGarciax

Wow! It's a hot mess up in here! I have been thinking about this for months but didn't want to stir the pot. But...
I will just add that from a medical (and even common sense) standpoint, 1200 is not the magic number for all of us. I have checked on other sites for my build and it has suggested 1000 cal/day for a one pound weight loss per week. MFP will not go under 1200. There are lots of factors to consider and what may be right for one may not be for another.

Well said

Precious_Nissa

I do feel to each its own; however, all dr's sometimes provide contradicting advice because my recent dr and nutrionist that I spoke with, stated that you should stay under or at your calorie goal if you are not working out, and they also advised that when working out, you do need to eat some of the calories.....

gastric dr's will tell you this, dieticians will tell you this and regular physicians will tell you this....me personally, i refuse to abuse my body...Yes i want to lose weight but not at the expense of more severe health problems because i'm abusing my body by not taking care of it.....

Barneystinson

Speaking as someone who would probably pass out and/or suffer from not getting enough food to fuel workouts and daily activities...

Consider also that we're only considering "weight" here. When you continually eat under the recommended caloric requirement AND workout, oh sure, you may lose weight for a while, but you may also be losing muscle mass and effectively decrease your metabolism. Keep this up for a while and when you try to workout or do any rigorous activity, you'll suffer. You may also set yourself up for adrenal fatigue if you're not properly fueling yourself.

So yeah, IMO, losing muscle mass and setting the stage for potential adrenal fatigue is not worth it. Try to re-evaluate a few things:

The reality of what you're eating - do you weigh and meausre accurately?
Do you record snacks and other tidbits of food throughout the day?
Do you have a heart rate monitor or similar to determine the intensity and relative calorie burn of your work outs?
Do you have energy or do you feel fatigue throughout the day?
Do you have any possible medical conditions that could inhibit weight loss? (i.e. thyroid problems, PCOS, etc.)


Have you checked out any other caloric intake formulas such as Harris Benedict ? These may be a better means of determining how many calories you need and at what activity level you're at.

jamie1888

Following your Doctor's advice is fine and totally up to you. (Whether we all disagree or not). However, I would just be careful to post such a strong topic as "DON'T Eat Exercise Calories!!". Many users on here might be new and have little knowledge of nutrition, etc and they follow any and all advice on here. What is right for your health (according to your Doctor) goes against what most believe to be healthy and safe for a diet. It's not safe for all!

thedreamhazer

I think it's great that you shared with us what your doctor told you, because the fact is that different people/lifestyles/goals can mean different ways to live and lose. I personally find it helpful to hear what other people are doing, even if I'm not necessarily going to change what I do.

For instance, when I first started, I thought that I HAD to eat my exercise calories, even if I wasn't hungry, because I was set for 1200 net calories per day and I was afraid that being under that net calorie goal would hurt me.

I've since discovered: I don't HAVE to eat them, but I can! And that was the saving discovery for me! I'm losing about 2 lbs./week, and taking in about 1500 calories per day, net between 1100-1300 on average. An amount which, I have calculated, will be the BMR of my goal weight!

xDeannaGarciax

Oh this sounds like a great discussion to me! I'm really looking forward to seeing more responses!

So here's my 2 cents worth; I eat a low carb lifestyle...so yeah...anyone that wants to get into on that one, lets rumble! Peacefully of course! :flowerforyou: My caloric intake is anywhere between 800-1400 on any given day and I never worry about eating back exercise calories. I simply eat when I'm hungry! I load up on protein and fiber-lots of meat and poultry and LOTS of greens! Veggies, certain nuts and small amounts of fruits are my favorite snacks! I've been doing this for over a year, have lost 65lbs. and have never felt better. I'm consistently losing weight also.

With that being said...I'm not a nutritionist, a dietitian or a doctor of any sorts. This is what works for ME. And from what the OP stated, she is just giving out what might work for someone else. It is up to the individual to seek out the advice of a doctor before undergoing something extreme! Don't be ignorant and just follow what someone says!!

Haha, the last part is similar to my post! Everyone on this site should know that we all are giving our individual opinions, you don't like what someone says....simple- don't follow it. Noone is being irresponsible by sharing what they were told or what works for them! Well said girl!

Rugbychick16

My doctor told me I didn't have cancer and it turns out I did, so I guess I have learned to listen to my own body and make descions that are right for me from there. :flowerforyou:

RedneckWmn

Following your Doctor's advice is fine and totally up to you. (Whether we all disagree or not). However, I would just be careful to post such a strong topic as "DON'T Eat Exercise Calories!!". Many users on here might be new and have little knowledge of nutrition, etc and they follow any and all advice on here. What is right for your health (according to your Doctor) goes against what most believe to be healthy and safe for a diet. It's not safe for all!

Very well said!

sharonuk10

You also need to consider the fact that MFP is trying to teach us a new way to eat FOR LIFE and not just to lose weight. I personally love food to much to ONLY eat 1000 calories a day for the rest of my life. And if I only eat 1000 a day for now then what happens when I lose all the weight then want to go back to a more normal amount of calories? My body wont be able to handle it and I will gain the weight back.

SOOOO totally agree with this.

HealthyChanges2010

,

taijade

Okay, I'll wiegh in on this (pardon the pun *ahem*)

My Dr has told me that I don't need more than 1000 calories per day and he wants to see my food diary in 4 weeks time to prove to him that I'm doing just that.

I am finding it very hard. I went over today by 40 calories and I'm beating myself up over it because I know my Dr will tell me that I should be consistently UNDER 1,000.

I'm hungry, I'm more exhausted than usual and I find that occasionally I feel shaky and dizzy-ish. But, I'm following my Dr's advice because I've tried everything else and nothing else has worked, so I'm hoping it passes and I get used to it.
To be honest, I would not advise another person to do this.

Hoverlight

It seems to me there's valid points on both sides of the arguments. Does anyone have access to documented studies on either extreme? It would be great to have more solid information.

*shrug* I don't have a problem with thoughtful debate on a subject like this. It's good to get every angle and consider every argument. The more I know, the better-informed I can be about the decisions I make for my health. And I do think it's a lot more individual than MFP is prepared to deal with - I used one of those scales that measure everything - body fat percentage, water weight, BMR, etc - for each individual person, and my BMR was actually at 1300cals per day, If I recall correctly. Not much of a deficit.