Did anyone else stop losing when eating exercise calories?

Trotty2004

I was steadily losing about 2-3 lbs a week for my first two months. My average total intake was around 1200 cal/day but my exercise cals were anywhere between 500 - 1200 a day. After doing some reading on this message board I decided I had better start eating back most of those exercise cals (not all, to make up for possible high workout estimates). That was the week my wieght loss stopped. I was eating a well balanced diet and drinking plenty of water so I decided to wait it out to see if maybe it was water retention or TOM or something. I went 3 weeks and actually started to gain. So I am back to my old ways and have started losing again. I am curious. Am I a freak of nature or something or has this happened to anyone else?

MrsCon40

Are you using a HRM? If not, you may be overestimating the amount of calories you're burning when you exercise.

daddyzgurl

Yes, it takes about a week to 10 days for your body to understand what you are doing. You will start seeing the weight loss again after that and will feel much better along the way.
Nicole

DuKristin

I am considering eating my exercise calories because I haven't seen results by not. I read somewhere that every body is different and some will respond to eating the exercise calories and others may not. I think you need to do whatever you're having results with and go with it! Good Luck!

sylvia1970

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

elliecolorado

If you are going off of the estimates that this site gives you for calories burned I think it estimates very high, for me it seems to be double what my HRM says.

jgsims

I have just started back on MFP after a small break (I fell off the wagon), BUT the last time I was really doing well with my diet and exercise, worked out regularly and GAINED WEIGHT. I think that is why I fell off the wagon - I couldn't get inspired when I gained weight. I am trying to do better this time, and just started working out again today. I have been doing really good with my calories, etc., so we'll see how the exercise calories play into it. Good luck to you.

CarterGrt

I think that sometimes this works better in theory than in practice. Meaning, that I have found that eating back about 1/2 of my exercize calories works best for me. This is especially true on days when I run 10-14 miles. I can't even force myself to eat 1700 extra calories.

I think you need to find what works for you. The biggest issue is that for optimal nutrition, you don't want to be going way under your calories. But, again, I think you need to find your own tipping point.

I think this also varies because of inaccurate estimates on both calories burned and calories consumed. There can be a decent margin of error on these estimates.

Good Luck!!!

--Carter

Luvmesumkenny

I don't eat my exercise calories back.. I did that and I started gaining weight back. I eat 1430 calories a day and what i burn off i burn off.. I do eat after i work out but if I burn 800 calories I'm sure not going to eat 800 calories after. Whats the point of that??? Just eat something with Protein after your done working out.. I love the SPECIAL K PROTEIN SHAKES!!
I'm dropping 2-3 pounds a week doing it my way. Good Luck!

boobee32

I have always eaten mine....have lost steadily...

ladyhawk00

Here are some threads that may help:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/117726-eating-exercise-cals-slowing-your-weight-loss-read-this

meggonkgonk

If you read this link that relates the case of a woman undereating:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

You will see that you can expect to stop losing and even gain for a short period of time while your body adjusts to a higher level of calories. If, for several weeks, you ate at a very low # your metabolism will have slowed down and won't be able to magically start processing the proper amount of food overnight.

Def make sure you are measuring as well as you can, but the only way to break the cycle of constantly requiring your body to function on less and less, is to eat more and get your metabolism back up to higher functionality.

ZebraHead

I was stuck, started eating most of mine, not stuck any more. :bigsmile:

coxy1968

i have 1200 calories a day and have never eaten any back and i lose approx 2lbs pw

papastu

I don't eat my exercise calories back.. I did that and I started gaining weight back. I eat 1430 calories a day and what i burn off i burn off.. I do eat after i work out but if I burn 800 calories I'm sure not going to eat 800 calories after. Whats the point of that??? Just eat something with Protein after your done working out.. I love the SPECIAL K PROTEIN SHAKES!!
I'm dropping 2-3 pounds a week doing it my way. Good Luck!

well said , go to the gym and burn off 800 cals and then go home and eat, in that case dont go to the gym, totaly agree with you 100%

scagneti

I'm not sure what your height is, but at 230 lbs, you're not anywhere even close to your BMR, nevermind adding in your activity level PLUS your exercise calories! You're starving yourself to the point that your metabolism is not working properly. Your body has gotten used to working on nothing so it's storing anything extra because it doesn't know when you'll feed it again.

If you're burning off anywhere near what you say you are, your body is existing on practically negative calories. How long do you suppose your body can do that for?

spicegeek

The problem with eating back exercise calories is many-fold

1. no one is THAT accurate measuring what they eat
2. No one thinks to give back the BMR calories for the time spent exercising
3. Machines and even HRM estimates are not THAT accurate on calories out

I eat 1200 per day - never eat back any exercise calories - but I do eat one blow o ut meal per week

themommie

I do not eat back my exercise calories unless I exercise alot, like over 700 cals worth, then I eat 100-200 extra cals . this seems to be working for me. But remember everyone is different

SaraTonin

"If you read this link that relates the case of a woman undereating:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

You will see that you can expect to stop losing and even gain for a short period of time while your body adjusts to a higher level of calories. If, for several weeks, you ate at a very low # your metabolism will have slowed down and won't be able to magically start processing the proper amount of food overnight.

Def make sure you are measuring as well as you can, but the only way to break the cycle of constantly requiring your body to function on less and less, is to eat more and get your metabolism back up to higher functionality."

Truth!!!

EDesq

You are NOT a "freak." The "Science" of weight loss is no applicable to MOST people at Best. Learn what works for YOUR Body, then Do what works for You. It will take some trial and error, but I wouldn't blow My wt loss on theories. Three weeks is more than enough time for bodily adjustments IF there were going to be any. Always use what is SUGGESTED here as beginning guidelines, then make YOUR adjustments when things do not work..

ladyhawk00

I don't eat my exercise calories back.. I did that and I started gaining weight back. I eat 1430 calories a day and what i burn off i burn off.. I do eat after i work out but if I burn 800 calories I'm sure not going to eat 800 calories after. Whats the point of that??? Just eat something with Protein after your done working out.. I love the SPECIAL K PROTEIN SHAKES!!
I'm dropping 2-3 pounds a week doing it my way. Good Luck!

The point of it is this

---

>

"MFP generates a BUILT IN CALORIE DEFICIT to allow for weight loss, regardless of exercise.

This is different than many calorie counters/weight loss programs, or the way that many trainers set up a plan. These other plans usually take your “intended exercise” and use that to create a deficit, keeping your daily cal goal static. Therefore, with other plans, you would not replace calories you burn through exercise. MFP is different and you CANNOT compare them, unless you’re prepared to do some calculations to get apples vs. apples and not apples vs. oranges.

MFP is designed to have you log purposeful exercise each day, as you complete it, and for you to EAT THOSE ADDITIONAL CALORIES. This helps keep you more accountable, motivated and prompts support (all those WTG’s on your status go a long way.) If you do not replace the calories added for exercise, you make your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit will not necessarily provide for faster weight loss – it will likely lead to feelings of deprivation, binges, irregular blood sugar levels, poor nutrition and bad eating habits - and is one of the key reasons why people give up or regain weight.

This plan only works, however, if your calorie intake and burns are accurate. Weigh/measure your food, and use the most accurate exercise burn numbers you can. The numbers in the food/exercise database are not always correct, or not always correct for YOU – be realistic and get the best numbers available to you. Go from there and don’t stress over it.

MFP does not allow for a daily cal goal below 1200. This number was provided by WHO as the lower limit for the average woman to receive adequate nutrition each day. The lower limit for men is 1500 calories. Unless you are much smaller than average, or are under the care of a professional who has provided a specific diet, attempting a regular intake lower than this is asking for trouble.

Starving/Not Hungry?

One of the most important aspects of this plan is that it helps you retrain your body and your mind to recognize healthy eating habits. This includes eating healthy foods and a healthy AMOUNT of food. If you are here, you likely have bad eating habits. Bad eating habits are not simply eating too much. Skipping meals, eating too little, eating irregularly, and eating the wrong ratio of macros (protein/fat/carb) are all habits that will contribute to an unhealthy weight.

MFP is a tool to help your body and mind to recognize how much you should be eating, how often, and what kinds of food. In the beginning, you may feel starving. Or you may not feel hungry at all. You should not necessarily trust either of these feelings. If you have abused your body, it has adapted to your bad habits and no longer gives you cues for a healthy intake. Aim for your daily cal goal, and give your body time to adjust to these changes. It may take days or weeks for your body to adapt to a healthy intake of healthy food. You didn’t learn your bad habits overnight, and you won’t fix them overnight."

(Copied from another post of mine http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics)

meggonkgonk

The problem with eating back exercise calories is many-fold

1. no one is THAT accurate measuring what they eat
2. No one thinks to give back the BMR calories for the time spent exercising
3. Machines and even HRM estimates are not THAT accurate on calories out

I eat 1200 per day - never eat back any exercise calories - but I do eat one blow o ut meal per week

The problem with NOT eating them back is slowly starving your self and depriving your body of necessary nutrition. Everything is an estimate, so adjusting as you go along is necessary- but just blindly sticking to 1200 will make you stall at a certain point. In order to keep losing you will need to eat even less, further depriving yourself, on and on until you get to a point where you CAN'T further reduce your in take. Your body's metabolism adjusts to what it is given. Balance and sensibility is important. 1200 calories a day regardless of your activity isn't either- it's a short cut that misses the important nuaces of your body's needs.