Extra calories from working out...?

taylor_lynn

I'm a little confused on why they get added to my "daily allowance." If I have a calorie allowance of 1200 I would figure that's whether I work out or not, but when I add an exercise it give me more calories to use which I would think to just ignore or else I'm just eating more food...

Is it really imperative that I eat the calories that I burned exercising, or is it more beneficial for weight loss to NOT eat them? Can someone explain this a little better for me? Thanks!

LesliePierceRN

You can eat them or not, it's up to you.. but it's like making money.. you have to spend money to make money.. you have to eat calories to properly burn calories. Make them nutritious, not frivolous, calories and your body will burn much better. If your body feels stressed from all the demands placed on it and undergoes a restricted diet, it may become more efficient at burning what little bit of calories you consume and therefore stifle the weight loss. I find that I lose the best when I exercise and eat well. If I begin to "hoard" my exercise calories, my body begins to "hoard" the extra weight. If I fuel my body properly and adequately, the pounds fall off of me effortlessly, and I don't have to stay hungry or feel deprived in the process. It's win/win. There are four rules to this equation: Get plenty of rest, get plenty of exercise, get plenty of nutrients (valuable calories, not empty ones) and get plenty of water.

RacketlonSA

Hi, well i think firstly its just a guide for you. But its not imperative that you consume those calories again. your body needs the 1200 cal for your normal day to day living as you stated when you started your profile.
But bear in mind that for a healthy weight loss, you shouldnt be to far below your calorie intake so as to have a gradual loss. So yes, the exersise calorie burn is a guide.
my reccommendation is to eat half of the calorie burnt amount as your body needs the extra fuel for the extra work load. So if you your daily intake must be 1200 and your food consumed is 1150 (-50) then you run for 20 min burning 300 then i would eat an extra 150-200 cal giving you a -150.
Does that make sense.

You definitely need to fuel your body the more you exercise, but use only part of the deficit.

Good luck

westcoastSW

You can eat them or not, it's up to you.. but it's like making money.. you have to spend money to make money.. you have to eat calories to properly burn calories.

I've heard a thousand people argue over exercise calories, but this is the best analogy I've heard yet! Thanks
Sincerely,
An Always-Faithful Exercise-Calorie Consumer

Pebble321

Great advice in the post above.

You will find lots of posts discussing this topic on the forums, but a quick explanation is:
- When you enter your height, weight, age and activity level into MFP it calculates how many calories you burn each day, then subtracts some calories so you can lose weight (your calorie deficit).
- When you add your exercise to the diary, MPF adds more calories to your daily intake because you have burnt more on this day. The calorie deficit it has calculated remains the same, you will still lose weight.
- This means you can eat all the calories MPF has calculated, including those from exercise and you will lose weight (assuming you are accurately logging calories in and calories out).

I think it is a good idea to start out eating the amount of calories that MFP has calulated, if you find you aren't losing weight you might like to look at how accurately you are logging your food/exercise or you may find that you do better if you eat half of your exercise calories. The general advice is that you need 1200 net calories a day to stay healthy.

ladyhawk00

Some good explanations of how MFP (and metabolism) works and why it gives you the numbers it does:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

annie34_1977

Hello...I'm new at this and just wanted to say hi to all and happy mothers day to all the moms.:flowerforyou
I am a mother of 4 (only gave birth to 2 though) I have 2 teenaged Girls one 14 one 18 and 2 teenaged boys one 17 and one 19.
I to was a little confused about the "extra calories" I think I may only eat half of these "extra calories" is that a good idea or not?

anubis609

Before I send you the auto-reply link that I normally would in this case, I will explain.

Calories are units of energy. Following the law of conservation of energy, energy is constant; it cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. So, if you're on a 1200 energy unit plan, and you expend 500 energy units, you're left with only 700 units of energy for the day. If 1200 is needed to function properly, then you need to get 500 units of energy from somewhere. And again, following the scientific law, since your body can't just magically create energy, it must come in the form of ingestion; i.e. food. In order for energy to remain constant, you must replace what was expended.

Inconsistent energy intake over time, your body will start finding other sources of energy in order to function. It may come in the form of deteriorating muscles to get its energy. If that sounds like the perfect plan for you, then plan on mood swings, extreme fluctuations in weight, and an emaciated look to come with it.

Another analogy people use is the fuel for vehicular use metaphor, where if you have a full tank of gas, use half, and don't fill the tank, how would your car get to where it needs to go without filling it with fuel? Same concept, different example.

As neutral as I can remain, I will grant you access to The URL:
http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

ladyhawk00

Hello...I'm new at this and just wanted to say hi to all and happy mothers day to all the moms.:flowerforyou
I am a mother of 4 (only gave birth to 2 though) I have 2 teenaged Girls one 14 one 18 and 2 teenaged boys one 17 and one 19.
I to was a little confused about the "extra calories" I think I may only eat half of these "extra calories" is that a good idea or not?

Depends on your individual situation (height, weight, age, activity level, loss/week goal, how accurate your logging is, etc).

There are several considerations here: Even if you have a lot to lose, simply eating the bare minimum isn't a good idea for long term success. I discussed this in this post:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/222019-60-lbs-in-60-days

Basically, you want to make sure that your NET (on home page) is at least 1200 each day, and ideally it should equal your initial daily goal. For most people, it's best to follow the goals MFP gives you when you're starting out, as it will help you build better habits. Later on, you might need to tweak it a bit, but especially in the beginning, it's best to just follow the recommended goals.

taylor_lynn

Thanks everyone!

fittraier

I agree with what everyone has said. Also, not mentioned by anyone is that if you don't eat enough, your body will go into "starvation" mode and will hold on to your fat cells and you won't lose weight either!

Yocum1219

A lot of good info in the "LINK in MFP you want to read again (and again)" post done by admin. Has a link that answers a lot of these types of questions with a LOT of technical info that explains why/why not.

But from what I've read above, it seems you've got your answer. :-) I've been sticking to what MFP has given me since I joined in March. I've got it set to 1lb a week loss...but my body seems to like what I'm doing, so I've lost 30lbs in 9 weeks! No soda & no artificial sweeteners is the only things I've "forbidden" myself completely. Otherwise, if I want it, I have some, within reason. And I lost the 1st 15 in the 1st month cutting calories alone. The deficit works! )

AMBlass

I don't eat back my exercise calories, but I also don't eat the bare minimum daily allowance. I eat about 1400 a day, whether I exercise or not. I've lost weight every week, except for one. Maybe I could have lost more, maybe not. I think you should just do what works best for you.