eating back calories

luciemarierudge
luciemarierudge Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you HAVE to eat back the calories? I always feel like i've burnt them and i don't want to 'gain them' back, kinda feel like the exercise was pointless. Also i get full after about 700net because i burn about 400 a day walking to work, working etc. I eat 'junk' i just eat smaller portions of it..
just wondering if what i'm doing is really wrong
Thanks x

Replies

  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    You do when you're eating so few calories as you are. You need to be netting at least 1200.
    Try eating more fresh foods, fruit, nuts, veggies, healthy carbs like whole grains, porridge, bread, rice, cous cous, pasta.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Do you HAVE to eat back the calories? I always feel like i've burnt them and i don't want to 'gain them' back, kinda feel like the exercise was pointless. Also i get full after about 700net because i burn about 400 a day walking to work, working etc. I eat 'junk' i just eat smaller portions of it..
    just wondering if what i'm doing is really wrong
    Thanks x

    Walking to work, working, etc is part of daily life to start with so those don't really count as calories burned from "exercise" but you should be eating at least 1200 calories a day.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    You should be eating your exercise calories back, especially if you're netting so little as it is. Food is fuel, and you need to give your body the calories and nutrients it needs. The calorie goal that MFP gives you already gives you the necessary deficit for your desired weight loss. There is no need to create a larger deficit.
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    My philosophy is: The more you burn, the more you should consider eating back. Taking a walk? No biggie. Doing some hardcore HIIT? Definitely eat some calories back, especially if you're looking to net 1200 calories. You need to give your organs some of those calories, too! They can't all go to exercise.
  • jharb2
    jharb2 Posts: 208 Member
    1200 calories is already your deficit, so yes you need to net at least that amount. 700 net is unhealthy!!
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Do you HAVE to eat back the calories? I always feel like i've burnt them and i don't want to 'gain them' back, kinda feel like the exercise was pointless. Also i get full after about 700net because i burn about 400 a day walking to work, working etc. I eat 'junk' i just eat smaller portions of it..
    just wondering if what i'm doing is really wrong
    Thanks x

    Walking to work, working, etc is part of daily life to start with so those don't really count as calories burned from "exercise" but you should be eating at least 1200 calories a day.
    I have seen nothing in how MFP calculates calories that indicates the mode of transportation to and from work has anything to do with your calorie allotment. It asks you what you do for work to get an idea of how active you are while there; it asks no question about whether you're driving, riding a bike, or using a pogo stick to get there and back unless they've recently added more steps during registration.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Your body actually needs energy(calories) to run (heart beating, creating new blood cells, digestion, thinking ect.). When you net too few calories (under your BMR) your brain cannot use fat stores in your body for fuel, and WILL start to burn muscle so it can continue to run.

    Will you still lose weight according to the scale? Yes.

    Will it be mostly fat lost? Nope.

    If all you care about is the number on the scale, go for it, but later when you have no muscle and move to maintain your goal weight, you will be back here extremely confused about why you're gaining weight back eating a "normal" amount of food and look saggy.

    BTW your heart is one of those muscles you can do damage to while under feeding, and it's permanent .
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Do you HAVE to eat back the calories? I always feel like i've burnt them and i don't want to 'gain them' back, kinda feel like the exercise was pointless. Also i get full after about 700net because i burn about 400 a day walking to work, working etc. I eat 'junk' i just eat smaller portions of it..
    just wondering if what i'm doing is really wrong
    Thanks x

    Walking to work, working, etc is part of daily life to start with so those don't really count as calories burned from "exercise" but you should be eating at least 1200 calories a day.
    I have seen nothing in how MFP calculates calories that indicates the mode of transportation to and from work has anything to do with your calorie allotment. It asks you what you do for work to get an idea of how active you are while there; it asks no question about whether you're driving, riding a bike, or using a pogo stick to get there and back unless they've recently added more steps during registration.

    No, but they do ask if you are active or not. Now, a job might be sitting at a desk pushing a mouse, so you'd say that person has a sedentary job. But if they run 6 miles uphill both ways, in 3' of snow, while it is 127 degrees out, battling zombies, trolls, and random gangbangers, only to find out that the elevator is still broke meaning they have to climb 23 flights of stairs, just to get to work each day...you might want to take into account the energy used to get to and from work.

    I figure anything under 10,000 steps a day (walking, jogging, pogoing, dancing, prancing, skipping) is normal daily life, just count what goes over that.

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