You Really Should Eat Your Exercise Cals Back!

elo83

At the risk of getting flamed....
Reading through a lot of posts on the forums and ppl bashing others for not eating enough isn't very nice. However, my thoughts are basically(and I almost never comment on those threads) ppl that simply don't eat enough are not being realistic.It's simply not possible to stay on a strict 800 calorie or less diet for weeks/months/years on end. While I believe in "hey to each there own" I think trying to loose weight in this way will eventually be counterproductive.

What about when life gets in the way? Or when you're out a party? Or don't have a ton of time to exercise? How are you going to maintain that loss if you can't do the same things you were doing?

I personally don't believe in cutting any foods out! I believe in moderation and consistent exercise. I workout 4-6 times a week for about 30min to an hour and I try to eat all my exercise cals back. When I can't make it to the gym I try to eat a little less and I always eat real food! I don't eat 2 pieces of steamed asparagus with 1oz of chicken! I eat a full meal! Cuz who the heck eats like that EVERYDAY! I couldn't!

Thoughts?

busyPK

Couldn't agree with you more!

elo83

Ha! Thanks! I mean really who has 90 minutes every day for exercise?! And can only eat 500 calories? I just don't get it!

TavistockToad

i totally agree, but people want results right now, not in 6 months time so they go for a quick fix to drop the pounds as quick as possible!

BAMFMeredith

Ha! Thanks! I mean really who has 90 minutes every day for exercise?! And can only eat 500 calories? I just don't get it!

Not gonna lie, I work out for 90 minutes about 4-5 days a week. But I realize it's not possible for a lot of people, sometimes I don't even know how I have time for it.

I don't even get how people live on less than 1000 calories though, even if I didn't work out, I think I'd pass out before the day was over!

tabinmaine

I have 90min every day for exercise, I do it 5-6 days a week.

I also have 4 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats, a full time job, all kids are in sports/activiites and I am married......

elo83

Tabinmaine, you are superwoman!
I simply can't! I'd love to but simply not enough hours in the day.
I have a full time job and I live about an hour 15 minutes away from work and work 9-6.
By the time I get home It's 7ish(that is if the train doesn't get delayed!) I'll walk my dog get dressed and head to the gym.
I'm at the gym by 7:45 and depending on the day once I get back from the gym its 8:45(if I do an hour).
I cook and eat by 9:30ish? Shower, wash and repeat for the next day!
This doesn't even include trying to spend time with my husband who's a chef and works ridiculous hours!

babigurl86

i had major issues with not being able able to lose weight because i wasn't eating enough calories or exercising,im struggling to make it to 1200 let alone wat im burning but ive sill lost 1st since new yrs ,wat i dont understand is isnt the deficit wat causes weight if you eat all you burn wouldnt you just be maintaining?

tabinmaine

I would work out at 6am , come home and shower and then go to work.... I can't work out past 7pm... I am DONE by 8pm , only good for signing permission forms and folding laundry haha.... nothing more stimulating

elo83

Tabinmaine, seriously you're superwoman!

CMmrsfloyd

i had major issues with not being able able to lose weight because i wasn't eating enough calories or exercising,im struggling to make it to 1200 let alone wat im burning but ive sill lost 1st since new yrs ,wat i dont understand is isnt the deficit wat causes weight if you eat all you burn wouldnt you just be maintaining?

MFP sets your calorie goal so that you will lose weight even if you don't exercise. There is a certain amount of calories that your body burns on a daily basis just keeping you alive and functioning, MFP calculates an estimate of that amount of daily calories when you program in your height/weight/age/gender. Then when you tell MFP that you want to lose weight, it subtracts a particular amount of calories from that maintenance amount that it estimated, then if gives you your daily calorie goal based off of those calculations. Since MFP has already done the work of creating a calorie deficit for you, all you have to do is eat those calories every day and you will lose weight. If you exercise, that makes the deficit even larger - some people feel that's a good thing b/c they want to lose weight as fast as possible, however some people feel it's best to stick to the rate that they set on MFP (losing weight *too fast* can be a bad thing) so they eat back those exercise calories that they earned to keep the rate steady and not too fast.

Just for an example, I'm 5'4" and 129 lbs, MFP calculates my 'maintenance' calories to be around 1620 (my profile is set to 'sedentary' - if you choose a higher activity level, you get more calories) - so if I just ate 1620 calories per day and didn't do any extra exercise, I would theoretically maintain my current weight. However, I told MFP that I want to lose about 1/2 lb per week, so it subtracted 250 calories off of my daily maintenance amount and gave me a daily calorie goal of 1370. 1 lb of fat is 3500 calories, so by eating 250 calories per day less than my maintenance amount, I am burning off 1750 calories per week which equals to about 1/2 lb per week weightloss. I'm very close to my goal weight and don't want to lose weight too fast at this stage, so when I workout I log those exercise calories and eat them back. So if I burn 500 calories in my workout one day, instead of only eating 1370 I eat close to 1870. Since I burned those 500 calories through exercise, my *net* calories are still at about 1370, and I still lose weight at about the rate I requested.

emmyvera

I totally agree!
I love food. I love eating healthy and I also enjoy "no so good for you" food. Moderation is key and my motto. I workout 5-6 days a week for 30 minutes to an hour. And like you said, if you can't make, eat a little less. I had to do that yesterday. I eat my calories back - love it. Works for me.

tabinmaine

Tabinmaine, seriously you're superwoman!

haha, thanks but honestly.... it's all about planning.... I literally fit my workouts in places where I didn't even KNOW I had time....

Example: I drop my daughter off at the highschool 1hr before her games, she has to be there, well rather than returning home to just come back to the school 1hr later to watch her game I simply dress in my running gear and park the car at her school, run for a hour in the school's neighbourhood and then watch her game. Killing two birds with one stone is my expertise

MotorCityFemmeFatale

As per the OP, no one should be on 800 calories a day. You simply can not get enough nutrition in with such a low count. I see anas all the time who want a fit body ... then starve themselves. You have to feed the machine to get a fit body (not binge either). Otherwise you will be sick.

Not directed and OP, just in general, no one is going to force a cup cake, potato chips or cruddy food in general, down your throat. That's your choice. I eat clean the majority of the time and eat pre party (such as the Super Bowl party this weekend).

I also have a busy life, heck we all do. I have a few more kids then the lady above me. Like her exercise is also a choice, you have to make it happen. These things are a way of life or you will be forever "dieting"

babigurl86

i had major issues with not being able able to lose weight because i wasn't eating enough calories or exercising,im struggling to make it to 1200 let alone wat im burning but ive sill lost 1st since new yrs ,wat i dont understand is isnt the deficit wat causes weight if you eat all you burn wouldnt you just be maintaining?

MFP sets your calorie goal so that you will lose weight even if you don't exercise. There is a certain amount of calories that your body burns on a daily basis just keeping you alive and functioning, MFP calculates an estimate of that amount of daily calories when you program in your height/weight/age/gender. Then when you tell MFP that you want to lose weight, it subtracts a particular amount of calories from that maintenance amount that it estimated, then if gives you your daily calorie goal based off of those calculations. Since MFP has already done the work of creating a calorie deficit for you, all you have to do is eat those calories every day and you will lose weight. If you exercise, that makes the deficit even larger - some people feel that's a good thing b/c they want to lose weight as fast as possible, however some people feel it's best to stick to the rate that they set on MFP (losing weight *too fast* can be a bad thing) so they eat back those exercise calories that they earned to keep the rate steady and not too fast.

Just for an example, I'm 5'4" and 129 lbs, MFP calculates my 'maintenance' calories to be around 1620 (my profile is set to 'sedentary' - if you choose a higher activity level, you get more calories) - so if I just ate 1620 calories per day and didn't do any extra exercise, I would theoretically maintain my current weight. However, I told MFP that I want to lose about 1/2 lb per week, so it subtracted 250 calories off of my daily maintenance amount and gave me a daily calorie goal of 1370. 1 lb of fat is 3500 calories, so by eating 250 calories per day less than my maintenance amount, I am burning off 1750 calories per week which equals to about 1/2 lb per week weightloss. I'm very close to my goal weight and don't want to lose weight too fast at this stage, so when I workout I log those exercise calories and eat them back. So if I burn 500 calories in my workout one day, instead of only eating 1370 I eat close to 1870. Since I burned those 500 calories through exercise, my *net* calories are still at about 1370, and I still lose weight at about the rate I requested.

thanks so much for explaining it for me, i understand,im still struggling with eating so much but im gonna try hard to get as close as i can ,e.g- yesterday i did 2 1/2hr cardio there way no way i would've been able to eat that bk lol, im only gonna do that long distance run once a week as ive also been told not to lose it too quick,thanks again ,bbg

BAMFMeredith

As per the OP, no one should be on 800 calories a day. You simply can not get enough nutrition in with such a low count. I see anas all the time who want a fit body ... then starve themselves. You have to feed the machine to get a fit body (not binge either). Otherwise you will be sick.

Not directed and OP, just in general, no one is going to force a cup cake, potato chips or cruddy food in general, down your throat. That's your choice. I eat clean the majority of the time and eat pre party (such as the Super Bowl party this weekend).

I also have a busy life, heck we all do. I have a few more kids then the lady above me. Like her exercise is also a choice, you have to make it happen. These things are a way of life or you will be forever "dieting"

Totally agree. We all have busy lives, but you have to decide what's a priority to you. I prep dinners ahead of time so all I have to do is pop em in the microwave, I pack my lunch/snacks for the day, take em to work with me, and always have a back up snack in case I'm extra hungry that day. Then I also have my gym bag in my car so I can pick my son up from school and go straight to the gym after work. It's all about planning and time management. I even put my workouts and what I'm planning to do that day at the gym on my calendar (on my phone) so I can get right to it and really maximize the time I do have to spend at the gym.

CMmrsfloyd

i had major issues with not being able able to lose weight because i wasn't eating enough calories or exercising,im struggling to make it to 1200 let alone wat im burning but ive sill lost 1st since new yrs ,wat i dont understand is isnt the deficit wat causes weight if you eat all you burn wouldnt you just be maintaining?

MFP sets your calorie goal so that you will lose weight even if you don't exercise. There is a certain amount of calories that your body burns on a daily basis just keeping you alive and functioning, MFP calculates an estimate of that amount of daily calories when you program in your height/weight/age/gender. Then when you tell MFP that you want to lose weight, it subtracts a particular amount of calories from that maintenance amount that it estimated, then if gives you your daily calorie goal based off of those calculations. Since MFP has already done the work of creating a calorie deficit for you, all you have to do is eat those calories every day and you will lose weight. If you exercise, that makes the deficit even larger - some people feel that's a good thing b/c they want to lose weight as fast as possible, however some people feel it's best to stick to the rate that they set on MFP (losing weight *too fast* can be a bad thing) so they eat back those exercise calories that they earned to keep the rate steady and not too fast.

Just for an example, I'm 5'4" and 129 lbs, MFP calculates my 'maintenance' calories to be around 1620 (my profile is set to 'sedentary' - if you choose a higher activity level, you get more calories) - so if I just ate 1620 calories per day and didn't do any extra exercise, I would theoretically maintain my current weight. However, I told MFP that I want to lose about 1/2 lb per week, so it subtracted 250 calories off of my daily maintenance amount and gave me a daily calorie goal of 1370. 1 lb of fat is 3500 calories, so by eating 250 calories per day less than my maintenance amount, I am burning off 1750 calories per week which equals to about 1/2 lb per week weightloss. I'm very close to my goal weight and don't want to lose weight too fast at this stage, so when I workout I log those exercise calories and eat them back. So if I burn 500 calories in my workout one day, instead of only eating 1370 I eat close to 1870. Since I burned those 500 calories through exercise, my *net* calories are still at about 1370, and I still lose weight at about the rate I requested.

thanks so much for explaining it for me, i understand,im still struggling with eating so much but im gonna try hard to get as close as i can ,e.g- yesterday i did 2 1/2hr cardio there way no way i would've been able to eat that bk lol, im only gonna do that long distance run once a week as ive also been told not to lose it too quick,thanks again ,bbg

You don't necessarily have to eat it all in that same day - you can spread it out over a couple of days if that's more manageable. Like if you have 500 calories leftover at the end of the day on Friday, you could eat an extra 250 on Saturday and even an extra 250 on Sunday if you wanted. It's not just a day-by-day thing, it's an average over time. Some people find it easier to spread it out like that - there's actually an official form of this called 'zig-zagging' where some days people go low on their calorie goal and other days they go a little over, and at the end of say a week for example it all averages out. I actually use that strategy if I know there's a day coming up where I'm going to go over - for example I'm planning to go to a party next Friday and I know it would be very difficult to try and add things up in my head, so what I'm going to do is go a little low on my calories for maybe 3 or 4 days leading up to the party, maybe 150-250 under my goal for a few days, then when the party comes I'll just go ahead and enjoy myself (within reason LOL) and at the end of the week going over on that that 1 day will pretty much cancel out with the days that I went under. I used this strategy at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family gatherings and it always resulted in me continuing to lose weight that week. :-)

babigurl86

its def all in the planning-failing to plan means your planning to fail im also a 26 yr old mum of 4 boys (+hubby lol) i'd never get anything done if i didnt plan even basic stuff

junyr

Those who want to will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse.

babigurl86

ok that will work great for me thank goodness u explained that to me early on (been on here only 3 days) ive been beating myself up about it. also it my birthday very soon so dropping some cals for 2 days before hand will help-i WILL drop hummus for a mojito lol i jest..........

Biggipooh

Those who want to will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse.

How true.

Angie0rtiz

I face the same problem not eating enough calories. I work out 30-60 min five days a week then play with my kids too. I've noticed I'm under intake by like 5-6 hundred calories and I'm suppose to consume 1400 a day. How are we suppose to eat more of healthy foods when I eat not being hungry to begin with?

becoming_a_new_me

If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.

sjkcarter

I workout 5-6 days a week. But I wake at 4am M,W, F for Jillian, and go to the gym M,W,F after work. I also do jillian on Sat and Sun. If I didn't eat most or all of my cals I would not make it. I do not deprive myself of anything. All in moderation.

LaurenAOK

I face the same problem not eating enough calories. I work out 30-60 min five days a week then play with my kids too. I've noticed I'm under intake by like 5-6 hundred calories and I'm suppose to consume 1400 a day. How are we suppose to eat more of healthy foods when I eat not being hungry to begin with?

There are plenty of healthy foods that are pretty high in calories and can help you reach your goal. Peanut butter, nuts, protein shakes, etc.

KatieTee83

As per the OP, no one should be on 800 calories a day. You simply can not get enough nutrition in with such a low count. I see anas all the time who want a fit body ... then starve themselves. You have to feed the machine to get a fit body (not binge either). Otherwise you will be sick.

Not directed and OP, just in general, no one is going to force a cup cake, potato chips or cruddy food in general, down your throat. That's your choice. I eat clean the majority of the time and eat pre party (such as the Super Bowl party this weekend).

I also have a busy life, heck we all do. I have a few more kids then the lady above me. Like her exercise is also a choice, you have to make it happen. These things are a way of life or you will be forever "dieting"

This!!

Listen, I only have one kid, and she's a baby without any extra-curriculars, etc., and I still find it impossible to fit in decent workouts if I don't plan out my schedule in advance. It was so easy as a single girl, I could hit the gym whenever I wanted and I was only worried about feeding myself. Now all that simple stuff is so much more complicated, you've got to set yourself up for success. I bring my gym bag to work so I can go straight there when I'm off, keep healthy snacks at my desk and bring lunches every day, and I try to use part of my lunch breaks to go for quick walks when I can.

elo83

It's true about fitting exercise into your schedule.
Not that exercise isn't important to me but I'm not willing to put in 90+ minutes of exercise everyday.
I rather spend my free time going out with my friends, hanging out with my husband when I can.
Reading a book. Etc.

My whole post is really all about balance.
Are you ALWAYS going to have 90+ minutes to spend working out every day?
Are you ALWAYS going to eat less than 1200 calories a day?

Realistically, that's impossible. There will come a point sometime where you won't be able to do all those things. That's why I fit in exercise when I can and eat whatever I want in moderation. For me personally, this has worked. I've mananged to loose over 70 lbs since I started this journey without EVER feeling deprived and by making changes that are REALISTIC for the rest of my life not by exercising myself to death and eating the bare minimum to stay alive to get the weight off as quickly as possible! Slow and steady is just fine by me!

nallbaby10

If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.

I will follow what u have done lol u have great loss and are an insperation to me! I honeslty have a hard tme getting to 1200 a day with 4 kids i have to plan it to eat it if i dont i forget to eat ( yea go figure how does a large woman forget to eat lol ) i do my best but i can only hit my net is if i eat junk or eat all day long lol

zebraspots2069

I joined MFP, to learn how many calories i was actually eating everyday.....i was consuming BAD calories..JUNK FOOD chips, cookies etc . Cutting them out of my diet, I am actually UNDER the alloted calories....

becoming_a_new_me

If i ate all my exercise calories back every day, I'd probably explode. I work out about 30-45 minutes (fitting it in throughout the day). I already get 1400 calories per day, and if I were to add in another 300-500, I'd be too full. So I usually leave about 300 or more calories on the table, but I am losing and am not worried about it. I rarely go under 1200 total per day so I'm not worried about it.

I personally don't feel that people should have to eat all them back, but if they want to they can. As long as you get a protien/complex carb in after your workout, you are good.

I will follow what u have done lol u have great loss and are an insperation to me! I honeslty have a hard tme getting to 1200 a day with 4 kids i have to plan it to eat it if i dont i forget to eat ( yea go figure how does a large woman forget to eat lol ) i do my best but i can only hit my net is if i eat junk or eat all day long lol

I completely know what you mean!! If I don't plan out my day completely, I do forget to eat. When I forget, I don't lose weight so I am careful to get some nutrition. Quite honestly, even if you only ate 1200 calories worth of Goldfish Crackers and Fruit Snacks you will still lose weight as long as you have a calorie defecit.

DesertMommas

**gasp**
at the risk of looking really stupid... we get to eat our exercise calories back?
omg... i love you....