Anyone still lose 2 lbs/week and eat...

l3ugjuice

If you plan on eating your exercise calories back, just make sure your counts are ACCURATE. If you are relying on estimates of exercise calories...like from MFP's database, or from the treadmill machine you are running on, etc... then you are relying on numbers that are, at best, wild guesses. Generally, wild guesses that are going to be substantially higher than what you actually burned. If so: eating back your exercise calories just means eating away at your calorie deficit.

Buy a good heart rate monitor first, IMO, and use it.

personally, I never eat them all back. Rarely eat any of them back. Working great for me, but YMMV. Every body is different.

BethanyMasters

I eat my calories up until I reach a 1000 - 1200 net and save for last week I've lost 1 - 2 lbs per week.

I also use an HRM so my exercise calories are fairly accurate.

AlyRoseNYC

I don't eat all mine back but I try to maintain a net of 1200. MFP allows me just over 1400 a day, so most days it's not in the green by more than 200 if I can help it!

well then you should eat 200 more per day.

It's not "MFP allows me to go up to..."
It's "My goal to REACH DAILY is...."

There is a built-in deficit IN your goal already. You should NOT be increasing it more.
If they say to NET "just over 1400" then NET JUST OVER 1400!!!! It's that simple. Why are you "trying to maintain a net of 1200"?!?! That is not your recommended goal.

:noway:

Sorry but I am honestly DUMBFOUNDED by people who think they can achieve their goals in a healthy manner while eating 1200 calories.
1200 is the BARE MINIMUM healthy amount. Why push it, go with the healthy goal given to you.

Maybe I should have explained a little more - because clearly according to you I'm doing it all wrong.

I started off eating all my exercise calories back (measured using a HRM with a chest strap, so fairly accurate) and didn't lose anywhere near 2lb per week. So I have tweaked and tweaked until I came to this solution which WORKS FOR ME at the moment. Once it stops working, believe me, I'll change it up. I don't see the point in eating extra food if I'm not hungry. If I am hungry though, I'll happily eat everything available to me in MFP's allowance.

I just thought I'd give someone an insight into WHAT WORKS FOR ME AT THE MOMENT. Thanks for shooting me down.

Good for you! Just do what works for you and your body and you will be fine. I'll never understand why people think that weight loss is a one-size-fits-all cookie cutter approach. I understand that science is science, but people forget about genetics sometimes and how that can factor in to what you have to do. Don't let anyone get you down!

lariecma

I AM NEW TO THIS. WHAT ARE EXERCISE CALORIES?

mark03264

I AM NEW TO THIS. WHAT ARE EXERCISE CALORIES?

Exercise calories are the calories that you burn while you exercise. You should eat most of them back each day for continued sustainable fat loss.

jasonweinberg

Good for you! Just do what works for you and your body and you will be fine. I'll never understand why people think that weight loss is a one-size-fits-all cookie cutter approach. I understand that science is science, but people forget about genetics sometimes and how that can factor in to what you have to do. Don't let anyone get you down!

another factor the "one size fits all" crowd forget to factor in is that all calories are not created equal. by making great choices a person eating significantly less calories than someone eating more can actually be getting vastly superior nutrition. while your body is looking for calories as a part of your total nutrition package your overall nutrition is more important than calories alone.

i will also point out that while i did have the lap band surgery and was under the care of a dr. (everyone on a weight-loss program should consult a dr. regardless of whether they are eating below 1200 calories a day or not) i didn't experience ANY of the symptoms of not eating enough that have been described here. i wasn't tired, i wasn't listless, i didn't have headaches, i didn't have lack of energy and i didn't have stalled weight-loss. the one thing i did deal with was a fair amount of hunger, but that comes with the territory. as the weight was melting off me i found the trade-off to be very worthwhile. also, having a lap band doesn't in any way alter your nutritional needs or how your body processes food so my lapband other than helping me with portion control isn't really even a relevant part of this discussion.. now, to be clear i am not outright advocating a very low calorie diet for anyone, i am merely pointing out that the oft-repeated belief that they are inherently bad for your health or highly risky under all circumstances is not necessarily true.

jene77

I don't eat all mine back but I try to maintain a net of 1200. MFP allows me just over 1400 a day, so most days it's not in the green by more than 200 if I can help it!

well then you should eat 200 more per day.

It's not "MFP allows me to go up to..."
It's "My goal to REACH DAILY is...."

There is a built-in deficit IN your goal already. You should NOT be increasing it more.
If they say to NET "just over 1400" then NET JUST OVER 1400!!!! It's that simple. Why are you "trying to maintain a net of 1200"?!?! That is not your recommended goal.

:noway:

Sorry but I am honestly DUMBFOUNDED by people who think they can achieve their goals in a healthy manner while eating 1200 calories.
1200 is the BARE MINIMUM healthy amount. Why push it, go with the healthy goal given to you.

Maybe I should have explained a little more - because clearly according to you I'm doing it all wrong.

I started off eating all my exercise calories back (measured using a HRM with a chest strap, so fairly accurate) and didn't lose anywhere near 2lb per week. So I have tweaked and tweaked until I came to this solution which WORKS FOR ME at the moment. Once it stops working, believe me, I'll change it up. I don't see the point in eating extra food if I'm not hungry. If I am hungry though, I'll happily eat everything available to me in MFP's allowance.

I just thought I'd give someone an insight into WHAT WORKS FOR ME AT THE MOMENT. Thanks for shooting me down.

i've got your back!

I've got your back too!

I just have to say... I have read several comments made by Robin and all of them are rude snotty miss know it all comments. It is such bull ish! I have wanted to say something for months now. It's perfectly fine to give your advice and tell people the way you do things, but it is so wrong to tell people you are dumbfounded by them! NO one deserves to be attacked when leaving a comment. Thats what this site is about to get feedback not to get DIE HARD MFP freaks, freaking the freak out on you!! WTH?? Take a chill pill Robin! What works for you DOES NOT work for everyone else geeeeesh!

jasonweinberg

lol. now i am feeling a little guilty because robin has been a good mfp friend of mine for a long time and i only found this topic because she is in my newsfeed. i do see that i am not alone in picking up on the somewhat condescending tone of the post. that was why i commented. otherwise i would have probably kept my trap shut. but just as you said you admire what i have accomplished robin i admire you and your journey too.

jene77

lol. now i am feeling a little guilty because robin has been a good mfp friend of mine for a long time and i only found this topic because she is in my newsfeed. i do see that i am not alone in picking up on the somewhat condescending tone of the post. that was why i commented. otherwise i would have probably kept my trap shut. but just as you said you admire what i have accomplished robin i admire you and your journey too.

Hey Jason! Robin is my friend too. Well.... I don't know for how much longer lol but I'm not sure Robin knows how rude she is coming across. I just feel sorry for the people that she trys to make feel stupid. Its just so wrong! I also admire her for her accomplishments and get a great deal of motivation from her.

otgrouch

I eat my excercise calories...If i'm hungry..I still lose..I'm only losing 1 lb a week.

cassondraragan

I have a Bodymedia FIT armband and its pretty accurate. That's how I found out how off the MFP database is for me. So now I only count my exercise calories that my armband says. I think that's why I never ate my exercise calories before I purchased the monitor. I felt like they were way off and I was worried about eating them. But I'm slowly getting used to the idea. It SEEMS counter productive to eat them initially. But, I guess if you think of your body as a machine, helping it to burn hotter and hotter..well, I guess it makes sense to fuel the machine.

PammyPanda

I AM NEW TO THIS. WHAT ARE EXERCISE CALORIES?

Exercise calories are the calories that you burn while you exercise. You should eat most of them back each day for continued sustainable fat loss.

ok..... I understand the part about eating enough calories to lose weight, but am confused by the comments about eating back your exercise calories. i was always told in order to lose weight, you want to burn more calories then you consume. so why wouldnt i want to eat the amount my body needs to have enough fuel to burn calories, yet not eat more then necessary so fat loss is maximized?

you're all saying if I burn 500 calories a day, I'm suppose to eat another 500 even if I am already feeling full all day?

Lotz

Im finiding it had to eat them back, im just not hungry enough. I work out nearly everyday and pretty much graze on fruit and raw veggies all day so when it comes time to eating them back, i just dont feel like it. Also, my goal allows me to eat 1800 a day...thats way to much for me.

Any tips? xXx :flowerforyou:

mark03264

I AM NEW TO THIS. WHAT ARE EXERCISE CALORIES?

Exercise calories are the calories that you burn while you exercise. You should eat most of them back each day for continued sustainable fat loss.

ok..... I understand the part about eating enough calories to lose weight, but am confused by the comments about eating back your exercise calories. i was always told in order to lose weight, you want to burn more calories then you consume. so why wouldnt i want to eat the amount my body needs to have enough fuel to burn calories, yet not eat more then necessary so fat loss is maximized?

you're all saying if I burn 500 calories a day, I'm suppose to eat another 500 even if I am already feeling full all day?

If you set up MFP right to start with then the daily calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a calorie deficit built in to lose weight. That said, you should eat close to the calorie goal MFP gives you each day including eating back most of your exercise calories. Depending on how far under the daily calorie goal you are, you are very likely to cause your body to hang onto the fat it has, either slowing down or even stopping fat loss. It may not happen right away but eventually you will most likely plateau. If you have a lot of weight to lose you can probably get away with it longer but as you have less to lose your body will plateau easier.

I wouldn't tell you to gorge yourself in order to eat the back but you should try to be close to your goal each day.

mark03264

Im finiding it had to eat them back, im just not hungry enough. I work out nearly everyday and pretty much graze on fruit and raw veggies all day so when it comes time to eating them back, i just dont feel like it. Also, my goal allows me to eat 1800 a day...thats way to much for me.

Any tips? xXx :flowerforyou:

I don't try to eat them back at the end of the day like many people do. I generally have my exercise and food planned out in the morning or the night before. By doing this I know about what my calorie burn will be from exercise and I can plan my meals to "pre-eat" most of my exercise calories earlier in the day so that I am not having to try to get them in at the end of the day.

shoppie

I eat the vast majority back but leave a delta of 100-200 if poss. I have lost 2 pounds almost every week, only a handful of exceptions.

PammyPanda

that is very hard to do. Its telling me to eat 1200 calories a day, plus whatever i work out, so it'd be 1800+ each day which is a lot of calories! i've been eating 500-700 under each day and steadily losing .5 lb each day. the days i dont lose are when i actually eat the full amount of calories.

l3ugjuice

I have a Bodymedia FIT armband and its pretty accurate. That's how I found out how off the MFP database is for me.

Same here...it wasnt even close. Though, oddly, my BMR is a bit higher than what MFP estimates...but my exercise calories tend to be less. No idea why, but...well, that's how it works out.

At this point I'm not really on a 'diet' anymore, though. I use my BMF armband to tell me how many calories I've burned total, and I keep up with what I eat by tracking it...but I eat pretty much whatever the heck I want and never come anywhere close to eating into my deficit. I'm just not hungry. I generally burn 3000-4500 calories a day total, and cant ever eat more than 2000 calories even if I wanted to. I'm just used to eating lower calorie foods now.

jacksonpt

Is it healthy to not eat back exercise calories, especially if you are burning more than typical calories during a workout? The more I exercise, the harder it is for me to eat, which makes it that much harder to eat back all the calories. I burned about 1000 calories yesterday and I felt like I was gorging myself all day in order to hit my calorie goal.