exercise cals

lyndyb88

Ok, I have a question, but before I ask it I'd just like to ask that people please be nice to one another in their replies to this. I've been reading some of the forum posts on this topic and people have basically been biting each others' heads off. We're all going through the same struggle here people. Just be nice...if you don't agree with someone...say you don't, but don't tell them they're stupid for having an opinion. Sorry...just my own personal rant. Anyway, on to my question:

I know people have been asking about eating back exercise calories and I am soooo confused with the varying responses. I've read that your net calories should be 1200, but I've also read that you should consume only around 1200 calories a day. What I want to know is, when we're logging on the food diary, even though it has accounted for exercise, it only says you've eaten too few calories if you are under 1200, regardless of how much you have burned. For example, one day I exercised a LOT...burned almost 1300 calories. That day, I consumed 1200 calories almost exactly. Therefore, my net was under 0, but mfp didn't tell me I was eating too few. I've always heard, since I was little, that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. I guess what I'm asking is, is this an old wive's tale? Is it untrue that I should consume less calories than I am burning in order to lose weight? I'm confused how it works losing weight if you eat back the calories you've burned. I'm confused because it seems like that would just accomplish staying at the same weight. Any thoughts on this topic are appreciated, but like I said, be nice to one another. We are all going through the same struggle...phrase your comments without being so harsh. Anyway, thanks for reading this and I look forward to getting help clearing up the confusion.

schninie82

My allowance is 1200 also the minimum is 1200... when I exercise, depending on what Im doing, i can burn off anything from 150 to 600+... all I do is make sure my cfood als are over 1200, regardless of the exercise... I always make sure I eat something after exercise too... its replaces the protein in your body which helps with fat loss...so Im told... Sometimes my net is 500 or 600 after exercise, as long as I have eaten my 1200, I dont mind if the net is lower... thats just what I do though, Im not sure if its right, so it will be interesting to see the responses on this post too......

bethrs

Well- as for burning more calories than you consume, don't for get your BMR- you burn calories sitting down as your body uses energy to breathe, digest food, etc. etc. So most people "burn" 1200 calories (everyone's different, but in general..) by being in a coma. When you exercise you add to the "burn."

I think it's probably sound advice to shoot for 1200 net calories. I certainly usually eat a little more, but if I've exercised my tail off and eaten very little that day, I try to eat enough to get to 1200 net.

I hope that helps.

Sara1978

MFP already includes a 500 calorie deficit before it tells you how many calories you should be eating. 1200 is not maintenance-- it is at least 500 calories below maintenance-- maintenance is probably around 1700-1800 for healthy women. Even if you don't exercise at all, if all you eat is 1200 calories, your body will be at enough of a deficit to lose weight.

Now, if you exercise, you will push that deficit even lower. Say you burn 400 calories exercising. Your overall calorie deficit is now at 500 (from mfp's original calculation) + 400 (from exercise). And your net calories at this point have dropped below 1200, if you don't eat back your exercise calories.

BodyUnderConstruction

You do have to burn more than you consume (unless you're bulking up) but I personally eat mine back. Say mfp says for you to eat 1200. Okay. But under 1200 for too long will put your body in starvation mode. That's why it says that all the time.

but you need to remember that your body burns calories also not by exercising. Like breathing, degestion, etc.
Okay?

So my body burns like 1300 a day without exercise and then I eat 1200. Because I eat less than I am consuming, naturally I'll lose wieght without exercise. And If you do exercise you are burning EXTRA calories. And if you eat those extra calories, it's like just eating 1200 still, so you'll lose the same weight. If you don't eat those extra calories then you'll lose more weight.

If that makes sense. Haha.

spicegeek

you are going get people who will tell you net 1200 and people ( like me ) who eat 1200

Now if all you ever do is eat 1200 - your metabolism will slow down - I have 1 meal each week where I blow the diet big time -and eat REALLY eat - I monitor my workouts closely and if I feel weak I will eat more - but it`s rare I need extra calories - only if I run more than 6 miles and then only 100 calories

The problem with getting hung up on exercise calories is that rate of burn is INSTEAD of your base rate not on top - no one ever thinks to give back those base rate calories

you kinda have to see what works for you - if you are eating 1200 and not losing - your may need to eat more -

ladyhawk00

Well, part of the problem here is the "burn more than you consume". This is true, but the way you're applying it is incorrect. You have to consider ALL of the calories you burn.

To do this, you take into account your BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is what you burn every day just to stay alive (as if in a coma.) Then, you add to that your daily activity level (sedentary, active, etc.) as in what you do for work, doing laundry, cooking dinner, etc - note that this does NOT include purposeful exercise. These two numbers give you your maintenance calories (you can see this number under Goals, at the top right.)

So, you want to consume less than that amount. However, because exercise is not factored into that, you have to add in calories to account for exercise when it occurs, because you are burning more that day.

MFP creates a built in deficit to allow for weight loss, based on your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So because of the factors above, it adds in calories for exercise to maintain that chosen deficit, keeping the deficit stable - and therefore keeping your loss stable. If you don't replace those cals, you make the deficit larger - which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. Healthy weight loss is achieved by keeping a moderate deficit that maintains as much muscle mass as possible and encourages fat loss.

Edit: The best strategy, especially in the beginning, is to follow MFP recommendations and aim to match your NET calories to your initial goal cals each day. So, if your initial goal is 1500, and you burn 500 through exercise, you want to eat 2000 to reach a NET that matches the goal (2000 - 500 = 1500). Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

taso42_DELETED

It's true. To lose weight, you must burn more than you consume. If you eat the # of calories MFP is printing, which includes exercise calories, then you are still burning more than you consume because your daily deficit is already factored in.

Also, http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/ (obligatory)

Celo24

Well, part of the problem here is the "burn more than you consume". This is true, but the way you're applying it is incorrect. You have to consider ALL of the calories you burn.

To do this, you take into account your BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is what you burn every day just to stay alive (as if in a coma.) Then, you add to that your daily activity level (sedentary, active, etc.) as in what you do for work, doing laundry, cooking dinner, etc - note that this does NOT include purposeful exercise. These two numbers give you your maintenance calories (you can see this number under Goals, at the top right.)

So, you want to consume less than that amount. However, because exercise is not factored into that, you have to add in calories to account for exercise when it occurs, because you are burning more that day.

MFP creates a built in deficit to allow for weight loss, based on your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So because of the factors above, it adds in calories for exercise to maintain that chosen deficit, keeping the deficit stable - and therefore keeping your loss stable. If you don't replace those cals, you make the deficit larger - which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. Healthy weight loss is achieved by keeping a moderate deficit that maintains as much muscle mass as possible and encourages fat loss.

Edit: The best strategy, especially in the beginning, is to follow MFP recommendations and aim to match your NET calories to your initial goal cals each day. So, if your initial goal is 1500, and you burn 500 through exercise, you want to eat 2000 to reach a NET that matches the goal (2000 - 500 = 1500). Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

VERY well put and I could not agree more.

smilebhappy

bump please

kiwi_dee

Well, part of the problem here is the "burn more than you consume". This is true, but the way you're applying it is incorrect. You have to consider ALL of the calories you burn.

To do this, you take into account your BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is what you burn every day just to stay alive (as if in a coma.) Then, you add to that your daily activity level (sedentary, active, etc.) as in what you do for work, doing laundry, cooking dinner, etc - note that this does NOT include purposeful exercise. These two numbers give you your maintenance calories (you can see this number under Goals, at the top right.)

So, you want to consume less than that amount. However, because exercise is not factored into that, you have to add in calories to account for exercise when it occurs, because you are burning more that day.

MFP creates a built in deficit to allow for weight loss, based on your chosen loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So because of the factors above, it adds in calories for exercise to maintain that chosen deficit, keeping the deficit stable - and therefore keeping your loss stable. If you don't replace those cals, you make the deficit larger - which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. Healthy weight loss is achieved by keeping a moderate deficit that maintains as much muscle mass as possible and encourages fat loss.

Edit: The best strategy, especially in the beginning, is to follow MFP recommendations and aim to match your NET calories to your initial goal cals each day. So, if your initial goal is 1500, and you burn 500 through exercise, you want to eat 2000 to reach a NET that matches the goal (2000 - 500 = 1500). Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

THANK YOU! This has been confusing me too, but even after reading numerous threads, I still ended up a bit confused. This explanation makes sense to me ... finally, lol :bigsmile:

ladyhawk00

THANK YOU! This has been confusing me too, but even after reading numerous threads, I still ended up a bit confused. This explanation makes sense to me ... finally, lol :bigsmile:

Glad it helped. MFP is different from many counters/weight loss programs, so it can be tough to understand their calculations - but they're pretty darn successful.