Calories and Exercise

bebemc

I really like using this program but I do have a question. I am following the 1200 calorie program but was wondering why I need to eat the additional calories I earned from exercise. Seems to me I should eat the 1200 and the excess calories burned should not be eaten to loose weight. Is this correct?

louisee294

There are lots of posts about this. I havent started exercising yet, but from reading what everyone else has written I will eat the calories. The exercise speeds up your metabolism, but if you dont replace what youve burned you'll go into "starvation" and not lose anything. (This is what i've read anyway). The 1200 are the minimum you need

So enjoy your extra calories!!

TrainingWithTonya

No, you need to be eating those exercise calories. In order to lose weight, you have to have a deficit from your total daily energy expenditure. TDEE is the total of your basal metabolic rate (the amount your body needs just to keep your organs functioning) + your activity level + your exercise. Because of not knowing how much exercise you are going to do, MFP just adds the BMR and activity calories to determine your estimated energy expenditure and subtracts 500 calories per day per pound a week you set your goal as so that you have a deficit even if you don't workout. When you exercise you increase that deficit, which can be fine for some people, but most people will have problems losing weight if they go too far below the TDEE. Basically, the body needs a certain % of that TDEE in order to not think it is missing anything. If you go too low in calories compared to TDEE, then the body will try to conserve energy for use later during that activity. It will then break down any muscle it doesn't think it needs because muscle burns calories to maintain itself (so it cuts that calorie burn) and store anything it can to use as energy in the deficit period later and the storage form of energy in the body is primarily body fat. While you may see losses on the scale, it's from the loss of muscle (and therefore a slow down of the overall metabolism) and not from a loss of body fat. Eating a little more will keep you from reaching this point and will let your body know that it will have enough fuel for the activity later so it can hang on to the muscle and burn the body fat. Now, how much of a deficit you are suppose to have is a bit controversial. The standard recommendation is 3500 calories per pound of fat you want to lose, but we don't lose it in real life like it is listed on paper. In my nutrition classes, I've been taught to stick to eating at least 80% of the total daily energy expenditure. So, my recommendation is to get the total number of calories you are burning from BMR + activity (what MFP lists as Maintenance calories) and then add in your exercise calories and then multiply that number by 80% to see the minimum you should be eating. Or to make it easier, just eat the recommendation by MFP + your exercise calories.

wannalose25

Tonya, that's the best answer to this question that I've read. Thanks for sharing, it really helped me a lot

bebemc

Thanks for all the helpful information Tonya. It really helped me understand what I need to do!!