dr said not to eat exercise calories

20carrots

I saw my doc today and she said that if I eat my exercise calories I'll only maintain. She told me to eat 1200 calories even when I exercise to lose weight...your thoughts?

stormieweather

Does she know that MFP calculates a deficit for you?? That it's built in to your calorie goals on this site?

TrainingWithTonya

Doctors don't know squat about nutrition. They aren't required to take but the minimum of nutrition classes (IE: What is a carb? What is a protein? blah, blah, blah). Unless they have a nutrition certification, degree, or minor with their degree, I wouldn't trust them for nutrition evaluation. Same with exercise. Doctors don't take any exercise prescription classes.

deannasw

I typically do not eat ALL my exercise calories (I usually have around 200 left over) and I am still losing the weight. So, not a Dr. opinion, just a person's. And I will say that I have trouble staying at the 1200 anyway. There is just not enough to fill me up during the day. I could easily stay at 1500-1700 and feel comfy. So having the workout calories helps!

20carrots

She basically said if I eat more than 1200 cals, regardless of exercise, I will maintain my current weight.

pniana

I ate my exercise calories and I lost weight. If you are eating a maintenance amount of calories, that is true but if you are eating at a deficit, you should still lose.

robin52077

That's only if you eat your maintenance calories plus exercise.
You are set for a deficit plus exercise.
Not eating them would create a larger deficit which is depriving your body of required nutrition.

Unless you are about 4'10" and weigh under a hundred pounds, then maybe 1200 IS your maintenance, but if you were, you probably wouldn't be here....

stormieweather

What do the BMR calculators tell you you should be eating? We don't know your age, gender, height, activity level or weight. You could be 4'6" and weigh 70 pounds for all I know :laugh: .

RMinVA

I go back and forth on this all the time. Not to mention that you can go to 3 different calorie counters that supposedly calculate the same thing and get 3 different results.

In the winter, I "eat" my exercise calories with no problems. However, that has done absolutely nothing for me for the past few months. So, I'm back to trying to keep it on the low end, regardless of my activity level, and trying to make sure that I make good choices.

I run a lot and usually bike for 25+ miles (triathlete wannabe)...anyway, I read an article earlier this year that you really don't need to eat any differently than you normally do unless you are engaging in an intense cardio session of an hour or more. So if you are into endurance activities like distance biking/running, then you probably do want to eat your calories, but probably only for a day or 2 before that activity. However, if you are not, then I would pass on eating the calories. I'm sure that has been my problem all along this summer...I'm not running as much due to the heat, and my bike is busted, but I I'm still trying to "eat" my exercise calories.

Angiepackmom4

That is so true. I asked a nutrition question once to my doctor and he said something to the fact that he doesn't know much about that area and that he only took a basic nutrition class.

godblessourhome

She basically said if I eat more than 1200 cals, regardless of exercise, I will maintain my current weight.

how tall are you? how old are you? this can be true if you are very petite/short or post-menopausal.

my maintainence is in the 1400s. so if i eat 1200 + my exercise calories, i maintain. that is not true for everyone else, but may be true for you and me.

are you asking for advice because you do not trust your doctor? if so, the place to get a second opinion is another doctor, not a forum of strangers who don't know your medical history.
dawn

mlagena

personally, I would eat them! MFP does figure in something like a 500 calorie deficit and I doubt your doc is taking that into account. I think they do have a setting for "maintain weight" that you could check out and see the diff.
You could try it for a day or two and see how you feel. My goal is 1930 and if I eat, like, under 1500 I usually feel like crap! Excercise or not.

iplayoutside19

When I first started this my Doc said I needed to be eating 1800 Kcal a day. Just because that's what the "chart" said for my height. I tried that for a few weeks and was miserable. Always Hungry, then I fell off the wagon completely with the thought that I refuse to be that hungry and lose weight.

A few months later I found this website. My base depending on my goals is anywhere from 2100-2400. Most of the time I eat most of my excersise calories. If I don't, I get ravonusly hungry. And I refuse to be hungry.

Needless to say I'm happy with the results.

My point is. Doc's don't always know what they're talking about. Had mine not joined the Army I probably would have fired him. You need to do what works for you, some people are successful while not eating they're EC. Others like me HAVE to eat them.
What ever you do, you need to be comfortable or you won't reach your goals. You'll get discouraged and go back to your previous habits that got you here in the first place.

Mindful_Trent

She basically said if I eat more than 1200 cals, regardless of exercise, I will maintain my current weight.

I find this really hard to believe, unless you're a VERY small person. I'm just shy of 5' 4" and I typically burn 1900-2300 calories/day WITHOUT EXERCISE, and I'm pretty sedentary. If I want to lose 2 pounds per week, I have to stay around 1200 calories/day, but when you exericse you burn more calories, and therefore you eat more to fuel the extra work your body is doing.

Easy example: I burn (on average) 2200/day. I eat 1200/day to have a 1000 calorie deficit (2 lbs/week)
If I exercise and burn 500 calories, that puts me at 2700 burned. If I only ate 1200, my deficit would be 1500, which I don't consider particularly healthy in the long run. My body needs more fuel when I'm working hard!

IF you accurately log calories eaten and don't overestimate calories burned, you should be able to eat back exercise calories and still lose weight. Since MFP's exercise calories tend to be a bit high, you could aim for just eating back half to be safe.

FoamyRiver

My MFP daily calorie goal (without exercise) is 1560 which is A LOT LESS than what I was eating before I started this plan. Like other members, I don't always eat all of my exercise calories but I've lost weight.
I haven't been at this very long but as I understand it, as you lose weight your daily caloric intake will also decrease--continuing to building in the deficit for your exercise calories.
At this point in time we are not at a point to start a maintenance plan so we need those extra calories from exercising to lose weight and not feel deprived.

TrainingWithTonya

She basically said if I eat more than 1200 cals, regardless of exercise, I will maintain my current weight.

Like I said, she doesn't know anything about nutrition. I eat well over 2000 calories a day and have lost 6 pounds in the last month. Nutritional needs are based on each individual. I would have to know a lot more about you (height, weight, body fat percentage, activity level, etc.) to be able to give you a closer estimate of your calorie needs. But 1200 calories is usually only correct for someone who is 90 pounds of lean body mass and completely sedentary. I can honestly count on one hand the number of clients I've given that low of a calorie recommendation to in my 14 years in the fitness industry. And my specialty has always been weight loss, specifically for women.

krisakira

I eat my exercise calories with pleasure and have lost 2 pounds in 4 days.

batty5

My doctor said 1000 calories on days without workouts & probably about 1200 on workout days & finally is working for me whereas before I was gaining.

Corrie62

How come when someone says they are not or don't eat their exercise calories a bunch of people say "oh my, you must eat them you won't lose weight unless you do," and when someone says they are going to eat their exercise calories a bunch of people say "why would you do that, I don't eat mine." I posted under "I am going to eat my exercise calories" and that is what I got.

countrymama08

How come when someone says they are not or don't eat their exercise calories a bunch of people say "oh my, you must eat them you won't lose weight unless you do," and when someone says they are going to eat their exercise calories a bunch of people say "why would you do that, I don't eat mine." I posted under "I am going to eat my exercise calories" and that is what I got.

There is a lot of that on every message board. Everyone has their own information/opinions. AS individuals we need to sort through and just make our own decisions.

arewethereyet

She basically said if I eat more than 1200 cals, regardless of exercise, I will maintain my current weight.

hog wash

I am 5'2"., 49 yr old sedentary post menapausal female. 2 years ago I was 170 pounds and I ate 1200 calories and every exercise cal I could get my hands on and I steadily lost 1 pound a week.

As I lost more, it became harder to have a deficit, so I increased my exercise..........but ate back 1/2.

To date I have lost a total of 38 pounds and KEPT IT OFF for over a year.

simple calculations
15 cals per pound to maintain your weight so