I'm supposed to eat the calories I burn each day??

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Pamela3
Pamela3 Posts: 96 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can someone please explain to me why MFP is adding the calories I'm burning to my daily total intake goal? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of working it off?

I know that when I was on WW we were allowed to eat SOME of our activity points earned, but not all.

I'm just trying to get a grasp on all of this so I can understand it better and live more comfortably in a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks In Advance!
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Replies

  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    Yes, eat them. When you set up your MFP account, you put in a goal loss per week (1 lb per week, 2 lb per week, etc). MFP gives you a calorie guide that already takes that into account. Therefore, MFP adds back your exercise calories to keep you from going into starvation mode. So...EAT THEM.
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    You don't need to eat them. I don't, I actually find it hard to fit in the calories I lost and I also think it defeats the purpose of working out. For the first couple months I was on here and I ate back the calories I lost I either didn't lose weight or gained it. I think it's a personal choice but I've seen more results by not eating the calories back.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    Yes. You eat your exercise calories...that is why they add them back. You need to NET at least 1200 calories a day. So if you start out at 1200 and exercise and burn 300 your net calories would be 900. Therefore, you have 300 calories added back to your target calorie intake in order to net 1200 calories for the day. I hope this makes sense. I was confused at first too.
  • princessekrystale
    princessekrystale Posts: 114
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    You don't HAVE to eat them all. I mean just eat some of them until you're full. If you're already full and you don't feel like you need to eat anymore, then don't eat them. As long as you keep your daily caloric intake to a minimum of 1200 calories, you're good.
    I personally try to not even eat them. I just keep it at 1200 calories.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • Tricialeigh
    Tricialeigh Posts: 6
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    You can eat as many calories burned as you want... you want to eat them because it helps your metabolism and muscles. Just do what feels right for you. Good Luck :)
  • Tricialeigh
    Tricialeigh Posts: 6
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    You can eat as many calories burned as you want... you want to eat them because it helps your metabolism and muscles. Just do what feels right for you. Good Luck :)
  • princessekrystale
    princessekrystale Posts: 114
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    WOW ... just a big old YES?
    Wow, that's ...
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
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    Try to eat them. MFP already calculates a safe and healthy deficit for you. If you go below that deficit you risk stalling your weight loss or slowing your metabolism (your body might go into conservation mode).

    As for why you work out -- your body will drop the weight from both your fat and your muscle so when you lose weight you also, to some extent lose muscle. This muscle needs to be replaced which is why just doing cardio isn't enough. Also exercise will boost your metabolism and increase your overall health. And you'll be happier and have more self-confidence not to mention a lean healthy body versus a skinny weak body.

    As for whether you'll keep losing, I read that when competing Michael Phelps would eat 12000 calories a day and STILL had trouble maintaining his weight because of what he burned off.

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403803,00.html
  • Jspiffy
    Jspiffy Posts: 15
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    I'm sure everyone is different. Some people can eat back the calories and lose a constant pound or two while others can't so they don't eat them back. I'm toying with both atm. I seem to lose about a pound if I eat them back but I'm trying to lose more. I'm not going to eat back as much to see how that works for me.
  • McBoBo
    McBoBo Posts: 87
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    Personally I ate them back and gained or didn't lose..that's just me though.
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
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    If you're eating them back and not losing or gaining one of three things is likely happening: 1) your body needs a bit of time to adjust, 2) you're overestimating the number of calories burned (don't go by the MFP calculators. They are NOT accurate at all) or 3) you're underestimating how many calories you're eating in a day.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    Some people eat all of them, some people eat none of them, I personally choose to eat some (as 1200 calories is pretty tough to stick to every day) but nowhere near all of them by any means.

    You will get a LOT of misinformed opinions, stating both yes and not, often repeated parrot fashion by people who do not understand the issues. If you do a search for "Starvation mode" you'll find discussions about this that get very heated, running to multiple pages, with both "sides" convinced they're right, and the others are wrong.

    But, in answer to your question, there is no stock answer that applies to everyone, it depends on individual factors.

    The way I shall answer is by posting a link to an explanation that is clear, and which is accepted by the majority as being correct. It is then up to you to decide what you think will work for you, and to try it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works?hl="+Starvation+Mode:+How+It+Works"
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    WOW ... just a big old YES?
    Wow, that's ...

    It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
    Options
    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    WOW ... just a big old YES?
    Wow, that's ...

    It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information
  • wheelieblade
    wheelieblade Posts: 323
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    I sometimes do, depends when I burn them and if I'm hungry, also depends how many, I sometimes just have a protein shake or an extra cup of tea instead
  • Silvergamma
    Silvergamma Posts: 102 Member
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    It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information

    Yup, that's a great resource for a subject that has been pretty well covered.

    Another good resource about calorie deficits are the Fat 2 Fit Radio pod casts (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/). I really encourage everyone to learn about calorie deficits, and about how success comes down to more than weight loss. It's all about fat loss. Exercise burns fat, builds muscle and makes you feel good. In order to exercise more you need to eat a little more.
  • Smittyinthesun
    Smittyinthesun Posts: 120
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    You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.

    If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.
  • Smittyinthesun
    Smittyinthesun Posts: 120
    Options
    You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.

    If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.
  • Smittyinthesun
    Smittyinthesun Posts: 120
    Options
    You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.

    If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.

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