Exercise more, eat more..???

AnnaSpannaC
AnnaSpannaC Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I'm new to all this and wonder if someone could please advise me?

My daily calorie goal is 1300..

Now, usually I exercise on bike for 30 minutes which burns approx 240 cals. I usually do this twice a day, every day. So when I log this on MFP it tells me that I have "earned an extra 480 cals from exercise".

Does this mean that I am supposed to eat extra?

I have a couple of different friends who are giving me conflicting advice. :huh:

Friend 'A' says that I am supposed to eat my daily calorie amount (1300) PLUS the amount that I burn through exercise otherwise I will not lose any weight..

Friend 'B' says that I should only eat my daily calorie amount (1300) and that anything that I burn through exercise should not be eaten because I will NOT lose.

Friend 'B' also says that if I eat my daily calorie goal (1300) and don't exercise at all on that day then this is fine too.

Any pointers or advice would be great and hugely appreciated :smile:

Thanks
x
«1

Replies

  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Now, usually I exercise on bike for 30 minutes which burns approx 240 cals. I usually do this twice a day, every day. So when I log this on MFP it tells me that I have "earned an extra 480 cals from exercise".

    Does this mean that I am supposed to eat extra?
    yes.
  • AnnaSpannaC
    AnnaSpannaC Posts: 6 Member
    Now, usually I exercise on bike for 30 minutes which burns approx 240 cals. I usually do this twice a day, every day. So when I log this on MFP it tells me that I have "earned an extra 480 cals from exercise".

    Does this mean that I am supposed to eat extra?
    yes.
    How much? The whole amount that I burned or just 'up' to that amount..??
    Thanks
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    Friend A is right, friend be is wrong. MFP sets up your deficit assuming you will NOT exercise. When you add in exercise it make your deficit to big, so you eat more food to fuel you body. However, depending on how you calculate you calories burned makes a difference on how many you eat back. MFP tends to over estimate calories burned, so eat back 50%-75%. If you use a HRM monitor, you can probably get by with eating 75%+ back.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Now, usually I exercise on bike for 30 minutes which burns approx 240 cals. I usually do this twice a day, every day. So when I log this on MFP it tells me that I have "earned an extra 480 cals from exercise".

    Does this mean that I am supposed to eat extra?
    yes.
    How much? The whole amount that I burned or just 'up' to that amount..??
    Thanks

    it's a goal. when you burn that much, MFP is still taking into account that you're going to be at a calorie deficit. Eat at least a portion of it back.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Friend A is right, friend be is wrong. MFP sets up your deficit assuming you will NOT exercise. When you add in exercise it make your deficit to big, so you eat more food to fuel you body. However, depending on how you calculate you calories burned makes a difference on how many you eat back. MFP tends to over estimate calories burned, so eat back 50%-75%. If you use a HRM monitor, you can probably get by with eating 75%+ back.

    ^^THIS.
  • AnnaSpannaC
    AnnaSpannaC Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you everyone! I'm very grateful - and need to speak to my other friend who is in the wrong!

    Thanks guys.
    xxx
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Your activity level is not supposed to account for deliberate exercise with MFP...just your day to day stuff...wouldn't it be logical that you would have to account for exercise somewhere in the equation? Here's how the very basic math looks.

    Without exercise I can maintain on 2350 calories...so to lose 1 Lb per week MFP would knock off 500 calories from there and give me a non-exercise calorie goal of 1,850 calories (2,350 - 500 = 1,850).

    Now I decide that exercise is really good for me, but that activity is not accounted for in the equation above and I don't really like the idea of under-nourishing my body...so I log that EXTRA activity that is not already included in my activity level...let's say that it's 400 calories...so now my MFP calorie goal goes from 1,850 to 2,250 ( 1,850 + 400 = 2,250) but I still have that 500 calorie deficit because my non-exercise maintenance number has also increased by those same 400 calories...so, 2,350 + 400 = 2,750 calories and 2,750 - 2,250 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    You'll want to make sure you're estimating your burns as accurately as possible...don't just take some number in a database as gospel...they are generally overstated. Do some kind of reasonableness test...I always used my HRM for a cardio workout and deducted about 20% of what my HRM told me I burned...then I'd compare that to my perceived level of effort with 10 calories per minute basically being my max as it is difficult to burn more than that over a sustained period of time. Basically a good 10 calorie per minute burn would be an exercise for which I could not really hold a conversation while I was working out...a 5 calorie per minute burn would basically be moderate to slow paced walk and then everything in between.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Thank you everyone! I'm very grateful - and need to speak to my other friend who is in the wrong!

    Thanks guys.
    xxx

    Be prepared, the friend in the wrong may not accept the correction.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Yes, eat your exercise calories, if you know that the 240 estimate is reasonably accurate. Food is fuel. MFP has set a deficit for you without exercise, so that some of your fuel will come from stored fat. But when you exercise, you need more fuel, and you don't want to draw down fat stores too quickly.

    For more detail, see this post from the Eat, Train, Progress forum:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    I rarely eat back the full amount. I think of it more like, using MFP's calculations I will lose 1 lb per week minimum. If I can lose more, great. If not, no big deal. I don't believe in strictly keeping it close to 0 every day. The amount you chose to lose was arbitrary anyway. If I had chosen 1.5 lb or 2 lb instead of 1lb, I would be eating less anyway.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I rarely eat back the full amount. I think of it more like, using MFP's calculations I will lose 1 lb per week minimum. If I can lose more, great. If not, no big deal. I don't believe in strictly keeping it close to 0 every day. The amount you chose to lose was arbitrary anyway. If I had chosen 1.5 lb or 2 lb instead of 1lb, I would be eating less anyway.

    It's not as arbitrary for people who have less weight to lose, a bigger calorie deficit isn't recommended for them. A person who is closer to goal weight who chooses 2 pounds a week can be at an already too large calorie deficit, so then not eating more for exercise can be harmful.
  • scottYBRIDGEWATER
    scottYBRIDGEWATER Posts: 206
    Many of the "estimates" of online calculators tend to overestimate exercise and over estimate RMR/BMR/TDEE. IMHO I would be conservative and use as many measurable numbers as possible. I had my RMR tested, I have a HRM to track cardio burns, I weigh and measure all foods and keep a similar diet from week to week to see the impact. I do not eat back calories, I do not give myself a daily activity factor, or give myself caloric credits for weight training. My formula is simple and I spreadsheet it to set weight loss goals for the week.

    (Tested RMR + measurable cardio burns - Calories consumed= deficit)

    I then compare my weekly deficit to the 3500 calories deficit= 1 lb. loss. I am usually losing more than the "chart". Not surprising, because I have eliminated the estimates. I also focus on creating deficits and not eating.
  • FreshKrisKreash
    FreshKrisKreash Posts: 444 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of fat per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I rarely eat back the full amount. I think of it more like, using MFP's calculations I will lose 1 lb per week minimum. If I can lose more, great. If not, no big deal. I don't believe in strictly keeping it close to 0 every day. The amount you chose to lose was arbitrary anyway. If I had chosen 1.5 lb or 2 lb instead of 1lb, I would be eating less anyway.

    This largely depends on your fat stores. I'm at a healthy BF% but could stand to knock off a couple more cosmetic points...but too large a deficit would only cause me to burn up a lot of muscle mass. Not to mention that some of my exercise can be pretty intense and really breaks my body down...to rebuild my body requires proper fueling and energy...If I were to just eat my 2500 calories or so to lose 1/2 Lb per week and then go on a good 30 mile ride, that would net me around 1300 calories and would not be nearly enough to aid in recovery of said ride. On such days I make sure that I am eating around 3500 calories or so.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....
  • AutumnFrostfall
    AutumnFrostfall Posts: 25 Member
    I rarely eat back the full amount. I think of it more like, using MFP's calculations I will lose 1 lb per week minimum. If I can lose more, great. If not, no big deal. I don't believe in strictly keeping it close to 0 every day. The amount you chose to lose was arbitrary anyway. If I had chosen 1.5 lb or 2 lb instead of 1lb, I would be eating less anyway.

    Thank you, I was recently asked this & I had to sit down & think about it.
  • mcspiffy88
    mcspiffy88 Posts: 90 Member
    if you go below 1200 with exercise you NEED to eat them back, unless you want to loose hair nails bones muscle tissue and some actual fat on the side.
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  • FreshKrisKreash
    FreshKrisKreash Posts: 444 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....

    Nope, you broke it. The body can lose up to 2 pounds a week of fat without losing muscle. It's like nobody on this site actually wants to lose weight.
  • missjmariam
    missjmariam Posts: 47 Member
    Hi. I need some help. I tried to open up my own post but I must be blind because I can't find the "new post" tab.

    Anyways, I am 5'6' 144 lbs 24 yr old female who is currently unhappy with physical appearance of body and I want to get down to 120 lbs.

    I am currently eating 1200 calories and working out 6 days a week burning 400 calories per exercise (i do treadmill -walk very briskly/jog/run). I also eat back 3/4 to all of my calories that I burn during exercise.

    Can someone tell me how long it will take me to get to my goal? Or if I am on the right track? I still eat one cheat food a day like a twinkie or a cookie? or a cup of coffee with 1 sugar 1 cream in it. I drink like 10-12 glasses of water daily as well.
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....

    Nope, you broke it. The body can lose up to 2 pounds a week of fat without losing muscle. It's like nobody on this site actually wants to lose weight.

    Funny. I'm losing weight just fine eating back most (not all) of my exercise calories. Might I lose faster if I didn't? No, because before I'd start eating anything that didn't try to get away from me, possibly including furniture.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    I don't eat my exercise calories back unless I'm hungry. Hasn't hindered my weight loss one bit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....

    Nope, you broke it. The body can lose up to 2 pounds a week of fat without losing muscle. It's like nobody on this site actually wants to lose weight.

    depends on your fat stores...by the by I've been very successful at losing weight..If I were to lose at a rate of 2 Lbs per week right now, it would largely be muscle...I don't have the fat stores...you comment was a very blanket one...the leaner you are, the slower you have to go...if you don't have the fat stores, what exactly do you think your body burns for energy?

    I'm doing just fine, as it would appear you are...but you obviously don't have a clue as to what happens when you lean out...good luck with all that. Personally, I'm partial to maximizing fat loss and preserving lean mass...I really don't care about the Lbs on the scale...I care about losing fat and retaining my muscle mass.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    if you go below 1200 with exercise you NEED to eat them back, unless you want to loose hair nails bones muscle tissue and some actual fat on the side.


    Not exactly true for everyone. For some yes for some no. Depends on the person.
  • kayveebee7
    kayveebee7 Posts: 127 Member
    When I started my cal intake set by MFP was 1440, I was STARVING! I would eat about half of my exercise cals and noticed my weightloss was really slow. I have a lot to lose, so I didn't expect such an early plateau. I upped my cal intake to 1700 per day and I do not log my exercise at all (well I do, but I only enter 1 cal per exercise.) When I workout I burn about 500-600 cals per day, I workout 5 times a week. My weight is coming off at a consistent rate now, anywhere from 1lb to 2.5lbs per week, within the last three weeks. When I was eating 1440 and eating only half of my exercise cals on the day I worked out, I didn't lose a thing! I eat 1700 everyday, even on the days I don't workout, but considering I stick to my 5 times a week routine.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    Hi. I need some help. I tried to open up my own post but I must be blind because I can't find the "new post" tab.

    Anyways, I am 5'6' 144 lbs 24 yr old female who is currently unhappy with physical appearance of body and I want to get down to 120 lbs.

    I am currently eating 1200 calories and working out 6 days a week burning 400 calories per exercise (i do treadmill -walk very briskly/jog/run). I also eat back 3/4 to all of my calories that I burn during exercise.

    Can someone tell me how long it will take me to get to my goal? Or if I am on the right track? I still eat one cheat food a day like a twinkie or a cookie? or a cup of coffee with 1 sugar 1 cream in it. I drink like 10-12 glasses of water daily as well.

    Your TDEE before exercise is probably somewhere around 1600-1800 so that means if you just eat 1200 calories a day and did no exercise, you'd be losing somewhere around 1lb per week. This is assuming you have a desk job. By exercising 400 calories and eating back 300, it will be more like 1.2 lbs.

    HOWEVER, your number of 400 calories might be off. How are you calculating that? How long are you walking/jogging and what pace?
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  • scottYBRIDGEWATER
    scottYBRIDGEWATER Posts: 206
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....

    Nope, you broke it. The body can lose up to 2 pounds a week of fat without losing muscle. It's like nobody on this site actually wants to lose weight.

    Holy Moly! There is actually someone else who thinks this way!!! You made my day.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    Thank you everyone! I'm very grateful - and need to speak to my other friend who is in the wrong!

    Thanks guys.
    xxx

    This friend may not be wrong. There is more than one method to losing weight. Friend B might be going with TDEE minus a % for weight loss. In which case they are correct in saying you don't eat those calories back.

    Find what works for you and stick to it. If your friends offer advice use what you can and ignore the rest.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Everyone says you're supposed to eat them back but if you don't, then you'll lose almost an extra pound of muscle per week. I usually don't eat them back unless I'm hungry. If you do eat them back, you'll still lose but way less.

    Fixed it for ya....

    Nope, you broke it. The body can lose up to 2 pounds a week of fat without losing muscle. It's like nobody on this site actually wants to lose weight.

    Lulz.....

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