Eat back ALL my exercise calories????

Lyndzo

I'm really confused on this. Maybe someone can msg me to help me out.

My daily calories I can eat is 1870. My usual workout burns about 400 calories. There is no way I can eat nearly 2300 calories in a day, I have a hard enough time eating 1870. Only way I can do it is if I eat something bad and I don't want to do that. I have a hard enough time allowing myself a treat meal once and a while.

Yesterday I was helping someone move and I burned about 2500 calories. I just barely ate my 1870 and there was no way I could eat another 2500. I've also always heard it's better to burn more than you eat. I know people's bodies are different but what should I do when I literally cannot eat that many calories?

Newfiedan

You all said pretty much the same thing, but it still sounds like you're eating all the calories you worked so hard to burn off. That still doesn't make sense to me.

I guess I use MFP a different way. I don't count the exercise as more food I can eat, just more calories that I burn.

You are not eating back calories you worked so hard to burn off, you are totally missing the point here. MFP has a BUILT IN deficit, so you are already eating less than you burn, when you work out you are burning more to raise your metabolic rate, and by not eating them back you are starving your body of the calories needed for recovery and muscle building, so you are actually doing more damage than good to your body. The only ppl on here whom can get away with that are those whom have a lot to lose, 50 pounds or more, as soon as you get into that lower weight loss range of say 30 or less you will start losing muscle if you do not eat them back and thereby slowing down your metabolic rate and totally wasting any time that you spend in the gym. If you do not feed the muscles the body will burn them up in an attempt to keep pace, so if you work out 4 hours a day 7 days a week you are just spinning your wheels and not getting any benefit from that if you are not eating back the calories from exercise.

ladyhawk00

I'm really confused on this. Maybe someone can msg me to help me out.

My daily calories I can eat is 1870. My usual workout burns about 400 calories. There is no way I can eat nearly 2300 calories in a day, I have a hard enough time eating 1870. Only way I can do it is if I eat something bad and I don't want to do that. I have a hard enough time allowing myself a treat meal once and a while.

Yesterday I was helping someone move and I burned about 2500 calories. I just barely ate my 1870 and there was no way I could eat another 2500. I've also always heard it's better to burn more than you eat. I know people's bodies are different but what should I do when I literally cannot eat that many calories?

One day is not a huge issue if you have a really high burn. Just replace what you can and maybe add a bit more the next day.

As for every day, you don't necessarily have to increase the volume of food a lot to increase cals.

Use more healthy fats -
Cook with natural oils like olive/canola
Nuts - almonds, pistachios, walnuts
Avocados

Drink some cals, as it's often easier to drink something even when you aren't that hungry -
Milk
Protein shake
Fruit smoothie

Spread cals out throughout the day -
Have 2-3 small snacks
Increase each meal/snack by just 50 cals - it adds up

Usually it takes just a few days to a week for your body (and stomach) to adjust to a higher intake.

RadicalCharlie

Okay, yeah I'm not reading all that, sorry. I need a short simple explanation in no more than 3 sentences.
I'm trying to understand this, but posting a scientific journal on the matter isn't going to help me get it any sooner.

My BMR is around 1200. I eat less than that and burn over 1000 calories a day and that is THE ONLY way I can lose weight. I've been discussing this with my doctor since the fall.

I've never heard anywhere that you're supposed to eat the calories you burn to lose weight. I don't see how eating what you burn is creating a calorie deficit, even if your metabolism goes up. Maybe I just don't get it because it doesn't work for me, it's really just hard for me to grasp this.

Your body resorts to using fat when it cannot get enough fuel from the food you eat. If you think I'm wrong, then how the hell are the people from The Biggest Loser losing all that weight when they only eat 1200 calories a day and probably burn over 3000 a day? They aren't eating back all those calories in food.

WarmDontBurn

Okay, yeah I'm not reading all that, sorry. I need a short simple explanation in no more than 3 sentences.
I'm trying to understand this, but posting a scientific journal on the matter isn't going to help me get it any sooner.

My BMR is around 1200. I eat less than that and burn over 1000 calories a day and that is THE ONLY way I can lose weight. I've been discussing this with my doctor since the fall.

I've never heard anywhere that you're supposed to eat the calories you burn to lose weight. I don't see how eating what you burn is creating a calorie deficit, even if your metabolism goes up. Maybe I just don't get it because it doesn't work for me, it's really just hard for me to grasp this.

Your body resorts to using fat when it cannot get enough fuel from the food you eat. If you think I'm wrong, then how the hell are the people from The Biggest Loser losing all that weight when they only eat 1200 calories a day and probably burn over 3000 a day? They aren't eating back all those calories in food.

What is your height, weight and goal set for ( how many pounds a week is it set to)

RadicalCharlie

5'5'', 192.5 lbs, and 2.7 lbs a week.

godroxmysox

bump

PJilly

Okay, yeah I'm not reading all that, sorry. I need a short simple explanation in no more than 3 sentences.
I'm trying to understand this, but posting a scientific journal on the matter isn't going to help me get it any sooner.

What ladyhawk wrote was very well written and easy to understand. I'd urge you to go back and read it. If you're not up to reading the whole thing, at least read this part:

Also I would add: I know it sounds great, but a larger deficit (which is what happens if you don't eat any of the exercise cals) isn't necessarily a good thing -

If you don't eat the extra cals once in a while (or if you have a large amount to lose, 100 lbs or more), it's not a huge issue. But if done on a consistent basis (3-4 days/week or more) over weeks, your body begins to adjust your metabolism to deal with what it considers to be too little fuel to support your organ functions and activity level. It figures there isn't enough fuel coming in, so it needs to conserve where possible. So your metabolism begins to drop. The larger the deficit, and the lower the Net intake, the slower your metabolism gets. So this means that you begin burning less calories.

RadicalCharlie

Okay, I read that and I partially agree, but if I eat like that everyday, I gain...

I try to only eat more calories only one day a week.

WarmDontBurn

Ok when I calculate your BMR I get 1696 not 1200.

based on your info I plugged it in here: http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm


These calorie calculator results will help you understand how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and the number of calories needed per day to achieve your goal weight in a healthy, steady manner.

You need 2221.7 calories per day to maintain your current weight without exercise.

You need 1911.2 calories per day to reach your goal weight slowly and maintain that weight without exercise.

If you reduce your current caloric intake to 1721.7 calories per day you will lose one pound per week without exercise.

If you increase your current caloric intake to 2721.7 calories per day, you will gain one pound per week.

Exercise and Calorie Needs

If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2464.1 calories per day and still maintain your current weight.

If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you may increase your caloric intake to 2767.1 calories per day to maintain your current weight.

If you exercise for 30 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 2116.3 calories per day.

If you exercise for 60 minutes each day, you will be able to reach your goal weight with 2372.6 calories per day.

Newfiedan

Ok I will sum it up in 3 sentences for you;

1) Obese people have a larger cushion and can get away with large deficits in order to shed fat.
2) You can not continue doing this over long periods of time as you will slow your metabolic rate once you get down to a lighter weight.
3) On the biggest loser these people are eating more than 1200 net a day, end of story, the body needs to be fed and you see them hit plateaus often. Their caloric goals are setup to allow them to eat enough to feed the muscle, they are not starving their muscles, if that is the only way you can lose weight then you either have a super slow metabolic rate and need to lean how to get it cranked up or you have little to no muscle mass.

jbconnelly

I agree with you. I don't eat back my burned calories either. I eat 1400/day and burn around 500 calories. I'm not going to eat 2000 calories a day and lose the weight I want or as fast as I want. I say eat when you're hungry not just because mfp says you can.

Newfiedan

Why does it feel like you are smashing your head off a brick wall when talking to people and explaining that there is a better way of losing fat and retaining muscle? STARVING YOUR BODY WILL FAIL!! You can not eat like a mouse and workout like an olympic athlete and expect to be healthy end of story. Why do you gain weight when you start finally eating properly? Gee I wonder, it is a natural response the body has, it is saying holy heck I am getting fed and will hold onto every single bit of that for at least 2-3 weeks, so expect an initial gain when you do feed it properly, that is natural but the end result is that it will feed and grow your muscles and shed fat once you continue on that path, I am living friggin proof of that. I tried the way you are doing it and it does not work long term, I wised up grew a brain and then started losing fat easily, with tons of energy and I get stronger every single week.

RadicalCharlie

@kickerz - There is no way my BMR is anywhere near that because I actually tested this for two weeks eating that much without exercising and I gained like, 3 lbs. That's why I said my BMR is lower.

@Newfiedan - I read that you can have a large deficit for a long period of time as long as you have days where you reduce it by eating more or working out less.

Edit: Also, I don't want to gain muscle. I want to lose it!!

ladyhawk00

@kickerz - There is no way my BMR is anywhere near that because I actually tested this for two weeks eating that much without exercising and I gained like, 3 lbs. That's why I said my BMR is lower.

@Newfiedan - I read that you can have a large deficit for a long period of time as long as you have days where you reduce it by eating more or working out less.

Two weeks is NEVER enough time for the body to adjust hormonal levels when you change intake/exercise drastically. Hormones are what regulate your weight - whether maintaining it, gaining or losing. And it can take MONTHS for hormone levels to balance out when you make big changes. It is common for someone who has an extremely restricted intake (and therefore lowered metabolism and probably low muscle mass) to gain a bit when they begin eating more. It is almost always temporary and then they will begin losing again.

If you truly believe your metabolism is that low, I would run, not walk, to the docs office to get some tests done for thyroid issues.

RadicalCharlie

@ladyhawk: Okay. Well, I've had 3 thyroid tests, all came back negative. I swear on my life my medication is screwing with me, but I can't get off it.

Newfiedan

Listen spaecoconaut, I am sure that you are intelligent enough to understand that when I say muscle, I am not talking bulk muscles like a guy, women do not gain muscle like men that is why they can lift heavy and still be small. What you are refering to is called caloric cycling and it is a useful tool but when you do get down in weight that cycling successfully gets smaller and smaller I am currently using that method to accelerate my fat loss but I do it without starving my body. Also so you know the proper method is 2 days low 1 day high to make it work right as more than 2 consecutive days will cause a metabolic drop. BMR is your resting heart rate, so that is what you burn just sitting perfectly still, as soon as you move workout, or just walk it goes higher that is inevitable. My theoretical bmr is 1669 cals a day. I eat 1940/day, workout 3-4 times a week and I drop 1 pound a week or more no fail and I eat back almost all if not all my exercise cals. So it does work if you log accurately and have an accurate burn number from your workouts, using a good hrm will provide that.

ladyhawk00

@ladyhawk: Okay. Well, I've had 3 thyroid tests, all came back negative. I swear on my life my medication is screwing with me, but I can't get off it.

What kind of medication (if you're comfortable sharing that)?

RadicalCharlie

@Newfiedan: http://i51.tinypic.com/2nlwx07.jpg This is me at 190 lbs. I'm not a muscle head, but by looking at that and knowing that I'm only 5'5'' would you say I'm more fat than muscle? Maybe I'm just stuck on the idea that I need to lose more than 2 lbs a week which is the "unhealthy" way.

@ladyhawk: I am injected with Risperdal Consta twice a month.

Newfiedan

My advice is to shed the fat first, then if you want to lose muscle approach that goal accordingly, the idea is to be healthy spacecoconaut, not to harm yourself. When I see ppl genuinely wanting to lose fat and get healthy it pains me to see them do it in a way that is so screwed up by society that it is the equivalent to putting a razor blade to the neck of their metabolisms. You need to learn a better way and work with your body not against it. You can be healthy, sexy and slim if you learn that the way propagated by society is not the right way, they do so to sell you on commercial junk that you do not need. Losing weight is simple more burnt than what you take in, but there are limitations to that and further to that eating for a healthy you is the best way to achieve that. I wish more would learn that or discover it on their own, that is why 99% of fad diets fail.