should I eat my exercise calories?

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whynotnana
whynotnana Posts: 26 Member
in Getting Started
I am doing 1200 calories a day, but am not sure whether to eat the calories burned in exercise--any suggestions?

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  • Penie66
    Penie66 Posts: 7
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    You can if you are hungry. I don't if I am not hungry. Play it by how you feel. The less calories, the more loss, BUT don't allow yourself to be hungry! If you choose to eat, make it healthy choices . . . veggies and fruit :) Good Luck!!!
  • EvilDave14
    EvilDave14 Posts: 111 Member
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    You probably should. 1200 calories per day is very low.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,172 Member
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    That is the way this website is intended to be used. Your Food Diary prompts you to eat more on exercise days. Just don't eat a LOT more. For regular moderate exercise, figure 200 calories extra for a 45 minute workout for a middle aged woman.

    1200 calories is really really low, and not many people can sustain a plan that only allows 1200 calories. It's just very difficult to fill your nutritional needs and maintain energy and adherence on such low calories.

    Here: this will help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
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    If you're hungry, then do it, with your intake that low.

    I am having around 1,440 and not eating my calories back - although I am only burning at the most 270 calories a day.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    If you're doing 1200 calories than definitely eat them back since that's already so very low to begin with.
  • betreich
    betreich Posts: 51 Member
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    Yes! At least a big proportion of them. I am also on 1200 cals for a 0.5kg weight loss a week. MFP intends that exercise cals will be eaten, otherwise weight loss will be larger than you intend, Good thing? Probably not. This needs to be sustainable over time. On 1200 cals, if that was all I ate every day, I would feel like I was on starvation rations and I think I would probably just end up having a binge. Not helpful at all. I have just finished week 2 of MFP, so don't have a lot of experience in how this works yet, but I am finding that being able (and encouraged) to eat exercise cals back a great motivation to exercise regularly. I simply don't want to be restricted to 1200 cals. So, it is up to me if I want to be able to eat more and still loose weight - how good is that. All the best in your efforts.

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