Exercise calories controversy ???

humpalc

I don't think MFP does ignore your workout goals - if you say you will be exercising 30 minutes a day, it figures that in - I went back and changed my plan from 30 minues a day to 0 minutes a day, and my calorie goal decreased -

I don't eat back ALL of my exercise calories as a RULE, but I try to make sure I'm not consistently too far under my calorie intake goal - for example - if I'm not hungry and don't eat all of my calories for a couple of days, I'm more diligent the next day or two, just to be sure my metabolism doesn't slow down it's burn in response to the calorie deficit.

SKismet

Other than the health benefits from exercising, what's the point in burning extra calories if you just eat them??? If that made sense, then couldn't you not exercise and not eat extra food and have the same general effect? I try to burn as many calories as I can when I exercise every day. I NEVER eat my burned calories, and rarely (unless it's my cheat day) do I meet my 1200 calorie daily limit. They say you need to eat your calorie limit, but I just can't, let alone another 600 calories!

1. Considering that this is a FITNESS website, not technically just a WEIGHT LOSS website, what reason OTHER than the "health benefits" do you need?
2. Yes, as a matter of fact you CAN have the same general effect (as far as weight loss is concerned) by not exercising and not eating extra food. I have seen this in my family a couple of times, but that doesn't mean it's a good technique for getting healthier.

benitocereno

This is a lost cause topic. It pops up several times a day and there is never a general consensus. Do what you think is best for you. If you think that operating on 400 calories a day because of the calories burned in exercise is enough, then do it. If you think your body needs a minumum of 1200 calories to properly function, then eat the exercise calories. This is not only about weight loss but about overall good health.

The cause isn't a lost topic; it's a topic regurgitated time and time again by people who fail to accept the answer that is put in front of them.

Don't do what you think is best for you if it's living on 400 calories a day. It's not okay, and is in fact, quite dangerous. Eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day, whether you think it's too high or whatever else you believe. I'm sure there's some medical journal exception out there that says it's okay for some people to go under 1200 (Hint: It's not you!!!).

This "do whatever you think is dandy!" thing should be a ban-able offense. It's dangerous and only reinforces bad habits and attitudes that people come here to get rid of. I don't care if you tell someone to not eat their workout calories if they're staying above ~1200, but don't tell people it's fine to go under it because their body is somehow magically different from the rest of humanity.

steveohypertension

I ingore them, I aim to hit my target calories, sat fat and sodium goals ... if I workout more than normal I'll add something to my menu ... but no I don't eat the calories ... its what work best for the individual ... good luck

Dobsaya

Bump

FearAnLoathing

my health is just fine,and as long as my doctor is cool im cool.ive been doing this for a year I know how to track my food and I know how many calories I burn.If im not hungry I dont eat them back.simple as that.I am perfectly healthy energetic and not at all anemic.Im not telling anyone to do what I do.Im just saying they should do whatever works for them.It dosent matter to me if you "buy it" or not

shannonshock13

Other than the health benefits from exercising, what's the point in burning extra calories if you just eat them??? If that made sense, then couldn't you not exercise and not eat extra food and have the same general effect? I try to burn as many calories as I can when I exercise every day. I NEVER eat my burned calories, and rarely (unless it's my cheat day) do I meet my 1200 calorie daily limit. They say you need to eat your calorie limit, but I just can't, let alone another 600 calories!

Exactly, if you don't exercise you don't get to eat as much. The benefit to exercising is being able to eat more, which helps control your appetite and urges. You also get to indulge a little bit more (have a drink?), which leads to you STICKING with your plan because you're not suffering and driving yourself crazy on a minimalist diet. This leads to weight-loss and a SUSTAINABLE lifestyle, which is the point!

Eat your calories, it's not that hard, just deal with it and do it. You're not being healthy right now, plain and simple. I don't see how "oh I just CANT eat another 600!! calories!!!" is even realistic, you're kidding yourself, not to mention starving yourself. This iron-man attitude of "I'm not even hungry and I eat EVEN LESS than they tell me to!" doesn't impress anyone here, and the only one suffering is yourself and your health.

I'm going to be blunt with this one and hope it sticks for some people- STOP BEING STUPID. Google "nutrition" and "daily calorie needs" and take advice from experts instead of know-it-alls who think "everyone is a unique diet snowflake." No, you can't eat 800 calories a day and be healthy, you're not special, sorry. Try using this tool:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598

That's your required calories to maintain weight. A 18-year old 4'2" 100lb female requires 1500 calories a day to maintain weight. So no, you're not doing it right and you're probably malnourished.

This is great!! I am down 60+ lbs since June 2010 and I feel great. I also allow myself to enjoy life. I have a drink or two every now and then and I also eat out with my family. I may eat my full exercise calories and go over on other days but it is all part of this crazy thing called life. Good luck to everyone. Do what works best for you, but I am in this for the life long change but I'm not going to avoid life!!

I kind of have to agree with this one. For the past couple weeks i have been eating around 1200-1400 cals but only netting around 800-1000 and i seem to have a slight cold that i can not shake. I think it's due to me being slightly malnourished.

erickirb

I don't think MFP does ignore your workout goals - if you say you will be exercising 30 minutes a day, it figures that in - I went back and changed my plan from 30 minues a day to 0 minutes a day, and my calorie goal decreased -

I don't eat back ALL of my exercise calories as a RULE, but I try to make sure I'm not consistently too far under my calorie intake goal - for example - if I'm not hungry and don't eat all of my calories for a couple of days, I'm more diligent the next day or two, just to be sure my metabolism doesn't slow down it's burn in response to the calorie deficit.

Try again, it doesn't count it until you enter it in to the exercise tab after you actually perform the exercise. The change in cals may have been from entering in your new lower weight at the same time.

erickirb

This is a lost cause topic. It pops up several times a day and there is never a general consensus. Do what you think is best for you. If you think that operating on 400 calories a day because of the calories burned in exercise is enough, then do it. If you think your body needs a minumum of 1200 calories to properly function, then eat the exercise calories. This is not only about weight loss but about overall good health.

The cause isn't a lost topic; it's a topic regurgitated time and time again by people who fail to accept the answer that is put in front of them.

Don't do what you think is best for you if it's living on 400 calories a day. It's not okay, and is in fact, quite dangerous. Eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day, whether you think it's too high or whatever else you believe. I'm sure there's some medical journal exception out there that says it's okay for some people to go under 1200 (Hint: It's not you!!!).

This "do whatever you think is dandy!" thing should be a ban-able offense. It's dangerous and only reinforces bad habits and attitudes that people come here to get rid of. I don't care if you tell someone to not eat their workout calories if they're staying above ~1200, but don't tell people it's fine to go under it because their body is somehow magically different from the rest of humanity.

agreed but the 1200 should be 1200 net (1200 plus exercise cals) eating 1200 and burning 800 from exercise is not okay.

superstarcassie

Come on people! We need to FUEL our bodies! If I only ate 1200 calories per day and didn't back any of my exercise calories I would have given up because I would ALWAYS be hungry. No offense- not eating some of those calories will work for a while....but I guarantee you will stall on your weight loss as time goes on. I'm not saying you have to eat your calories (you can only make that decision), but you need to fuel your body. Too big of a caloric deficit will cause you to burn through your muscle instead of the fat that most of us want to get rid of. Be smart- eat healthy and ENOUGH- exercise!

yyzdnl

Being new here this topic confused me at first so I studied up on it over the weekend. Eric is correct and the calorie math doesn’t change from one person to another.

There are two general guidelines agreed on by the professionals. First, daily calorie intake for Women shouldn’t go below 1200 calories or 1,500 for men. Second, a single day’s calorie deficit shouldn’t exceed 1,000 calories.

Continuously breaking these guidelines will push one’s body into a famine response where the body will lower its metabolism decreasing weight loss. More importantly the body will start to draw a greater percentage of its energy from muscle instead of fat. As mentioned earlier on this thread normal calorie deficits will have a fat/ protein burn ratio of 75/25 while in famine response it can hit 50/50. The decrease in muscle will further decrease metabolism. This response isn’t like a switch that is turned on an off. Your body is always making changes based on your calorie needs. One misconception I have read on this site is that the famine response can stop weight loss or even cause weight gain. That isn’t true either if your body is at a calorie deficit you will lose weight it is a law of physics.

What makes dieting so hard is the fact that maintaining fat doesn’t require significant energy. Energy is used mainly for life function, expenditure, and a significant amount to maintaining muscle. The problem with dieting is the body doesn’t just burn fat when low on fuel it also burns muscle. Yes, that muscle you need to keep your metabolism up to burn more calories. This is one reason exercise is so important when trying to lose weight. You are trying to build back the muscle lost through your calorie deficit and that requires fuel.

With all that said the main reason people don’t lose weight is they are underestimating calories in or overestimating calories out. For these people not eating exorcise calories can swing weight loss in the right direction. A fine example of two wrongs making a right.

If this works for you fine use your body’s response to let you know you’re on the right track. Can you run as far or lift as much weight as you could last week? If so and your consistent and happy with your weight loss who cares if your math is wrong, but I wouldn’t go recommending it to others who might be counting correctly and need to feed their bodies.

benitocereno

agreed but the 1200 should be 1200 net (1200 plus exercise cals) eating 1200 and burning 800 from exercise is not okay.

Whoops yeah, that's what I meant

Anyway, I'm sorry if anyone here took any of this personally, it's just really frustrating to see people hearing what they want to hear and ignoring things that will invariably impact their health. Anyway, best of luck to you all, and I hope people realize that the minimum is there for a reason.

humpalc

I don't think MFP does ignore your workout goals - if you say you will be exercising 30 minutes a day, it figures that in - I went back and changed my plan from 30 minues a day to 0 minutes a day, and my calorie goal decreased -

I don't eat back ALL of my exercise calories as a RULE, but I try to make sure I'm not consistently too far under my calorie intake goal - for example - if I'm not hungry and don't eat all of my calories for a couple of days, I'm more diligent the next day or two, just to be sure my metabolism doesn't slow down it's burn in response to the calorie deficit.

Try again, it doesn't count it until you enter it in to the exercise tab after you actually perform the exercise. The change in cals may have been from entering in your new lower weight at the same time.

Yep, totally right - it must have changed because my weight was lower, not because of the change in activity level - I should have tried it again before I posted - I HATE being wrong, LOL - thanks

I think the bottom line is, whether you agree with the math or not, like superstarcassie said, you need to fuel your body! (she should know, she's kicking some tail, people). In the end, it's not about the green or red numbers in your profile, or even the number on the scale - it is about being a strong, healthy, active human being, and living the best life you can live - if you are trying to live on sub-1200 calories a day, you need to honestly evaluate how you are feeling, and how your workouts are benefiting you.

pyro13g

MFP ignores your exercise goals when you sign up. It gives you your calorie goal assuming you to no working out, this is why it ads it back when you enter it.

That would explain it. I joined last year so didn't remember it that way.

AmeMahoney

I've never really worried about eating my exercise calories or not. I lost over 100 pounds 12 years ago, and I didn't worry about it then. That's because I set my daily calorie goal at 1700. As long as I eat at least 1200 it doesn't matter. On days I feel more hungry I eat a little more. Most days my goal is to eat 5-6 small meals a day that total "about" 1700 calories. When I exercise my total still won't fall below the minimum (1200). I find worrying and stressing out about it causes me more issues than it's worth, so I just listen to my body and follow my measurements.

runningneo122

I don't know if this was mentioned or not.... didn't want to read through 4 pages. I swear by this book: Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto.

Here are 2 reviews:

http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle-complete-review.html

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2009/12/cheating_on_your_diet.php

ETA: I eat all my exer cals and am steadily losing 2 pounds per week. I run every AM and ISO 3 times a week equaling 10,000+ cals per week.

willimh

I say from experience, set your goal to 1-1 1/2 cals a week. You will get more cals to eat and then you eat those cals through out your day, exercise and that's it, you dont have to try and eat more.

For example: I get 1570 cals to eat, I burn from exercise about 370 which leaves me at my 1200 net cals at the end of the day. It works and you won't feel like you are eating back because you are not. You are eating more to begin with.

Janworkingitout

Come on people! We need to FUEL our bodies! If I only ate 1200 calories per day and didn't back any of my exercise calories I would have given up because I would ALWAYS be hungry. No offense- not eating some of those calories will work for a while....but I guarantee you will stall on your weight loss as time goes on. I'm not saying you have to eat your calories (you can only make that decision), but you need to fuel your body. Too big of a caloric deficit will cause you to burn through your muscle instead of the fat that most of us want to get rid of. Be smart- eat healthy and ENOUGH- exercise!

You got it!

ababygrace

My my my...This discussion is still going. Like I said it is controversial :ohwell:


I plan on eating my calories for the rest of this month to see how well it works for me. I also plan on zigzagging my calories so my daily intake will always be different. In my opinion 1200 is too low for me :noway:

thanks for the inputs and advice.

DrumlineGirl

For those that are confused, think of it in a more backwards way. Let's say you work out at the end of the day instead of the beginning. You're going to do a workout and burn 300 calories.

Your calorie goal for the day, in order to lose 1 lb a week (or insert whatever your goal is) is 1400 calories (or whatever your actual number is). So throughout the day, you eat 1700 calories. Then you go do your workout and burn 300 calories. You have just netted 1400. You have also eaten your exercise calories. But, since your goal is to lose 1 lb a week, you need to not go over 1400. Since you exercised, you got to eat those extra 300 calories. You will still lose weight because the number is the same.

Simple math.

Example 2: (made up numbers)

In order to lose 1 lb a week, you must eat 1400 calories a day (as opposed to 1800 to maintain).

You eat 1700, you burn 300 in workout= 1400 (eating back exercise calories)
You eat 1400, you don't work out= 1400
You eat 1400, you burn 300=1100 (not eating back exercise calories)

In all of those scenarios, you are never OVER calories, you are still creating a deficit, and losing weight. In the 3rd scenario of not eating those cals back, you are probably too low on protein and nutrition, and possibly slowing your metabolism because your body needs fuel to live.