Calories 'earned' from exercise

mamawildbear

So if I am eating just under 1400 a day and burning off 950 through exercise, if I were to eat those back that would take me over 2000 which is the recommended intake for women not on a diet/watching their weight etc............ BUT if it's healthy stuff that I'm eating (which it always is nowadays) then it's ok???

I keep seeing this math repeatedly on this forum but you're getting confused. If you're eating 1400 a day, burning off 950 and then eating 950 to replace the exercise calories that does not in any way add up to 2000. The correct math is 1400 - 950 + 950 = 1400.

In fact, the total picture is:

Calories in: 1400
Calories burnt just by living and breathing: -1900
Calories burnt by exercising: -950
Calories in to replace exercise loss: +950

1400 -1900 -950+950 = -500 A calorie deficit so you lose weight at about 1 lb per week

If you didn't eat back any of what you exercised off, you'd get:

1400 - 1900 - 950 = -1450 Too much of a calorie deficit

If you ate back half of what you exercised off:

1400 - 1900 - 950 + 475 = -975 A calorie deficit leading to an approximate weight loss of 2 lbs per week - maximum you would want to do.

mistyb47711

Ah I understand now! I eat 1400 a day and burn off 950ish which leaves me with 450 calories a day to survive on which I know isn't healthy at all. Think I had a stupid moment there haha. Basically as long as I eat near to my recommended intake, even after exercise, I will lose weight healthily.

Exactly!!!!

missduffbug

Yes, makes perfect sense! Thank you to everyone for your help. I'm new to this site and kinda finding my way around it and learning about how it all works.
I didn't think about the fact that after burning off all those calories I would really only have had 450...... No wonder I was so sleepy yesterday. But now it's much clearer...... Thank you all xx

mistyb47711

So if I am eating just under 1400 a day and burning off 950 through exercise, if I were to eat those back that would take me over 2000 which is the recommended intake for women not on a diet/watching their weight etc............ BUT if it's healthy stuff that I'm eating (which it always is nowadays) then it's ok???

I keep seeing this math repeatedly on this forum but you're getting confused. If you're eating 1400 a day, burning off 950 and then eating 950 to replace the exercise calories that does not in any way add up to 2000. The correct math is 1400 - 950 + 950 = 1400.

In fact, the total picture is:

Calories in: 1400
Calories burnt just by living and breathing: -1900
Calories burnt by exercising: -950
Calories in to replace exercise loss: +950

1400 -1900 -950+950 = -500 A calorie deficit so you lose weight at about 1 lb per week

If you didn't eat back any of what you exercised off, you'd get:

1400 - 1900 - 950 = -1450 Too much of a calorie deficit

If you ate back half of what you exercised off:

1400 - 1900 - 950 + 475 = -975 A calorie deficit leading to an approximate weight loss of 2 lbs per week - maximum you would want to do.

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

daliberti

My Fitness Pal calculates your daily calories by how much weight you say you want to lose each week. In order to lose one pound in a week you need to eat 3500 less calories than you burn, which equals 500 calories per day. That is the way your calorie goal is calculated. One pound equals 3500 calories. So if you burn 955 calories and you don't eat them back, then you'll lose more than one pound per week. When you reset your goals to maintain your weight instead of lose, your daily calorie goal will increase according to your activity level and current weight at that time.

mistyb47711

Your welcome, I didnt understand either until I researched it for like 8 hours.....

HealthyishWithMaggieG

So if I am eating just under 1400 a day and burning off 950 through exercise, if I were to eat those back that would take me over 2000 which is the recommended intake for women not on a diet/watching their weight etc............ BUT if it's healthy stuff that I'm eating (which it always is nowadays) then it's ok???

I keep seeing this math repeatedly on this forum but you're getting confused. If you're eating 1400 a day, burning off 950 and then eating 950 to replace the exercise calories that does not in any way add up to 2000. The correct math is 1400 - 950 + 950 = 1400.

In fact, the total picture is:

Calories in: 1400
Calories burnt just by living and breathing: -1900
Calories burnt by exercising: -950
Calories in to replace exercise loss: +950

1400 -1900 -950+950 = -500 A calorie deficit so you lose weight at about 1 lb per week

If you didn't eat back any of what you exercised off, you'd get:

1400 - 1900 - 950 = -1450 Too much of a calorie deficit

If you ate back half of what you exercised off:

1400 - 1900 - 950 + 475 = -975 A calorie deficit leading to an approximate weight loss of 2 lbs per week - maximum you would want to do.

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

That's not true. 1400 calories is your calorie recommendation from MFP that is set at a deficit based on how many pounds per week you told MFP you want to lose.

mistyb47711

My Fitness Pal calculates your daily calories by how much weight you say you want to lose each week. In order to lose one pound in a week you need to eat 3500 less calories than you burn, which equals 500 calories per day. That is the way your calorie goal is calculated. One pound equals 3500 calories. So if you burn 955 calories and you don't eat them back, then you'll lose more than one pound per week. When you reset your goals to maintain your weight instead of lose, your daily calorie goal will increase according to your activity level and current weight at that time.

MFP automatically takes away 500 calories a day for you to lose the weight that you choose......so if you put in 2 lbs per week and your daily goal is 1200 they already took away 500 calories from that so you lose your 2 lbs(or close to that) per week...but if you look on your BMR section your actual daily goal is like 1700 to maintain our weight.

mamawildbear

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

Unless you are quite petite, 1400 calories would be a deficit because the average woman requires quite a bit more calories just to maintain their weight. I am new as well so I'm not sure what you mean by "putting in 1400 calories." I'm using the Android app and I didn't chose any calorie amount. I told it how much weight I wanted to lose and it calculated my daily calorie requirement for me. Maybe you're using MFP a different way that I'm not familiar with yet.

mistyb47711

So if I am eating just under 1400 a day and burning off 950 through exercise, if I were to eat those back that would take me over 2000 which is the recommended intake for women not on a diet/watching their weight etc............ BUT if it's healthy stuff that I'm eating (which it always is nowadays) then it's ok???

I keep seeing this math repeatedly on this forum but you're getting confused. If you're eating 1400 a day, burning off 950 and then eating 950 to replace the exercise calories that does not in any way add up to 2000. The correct math is 1400 - 950 + 950 = 1400.

In fact, the total picture is:

Calories in: 1400
Calories burnt just by living and breathing: -1900
Calories burnt by exercising: -950
Calories in to replace exercise loss: +950

1400 -1900 -950+950 = -500 A calorie deficit so you lose weight at about 1 lb per week

If you didn't eat back any of what you exercised off, you'd get:

1400 - 1900 - 950 = -1450 Too much of a calorie deficit

If you ate back half of what you exercised off:

1400 - 1900 - 950 + 475 = -975 A calorie deficit leading to an approximate weight loss of 2 lbs per week - maximum you would want to do.

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

That's not true. 1400 calories is your calorie recommendation from MFP that is set at a deficit based on how many pounds per week you told MFP you want to lose.

It is true...its different for every single person......look on your BMR section and look at your calories that you burn no matter if you exercise, then look at the calories that you have per day without them taking the 500 away....if you look at that and minus the 500 you will get what they reccomend you take in daily.

mistyb47711

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

Unless you are quite petite, 1400 calories would be a deficit because the average woman requires quite a bit more calories just to maintain their weight. I am new as well so I'm not sure what you mean by "putting in 1400 calories." I'm using the Android app and I didn't chose any calorie amount. I told it how much weight I wanted to lose and it calculated my daily calorie requirement for me. Maybe you're using MFP a different way that I'm not familiar with yet.

if you cant get online and see the BMR section you are not going to understand. 1400 is the amount they want you to take in to lose the weight that you put in in the beginning..... if you take that off and put maintain your weight your allowance would be 1900 daily on a 1400 scale......

mamawildbear

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

Oh, also - if you read the BMR section you are referencing above, it says,

"Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating. Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise."

So if it told you your BMR was 1400 that means you'd need 1400 calories to maintain your body if you did nothing but lie in bed all day. Assuming you're up and about and carrying on normal activities, you would need more than that to maintain your weight. So if you only eat your BMR, you're automatically in weight loss mode. Add exercise and you'll either lose faster or you'll be too calorie deficient.

mistyb47711

here is from my BMR section...................

Your estimated BMR is: 1,653 calories/day*
*BMR based on the Mifflin - St. Jeor equations. Please remember that even the best BMR calculators provide only a best guess and should be used as a guide only.

1653 is what my body needs to maintain the weight that i am now....take away 500 per day and that leaves me at 1153 per day...the minimum a dr will tell per day is 1200, so they tell me 1200 calories per day....say I eat those 1200 calories then i go to the gym and burn off 900 that leaves me at 300 calories for my body to run its self...not going to happen....a body needs at least 1200 calories a day to run healthy...so I eat 900 calories and that brings me back to 1200 for the day for my body to run healthy......If you guys are on a 1200 calorie day and you are burning off 900 a day and leaving your body to run on 300 calories a day you are going to have major problems...yes you may lose weight, but your body will not be able to keep up. You will keep headaches, tired, sleepy and pass out.....

mamawildbear

here is from my BMR section...................

Your estimated BMR is: 1,653 calories/day*
*BMR based on the Mifflin - St. Jeor equations. Please remember that even the best BMR calculators provide only a best guess and should be used as a guide only.

But don't forget, your BMR of 1653 is what you need to lie in bed. If you are even sitting at a desk job you start to burn more. Unless you're on bed rest, your daily maintenance calories are going to be higher.

mistyb47711

No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section......

Oh, also - if you read the BMR section you are referencing above, it says,

"Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating. Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise."

So if it told you your BMR was 1400 that means you'd need 1400 calories to maintain your body if you did nothing but lie in bed all day. Assuming you're up and about and carrying on normal activities, you would need more than that to maintain your weight. So if you only eat your BMR, you're automatically in weight loss mode. Add exercise and you'll either lose faster or you'll be too calorie deficient.

that 1400 is following what type of activity you put in at the begininng....deskjob, etc.... not laying in bed

mistyb47711

here is from my BMR section...................

Your estimated BMR is: 1,653 calories/day*
*BMR based on the Mifflin - St. Jeor equations. Please remember that even the best BMR calculators provide only a best guess and should be used as a guide only.

But don't forget, your BMR of 1653 is what you need to lie in bed. If you are even sitting at a desk job you start to burn more. Unless you're on bed rest, your daily maintenance calories are going to be higher.

no 1653 as in having a deskjob

HealthyishWithMaggieG

Misty, I'm pretty sure we're saying basically the same thing. We're just getting to the end result in VERY different ways.

When it was said,

"No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...no deficit....if your calories say 2000 or 3000 no matter if you burn 1000...to maintain your weight you keep your 2000 or 3000 daily......you will find all this in the BMR section...... "

I said,

"That's not true. 1400 calories is your calorie recommendation from MFP that is set at a deficit based on how many pounds per week you told MFP you want to lose."

I said that because up to that point, nobody had asked anything about maintenance weight and it looked like "No im putting in 1400 calories just to be healthy...nodeficit..." was meant as that was the maintenance weight. I just meant that there's no way 1400 calories a day could be a calorie goal for the day for maintenance. It's not enough.

Ever since I started on MFP, in October 2010, I've felt that too many people get caught up on the math of everything. It doesn't have to be as difficult as I've seen people make it. There's a reason this site exists. I would imagine some research has gone into developing it. I feel confident in trusting the calculations they provide. If it says I should eat 1200 calories a day. That's what I eat. If it says I've burned 400 calories from exercising. I probably did (or something close to that). 1200 calorie base + 400 calories burned = 1600 calories I should eat for the day. It really doesn't have to be any more difficult than that.

mamawildbear

that 1400 is following what type of activity you put in at the begininng....deskjob, etc.... not laying in bed

The 1400 the application gave me as recommended calories per day for weight loss was based on what I said my activity level was. That 1400 is calorie goal for weight loss.

If you go to the BMR section under Tools on the website, that is a different number altogether. It specifically says it is the calories needed to maintain your body weight under complete rest conditions. It also specifically says it does not include normal daily activity.

mistyb47711

that 1400 is following what type of activity you put in at the begininng....deskjob, etc.... not laying in bed

The 1400 the application gave me as recommended calories per day for weight loss was based on what I said my activity level was. That 1400 is calorie goal for weight loss.

If you go to the BMR section under Tools on the website, that is a different number altogether. It specifically says it is the calories needed to maintain your body weight under complete rest conditions. It also specifically says it does not include normal daily activity.

ok lets start over and put in your goals...go to that and what is the first question that it aske you?

mistyb47711

How would you describe your normal daily activities?
Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)