Caloric deficit

Newfiedan

There seems to be a massive misconception about how this works on mfp and I want to set it clear once and for all. When you joined mfp and put in your info and the weight loss goal mfp sets it up so that you have the deficit needed to shed that weight with NO exercise whatsoever. You can sit on your butt and still shed that weight if you log accurately for caloric intake. So with that said this is why you are meant to eat back your exercise calories. Let me be 110% clear here you do not HAVE to eat them back but by doing that you are creating a LARGER deficit than what mfp has recommended which is not healthy unless you are obese. Obese ppl can get away with it because they have so much fat that will supplement that low intake, this is why when ppl who have 40 or more pounds to lose when they joined mfp can get away with not eating back the calories. Now for those of you whom have 39 or less to lose that is a different matter totally. You will get away with it at first, and up to a point the body will work with you to get that fat off but the lower your weight gets the MORE your body will fight back! Plateau anyone? These occur when there is a caloric imbalance and this is when cal intake does not support proper metabolic function. The body will fight back and slow you down unless you are doing it in a healthy way, (what mfp recommends for weight loss and following exactly what they laid out for you from day 1). I have listened to what mfp has setup for me, over 100 days now, 31 pounds down and still losing with 0 plateaus, sure there were days I was hungrier but I stuck it out and still do to this day and I am riding this all the way to 10% bodyfat. I eat back nearly every single exercise cal unless I am using proper application of caloric zig zagging to accelerate fat loss.
You are not working out to burn fat, that is not how it works, what you are working out for is to raise your bmr. You do not BURN FAT during your workouts, you burn cals and in order to raise your bmr the body needs those exercise cals for recovery. Do not believe me? Great keep on smashing your heads against the brick wall that is your current setup and enjoy but I laugh at every single one of you as my friends and my wife and me keep on losing while the rest of you post on here week after week; "help I have plateaued and do not know why?" Simple concept to understand, learn it, trust it, and rejoice in working with your body. Resist it and sooner or later you are going to run into a brick wall with weight loss and then have to learn this the hard way.

Peep_chic

agree. Bump:drinker:

bachooka

Don't make the fuzzy angry! You won't like him when he's angry!

Mustangsally1000

I hear you! You just keep preachin' . Ppl are hearing you. Just don't tie yourself up over it. They will get it when they are ready.
The Fuzz has spoken!

jenilla1

Thank you! It's such a simple (and healthy) concept. I just wish people would start listening!!! :explode:

Zuznana

Needs a bump...people need to read this. Myself included.

Crystal817

With that being said...... the same questions are going to keep coming up every single day. New people join, no one bothers to use the search function. :indifferent:

kykykenna

Only been on here 20ish days.......got it pounded into my head already. Im on day 2 with more calories. Scared...but hey....my way DOESNT work, obviously.....so I'm going with it!

AlwaysWanderer

I'm 5'1, and I burn average 1300 cals a day through exercise. HOW am I supposed to eat it all back and be healthy? There's only so much of chicken/turkey a person can take. ???

jennmoore3

You are a very smart person. I am going to listen to what you are saying. I am in love with this site and the people here are super wonderful.

Atlantique

With that being said...... the same questions are going to keep coming up every single day. New people join, no one bothers to use the search function. :indifferent:

True, but the search function is very clunky.

I usually find it easier to go to Google and type " my search terms + myfitnesspal.com", if anyone does want to search the forums!

froglegjack

Well it is working for me doing it the healthy way and no more headaches and tossing and turning at night. I am thankful for the good information on here and people who are willing to help. And to keep helping.

dad106

I read another one of your posts that says to plan in exercise as your planning so that your exercise calories are easier to eat.. and I've been doing that and it def. does work!

Thanks for all your info.. Hopefully it starts working for me soon.

dave4d

I'm 5'1, and I burn average 1300 cals a day through exercise. HOW am I supposed to eat it all back and be healthy? There's only so much of chicken/turkey a person can take. ???

If you are burning that many calories working out, you will probably be better off replenishing them with carbs, more than protein. Trust me, with carbs, and healthy fats, it is easy to eat that many calories. If you don't believe me, go to Olive Garden, and try to eat a meal that is less than 1300 calories, that contains pasta. My kids were telling me last night that Michael Phelps burns over 12,000 calories a day, and eats them back with a lot of carbs, like pasta, and pizza.

stormieweather

I'm 5'1, and I burn average 1300 cals a day through exercise. HOW am I supposed to eat it all back and be healthy? There's only so much of chicken/turkey a person can take. ???

What do you do to burn that much? And is it being measured by a bodybugg or fitbit? Or just going by machines/estimates?

JesaGrace

Thanks for speakin it!!

moonshine_bek

Bump - I really needed to hear this, thanks

muriah2

Bump

Onesnap

Fuzzy, you are amazing. Thank you for being you.

soccermum75

Great post mighty fuzzy:drinker:

lottycat

Thanks for that, it's easy to get carried away and forget the basic principles. Great post x

reyna99

Bump!! needed to hear that! eat calories, don't eat calories back...thanks for the clairfication!!

Lacey34

A confusing question I have...

Well first of all, I really love the concept of eating back my exercise cals. I particularly am enjoying gaining them back in a glass or two of red wine at night.

Now to the ?- yesterday, there was a thread about your net amounts. Should your net equal your mfp goal?

Atlantique

A confusing question I have...

Well first of all, I really love the concept of eating back my exercise cals. I particularly am enjoying gaining them back in a glass or two of red wine at night.

Now to the ?- yesterday, there was a thread about your net amounts. Should your net equal your mfp goal?

On days that you don't exercise, your net calories will equal your MFP goal. On days you exercise, your goal is your regular goal + your exercise calories--your goal goes up on those days.

ImperfektAngel

I get the whole deficit thing now! yay!
but that last paragraph I am having a hard time understanding? I still have 32% body fat, my main goal is to get rid of it!
you say, "You do not BURN FAT during your workouts, you burn cals"
how are you not burning fat during workouts, if fat is also calories?

Newfiedan

you burn cals at the workout, the fat loss tends to occur more when you are sleeping, hence why they say that a good nights sleep benefits weight loss. I have read up on the science of it and it makes sense but it is pretty detailed stuff that has to do with hormones etc. The fat on your body has caloric value but it is the metabolic rate being raised that burns off that stored fat not the actual workout that you do. Working out raised that metabolic rate. This is why weight training provides longer lasting cal burns, you do not burn much during the workout but over time you burn more than just doing cardio alone. This is also why metabolic resistance training is so effective, it combines both cardio and weight training to give you a high workout burn and a long lasting burn afterward.

TAWoody

t I thought it was just common sense that if you're burning 1000 calories from exercise a day that you would probably need to be eating more those days than you usually do. If your plan is to eat 1200 calories a day and you're burning 1000 calories a day then you're only bringing in 200 working calories for your body to utilize to remain alive.

smiler1978

Thanks xxx
:blushing:

Leigh_mc

bump - for later