Newbie Question about exercise calories

rylinn212
rylinn212 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it normal to gain weight right when you start this process???

I wonder if I should be eating the extra calories it gives me when I enter exercise in to the tool. I start out with 1,260 cals/day and when I enter exercise cals burned, ex. 200 - it adds these back into my calories available = 1,460 cals/day meaning I'm eating more than originally planned for. In the week that I've being doing this, I've been doing your 30 minute interval walk every day and a simple body weight circuit for 20 minutes, yet I went from 197.0 to 198.8, and my measurements haven't moved (I realize it's only been a week), but I feel like I'm eating too much.

Please HELP!!

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    That is how MFP works - your daily goal of 1260 already has you at a calorie deficit - meaning eat all 1260 calories every day, do zero exercise and you'll lose weight. When you exercise and burn off more cals, you are creating a much larger deficit, which can cause problems over time. This is why the exercise cals are added back in - you are supposed to eat them back, bringing your daily NET cals up to, or very close to your daily goal.

    And yes, it's only been a week - daily weight fluctuations are totally normal, and starting a new exercise routine will often cause water retention due to sore muscles, etc. Give it time. It's a great program, and it works well when used properly. :smile:
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    Starting an exercise plan can cause weight gain, and it's mostly water weight. The body is flooding the muscles with water to help them heal from the exercise they're not used to.

    It's pretty common to overestimate calories burned through exercise. You could try partially eating back exercise calories at first, and see how that works for you. Give it some time, though.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Is it normal to gain weight right when you start this process???

    I wonder if I should be eating the extra calories it gives me when I enter exercise in to the tool. I start out with 1,260 cals/day and when I enter exercise cals burned, ex. 200 - it adds these back into my calories available = 1,460 cals/day meaning I'm eating more than originally planned for. In the week that I've being doing this, I've been doing your 30 minute interval walk every day and a simple body weight circuit for 20 minutes, yet I went from 197.0 to 198.8, and my measurements haven't moved (I realize it's only been a week), but I feel like I'm eating too much.

    Please HELP!!

    Others will post over and over again the same advice, so I won't. Please read both above posts, they include all you need to answer your question.

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