Do I need to eat back the calories I've burned exercising?

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  • AlejaR
    AlejaR Posts: 33
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    I am confuse too because that mean that i have to eat like crazy to consume all those calories.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
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    Thanks for the help everyone. I was just hoping to speed things up, but a pound a week isnt too bad. At least I'll get to indulge a little. Anybody that's looking for more friends, please add me.

    Treating yourself once in a while is recommended, but don't take that to mean that because your eliptical machine said that you burned 500 calories, you should eat 500 calories of chocolate cake. First make sure that the amount of calories you're said to have burned is accurate with a heart monitor. Secondly, replace the calories burned with calorie dense foods that help your body like fruit, nuts & nut butters, whole grains and lean meats & cheeses. This isn't an excuse to fill up on chocolate or white pasta!!
    actually, please feel free to use your exercise calories on chocolate OR white pasta. Or BOTH.

    Calories in minus calories out folks.....

    Glad I am not the only one who sometimes uses her exercise calories to have that extra glass of red wine, or icecream for dessert, teehee
  • dizzykatty
    dizzykatty Posts: 2
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    I feel even more confused reading all the comments haha. i am on medication for my heart, i had a heart attack last year, i see one person said they have a protein shake instead of the food , is it safe for me to do this? i cant seem to eat the 1200 calories a day i'm supposed to!
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
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    I feel even more confused reading all the comments haha. i am on medication for my heart, i had a heart attack last year, i see one person said they have a protein shake instead of the food , is it safe for me to do this? i cant seem to eat the 1200 calories a day i'm supposed to!

    I don't get why people say they find it hard to reach 1200 - if you are trying to lose weight you have gained in the first place. If you ate 1200 calories a day your entire life you wouldn't be overweight to begin with (unless you have some sort of thyroid condition, I am not sure on this).. surely you can figure out a few ways to squeeze in a few extra cals (calorie dense foods are good for this). You should eat 1200 calories a day minimum. If you eat 1200, and burn 600 calories exercising, you should eat those calories back. Your body is always burning calories, usually around 2000 a day for an average person (just by breathing, walking, sleeping, etc).
  • melissalangelage
    melissalangelage Posts: 12
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    I am a chronic over-exerciser and yesterday was a really "good" day in my opinion, but after reading this I think I might have been a bit naughty...

    Goal: 1200
    Ate: 1234
    Exercised: 1243
    Net: -9

    Oooops... :(

    Melissa,....I think your body will forgive you -9 NET. Like body will forgive me +12 NET. Let's add them together and call it even.

    LOL I think you misread me! According to this post I should have been +1200 net, not -9! So I should have eaten an extra 1209 calories!
  • melissalangelage
    melissalangelage Posts: 12
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    ^ I meant to say "according to this FORUM", not post!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    I feel even more confused reading all the comments haha. i am on medication for my heart, i had a heart attack last year, i see one person said they have a protein shake instead of the food , is it safe for me to do this? i cant seem to eat the 1200 calories a day i'm supposed to!

    I am not a doctor, but generally it should be safe. The thing is, protein shakes are not that calorie dense unless you add some almond butter or something like that to it. If you make one that is protein and fruit with some Almond milk you could come up with 300 or less calories depending on how big you make it. Of course if you find drinking easier than eating, just make a bigger portion.
  • seattlern
    seattlern Posts: 19
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    if you had an allowance of 2000 and had a great day at the gym and burnt off 2000 where would you stand on intake?

    does that mean I should eat 4000? if so I would rather just eat my 2000 and not go to the gym, its hard :(

    I always take my allowance before exercise and find this so confusing, I read the above links

    a very confused Stu

    Stu, you've lost 30lbs. Whatever you've been doing...keep doing that. :-)
  • yulinerinwang
    yulinerinwang Posts: 36 Member
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    Uhhhh... According to MFP, I burn over 2000 calories through my daily MMA training. If I eat them all back to reach my daily calorie net goal, I'll be eating over 3500 calories!!
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
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    Uhhhh... According to MFP, I burn over 2000 calories through my daily MMA training. If I eat them all back to reach my daily calorie net goal, I'll be eating over 3500 calories!!

    I wouldn't put too much stock in MFP calculations. They tend to be very different than workout machine and HRM calculations, and an overestimation of calories burned can cause you to overeat. Can you use a HRM while training? I bet that would give you a more accurate picture of what you're burning and from there you can decide what to eat back. Best wishes :)
  • Brittypop
    Brittypop Posts: 67
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    This article explains everything and the answer is yes:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    Do I need to eat back the calories I've burned exercising if my daily calorie intake is 1200? I've read that if I don't have at least 1200 calories per day my body will go into starvation mode, but how does exercise factor in? Please help.
    If you don't eat back your exercise calories you'll just lose weight faster. But since you are only eating 1200 calories to begin with I'd definitely eat some exercise calories back if you're hungry or feeling tired and fatigued. Exercising and eating right should improve your mood and make you feel energized, so if you don't, you need to make some adjustments. Keep in mind that that's just my opinion and what I believe--I could very well be wrong.

    There's lots of conflicting information about starvation mode (especially on this site) but personally I think it's just another dieting myth with little basis in fact based on some of the following things I've read:

    [ ] Are You In The Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth? - The National Health Association corrects some misunderstandings and looks into the origins of the dieters version of starvation mode.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

    [ ] The Starvation Myth - Weight Watcher's take on starvation mode.

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    [ ] Is "starvation mode" 100% myth... just another excuse? - An anecdotal story from a dieters perspective. Read the comments for some other dieters experiences as well.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/nutrition-weight-loss/weight-loss/starvation-mode-100-myth-just-another-excuse
  • SusanMcAvoy
    SusanMcAvoy Posts: 445 Member
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    i really dont understand, if i burn off 1500 calories in a session, your saying i need to eat 1500 extra, so i might aswell not exercise then.............

    VERY GOOD POINT!!! I don't understand the people who say to eat the exercise calories back. I grew up with the knowledge to lose weight you eat less and exercise more. It's not until I've been on this site do I hear anything different. When I do exercise however I do eat some of them back because it gives me a cushion. But if I am strong I don't eat them back. I don't believe in starvation mode unless I have stopped eating for days upon days. Then it would make sense. If I can eat a little below 1200 calories good for me. The trick is to eat healthy. Plus I take vitamins. I've been doing this since last March and haven't gotten sick yet. I'm healthier now than ever. Take care and good luck!!! :flowerforyou:
  • cjshumaker
    cjshumaker Posts: 1
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    I think the thing to keep in mind is adding the exercise to your daily journal and let the program calculate for you. It may not be that you need to eat the full 2000 calories back as it depends on a number of factors like your BMR and keeping a balance so that your body does not think you are limiting too many calories and then go into starvation mode. You also don't want your body to resort to breaking down muscle for energy verse the harder to break down fat store; which is a little longer process. Not eating the extra calories you burn exercising will still allow you to loose weight, it may be at a slower rate as it will knock your metabolic rate out of balance and you are at risk of loosing muscle. Keep in mind that your organs are muscle and therefore complications can occur in the long term.

    Hope that makes sense.
  • KaydeForce
    KaydeForce Posts: 96 Member
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    Guys, please... Do not make these decisions about your body alone. If you dont believe me or what knowldgeable people here say, go to a doctor, explain to him that youre on a reduced 1200 calorie diet and working out and ask him if eating a total of 1200 calories is enough. I guarantee you that every doctor, nutritionist, every expert will tell you that thats bad for you and your body will start breaking up muscles to survive. Because your body needs calories to breath, to walk, to sit, to make the organs work etc. it just needs about 2000 calories for an average woman to SURVIVE. And thats when youre not exercising. Why do you think MFP has a built in calculation of net calories and a warning if youre not eating enough? Its precisely because of that!

    You are so much hurting your bodies if you have them starve. If you dont believe me, please talk to a doctor or a specialist. Talk to several if you want to. But please dont let your bodies starve. You have no idea how much harm youre doing. If youre doing this over a longer period of time, your organs will slowly start to shut down. I know thats an extreme scenario, but i dont want you to hurt yourselves.

    Okay, for people who are seriously overweight, we are talking BMI over 30 here, it does less harm to go below 1200 net calories. But if you keep doing this for a week or even longer, you might keep losing weight, but you are hurting your body and there is no way you can keep this weight off.

    Im just here begging you: if you dont believe me, go see a specialist, ask a doctor, ask a nutritionist. Please dont destroy all your hard work by harming your body.

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