do i eat my exercise calories (burned)?

judymari
judymari Posts: 69 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am still unclear about a couple things: If I aim for intake of 1200 calories and then exercise, would I be more likely to lose weight if I eat my exercise calories or have better success if I don't? (usually just walking exercise)

and then also, the first couple weeks of effort (again!) i stayed under my 1200 and lost a few pounds. The last week it was just a couple ounces. So if I increase my calories to bump my metabolism, how long to stay with the increased cals, and how much should I increase it by? Its really hard to stay motivated without progress...

thanks,

Replies

  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    if you are only having 1200 a day then to you i would say yes..
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
  • melibea
    melibea Posts: 228
    You are supposed to eat them back, that is why Myfitnesspal adds them to the total of calories you have left to eat. I eat most of them back but not all, because I don't have an accurate way of knowing how much I burn with my workouts. So it's NET calories that count and if your goal is 1200 calories, that means 1200 net calories. Good luck! :)
  • sharoniballoni
    sharoniballoni Posts: 163 Member
    Yes. It's simple. The 1200 already accounts for a loss. If you burn 300 calories, eat them back to get to 1200 net. Otherwise, you're probably not feeding your body enough. The body needs fuel. If you don't provide it, it will eventually hold on to your fat for survival during what it thinks is starvation. It will get used to a small number of calories and then any indulgence will make you gain. You need to get your body used to getting more calories, so it knows how to use them.
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