Calories Remaining

Taygwen

Right now I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. When I exercise I burn calories and it adds those calories saying that I have those calories remaining to consume for the day. SHOULD I consume those calories or stick to only consuming 1200 calories. Seems like eating the calories I burned would defeat the purpose right?

tonilizzy88

i feel the same as you but people tell me i have to eat them??? id like to hear peoples responses to this one to but im with you

pixiechick8321

It's up to you - how did you set up your calorie goal? My DH set it up as "sedentary" so he ignores the calorie addition when he works out and goes with the base model to help him lose weight. If you set it up that you work out, then you eat the calories you get from working out.

I set it up with a manual amount, since I'm in maintenance, and sometimes I'll eat the "Extra" I get from working out and sometimes I won't, it depends on if I want more food, but I consider them "free and available".

So if you are trying to lose weight, don't eat them back, but if you are maintaining, then eat them so you don't lose weight.

priescm

The way I look at it, I eat the extra calories (not ALL of them necessarily, but I up my intake). I might lose weight faster by not eating them, but your body needs extra nutrition when you exercise...especially if it's an intense work out. I think the extra calories help fill any nutritional deficiencies you may be causing.

Kristhin

If you're hungry and you want to eat them, eat them.

If you aren't hungry and you'd rather have the boost of having burned extra calories off rather than the food, don't eat them.

Thats how I do, anyway.

erickirb

Right now I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. When I exercise I burn calories and it adds those calories saying that I have those calories remaining to consume for the day. SHOULD I consume those calories or stick to only consuming 1200 calories. Seems like eating the calories I burned would defeat the purpose right?

MFP sets you up to lose your goal amount of weight at 1200 calories with no exercise, so to hit your goal you must eat back those cals.

Think of it this way 1200 is the minimum anyone should eat without exercising. Now if you exercise and burn 400 calories it is as if you only ate 800 (1200-400) and didn't workout as 1200-400 = 800-0.

vodkaswigger

There are loads of debates on this issue, i never eat my exercise cals unless im having a few drinks and a big meal every couple of weeks, i did try once and never lost a Ib, try it for a while and see how you go, its best to make up your own mind xx

koylefam

If your calorie intake drops below 1200 you body goes into starvation mode and then your metabolism slows. If you only eat 1200 calories per day but burn 200 exercising then you have really only given your body 1000 calories. So when I set up my account I listed myself as active (exercising 5 days a week) that gives me 1250 to eat on the days I don't exercise. But if I burn 250 exercising then I get 1500 -250(exercise)- my 1250. So yes eat at least part of them... or you risk affecting your metabolism

erickirb

So if you are trying to lose weight, don't eat them back, but if you are maintaining, then eat them so you don't lose weight.

Bad advise, if you eat them you will lose your goal amount of weight as MFP already sets you up to lose with no exercise, when you exercise you increase the deficit beyond your goal level, so you eat them back to ensure your deficit is at your goal amount. If you don't eat them you risk burning off a large portion of your lean muscle, instead of fat, while you are losing the weight.

Taygwen

Sometimes I feel like I'm hungry and want to eat the extra calories but since I've just started the 1200 calories I often wonder if I'm really hungry or if its just me wanting to eat out of habit. I drink water to curb the craving.

debdptg

Actually, it is not very intuitive, but I have found that if I don't eat enough, I stop losing weight. MFP already calculates a calorie deficit for you to loose weight. You exercise to burn calories, but also to keep you metabolism going. If your calorie intake is less than approximately 1200 NET (including the calories you burn with exercise), then your body thinks you are starving and conserves energy. That is where the plateaus come from - your body is burning less calories all day long. If you eat enough, your body stops hording the calories and lets you loose weight again.

It is hard to get your mind around it, but if you don't eat enough, you don't loose weight. That's why folks keep saying to "eat your exercise calories".

Just my thoughts - take them for what they are worth...

kunibob

Really, there are so many opinions on the matter that you have to do what works for YOU!

Personally, I lose much faster if I eat back about 75-100% of my exercise calories than if I eat 0% -- my metabolism seems to freak out if it thinks I'm starving (which, by the sounds of it, is fairly common). That, and I get really sluggish if I don't eat them back...I'm especially noticing that now that I'm running and doing circuit training in addition to my pre-MFP exercising. I need that fuel in order to do my exercise!

Taygwen

Thanks Erickirb, that makes more sense. So when i do work out I SHOULD eat to stay at the 1200 calories. I never thought of it that way as far as losing muscle rather than fat and all that. I guess I need to put things in different perspective since I'm actually counting calories now instead of just trying to burn of the calories that I eat throughout the day.

brandiuntz

This is one of the sticky topics over in the General area. It explains why you're supposed to eat your exercise calories:


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