Should i really eat more calories when working out???

jessiolry

So Ive been working out, and every time i input my excerise it gives me more calories for the day. Should i really intake more calories?????

honu18

yes! your body needs good, healthy fuel, to perform exercise at a good level! You don't want to deficit too much and put your body in a weak, compromised state!

shesblossoming

Yep, you have a built in deficit that MFP gives you based on how much you would like to lose. When your deficit is too high, then your body starts to store everything you give it. It thinks that food is scarce. I was really confused about it when I first started, but it really works. I feel better, stronger, and I get to eat!

shirerose

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
go there... and click the link until it provides you with a list of links... they are all past forum posts that discuss this topic in depth.

hottottie11

Yes

I eat my exercise calories and I still lose. I eat anywhere between 1800 to 2000 cal total and I net an average of 1490 calories a week. Here is what helped me understand "eating my exercise cals":

My activity level (excluding exercise; this is important) is sedentary because I work a desk job. MFP calculated my Total Daily Energy Expenditure to be 1760 calories. This means to maintain my current weight I must stay at 1760 calories.

Now I have set myself to lose 0.5lb per week because I'm getting pretty lean and I want to focus on reduce body fat while maintaining muscle. MFP assigned me 1490 calories per day. A deficit of 250 calories per day. Now I work out ALOT. 6 days a week for 1 to 2 hours. I can burn an additional 500 to 1000 calories on those days.

I use a Polar FT4 HRM and it has been a godsend because I can know for sure what I burn.

For example, I went to zumba today and burned 554 calories. My total calorie burn is no longer 1760...it is now 2311 (1760+551). It is very important to me to maintain my deficit. I don't want to lose more than 0.5 lb per week. So my calorie goal for a 0.5 lb loss per week is now 2061 (2311-250). So in essence, I must eat back my "exercise calories". I really don't like how it sounds because it seems like you are eating away all your hard work but if you don't fuel your body properly you run the risk of stalling your weight loss. Now I always leave a little room for error. So I always leave about 100 to 150 calories for cushion.

I've been losing about 0.5 to 0.75 lbs per week. The key to making this work is making sure your activity level reflects your normal life not including exercise. Then you can add in exercise.

You can, as an alternative, set your activity level to include exercise. For example, active or very active with exercise. MFP will give more calories to eat. In this case you don't log your exercise and you wouldnt have to eat them back.

My settings are sedentary and I add in my exercise cals. I eat a average of 1800 to 1900 cals per day and burn an average of 400 calories per day through exercise (2800 cal per week). I net between 1400 to 1500.

BUT If I change my activity level settings to very active to include my exercise....MFP will give me 2152 as my TDEE and a calorie goal of 1902 to lose 1/2 per week. IN this case I wont "eat back my exercise cals". The math turns out to be the same.

Hope this helps

bcattoes

So Ive been working out, and every time i input my excerise it gives me more calories for the day. Should i really intake more calories?????

As long as you didn't figure you workouts into your every day activity level you should. For example let's us a person who has a desk job and sits all day but also works out every evening. If they entered their activity level as sedentary then they should eat the workout calories. But if they entered it as active, because of the workouts, then those calories have already been figured in so no need to eat more.

I find it easier to enter my level as sedentary (because I have a desk job) and then add exercise calories as I go.

ajfrench

I've read everyone's posts and it seems logical. However, when I discussed with my dietician the defeat of Weight Watchers, she said it was because I was eating too many of my "earned" calories. She said we don't really earn extra calories, we just burn more than normal. She cautioned me not to use all my exercise calories "rewarded" here.

Just a thought.

shirerose

and just an fyi... if you have more weight to lose... you can stand having a bigger calorie deficit without it messing you up.
but once you get closer to your goal/healthy weight, you should have a much smaller deficit every day.

shirerose

I've read everyone's posts and it seems logical. However, when I discussed with my dietician the defeat of Weight Watchers, she said it was because I was eating too many of my "earned" calories. She said we don't really earn extra calories, we just burn more than normal. She cautioned me not to use all my exercise calories "rewarded" here.

Just a thought.

yeah, no need to eat them ALL.... but like my previous post said, if you have more weight to lose, you're fine having a bigger deficit.
this is a bad and unhealthy example... but the contestants on biggest loser don't eat back their burned calories... and they lose massive amounts of weight... so you will still lose the weight in most situations, but it isn't necessarily the healthiest way or the best idea for long term weight maintenance.
i always say to try different things and see what works for you... i personally don't generally eat back the calories i burn... but i also have quite a sufficient amount of weight to lose.

Adrenaline_Queen

Yes yes yes, more protein, change your daily intake... 40% carbs 40% protein and 20% good fats, ie nuts xx

I only ever try and eat half my cals I earn, I always eat 1,200 cals, but if I earn 600 I try and eat only 300.. As if I eat more I dont loose.... Just me..

But I do eat a lot more protein now, giong to eat a lot more too xxxxx

I look at different peoples diaries... xx

jessiolry

Thanks for all the advice guys!!! much appreciated!!!

LisaKyle11

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