Exercise Calories

damejennifer

Hey guys!

Im new here and just beginning my weight loss journey. I logged in my exercise. Do it gave me a extra 400 calories for the day. Do I need to eat those calories up?

patsyleb

I am new too and was wondering the same thing. If you don't eat the exercise calories, does it put your body into starvation mode so you won't lose as quickly. Hope someone answers soon.

sexylonglegs

yes, eat those calories.

there is no such thing as starvation mode...imo (in my opinion).

pilotgirl2007

You should eat those calories (or at least most of them) because my fitness pal already calculates a deficit for you in your daily calories so when you workout you are creating a larger deficit and end up not getting enough calories to support weight loss. So make sure your "net" calories is at your daily goal.

meggonkgonk

Yes. You should eat at least enough so the NET calories on your homepage is "1200"

here is the link that explains it:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

Also you should check out this thread if you havent

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

slaos07

I posed this question when I first started as well and got some great responses. Here's my thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153148-starvation-mode

Good luck!

NikkiJ17

Yes, eat the exercise calories. If you're using a heart rate monitor and are pretty certain of the calories you burn you should eat 90% of your exercise calories. If your like me and you're just relying on MFP or the exercise machine to tell you how many you burned you should eat 50-75%. Hope this helps.

6Alsmom

Yes, eat them. I try to eat mine early in the day so I'm not left with a bunch of calories in the evening. I look forward to my exercise calories every day!!

Tiffj

You do not need to eat those extra calories that you have burned. As long as you are eating at least 1200 calories a day your body will not go into starvation mode. I think of my workouts as added weight loss bonus. If I am going out then I use them as my buffer but about 95% of the time I do not. I have found that the weight comes off faster when I still only eat my 1200 cal and add a work out.
Hope that helps! I have lost 70lbs so far and LOVE this website!
Tiffj

damejennifer

Thanks guys! My net calories is 1600 which i manage to eat everyday. I dont think I could manage to eat another 400. Is this bad? Do i need to force myself to eat them up?

hpsnickers1

There is such a thing as starvation mode. It has been hard wired into the human body by evolution. Also known as the Famine Response. This is a scientific fact - not something dreamed up by one person trying to sell the perfect diet.

When we go without enough nutrition for too long our bodies will stop burning fat and carbs and hold onto it. Your body will start "eating itself" by pulling protein from your muscles and you will lose muscle mass.

A few weeks back I watched a show called 'The Human Body: Pushing to the Limit" (not exactly sure on the title). There was a story about a man who fell down a cave and was down there for 3 weeks. I believe he lost about 50 pounds and it was mostly lean muscle mass!

hpsnickers1

Thanks guys! My net calories is 1600 which i manage to eat everyday. I dont think I could manage to eat another 400. Is this bad? Do i need to force myself to eat them up?

1200 is the general number for Starvation Mode (for some it's higher and for others it might be a little lower). If you stay under that for too long your body will gear up for famine and start storing. 1600 is good. You don't have to eat those 400. I always try to eat some of what I burn, though. But I'm at 1250