Should I be eating back the calories I've worked off?

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  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member

    And I can totally agree to this however the girl is eating 1600 cals a day and working off 700 cals.

    I think what some are suggesting (with varying levels of tact), and I would suggest too, is that something is amiss. If she were eating 1,600 calories and exercising 700 of them away, there's no way she could put on weight. "Starvation mode" wouldn't account for adding lbs. It might explain slowing loss, but not a gain. So, she's looking for some advice. I would offer some anecdotes to consider.

    This stuff is simple, but not easy. It only works with accurate measurement, and that can be challenging. For instance, I learned a LOT when I got my food scale. Wow. Was I ever off on my estimates. Sometimes in a "good way" but more often than not, it meant I was eating more than I realized. Sometimes quite a bit. And I'm dubious about some of the calorie estimates I get for my work outs. That's why I typically don't eat above my normal goal even if I work out a bit.

    The only time I really know I worked off some real calories is when I do a long run. Like 8 or 10 miles. But that's like an hour and a half of hard work. You can burn a load of calories like that, and I do get hungry on those days. I'm a long way from an expert, but I just don't know if you can burn calories like that with a half hour workout. And like I said before, MFP already accounts for *some* level of activity, so you can't eat back every step you take. I wear an Up band and it tells me I have earned hundreds of calories for walking 10,000 steps. I just don't think so. Maybe something, but I'm going to pretty much stick to my normal goal unless I feel hungry. And I know you can't go into starvation mode without feeling hungry. If it seems like a chore to get the calories MFP is telling you to eat, something isn't right. And it's probably something to do with accurately recording input or output.

    So those are my suggestions. Try to stick to the MFP calorie goal and probably don't think too much about extra calories from working out unless you really feel hungry. And pay really close attention to your food. If you don't have a scale, I'd recommend you get one and be really careful about recording every bite you put in your mouth. You might be surprised to find some errors that add up to quite a few calories. I was.

    Good luck with it!
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
    Exercise calories

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    Logging accuracy

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1072049-thoughts-on-tdee-calculators-and-switching-from-mfp-

    The Starvation Mode Myth and Reality

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

    Damn there's a lot of good stuff there! Thanks for posting this. That'll keep me busy for a while.

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