Question about exercise calories

titans6us

I have read numerous times on these boards where people recommend that we eat our extra exercise. It makes more sense not to if we are trying to lose weight. The way I understand this whole thing is that we have a set amount of calories recommended for us to eat. If we exercise, we get more calories to eat. This would make more sense if we were just trying to maintain. I want to lose weight. For example...

I am alloted 1950 calories per day. I use the eliptical machine for 50 minutes and burn 550 calories. If I wanted to maintain my weight, I would eat those extra 550 calories. But, since I am trying to lose weight, I would not eat those extra calories. Is my understanding correct?

titans6us

I have read numerous times on these boards where people recommend that we eat our extra exercise. It makes more sense not to if we are trying to lose weight. The way I understand this whole thing is that we have a set amount of calories recommended for us to eat. If we exercise, we get more calories to eat. This would make more sense if we were just trying to maintain. I want to lose weight. For example...

I am alloted 1950 calories per day. I use the eliptical machine for 50 minutes and burn 550 calories. If I wanted to maintain my weight, I would eat those extra 550 calories. But, since I am trying to lose weight, I would not eat those extra calories. Is my understanding correct?

allaboutme

does eating your exercise calories put you into starvation mode? If so, you should be eating the calories or your weight loss will get harder and harder, as your body will starving and trying to keep the calories it needs. Calorie restriction and exercise should never take you below your BMR calorie level, or else you are kind of shooting yourself in the foot, cause (1) you will plateau, because your body will slow down your metabolism to only use the calories you are feeding it and stop losing and if you do happen to get to your goal weight there, (2) once you start wanting to maintain, your body will store, because you were starving it to lose instead of feeding it enough therefore it wants to pack some away getting ready for the next starvation period.

gilly88

not as i understand it. the 1950 you are allotted is ALREADY factoring in -500 calories for one pound weight loss (or however many pounds u want to lose, based on info u entered at the beginning). so, not eating ur exercise cals means u would have a defecit of 1050 cals instead, see? and i think the thing is, to lose weight healthily and keep it off, u need to lose it slowly.

x

ChubbyBunny

With MFP it is set for us to lose a certain amount of weight already (whetever you entered your goal was). If we exercise and burn off more calories, we have to supplement with the extra we burned. If we did not we would be eating too little for our bodies to function at their peak.

Here's a rough example.... I am supposed to eat 1500 a day(my BMR), well if I work out and burn 500 calories what that really equals is me only having 1000 calories left for my body to function. Which is below my recommended number of calories.

Did that make sense?

kerrilucko

I have read numerous times on these boards where people recommend that we eat our extra exercise. It makes more sense not to if we are trying to lose weight. The way I understand this whole thing is that we have a set amount of calories recommended for us to eat. If we exercise, we get more calories to eat. This would make more sense if we were just trying to maintain. I want to lose weight. For example...

I am alloted 1950 calories per day. I use the eliptical machine for 50 minutes and burn 550 calories. If I wanted to maintain my weight, I would eat those extra 550 calories. But, since I am trying to lose weight, I would not eat those extra calories. Is my understanding correct?

No that is not correct. if you are given 1950 cals per day that is a deficit. Therefore if you were trying to maintain you would be given 500 or so more calories (depending on how many lbs you are now trying to lose per week.) in this case you are already at a deficit sor not eating your excercise calories will cause you to be at a much greater, and possibly dangerous deficit. Eat them, trust the system, it works.

titans6us

With MFP it is set for us to lose a certain amount of weight already (whetever you entered your goal was). If we exercise and burn off more calories, we have to supplement with the extra we burned. If we did not we would be eating too little for our bodies to function at their peak.

Here's a rough example.... I am supposed to eat 1500 a day(my BMR), well if I work out and burn 500 calories what that really equals is me only having 1000 calories left for my body to function. Which is below my recommended number of calories.

Did that make sense?

Oh, Ok! That makes sense. I guess I did not fully understand the BMR. Thanks for the help, again!

allaboutme

yes the average male needs about 2700 cal to maintain per day, and I think their bottom line or lowest 1700 and a womans is 1200, and no lower otherwise you go into starvation mode. Therefore you would have to eat at least 300 of your exercise calories back if you burn 550.

neeterskeeter

The way I understand it is that MFP already reduces the amount of calories we eat per day so that we can lose weight. We NEED to eat that many calories or we will throw our body off and not lose weight, just like if we overate calories. Exercise burns out more calories. So we need to eat what we burn or we will be in the same boat as undereating.

I know it is hard to eat extra calories but I have found that I lose weight the best when I follow MFP's plan and I don't lose weight-- I more like go up and down, all over the place-- when I don't eat my exercise calories. All I know is that it's all the science of food which translates to basic math, calories in - calories out, and MFP already sets it up according to that science so that, to lose weight, you must eat the base number of calories a day, which is lower than you would be eating if you were just maintaining, and you must eat the calories you burn through exercise. Plus you will be stronger and able to keep on exercising well if you eat enough -- I think undereating is just as bad for your body as overeating.

All I know is my personal experience so I will share it with you. I am only trying to lose .9 lb a week, which is the most amount that MFP will let me lose healthfully/ safely. I have really found that slow and steady and losing weight the *right* way wins the race. MFP tells me to eat 1200 calories a day if I don't work out. See, that's already less than I would normally be eating -- 1600 to 2000. I can't eat any less than that or my body will be in starvation mode (which is why I can't lose more than .9lb a week because I am already eating as little calories as I can to lose weight safety and build up a good metabolism.)

Now, if I work out and burn 400 calories (which is what I aim for), I can eat 1600 calories. This is *still* a deficit because normally I would be eating 1600 -2000 calories and not working out at ALL lol. It *still* means my body is getting 1200 food calories a day, after you take out the 400 it burns off from working out. It is that magic 1200 number that is key. It can't go above it and it definitely *can't* go below it. If I burn off 600 calories, I need to eat 2000 calories, because then I am getting 1200 calories. And 1200 is actually quite low; I usually eat a little more than that and I am fine; I wouldn't recommend eating less than 1400 calories a day actually. Then you can eat MOST of what you burn off. But it depends on your body type and goals, so just follow the MFP plan and you'll be fine. I guarantee you based on my personal experience that the only way I have taken off any pounds in the *long-term* (not just got them off fast in a crash diet/ exercise program and then had them come back on again) is by following the math and science here at MFP and I have to eat what I burn or I start yo-yo'ing again on the scale. Be consistent, track what you eat and eat what you burn even though it may go against your instincts at first, and you WILL see long-term results. Good luck!!!

ChubbyBunny

With MFP it is set for us to lose a certain amount of weight already (whetever you entered your goal was). If we exercise and burn off more calories, we have to supplement with the extra we burned. If we did not we would be eating too little for our bodies to function at their peak.

Here's a rough example.... I am supposed to eat 1500 a day(my BMR), well if I work out and burn 500 calories what that really equals is me only having 1000 calories left for my body to function. Which is below my recommended number of calories.

Did that make sense?

Oh, Ok! That makes sense. I guess I did not fully understand the BMR. Thanks for the help, again!

Not a problem! BMR is only accounting for the basic basic needs...so if you were just laying in bed all day doing nothing but breathing and have your organs functioning your BMR is what you would need for that. You don't want to be much lower then that number (at least in my opinion).

Another quirk I've discovered. I used to work out hard an hour everyday (weights, cardio, etc). I had to actually STOP working out for me to actually have weight loss happen (Not that I am recomending that). Which I am not sure that is normal. For me weight loss is first on the list of importance, follwed by toning a close second. Everyones body is different and reacts differently.

PhotographerOfNature

ChubbyBunny: I agree with the slowing the workouts to lose weight. Last Wednesday I weighed 172 and I worked out hard that afternoon. I worked out hard Thursday and Friday too and weighed 174. Ugghhh! Makes no sense!

ChubbyBunny

ChubbyBunny: I agree with the slowing the workouts to lose weight. Last Wednesday I weighed 172 and I worked out hard that afternoon. I worked out hard Thursday and Friday too and weighed 174. Ugghhh! Makes no sense!

Not sure what's going on there either.
I have roughly maintained my overweight-ness for a decade.
Working out a lot, crazy diets....same weight....whole time.
For me, only when I quit working out did the weight come off.
I do hope to get back to my exercise, but it won't be until I've lost a bit of this weight.

shorerider

I found that for me, cycling ALOT and weight loss didn't go together. That's why I'm scaling back my exercise over the winter and hope to get back to some serious weight loss.