DON'T Eat Exercise Calories!!

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!!

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!

Exactly!! I mean, yeah, if someone came on and posted that they were just subsisting off...I don't know, water and a handful of grapes everyday and losing weight and were promoting that, then yes, we all KNOW that's not healthy! For the most part though we are all on here just giving out what works for us and that differs from body to body because no one is the same! If you're going to take someone's advice and base your diet on what they do then at least read up on it or talk to your doctor about it first. Don't just dive head first into something because someone else is having fantastic results!

Raina0512

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.

It makes sense. That's all I'm saying.... And it's worked for me. :drinker:

obifatkanobi

I see a lot of people here, referred by their own doctors. The information MFP gives is sound and in accordance with the majority of doctors and dietitians. I see a lot of success stories from people who are, well, succeeding at losing weight and becoming healthier. Finally, there is the advice of not losing too fast or shorting your body too much, or the weight won't stay off. It's not just about losing weight, it's learning to live a whole new lifestyle. I wish you the best, both short term and long, but I will stay with the recommendations of the majority of medical specialists, stick with the recommendations of MFP (it's working great for me as long as I'm honest and keep track of everything) and advise you to get a second opinion.

Families_R_Forever

Wow this is a HOT topic...520 views so far! Everyone has great opinions and like others I say...do what is right for you and your body! Good Luck to everyone! :flowerforyou:

geri1geraldinesuzanne

i've always though that 1000 kcals is the norm, no matter how much you exercise, i used this method in my teens and i worked prity well then, now a few years on its a bit harder but seems to work ok also
:drinker:

PattyTheUndefeated

*cringe*

Yes, you'll lose plenty of weight fast on a less than 1000 calories-a-day diet. AND you'll also lose precious muscle that keeps your metabolism high and your body strong. High protein or not, you're doing yourself some serious damage. Enough said.

This just proves my point that most doctors are irresponsible morons.

I can't say I'm shocked as posts such as this one come up from members all that time that have been given blatantly horrible advice and misinformation from individuals in the health care industry.

recipe4success

I am sorry, but it is only in the very rarest of cases (i.e. someone who is of very short stature, who has medical issues, or who is extremely obese) that it should ever be recommended to consume less than 1000 calories/day. Even 1200 calories/day, the amount touted often as being the lowest recommended value for women, tends to be too low for most people.

In terms of whether or not to eat exercise calories, that is your own choice. If you eat them, you will return to the calorie deficit that MFP gave y ou in the first place (before you exercised). If you don't eat them, you will have a much larger deficit. If you eat some of them, you will have a larger deficit then you would have before you exercised. But there is not 1 way to do this. It is important to remember that some people burn 1000s of calories a day in exercise, and some only burn say 200 calories/day. If you burn 1000s, yes i would say you need to eat many of those back. If you burn 200, perhaps it is best if you don't.

Also, even with careful calorie counting, it is well known in the nutritional field that we all (even dietitians) underestimate the number of calories we eat. There is errors on food labels, food labels can be misread, scales can read wrong, measuring cups may be off, we may not account for everything we eat, and the calorie amounts on MFP are not always 100% accurate. When you add all these together, it is likely we are underestimating calories by about 10%/day, at least. So if you consider that, and say you only burned 200 calories in a day, perhaps you are not eating at a deficit, afterall.

stormieweather

I think....there are people who are overweight enough to be able to eat at or less than 1000 calories a day UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION, and be ok with it...for a short period of time (I've read 4-8 weeks max).

My own general doctor would happily subscribe pills for me, as he has a separate weight loss business, along with cosmetic surgery. But I don't want pills or extreme weight loss, I want to be healthy and lose weight normally and KEEP IT OFF.

jackpotclown

I agree with barney, I'd probably pass out if I ate that low of an amount, but then again I know my BMR is way over that to begin with, so there's no way I'd consider doing that. I think that for people who need to lose extreme amounts of weight, that would make sense, but not for a permanent change. I just know that I feel like garbage if I don't eat some of my exercise calories back.

diet45

I have lost 7 lbs so far eating most of my exercise calories. I have also been do cardio and strength training. I feel the healthiest and strongest I have ever felt. I feel this is a life style change and don't just a quick weight loss fix. Please listen to your bodies. I ate under 1000 calories for about 10 yrs when I was younger and was a total gym rat. I never felt healthy. I was definitely unhealthy and I was definitely starving most of the day. Bests wishes!!!

Precious_Nissa

http://www.weight-loss-center.net/1000-calorie-diet-plan.htm....


Now i also just called my dr just because as someone said earlier, this is a bold post to post seeing that some arent just trying to lose, but rather make lifestyle changes and even according to this and my dr backing it up, but this is a temporary fix.....even showing that you should not go back 2 to 3 weeks in doing this.

EmilyAnn89

i don't always eat my excercise calories back, sometimes i'm busy or i forget, but i'd say 95% of the time i do because i'm always hungry lol. and i've lost all my weight by doing this. as long as you are also getting excercise for a little bit every day and cutting your calories back (which is already done for you.. i mean before i started on this site i could probably have eaten well over 2700 calories a day) so 1200 is a big deficit for me. then if i do excercise i most likely burn between 130-400 calories, which puts me at most 1800.. which is still a big deficit from what i use to eat. i think it all depends on what your body type and your old eating habits. i believe that you should eat them, because i think that will give you the best long term results.

coronalime

if you actually worked out and only ate 1000 cals you wouldnt make it. You would be dead. I am marathon training and there are days I burn 500-800 cals per day.
The popular (fad) weightloss centers restrict calories but usually dont allow working out. Maybe if you are sedentary you can eat 1000 cals but not working out..I dont think you need to eat ALL your work out cals but i think you need to eat some.

Precious_Nissa

and a weight loss center here in la, just stated to me that a 1000 calorie intake is normally suggested for a quick weight loss solution or for trying to get over a plateau.....so theres more than likely more to the conversation between you and this dr than what we are reading......and the reason i checked is because i am trying to do all i am supposed to be doing and hearing something like this is shocking seeing that the average human has to have something in their body to live.......

RHaddad312

First off I just want to say I love MFP. My boyfriend started doing it back in March and he went from 227lbs to 200. I wanted to do it not because I was overweight but because I wanted to improve my eating lifestyle and lose some weight. As far as eating exercise calories, I think that you need to replace the calories that you burnt off, not saying you have to replace all of them. But by not taking back some of those calories you could be depriving yourself of nutrients. Me personally, I exercise 5 days a week and burn 800-1000 calories a day just exercising. I know for myself that if I didn't replace those calories later, I would feel weak and eventually I could be malnourished, which could lead you into being sick. My normal calorie intake is 1540.

I am extremely mindful of what I eat. I guess my fear is that I am going to gain weight if I go out of my calorie range. Currently, I am going through Chemotherapy.....to which I go every 3 weeks. On June 9th I weighed 148, June 27th I was 142, and when I went on July 21st I weighed 142.6...so MFP is working. However my mom and doctors keep telling me that I need to keep eating. They tell me that I shouldn't worry about calorie counting and losing weight but with me being stubborn, I still follow MFP.

You just have to listen to your body and do what is best for you. Every now and then too you gotta treat yourself. If you want a piece of cake, have a piece of cake. You don't want to deprive yourself of everything, just as long as you have a balanced diet.

Laceylala

While I don't know that I could stick to a 1000 calorie diet to lose weight, too each their own. If it works, then good for you.

My concern would be that if a person stuck to a 1000 cal diet for say 8 months and lost 25+ lbs and got to their goal weight, then what? Are they going to stick to 1000 cals a day to maintain or would the person start eating more? Generally we eat more when goal weight is hit, assuming we can maintain it. 1000 cals is so much below what my maintainenace cals would be, that I would assume my body would go from one extreme to the other. Super weight loss to super weight gain. And I don't want that.

And doctors never think about the emotional reasons as to why the person is overweight in the first place. Doctors these days only focus on treating the symptoms of why a person is in their office, rarely do they address the causes of the issues in the first place. If you are constipated for example, they might tell you to buy Miralax to soften the stool, but rarely do they tell you to watch what you eat and maybe suggest you lay off the cheese for a while, you know?
There are always reasons why people are overweight. It can be lifestyle, it can be emotional eating, it can stem from abus, it can be anything really. So while eating 1000 cals a day might make you lose weight, is it going to address the afterlife of weight maintenance?

I like MFP because for most of us, it is a lifestyle change. So I guess my question to you is this: If you are maintaining 1000 calories a day to lose weight, what are your plans to maintain when you get to your goal?

pfenixa

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.

So you went "Just this week" and got this information, so what about the 45 pounds you lost before doing this? Obviously if this was news to you then you weren't doing this before...so you were eating more than 1000 calories a day before AND lost weight. If you've been able to lose such a considerable amount of weight eating more than 1000 calories and eating exercise cals, then why would you take this new advice at the drop of a hat? I'm sorry, but what has enabled you to lose all that weight is NOT what forced you into a plateau. It's completely normal to run into a plateau. Your body gets used to what you've been doing and things slow down. Now varying your calories daily is a common idea. But it doesn't have to be such a low amount of calories to work. I'm not saying don't try 1000 calories to break your plateau, hey it could work and it would definitely confuse your body after what you've been doing for however long.

Like everyone's been saying, to each his/her own on what their body needs. It's good to see another perspective, but it's not so good to preach it like it would work for everyone. I definitely wouldn't drop all the way down to 1000 calories consistently because there's no way that once I hit my goal weight that I would keep eating such a low amount. Then you start eating "normally" and bam! Balloon back up because your body is getting way more than it used to. Personally I do end up eating exercise calories, but I don't really intentionally aim to eat a certain amount of them. I just eat a normal amount and know that I still have a deficit going.

Golly, imagine if someone only eats 1000 calories a day and burns that much too! Sounds like a cousin of anorexia to me.

suzyanne

Wow!! I must say that is one of the most interesting topics I've read on here! I, personally, wouldn't last long eating only 1000 cals/day, consistently. However, there are days when I don't eat that much. I try to eat very close to, but slightly less than MFP sets for my daily goal...with or without exercise. I don't strive to eat my exercise cals, but I do have them on standby if I feel hungry. I think that it's important to do what your body tells you to do. I think the most important part, is making sure that you're eating healthy calories, plenty of protien, healthy carbs and sugars, low cholesterol, etc. Everyone's bodies are different and so their BMRs are different and their caloric intake will be different. If you feel good and satisfied, then, chances are, you're doing something right. Good luck to everyone!

shell1205

I tried the Hilton Head Metabolism Diet several years ago, and, had I stuck with it, might have worked... it is very similar to MFP reccommendations, and also gives you what they call "Weekend boosts" where you eat more calories than your normal weekdays. I found it difficult at the time because I was the only one doing it, and was pretty much buying things from 2 different grocery lists.

I have also tried the very low calorie, quick fix diets, and have felt miserable (just my feeling... I'm short, but am fairly large framed... I have "linebacker" shoulders, as I've been told!)..

I agree, that for me, this is more of a lifestyle change, so eating 1200 calories a day, and half of my exercise calories is working for me, and even though I've only started recently, I'm losing fairly consistently when I stick to this plan... I've also been amazed at how much drinking water has helped!!

I also could not do it on 800-1000 calories a day, and I'd probably kill everyone around me!! LOL If it works for you, great!! And I could see that to get over a plateau, possibly, along with eating more than the magical 1200 number in the same week... shake up the system!!

At any rate, good luck, and be careful!!!

hiddensecant

1000 calories without exercise calories under a doctor's supervision is going to work when you have over 100 pounds to lose. People in the morbidly obese category have enough fat stores to sustain them through periods of very low calories, especially when the doctor is supplementing their dietary needs with injections and whatnot.

However, not everyone reading this topic is in that category. Some of them are already healthy or slightly overweight and are having difficulty losing those last few pounds simply because there isn't that much to lose. And eating only 1000 calories when they're likely burning at least 500 will put them into the danger zone where things like organ failure can and will happen.

Consider that when the wrong people follow advice that might only be right for certain groups of people, they could be risking more than they think.

glfprncs2

My body would seriously shut down on 1000 calories. I'm 5'9", 20% body fat, and workout for 45-60 minutes/day and walk my dogs. I'm also an 8th grade teacher, so literally am on my feet moving around the classroom most of the day. On average, I burn 2700 calories/day...sometimes closer to 3000. I maintain a 500-750 calorie deficit on most days, and try to eat to 'maintenance' on my rest day. It's working for me...but 1000 calories? I'd be passed out on the street with my dogs running pell-mell in the neighborhood.

pfenixa

lol, I notice some "copy & paste" from the thread started by batty5. :laugh:

lilmissy2

I think people get so confused about starvation mode here (probably because of what it's named)! If you eat fewer calories than you burn you WILL lose weight, basic math really. Starvation mode essentially means that your body isn't burning as much as it should be because you are eating too little. So for example, you might be eating 800cals per day and losing the same amount of weight that you would lose if you ate 1500cals per day because your body is trying not to burn too much to stop you from starving. To be honest, I don't see why anyone would choose to eat half the amount to lose the same amount of weight...

MacMadame

Being an old lady (:laugh:), I find it interesting to see how dieting advice has changed over the years. When I first started going structured programs in the late 80s, the common advice was to not go below 1000 calories. Anything else was DANGEROUS we were told. (Oh and we wouldn't lose weight, of course.)

Then, some programs got sued because a small percentage of people lost their gallbladders on their diets due to not enough fat content. So then the programs pretty much all started touting the 1200 calorie limit. Don't go below that because it's DANGEROUS! Oh, and you'll go into starvation mode, and you WON'T LOSE WEIGHT.

But, if it wasn't dangerous for most people (only a small percentage lost their gallbladders) to eat 1000 calories a day, why would it be dangerous to eat 1100? And does it really make sense that, if you eat 1200 every day, you'll be fine, but if you eat 1199, horrible things will happen to you? Plus, does it makes sense that 1200 is the magic number for EVERYONE all the time?

I say none of that makes sense. I think there are people on this site merrily eating 1200 calories a day and they aren't getting proper nutrition because of their food choices. Heck, there are people on this site who eat back their exercise calories who still are not getting adequate nutrition. OTOH, the less calories you take in, the harder it is, even if you are really knowledgeable about nutrition. That's why you routinely see the advice to not go below X calories without a doctor's supervision. If you are seeing a doctor regularly, they can watch you for signs of malnutrition, order regular lab work, and look over your food diaries to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of the essentials.

But, while 1000 is fine for a lot of people, 1200 isn't enough for others. Guys and tall people probably need more. The younger you are, the more your metabolism is revved up so you might need more too.

IMO the key to successful dieting is to pick something that you can stand to do for the time you need to do it and to have whatever it is be something that is as close to how you'll live once you get to maintenance as possible. For some people that means eating their maintenance calories for the weight they want to be. For others, it's eating as little as possible while still having adequate energy so they can be motivated by excellent weight loss to stay with their program. (Studies show that losing weight faster is more motivating and people do better when the lose it faster.) For others, it's exercising a lot and using those calories to increase their indulgences. For others, it's exercising a lot and not using those calories so they lose faster.

But it's going to be different for everyone.

Precious_Nissa

So agree....I think what works for you is what works for you as long as you arent endangering yourself.......

now to disagree with the post a few up, someone extremely obese feels like they are suffering going less than 1000 calories, especially since most morbidly obese people are use to consuming over 4000 calories or more a day.....

anyone eating less than 1000 calories is trying to do 2 things......1) lose weight rapidly and 2) attempting or thinking they are being healthy that way....

People have this so screwed up....I dont diet....I refuse to diet.....I pray and ask God for strength to not over indulge in foods, but theres nothing wrong with eating....

FOOD IS GOOD
Theres nothing wrong with loving to eat.....BUT
it becomes a problem when you are overconsuming food and not caring about what you put in your body....

I'm glad, esp after this post, that i'm not focusing on losing weight too quickly or killing myself to try to be something i'm not....

LotusF1ower

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.

Well she seems to be doing okay on it whereas the previous way she wasn't. I would also like to say that I think qualified dieticians will know what they are talking about, for some people eating their exercise calories works, for others it does not. :flowerforyou:

To the original poster, I have been on 1000 calories per day diet myself, didn't eat my exercise calories and never once did I go into starvation mode. I also used to lose 2lb per week on it, doing aerobic three times per week. The weight went back on after I had my second baby and I stuffed myself stupid and was greedy, no excuses, that is the reason.

This time round I am on 1200 calories but do not eat my exercise calories, the most I have gone into these exercise calories is eating an extra 100 or something, but that was not to stop myself going into any starvation mode, it was because I was ravenous lol.

LotusF1ower

*cringe*

.......This just proves my point that most doctors are irresponsible morons.

It does not prove that at all. I, for one, am not arrogant enough to consider that I know better than those that have trained for many years in the medical profession.

If I were to be told on a forum, advice regarding some medical problem I posted a subject about that conflicted with the advice my doctor gave me, what one do you think I would choose for my own health and wellbeing.... let me see now, well I'll give you all a clue.....

......it sure wouldn't be the answer written on a message board by some stranger that could be anybody, I would choose my doctor anytime.

It has been known for doctors to make mistakes, but there is a hell of a lot more chance of a massive mistake being made following blindly the advice given by unqualified people.

Hoverlight

If I were to be told on a forum, advice regarding some medical problem I posted a subject about that conflicted with the advice my doctor gave me, what one do you think I would choose for my own health and wellbeing.... let me see now, well I'll give you all a clue.....

......it sure wouldn't be the answer written on a message board by some stranger that could be anybody, I would choose my doctor anytime.

It has been known for doctors to make mistakes, but there is a hell of a lot more chance of a massive mistake being made following blindly the advice given by unqualified people.

I agree! Thanks for saying this - I hadn't gotten around to replying yet, but now I don't need to!

HealthyChanges2010

If I were to be told on a forum, advice regarding some medical problem I posted a subject about that conflicted with the advice my doctor gave me, what one do you think I would choose for my own health and wellbeing.... let me see now, well I'll give you all a clue.....

......it sure wouldn't be the answer written on a message board by some stranger that could be anybody, I would choose my doctor anytime.

It has been known for doctors to make mistakes, but there is a hell of a lot more chance of a massive mistake being made following blindly the advice given by unqualified people.

I agree! Thanks for saying this - I hadn't gotten around to replying yet, but now I don't need to!

You both would be making very wise decsions not to listen to just 'anyone' but not everyone on here is like that. People join up on this site, feeling vulnerable, wanting to lose weight and are sometimes caught up in everything they read. Is that the healthiest? NO WAY, it's not but it's what some of of us have done in the past and some will continue to do as they join or even those that have been around along time.

I think that is some of the points others members are making above. I agree I would NOT ask for or take medical advice from an internet message board. I might ask if such and such has every happened to someone just to see what I can find out until morning to call my doc. Probably curiousity or looking for comfort.

Some share we are all they have regarding friends in life (we fellow MFP members) so if they ask something on the boards and get responses, they trust them to be the truth, is it a terrific idea? No but it's what sometimes happens.

Have a great night all

One thing I will add...what I love about being part of MFP's community is that we are free to say what we want to (within reason) it can help some and it can hinder some. We all have a variety of thoughts on different matters, I enjoy reading the variety. I always learn something and get to know other members in different ways when they share.

Becca:drinker:

godblessourhome

And does it really make sense that, if you eat 1200 every day, you'll be fine, but if you eat 1199, horrible things will happen to you? Plus, does it makes sense that 1200 is the magic number for EVERYONE all the time?

I say none of that makes sense. I think there are people on this site merrily eating 1200 calories a day and they aren't getting proper nutrition because of their food choices. Heck, there are people on this site who eat back their exercise calories who still are not getting adequate nutrition. OTOH, the less calories you take in, the harder it is, even if you are really knowledgeable about nutrition. That's why you routinely see the advice to not go below X calories without a doctor's supervision. If you are seeing a doctor regularly, they can watch you for signs of malnutrition, order regular lab work, and look over your food diaries to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of the essentials.

But, while 1000 is fine for a lot of people, 1200 isn't enough for others. Guys and tall people probably need more. The younger you are, the more your metabolism is revved up so you might need more too.

But it's going to be different for everyone.

ditto!