Eating the calories you burn

MeganRhea_x

I just started this program a few days ago and was curious about how many people eat the calories they burn when they exercise. I am only allowed 1200 calories a day to eat and I feel that it's really hard to only eat that many calories! I am doing the insanity workout program and burn quite a few calories each day and so far I have been eating those calories that I burn. I haven't weighed in again yet since I started because I only want to once a week but I've seen people say that they don't eat the calories that they burn because they want to lose more weight. I was just wondering if I should be eating those extra calories or if I should try harder to not eat them. Just looking for some input!

Laces_0ut

its probably different for everyone but i dont eat back my calories. im losing about 2.5 lbs per week so i feel like thats a good rate for me right now.

thankyou4thevenom

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

sammys1girly

If I burn alot of calories in a day, I usually eat back about half of them.

maidentl

You should be fine eating them, especially when your limit is 1200 calories. MFP creates a deficit based on no exercise. So if you exercise and then eat those calories back, the deficit is still there. Yes, not eating them creates an even bigger deficit but that's not always a good thing and can eventually backfire. Eating them is also going to keep you from being so hungry and increase the odds of you sticking with this!

tamaranash

You should be fine eating them, especially when your limit is 1200 calories. MFP creates a deficit based on no exercise. So if you exercise and then eat those calories back, the deficit is still there. Yes, not eating them creates an even bigger deficit but that's not always a good thing and can eventually backfire. Eating them is also going to keep you from being so hungry and increase the odds of you sticking with this!

agree totally.. I personally eat most of mine, and I am losing at a good rate.. try not to eat all of them..but if you do some day end up in a deficit, don't worry.. I end up in a deficit here and there, and I am still losing!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

If you're burning that many and you feel hungry you should eat. Your body needs the calories and the website is set up to figure them into your deficit, so you should be netting at least 1200 AFTER you eat back your exercise calories. And 1200 is pretty low anyway especially if you're just starting. Good luck!

LorinaLynn

I ate the earned calories the entire time, and I'm thrilled beyond words at my results. And I felt great - never deprived or hungry - while losing weight, too. For me, it was the missing link and why every other attempt at weight loss failed. Previously, I wasn't eating enough, would feel tired and deprived, get frustrated by the slow progress, and quit. This is the only time I ever reached my goal and had to make a conscious decision to STOP losing weight. :happy:

emergencytennis

I ate 1200 calories for two months and it is fricking nothing. I was hungry for most of that time. I logged grocery shopping and ate it. I logged vacuuming and ate it. I totally ate jogging with my kid. Match tennis, you know I ate that. I ate pruning the azaleas.

Eat them, eat them all.

MrsJax11

I eat them...and lose. I actually started losing more when I ate more...and when I I was set at losing 1 lb per week and didn't eat them all back I got stuck at a certain weight. I changed my setting to losing 1/2 a lb and ate them all back because, quite frankly, not eating what I like to eat made me cranky and feel deprived... So far I have lost 27 lbs since I started monitoring my food intake and exercising, and that averages out to 1.5 lbs a week -- eating....often and well! I just reset to maintenance level because the holidays are coming up and I really don't care if it takes me 3 more months to lose these last 3.5 pounds to reach my original goal!
If you are hungry -- eat them. I try to eat all of my calories, although some days it seems impossible if I have worked out and done a lot of yard work. On those days, I eat until I am full, and usually have a treat at night. You don't want to start a trend that you won't be able to maintain, or that will starve your body of nutrients.

maura5880

I ate back exercise calories for awhile, & wasn't happy with my rate of loss. This week I've been experimenting w/ not eating back. I feel like with over 30lbs still to lose, I can afford to give myself a higher deficit. I've had much better progress this week! But, it totally depends on the person, how much you have to lose, etc..

auto63

I don't always eat back my calories, but there are some days I feel the need to eat more so I do. I noticed this week I mixed it up and didn't stay exactly on calorie goal and helped me lose 1.5 this week and had been at stand still. I say do what works for you. I have heard alot about calorie cycling and am going to try it for a few weeks and see what happens. I agree with only weighing 1x week, I was doing it everyday and would fluctuate 1-2 lbs and was depressing, would give me an excuse to say "Oh well done good and am gaining might as well eat." So by only weighing 1x week was a great surprise when I lost 1.5 this week when a few days ago was up 2 lbs.

AEB_WV

I ate 1200 calories for two months and it is fricking nothing. I was hungry for most of that time. I logged grocery shopping and ate it. I logged vacuuming and ate it. I totally ate jogging with my kid. Match tennis, you know I ate that. I ate pruning the azaleas.

Eat them, eat them all.

lol

caseysray

My calories are pretty low too, so I try to eat at least some of them back. I like exercising because then I can eat more of what I want.

MeganRhea_x

Thanks everyone you've all been a lot of help!!

gjprincess

If you're doing Insanity look in the meal plan and figure your caloric intake from that. When I was going by the 1200 calories I had no energy while doing Insanity. After I figured my caloric intake from the nutrition plan it pop me up 300 more calories a day and I feel much better and am losing weight faster. With Insanity you definately need more calories than 1200 a day.

Rae6503

MFP assigns you a calorie deficit1 based on your weekly goal2. So if you burn 2000 calories a day and you want to lose a pound a week, MFP tells you to eat 1500. When you exercise you burn more than your 2000 calories a day. Say you burn 500. Suddenly you are burning 2500 calories a day. If you do not eat your exercise calories your deficit becomes 1000 calories. If you do eat your exercise calories your deficit remains at 500 calories.

Having "too large" of a calorie deficit can create problems. However, "too large" is subjective and varies from person to person. The more weight you have to lose however, the bigger calorie deficit you can handle. First, and most simply, it makes things harder, makes you hungry, gives you little energy, makes it harder to stick with your diet in the long run. Second, it might slow your metobolism (although this takes times) and slow your weight loss. Third, it makes the transition to maintenance difficult. Lastly, large calorie deficits can start to effect your health if you sustain them too long. Your hair can fall out, your nails crack, your period can stop (if you are female obviously). Your brain stops working at optimal levels, and other things.

Some people say they aren't hungry enough to eat their exercise calories. We need to realize that sometimes our hunger signals aren't the best thing to trust. If they were no one would be over or under weight.

The End.



1. Deficit = calories you eat - calories you burn all day

2. One pound (of fat) = 3500 calories. If you want to lose a pound a week (2lbs a week is possible but hard) you need to eat at a 500 calorie deficit because 3500/7 = 500.

MeganRhea_x

If you're doing Insanity look in the meal plan and figure your caloric intake from that. When I was going by the 1200 calories I had no energy while doing Insanity. After I figured my caloric intake from the nutrition plan it pop me up 300 more calories a day and I feel much better and am losing weight faster. With Insanity you definately need more calories than 1200 a day.

Before I started MFP I did calculate my caloric intake with Insanity's nutrition plan and it gave me 1900 a day. I just feel like that's a little much but then again I'm not an expert on any of this stuff. I thought about just giving myself 1900 a day and not including my exercise on MFP but just putting in my calories but I wanted to be able to take advantage of everything the website offers. I'm not really sure which way will be the best for me.