Feel like I'm cheating...

JennBunbun

My calorie intake goal is about 1200. I work out almost everyday and record it. I usually burn about 500-600 calories. Im eating about 1500 calories a day but of course with exercise I stay within the limit. I feel that I should be eating 1200 calories to be losing weight....anyones have similar thoughts, comments?

Alisha28

My thought is your doing great. If your working out you get some extra cals. I would say eat some but not all your exercise cals and thats what your doing. Great Job:)


Alisha

Katherine912

I don't eat my work-out calories. Here are the reasons:

1. Workout burns are very general and not specific, unless you are using a body bugg or something of that nature. So, you could potentially be eating too much.
2. Your work-out calories are like extra credit! If you are not hungry or don't really need those extra calories, why eat all of your hard work? You work-out for weight loss, not to eat all of them back.
3. The people on the biggest loser are not eating their burned calories. Kinda silly, but it's serious.

Mindful_Trent

You're doing fine - not cheating at all. I eat back 50-75% of my exercise calories (I'm on a base of 1300/day but have been averaging 1650 or so with exercise calories) and am losing weight just fine.

Think of it like a car - if you drive longer (work harder) you need more fuel to keep the car running!!

ajbeans

Yep, it's generally recommended to eat your exercise cals. The weight loss goals that MFP gives you are without exercising -- you'll lose at that rate even if you sit on the couch. But exercising gets your energy up, gets your blood pumping, and helps you tone the muscles you have so that as you shed the pounds, you'll look toned and fabulous. You can eat those calories, and with a 1200-cal diet, you should eat them so your net doesn't drop below 1200.

It's not cheating, it's a bonus!

Amajoy

I think we were all like that at some point or another... First we read about eating 1200 calorie diet, I started using MFP and record my exercise and they want me eating MORE, how can this be?!?!?!

I did more research and found out about zig zag dieting where you keep your bodies metabolism on its toes by eating more calories on your workout days and less on your off days. So for me, I will eat no less then 1200 cals but no more then say 1500 and I fluxuate that, so being I workout 6 days a week sometimes I will eat 1/2 my workout calories, sometimes I wont, I try to mix it up.

I am just starting out though so my first month is going to be a trial run to see how well it works, in the first 2 weeks I lost 8 lbs and this saturday will be the end of week 3, I figure if I am still losing good, I will stick to what I am doing...

NorbertBenko

Body needs 750calories to survive. That means when you are not doing anything just watching your TV and get up to go to the toilet and then go back to your bed you need 750calories. You burn 5-600 and 1200-550=750cal. so you have to eat in my opinion...

amysj303

Body needs 750calories to survive. That means when you are not doing anything just watching your TV and get up to go to the toilet and then go back to your bed you need 750calories. You burn 5-600 and 1200-550=750cal. so you have to eat in my opinion...

I don't think that is true for everybody, but maybe for you.

JennBunbun

Thanks that helps! I know I need to be compensating for the calories I burn when I workout, I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. I'm in my first week, no weight loss yet feeling a little bummed but I need to be patient. So I don't have to write another topic....does anyone have difficulties with alcohol? I'm 23 and love my beer and going out, and I record it, and its killing my calories. anyone know a low cal drink??

Mindful_Trent

Body needs 750calories to survive. That means when you are not doing anything just watching your TV and get up to go to the toilet and then go back to your bed you need 750calories. You burn 5-600 and 1200-550=750cal. so you have to eat in my opinion...

Although I agree with you final conclusion (we have to eat enough...) I'm not sure where on earth you are getting these numbers from. Everyone's BMR (what they burn just surviving) is different, and everyone burns different amounts doing their normal daily activity based on height/weight/individual metabolism/activity level/etc. You can't throw out numbers like 750 and say that it works for everyone. Most people need way more than 750 net cal/day for best brain/body functioning.

JennBunbun

2. Your work-out calories are like extra credit! If you are not hungry or don't really need those extra calories, why eat all of your hard work? You work-out for weight loss, not to eat all of them back.

When you workout, even if your not hungry, you need to replenish your body. Your body needs those calories for energy and it keeps your metabolism high

bosanka

i can relate to you a 100% ..

I know a lot of ppl recommed that you eat the " workout kcls " - i did that for more than 4 months and had absolutely no results. I was stuck .
After i hired a trainer- she wants me to eat 1200 kcls. I told her, but what with the days where i burn 1000 kcls on my workouts ?
She said.. still you eat 1200. period. I told her- but the girls weighing 140 lbs- and me weighing 250 lbs- get the same 1200 kcls , that's not seeming to be " fair " ..
and she told me - you want results ? this is how you need to get it done. Have you seen the girls on biggest loser ? Yes i have.
Did you see how much they weight ? yes i have. Do you know how much - all the girls on the campus burn and workout on a daily basis ? - about 3-4 hours maybe even more . They burn prob. arround 2-3 thousand of kcls a day. How much do they all get to eat ? 1200 kcls. No matter their size / age height.. they all eat 1200 kcls. Guys don't get more than 1600 kcls- period.

I thought i couldn't " survive " on this.. i'm working on getting to the 1200 mark.. i'm still very often at arround 1400- 1500 daily- but my kcls are extremely " healthy " ( in my view ) so.. i'm working on cutting back figuring out ways how to do it without feeling hungry-
I think it comes down to - not " how much " you eat .. but what quality you eat.. i want the most for my buck, what gives me the best filling/ most benefits - least insulin spikes etc.. Once you find out what food can keep you satisfied longer - than you don't need huge quantities.. while i was eating a ton of carbs - even 2000 kcls were not enough for me.

Don't feel guilty ( i understand that- bc i feel like it every day .. still we are doing really good- keep it up .. pay attention to your body- you don't have to do eveerything that " everyone " suggests.. I respect everyone on this website- and appreciate all the members- but still i think we are here all kind-of in the same boat and still trying to figure our-own-self out- so yes we can give " opinions and experience " but- we shouldn't get offeneded if the opinion is not accepted and followed.

wish you best

amysj303

Thanks that helps! I know I need to be compensating for the calories I burn when I workout, I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. I'm in my first week, no weight loss yet feeling a little bummed but I need to be patient. So I don't have to write another topic....does anyone have difficulties with alcohol? I'm 23 and love my beer and going out, and I record it, and its killing my calories. anyone know a low cal drink??

join us on the thread "like-minded lushes" for support!

Mindful_Trent

One more thing to point out on this topic - someone with 100lbs to lose and someone with only 20 or so (like the OP) is a VERY different scenario. The more you have to lose, the more your body can handle a high calorie deficit. Someone with 100 lbs to lose can be okay not eating back exercise calories... but someone with less to lose needs to eat some/most of those back to keep their deficits at a healthy range. It's just how our bodies work. This is why people need to set realistic goals that are appropriate for how much they have to lose, and change those goals as is appropriate as they lose weight. I plan on switching to a 1 lb loss/week goal here in the next few months as I get closer to a healthy weight (I'm still in the obese range, but just barely...)

A few links that explain this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat

The final paragraph of that 2nd post says it very clearly:
"In a nutshell, Dr. Hall’s research tells us that there are big differences between lean and overweight people in how many calories they can or should cut. If you are obese/significantly overweight, dramatic deficits will still result in a high (and desirable) ratio of fat loss to lean loss. If you are lighter, then you must pay more attention to being sure your calorie consumption doesn't drop too low. Be aware of where you are on this curve, and adjust as you make progress toward your healthy weight and body composition goal."

Someone without much to lose should NOT try to maintain a very high deficit on a regular basis - so this means that for them, eating back exercise calories is important for good health.

bosanka

see - i struggle with the fact that you need to eat your workout kcls- i get that you need " energy and replenish your body "
but it doesn't make sense.. " to me "

the more you burn- the more you will lose. - fact
what if you are " crazy " like me let's say- and decide one day you want to burn 3000 kcls - does that mean i should eat 3000 + my 1200 ? and what if i'm " crazy " en ough to do that 3-4 x a week .. what would i achieve ? other than some hurt joints from all the hard workout.. what benefit would i get out of working so much - and than - eating so much ? I'm trying to " burn of " that extra weight.. not keep it there - that math just doesn't add up .. if you are hungry- eat. but if you are satisfied- with 1200-1400 - why push to eat the hard work you burned ?

i know people will disagree with me - but again- this is my opinion- eating workout kcls- didn't work for me at all - now i get a lot of " criticism " - for not eating the 1000 kcls i burn on an avarage .. -

how come - mfp - is recommending this- while all the trainers i have talked to - completely disagree with this theory..
i'm just trying to understand this

Mindful_Trent

see - i struggle with the fact that you need to eat your workout kcls- i get that you need " energy and replenish your body "
but it doesn't make sense.. " to me "

the more you burn- the more you will lose. - fact
what if you are " crazy " like me let's say- and decide one day you want to burn 3000 kcls - does that mean i should eat 3000 + my 1200 ? and what if i'm " crazy " en ough to do that 3-4 x a week .. what would i achieve ? other than some hurt joints from all the hard workout.. what benefit would i get out of working so much - and than - eating so much ? I'm trying to " burn of " that extra weight.. not keep it there - that math just doesn't add up .. if you are hungry- eat. but if you are satisfied- with 1200-1400 - why push to eat the hard work you burned ?

i know people will disagree with me - but again- this is my opinion- eating workout kcls- didn't work for me at all - now i get a lot of " criticism " - for not eating the 1000 kcls i burn on an avarage .. -

how come - mfp - is recommending this- while all the trainers i have talked to - completely disagree with this theory..
i'm just trying to understand this

You have to keep in mind that a higher deficit to lose weight faster is NOT always the healthiest option for the long-term. It *can* be detrimental to your metabolism if you have too high of a deficit. Looking at your profile, it looks like you do have a bit to lose, so you're probably fine not eating your exercise calories, but as you lose weight and get closer to being at a healthy weight, that will change. Please see the links I posted above... (the calorie deficits for dummies link and the other one below it). They do a great job of explaining all this.

ajbeans

Think of calories like money. Say you get paid $500 for a day's work. But then you go and spend $1000 at the store. Now you are $500 in debt, and you have no way of paying that debt back because it's the end of the day and you can't go back to work. Or, think about it like gas in your car. You put in 10 gallons, but the trip you want to take is going to use up 20 gallons. You're going to have to make a pit stop if you want to get all the way to your destination, because your car wont' have enough fuel.

It's the same with cals. If you eat 1200 calories, that's awesome! But then you burn 3000. Now you owe your body a "debt" of 1800 calories. It can't come up with those calories out of thin air. You have to eat the food. MFP is set up so that even if you don't exercise, you will lose weight. And if you already have a higher calorie goal, like 1500, you can afford not to eat back all of your exercise calories. But if you have a low goal like 1200 ,that's the bare minimum you need. You need to come out in the positive on the calories if you want to stay healthy and keep your body fueled. If you don't, you won't lose, because your body will stop processing fuel correctly. It will store instead of burning.

JennBunbun

see - i struggle with the fact that you need to eat your workout kcls- i get that you need " energy and replenish your body "
but it doesn't make sense.. " to me "

the more you burn- the more you will lose. - fact
what if you are " crazy " like me let's say- and decide one day you want to burn 3000 kcls - does that mean i should eat 3000 + my 1200 ?

No you dont want to eat every calorie you burn from working out, it just means that after a workout your body needs to gain nutrients back, just a light snack..protein is good.

JennBunbun

How do I join a thread?

kikina

this is my 10th day straight and i'm having a hard time staying at 1200 it's more like 1400-1600 so i added excercise and i try not to eat it all but it comes in handy when i get the late night 7-9 munchies.
i have discovered SWEET POTATOES!! never thought i'd want them much but microwave after they've been poked and wrapped in a wet paper towel then slice open i use tsp butter and cinnamon very filling at not many calories.. i feel full an dlike i got a treat.. it's helping me alot..

NorbertBenko

I've spoken to doctors and nurses about this. It is for an average person who is not moving just lieing (average weight, height etc...) and not using their muscles just very-very rarely
I'm sorry I can't explain you better because my english is not that good. (actually I think it isn't good at all...)

bosanka

Thank you - that's what i needed to clarify. Yes- you need to eat- but most people think " i worked out now i can eat " - and they just " delete-" all the sweat with all the food they get back in their body. Yes- you should eat after a workout- but we should know " what " to eat and how much . Protein is the best choice after workout- it repairs the damage and keeps you full while building the muscles you are trying to get .
And it's good that you clarified that there is a diff. between people like myself who have 80-100 lbs to lose and people with 10-20 lbs extra.
the example of " car beeing out of fuel and you can't fill it up " .. body can't produce energy out of thin air- that analogy is correct - but again people with significant amount of " extra fat " have the " extra " fuel - and that's exactly where our body will and should go to " make the energy " .. that fat that we have " is THE energy you are mentioning the " pit stop " .. -

for me this is clear now thx for explaining

crystal_sapphire

I don't eat my work-out calories. Here are the reasons:

1. Workout burns are very general and not specific, unless you are using a body bugg or something of that nature. So, you could potentially be eating too much.
2. Your work-out calories are like extra credit! If you are not hungry or don't really need those extra calories, why eat all of your hard work? You work-out for weight loss, not to eat all of them back.
3. The people on the biggest loser are not eating their burned calories. Kinda silly, but it's serious.

I can agree with you on point 1. It's true - those of us not wearing a HRM don't know the exact burned. It's why I eat 1/2 back maximum

Your second point really depends on the person and situation.

Point 3 - the Biggest Loser? Poor example. Most of them don't keep all the weight off they lose and tend to gain 20 pounds in just actual food and water once the show is over. Not to mention they aren't healthy and it's a freaking freality show. Fake and so much is convoluted by the producers. I adore the show for what it is, but to iuse it as an exaple as you are now is rather silly.

bosanka

we can call it silly and what ever we want- the fact is they DO lose the weight that most of us are "dreaming " to lose.

not " all " of them gain it all back.. few members did gain it .. but a lot of them are continuing on a healthy life style.
there is a lot of stuff we can argue about- but.. i think the show is an " eye " opener - to me it was few years ago when i saw a " fat person working out " that was a revolution to me.. " a fat person " ?? i never seen a fat p erson workout - seriously- all you see is this 6pack people on tv - well once i saw that- i realized " i can " move !

and i think we don't give the show the credit it diserves- yes it is a reality show- but also it is a reality that many of the members came there with a ton of medication and health problems- and they fixed it to the most part.. while many other people just continue using theire health state- and medication for an additional excuse to continue with their unhealthy life style.

Alisha28

You might not wanna hear this but cutting the beer out will help you shed pounds alot quicker. Sorry I know you did not wanna hear that but limit to one beer a week or something could make all the difference.


Alisha

merB89

I eat back every single one of my workout calories and still loose weight. I love to eat! I take that 300-400 cal deficit I have at the end of a day I worked out and make a delicious snack. It may be the best part of my day. haha

Cbandelier

I also have been eating all of my exercise calories. I work out 3-4 days a week. The rest of the days, I am on 1200 calories. I have noticed a steady loss so far. And, I hardly ever feel hungry.