Not eating back exercise calories

HM2206

I'm trying a new route this time. Previously I have tried eating 1200 calories a day to get rid of my vanity pounds, but it is just so hard - even if I eat extremely healthy (lots of vegetables, healthy fats, protein), I go hungry to bed.

So many people say that I should eat more and just accept that the last pounds take longer to take off.

I upped it to 1400 which works better. I have started to go the gym again, not just to lose but because I haven't been very active the past months and need to take care of my body.
I am petrified of eating back my exercise calories. A few months back I walked to work every day (1 hr very fast walking) and ate it back - I ended up losing nothing.
Now I go to spin class for 45 minutes, went yesterday and today. Got an estimate for how much I burned, 400 yesterday and 370 today. I am really not sure whether this is correct so I have decided not to eat them back. But at the end of the day I'm obviously very hungry.

What do you do with your exercise calories? Do you eat back just a little to be safe, or do you eat back all but still end up at a comfortable deficit?

Luuv2teech

1400 calories a day really isn't that many. As a fellow spinner I generally burn 400-500 in an hour work out. I find I am more hungry in the afternoon and evenings when I burn this many calories. If you do not eat some of them back, then you are basically only consuming 900-1000 calories a day and that is starvation. I would maybe split it in half, add 200 calories and see if it make a difference. You might be pleasantly suprised
good luck!

HM2206

1400 calories a day really isn't that many. As a fellow spinner I generally burn 400-500 in an hour work out. I find I am more hungry in the afternoon and evenings when I burn this many calories. If you do not eat some of them back, then you are basically only consuming 900-1000 calories a day and that is starvation. I would maybe split it in half, add 200 calories and see if it make a difference. You might be pleasantly suprised
good luck!

Hm yes maybe I can eat back 100 or 200. I usually go around 6pm so I eat most of my meals before that, and make sure I have enough energy.

I don't know how accurate calorie estimates are though? I'm 146 lbs so maybe I don't burn that much.

dopeysmelly

What do you do with your exercise calories? Do you eat back just a little to be safe, or do you eat back all but still end up at a comfortable deficit?

I don't normally eat them back, although if I find I'm hungry I generally have a small snack before dinner and see how I feel.

I plan on eating a portion of them back when I reach my weight loss milestone, but I don't know yet what portion.

Trial and error over a few months will tell you what's right for you IMO.

cw106

as you are finding, eating back is pretty normal.
i resisted in the 1st month or so and lost heavily (3lb+ per week)
now i avg 1000 cals of exercise daily and need to eat back 30-40%.
as you lose weight,net calories becomes an important indicator imo.
listen to your body is the best advice i can give.
gl

lizzybathory

I eat back all my exercise calories. You've already planned your deficit; stick to it. Don't look at exercise as a way to increase your deficit, because you can still only lose so much at a time before your body fights back. Look at exercise as a way to earn some more calories, not be so hungry all the time, and increase your fitness.

Example: If I burn 1800 calories a day, and I decide to lose a pound a week, that's a 500 calorie deficit a day. I'll plan to eat 1300 calories. If I also work out that day, and burn 500 calories working out, then I'll eat 1800 calories, and still be at a deficit of 500, on track to lose a pound a week.

Not eating back your exercise calories, when you're already eating at a deficit, is a recipe for staying hungry all the time and getting really tired.

veloman21

^ This

HM2206

How often do you guys go to the gym?

cw106

How often do you guys go to the gym?

i aim for 100 minutes per day +.

if you click on blue user name> view diary>exercise diary. you can see those that are open to the public,as mine is.

MindyG150

I do not eat back my exercise calories but I do allow myself the wiggle room it provides.

_Zardoz_

I'm trying a new route this time. Previously I have tried eating 1200 calories a day to get rid of my vanity pounds, but it is just so hard - even if I eat extremely healthy (lots of vegetables, healthy fats, protein), I go hungry to bed.

So many people say that I should eat more and just accept that the last pounds take longer to take off.

I upped it to 1400 which works better. I have started to go the gym again, not just to lose but because I haven't been very active the past months and need to take care of my body.
I am petrified of eating back my exercise calories. A few months back I walked to work every day (1 hr very fast walking) and ate it back - I ended up losing nothing.
Now I go to spin class for 45 minutes, went yesterday and today. Got an estimate for how much I burned, 400 yesterday and 370 today. I am really not sure whether this is correct so I have decided not to eat them back. But at the end of the day I'm obviously very hungry.

What do you do with your exercise calories? Do you eat back just a little to be safe, or do you eat back all but still end up at a comfortable deficit?

Looking at your diary you're probably eating far more than you think. you have some questionable entries half a small advocado? How much does that weigh considering how calorie dense one is that could be a lot of calories in error. You have many other entries who's accuracy I would question. Tighten up your logging find out how much you're really eating then you have a baseline to set sensible goals. The link below will help with your logging

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

OnTheGround

Oh, you're eating so little!

I really really sympathize. I was very overweight and lost MOST of my weight being around 1200 and doing LOADS of cardio like you. Then I plateaued and REALLY struggled. I got a LOT of advice to up my calories and I DID NOT want to hear it. I totally get how hard it is to mentally go there. I really really feel for you.

I have to say, in the end, I ended up GAINING on keeping my calories low and staying on heavy cardio. Only in the past few months have I noticed a change and it's because 1)I upped my calories and 2) I started focusing more on weights. I pretty much strictly do weights now and just do cardio as a warm up. This allows me to maintain. And I eat back almost all my calories and I eat about 2000k a day, give or take, and I'm maintaining at the moment.

Honestly, I do want to lose a bit more fat, but it feels REALLY nice to be able to be a little more lose with my diet now.

So........I would try a bump up on calories if you can. And, I'm sure you've heard this hear before, but I would try out some weight exercises (I use the BodySpace App and I love it).

Good luck.

DevilsFan1

Your carb intake is really low for someone who is exercising. Carbohydrates are necessary for fuel. Is there some reason why you've set them so low? I would reevaluate what you're trying to accomplish.

Isakizza

When I first started losing I was eating between 1800-2000 cals a day, was eating back 50%-75% of my workout calories.
Now I have my calories set at 1600, which I eat everyday regardless of what I burn in my workouts.

DevilsFan1

To elaborate a bit further, I agree you need to pay more attention to your logging. Use a scale for everything. Absolutely no estimating. Next, decide how fast you want to lose weight. Make a plan and stick to it. I recommend one pound a week as this translates to a 500 calorie per day deficit. This is totally manageable if you cut out junk and fast food. Also, log your exercise using a heart rate monitor so you have a good estimate for how many calories you are burning. Eat these calories back as you are already eating at a deficit. Finally, I would strongly recommend you change your macros to something closer to 40-30-30. You're not fueling your body properly to exercise right now. What you're doing is unsustainable, IMO.

HM2206

I'm trying a new route this time. Previously I have tried eating 1200 calories a day to get rid of my vanity pounds, but it is just so hard - even if I eat extremely healthy (lots of vegetables, healthy fats, protein), I go hungry to bed.

So many people say that I should eat more and just accept that the last pounds take longer to take off.

I upped it to 1400 which works better. I have started to go the gym again, not just to lose but because I haven't been very active the past months and need to take care of my body.
I am petrified of eating back my exercise calories. A few months back I walked to work every day (1 hr very fast walking) and ate it back - I ended up losing nothing.
Now I go to spin class for 45 minutes, went yesterday and today. Got an estimate for how much I burned, 400 yesterday and 370 today. I am really not sure whether this is correct so I have decided not to eat them back. But at the end of the day I'm obviously very hungry.

What do you do with your exercise calories? Do you eat back just a little to be safe, or do you eat back all but still end up at a comfortable deficit?

Looking at your diary you're probably eating far more than you think. you have some questionable entries half a small advocado? How much does that weigh considering how calorie dense one is that could be a lot of calories in error. You have many other entries who's accuracy I would question. Tighten up your logging find out how much you're really eating then you have a baseline to set sensible goals. The link below will help with your logging

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

My food scale broke (the second one I bought in a short period of time!) so for some time I've been forced to estimate in other ways. But I will get a new one and start measuring again.

I am a bit hungry when I go to bed every day so I suppose I have a slight deficit anyway though.

HM2206

To elaborate a bit further, I agree you need to pay more attention to your logging. Use a scale for everything. Absolutely no estimating. Next, decide how fast you want to lose weight. Make a plan and stick to it. I recommend one pound a week as this translates to a 500 calorie per day deficit. This is totally manageable if you cut out junk and fast food. Also, log your exercise using a heart rate monitor so you have a good estimate for how many calories you are burning. Eat these calories back as you are already eating at a deficit. Finally, I would strongly recommend you change your macros to something closer to 40-30-30. You're not fueling your body properly to exercise right now. What you're doing is unsustainable, IMO.

Thanks for the advice.

I have never actually eaten fast food or junk food, I grew up on very healthy food and cook most of my meals myself. Don't really have a sweet tooth either. When I consume too many calories, it's because I simply eat too much. Like when I am back with my parents and have some of mum's home made food that I don't usually allow myself, I ate until my tummy hurt.
I usually don't do that, but have done on some occasions, resulting in being a bit over my usual weight.

I am not overweight per se, I just have some vanity pounds to get rid of, and what people have written here is that I simply have to accept that those last ones take longer. I'm just an impatient person Plus summer is almost over, I might have a vacation coming up and would love to feel good in a swimsuit...

MKEgal

Previously I have tried eating 1200 calories a day to get rid of my vanity pounds, but it is just so hard - even if I eat extremely healthy (lots of vegetables, healthy fats, protein), I go hungry to bed.

A little hunger is normal. Constant struggling is not.
There are 2 easy ways to estimate how many calories you should eat.
1 - multiply your healthy goal weight by 10. (Use a BMI chart / calculator to find a healthy goal weight.)
2 - multiply your current weight by 10, then subtract 500 cal to lose 1 lb per week. (If you just have a little bit to lose, under 20 lb, subtract 250 to lose 0.5 lb per week.)
Either way, don't go under 1200 unless you're very short, or monitored by a doctor.

What do you do with your exercise calories? Do you eat back just a little to be safe, or do you eat back all but still end up at a comfortable deficit?

My doctor & dietician told me to ignore exercise calories.
If I'm really hungry at the end of the day I'll eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of the lower estimate of what I've burned (usually the elliptical is about 2/3 the calories of what MFP says).
I'm 5'9"-ish, currently 225, aiming for 165, and usually eat 1600-1650 cal per day.

How often do you guys go to the gym?

Pretty much every day. I usually take Friday off, but not always.
At least 30 min on the elliptical (half at 4mph, half at 6-8mph), and I do weightlifting every other day.

MKEgal

If you just want to shape up & look better, up your weightlifting routine.
More reps, heavier weights, do it every other day.

See the last half of my blog post about exercise basics:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-exercise-667080

No matter which you're doing, you need to know the maximum amount you can lift, called the one-repetition maximum or 1RM.

For building muscle, you want to do 1 or 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions of a weight that's 70-85% of your 1RM.
For building endurance, do 1 or 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions of a weight that's 50-65% of your 1RM.

Either way, start low on both weight & reps and work up.
You should just be able to do the last 2-3 reps.
When it gets easy to do the maximum # of reps, add 5 pounds and go back to the minimum # of reps.

(From the American College of Sports Medicine's book "Resources for the Personal Trainer, 4th edition".)

Remember to work both sides of a joint (or the body) - if you're doing bicep curls, also do tricep extensions or dips. If you're doing quadricep extensions, also do hamstring curls. If you're doing abdominal curls, also do lower back extensions.