Exercise Calories

Healthymom0000

Do you really think you need to eat the calories you burn exercising? I am trying to lose 30 pounds and need a deficit. I ate between 1200 and 1400 calories this week and worked out A LOT....I only lost .4 of a pound. What gives?

foxxybrown

Yes. You already have a deficit with only eating 1200-1400. Your body needs fuel for energy. So if you don't get enough energy to make it through those workouts, it will hold on to everything you eat. If you complete your diary for the day and it tells you that you aren't eating enough, then you need to eat more or exercise less.

Blueeyes1117

Dont feel bad i did four days at the gym this past week and stayed two hours each time along with the gym i did my wii fit and i did pretty ok on calories and i gained!! The body is very mysterious. Good luck!! Maybe this week will be better.

lorinjer

I can't eat all my exercise calories, makes me sick to my stomach. I tried for two days and both days felt sluggish and yucky and woke up the enxt day not even hungry until like noon.

lorinjer

also have not lost any weight but gained a pound during those two days of trying to eat all my calories

dansmith123

I don't eat them. I have my weight loss calories for 1.5lb and then make up another .5lb in exercise.
That said I am going on holiday next week and I will eat the exercise calories then!

ProTFitness

This site already puts you at a food deficit. So if you workout you need to balance the calories back out to what is set up. If not then your NET Goal will be under 1200. We all know that is not good.

RMinVA

Do you really think you need to eat the calories you burn exercising? I am trying to lose 30 pounds and need a deficit. I ate between 1200 and 1400 calories this week and worked out A LOT....I only lost .4 of a pound. What gives?

Are you eating closer to 1200? or 1400? Is the exercise routine new? Stick with it for another week or so. If the scale doesn't move, eat closer to 1400. I asked if the routine was new because you could be retaining some water too.

I see a lot of people driving themselves crazy because the "#'s just don't add up." I'm 5'8" and also want to lose about 30#. My sweet spot for weight loss is 1400-1600 cals. I work out regularly, but I don't worry about the day in day out "exercise" calories. If I stay in that range, the weight comes off. I eat a fairly clean and well balanced diet and I am full @ the end of the day....I'm certainly not going to cram more food down my throat just because I earned it.

CarlaAnn15

I don't eat my calories... I started losing weight in April 2010 and always kept a hand written journal. My sister-in-law told me about this site around the holidays so I started using it instead of writing everything and guessing at calories. To date, I've lost 45 lbs. I try to exercise at least 5 - 6 days a week. And I eat around 1200 calories a day but I never eat my calories. Good Luck to you!!

Carla

Lyadeia

I eat back some but not all of the exercise calories. Since MFP already calculates you at a deficit as noted before, eating the calories back simply returns you to the original deficit which makes sure that you are not starving your body but you will still lose the same amount of weight. I've been losing an average of 1.5 pounds since starting my new program this year and have eating about half of my exercise calories back.

mrscates

Are you losing 1.5lbs a WEEK?

I eat back some but not all of the exercise calories. Since MFP already calculates you at a deficit as noted before, eating the calories back simply returns you to the original deficit which makes sure that you are not starving your body but you will still lose the same amount of weight. I've been losing an average of 1.5 pounds since starting my new program this year and have eating about half of my exercise calories back.

AmandaR910

I don't eat mine. My calorie goal is 1360.
I am just NOT hungry enough to eat my exercise calories and I think it's a bit counterproductive to eat when I'm happily full.

hpsnickers1

I don't always eat all of my exercise calories but I DO try and eat at least 1200 - 1300 calories each day. (MFP has me at 1250). My BMR is at 1500 right now. Sometimes I will even eat that.

Even doctors say don't go under 1200 (higher number for men). If you stay under this number for too long your body will protest - start holding onto fat and carbs and start burning lean muscle mass for energy. This is a fact. Staying under 1200 might work for a little while but it won't last.

Healthymom0000

Thank you for all your replies. I always eat more than 1200 calories per day. I think if I keep up what I am doing the scale will catch up. I hope to post a decent loss for next Monday.