I dont get it!

ladyraven68

but does that include a built in deficit like MFP provides?

Naturally yes, 300-400 below maintenance. Then 50 mins cardio in the morning (20 after weights) 6x a week, weights 4x a week. When required, an extra 50 mins in the evening too.

so, you give them a small deficit, and let exercise do the rest.

For someone wanting to lose 2lb a week, MFP has already set them a defict of 1000 calories without any exercise.

If they they exercised as well, the deficit would be more than 1000. so they eat back any exercise calories to maintain the 1000 deficit.

It looks like you are heading for the same goal, just going a different way about it.

Aperture_Science

What I dont understand is when you do your settings, it asks you how much exercise you do...I put in 3 x 30 mins pw....so in the calorie allowance it has surely made some adjustment for this in the first place iyswim?

I don't think it works that way. I think that you're initial "I'm going to do 3 x 30mins per week" is just so that you can track whet you did against what you said you would do. The number of cals MFP gives you to lose at your chosen rate is not affected by this initial exercise target: Only recorded cardio exercise sessions will change the cals you are allocated on a daily basis.

Matt_Wild

Hmm not really. An hour of cardio is around 600 calories, heavy weights could be up to 900. My method targets fat and leaves muscle well alone. Calories in and being burned off are viewed in a different manner by the bodies hormonal systems, not the same thing.

This is one of my guys, he won sponsorship with a nutrition company and in mens health mags:-

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformation-bobby-changed-attitude-won-sponsorship.html

CookieGem

Firstly, give yourself longer than a week, unfortunately nothing happens that quickly. Do you have scales that measure your BF or just normal scales. I have some that measure Body Fat (lbs), BF %, water weight and BMI. Its more encouraging when you jump on the scales and when the weight has gone up but BF has gone down i know im gaining muscle.

I am currently seeing a personal trainer and he looked at my food diary and told me to reduce the amount of carbs I was eating, from looking at your diary you eat ALOT of carbs, maybe you should focus on reducing them. An example of my food diary looks like this...

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and grilled mushrooms

Morning snack: apple and sliced turkey

Lunch: Chicken, sliced avocado and salad

Afternoon snack: Hand full of nuts, protein shake

Tea: Grilled salmon with med veg and halloumi

Feel free to add me as a friend to look at my food diary to see what I mean.

Good Luck.

Matt_Wild

I like that diet Cookiegem - low in carbs bar the apple early on and full of protein and good fats :happy:

ChristineDiet

First off give it longer than a week. Try it for a month and then reevaluate.

Second your muscles are probably retaining water. This is normal. Your body needs to repair itself.

I agree. You have to give it time. I just starting out but I lost nothing for 3 weeks straight then 6lbs in one go! this could be the same for you.

And you do need to eat your exercise calories back as MFP already puts you at a 500 calorie deficit. You could allow for a maximum of 1000 calorie deficit and still lose weight and not mess with your metabolism. You could try that, so only eating about 1/2 of your exercise calories.

Good luck and stay positive. x

ramyavemuganti

I dont get this too.Sorry for diverting the topic of the post but see I have had this major major doubt.I have been trying to lose fat yes!targeting fat doesnt work yes.But then I measure like 36 on my breasts and 34 on my waist.What if I lose inches around my breasts cause I dont want that to happen?

godricshollow

Starting to think this eating back your calorie thing isn't for me.

Its a load of old cobblers. Only on MFP does one do it. Its madness.

Incorrect. My mother and sister both use Weight Watchers and when you work out, you earn points. You use those points so that you can eat more to refuel your body.

To the original poster, give your body time to adjust. If it still isn't working then try something else, maybe only eating back half of your exercise calories. See how you go! Good luck

Matt_Wild

Incorrect. My mother and sister both use Weight Watchers and when you work out, you earn points. You use those points so that you can eat more to refuel your body.

To the original poster, give your body time to adjust. If it still isn't working then try something else, maybe only eating back half of your exercise calories. See how you go! Good luck

Ever consider what you'd have lost if you hadn't eaten back extra calories?!

BerryH

"Extra" is relative. Most calorie-based weight loss plans include exercise but they do it based on overall level of activity including exercise, rather than having lifestyle calories and separate exercise calories like MFP. So you might find a personal trainer in the gym says work out 5 days a week and eat 1,800 calories a day, whereas MFP says eat 1,400, but you burn an average of 400 a day and eat all, or some, of those.

MFP wins out for many people, myself included, as not having that extra deficit until you exercise encourages activity that you wouldn't normally do, so you're not just slimmer, you're fitter and have an enhanced metabolic rate.

msmaggyj

I'm probably not the one to give you advice since I have been terrible at sticking to my plan, but it looks like you are eating a lot processed foods. Try adding more whole foods--especially fresh veggies and see if this helps.

godricshollow

Incorrect. My mother and sister both use Weight Watchers and when you work out, you earn points. You use those points so that you can eat more to refuel your body.

To the original poster, give your body time to adjust. If it still isn't working then try something else, maybe only eating back half of your exercise calories. See how you go! Good luck

Ever consider what you'd have lost if you hadn't eaten back extra calories?!

Nope because there isn't really anything to consider. I lose a steady and healthy amount of weight each week, my body is looking toned and better than it ever has before. Eating around 80% of my exercise calories works for me otherwise I'd be surviving on around 800 calories a day if I didn't. I'm not after a fast weight loss, I am after being healthy and looking good.

It works for me and plenty of other people on this site but on the other hand it doesn't work for some and that's okay because we are all different I was just stating that this isn't the ONLY site where people encourage you to eat back your exercise calories/points. There are plenty of places which give you the option, because that is what it is: an option. It isn't a rule or guideline, it's an option for you to pick for whatever works best for you. :flowerforyou:

MDWilliams1857

Matt,

I always hear people talking about "losing fat, gaining muscle" on MFP. But, I have read elsewhere that you can not build muscle while on a calorie deficit. You have to be on a calorie surplus to build muscle. Is there any truth to that?

Wallaby2

I've enjoyed reading everyone's answers...there are so many knowledgeable people here. I am no expert, however to me there is an overwhelming absence of fruit and vegetables and an abundance of processed protein foods. Your daily protein intake seems huge. How about mixing things up a bit by eating more raw unprocessed fruit and veg and lessen the protein intake?

PS you are an amazing logger and will certainly reap rewards in the near future. All the best!

CMomma23

MFP does overestimate calorie... If you truly want to know your burn, invest in an HRM. No two workouts are ever the same... I can do the same exercise twice and have up to a 100 calorie burn difference on the HRM depending on how hard I pushed during each exercise.

flimflamfloz

but does that include a built in deficit like MFP provides?

Naturally yes, 300-400 below maintenance. Then 50 mins cardio in the morning (20 after weights) 6x a week, weights 4x a week. When required, an extra 50 mins in the evening too.

Doest it not happen during a cutting phase though? (after a bulking phase)
And do these people also lose some muscles on the process when "cutting"?
(all of which sounds perfectly normal to me, and not really incompatible with most of what you read on this site - more for maintenance/loss here than prep for competition)
Sincerely just curious.

nml2011

MFP does overestimate calorie... If you truly want to know your burn, invest in an HRM. No two workouts are ever the same... I can do the same exercise twice and have up to a 100 calorie burn difference on the HRM depending on how hard I pushed during each exercise.

Plus they are fairly inacurate, around 80% for steady cardio and wildly inaccurate when strength training!

DoBetterDrea

That is exactly how WW is. I just got off WW and whenever I worked out, I earned points that allowed me to eat more if I wanted to...let's just say that never worked for me...

DoBetterDrea

Starting to think this eating back your calorie thing isn't for me.

Its a load of old cobblers. Only on MFP does one do it. Its madness.

Pretty sure when my mum did WW if she exercised, she didnt have to, but she was allowed to eat more.

That is exactly how WW is. I just got off WW and whenever I worked out, I earned points that allowed me to eat more if I wanted to...let's just say that never worked for me...

nml2011

IMO you can apsolutely lose fat and gain muscle on a deficit albeit a small one;

However I would also say there are many factors that will effect this.

Genetics, how long you've been training, diet (probably most key), type of workout, macro timings, fasting, supplementation, etc. etc.

ianblackburn

you NEVER get to eat more because you are doing exercise.

Hi Matt,

I think there is a lot of confusion about what is meant by 'eating calories back'. There seems to be two approaches:
1) base you target daily calories to include the exercise you do (and not log it on MFP) - in which case you don't 'eat it back' because you have already included the extra amount in your daily target.
2) base it on a 'sedentary' lifestyle, but then log all your exercise and subsequently 'eat it back' (which is what I have been doing)

In both cases you could be eating the same - it just depends on where you started with the calculation!

When I look at your diary you ate 7000 calories yesterday and 6500 the day before! Without exercise I'd have thought you would be booking two seats on the plane pretty quickly (which is obviously not the case) - so I would say you are definitely eating more because you are doing exercise - or am I missing something fundamental?

I really appreciate your expertise though - and I am just hitting a plateau after 6 months and 44lbs lost, so I am currently very interested in this topic (I am also increasing my resistance and cardio exercise), and would be grateful if you could cast a glance at my diary and make any comments...

Cheers

Ian

Matt_Wild

IMO you can apsolutely lose fat and gain muscle on a deficit albeit a small one;

However I would also say there are many factors that will effect this.

Genetics, how long you've been training, diet (probably most key), type of workout, macro timings, fasting, supplementation, etc. etc.

Would you care to explain how in a calorie deficit you can add to muscle? Bar the genetic freaks (most need not apply).

Matt_Wild

Matt,

I always hear people talking about "losing fat, gaining muscle" on MFP. But, I have read elsewhere that you can not build muscle while on a calorie deficit. You have to be on a calorie surplus to build muscle. Is there any truth to that?

I'd agree with that - unless you are a genetic freak, or have just started to train or back from a LONG lay off you will struggle to put any muscle on.

Muscle is MASSIVELY ineffective for the body to carry, it doesn't need large amounts, it wastes calories. When you are cutting back, why would it add to your muscle levels?

Doest it not happen during a cutting phase though? (after a bulking phase)
And do these people also lose some muscles on the process when "cutting"?
(all of which sounds perfectly normal to me, and not really incompatible with most of what you read on this site - more for maintenance/loss here than prep for competition)
Sincerely just curious.

Everyone will lose some muscle when they cut (or in plain English lose weight!) - hence my comment on losing fat and gaining muscle!

Think of cutting as doing what most people are doing here, dieting.

Matt_Wild

Hi Matt,

I think there is a lot of confusion about what is meant by 'eating calories back'. There seems to be two approaches:
1) base you target daily calories to include the exercise you do (and not log it on MFP) - in which case you don't 'eat it back' because you have already included the extra amount in your daily target.
2) base it on a 'sedentary' lifestyle, but then log all your exercise and subsequently 'eat it back' (which is what I have been doing)

In both cases you could be eating the same - it just depends on where you started with the calculation!

When I look at your diary you ate 7000 calories yesterday and 6500 the day before! Without exercise I'd have thought you would be booking two seats on the plane pretty quickly (which is obviously not the case) - so I would say you are definitely eating more because you are doing exercise - or am I missing something fundamental?

I really appreciate your expertise though - and I am just hitting a plateau after 6 months and 44lbs lost, so I am currently very interested in this topic (I am also increasing my resistance and cardio exercise), and would be grateful if you could cast a glance at my diary and make any comments...

Cheers

Ian

Ian, I'm currently bulking (eg putting on muscle) at the moment hence the stupidly high (and frankly boring to eat! :laugh: ) level of calories.

When I cut my calories will be cut by perhaps 4000 to just below maintenance (haven't worked this out yet). When I cut I eat exactly the same foods each and every day, I don't boost foods on workout day.

I'll take a look and message you later if thats ok?

christina0089

I would try to go a little longer before you decide it's not working. Eating back all of your excercise calories I think is a bad idea unles you are already on 1200 cal and burn another 2000 in excercise daily. Excercise does use a lot of energy and you will need fuel... The right foods is energy in as we all know but you have to be puttiing it out as well.

Mfp has their calories burned set pretty high for most activities so unless you are using a HRM. You can assume that you are not burning as much as you believe therefore eating all what you thought you burned is going to hurt you more than help you.

I think you need more to listen to your body. If you are excercising and eating right then you will eventually see a difference. If you are hungry and need to eat then eat. Just remember not all calories are created equal.

Give yourself an alottment and try and stay within that range. If you earned 800 calories from excercise and you are hungry try eating say 300 back in a healthy fiber/protein rich snack. It will kill the hunger but not hurt you in the lng run. Hydration is also huge. Especially when weight training as the water is essential to muscle repair.

You have to be able to live with your regimine. If you are not losing pounds/inches you can get frustrated and give up. If you are starving because you are not getting enough to sustain, you can get frustrated and give up. So happens with many, many, diets. That's why this has to be a lifestyle and it has to be something you can handle living with!

Good luck~ :drinker:

nml2011

Hi Matt,

I agree the genetically gifted are going to have an easier time with this but I am actually seeing this happen with myself - I don't count myself as one of these gifted few. :-(

I wouldn't have believed it myself if my trainer wasn't taking regular measurements).

I'm only talking slightly under maintence, training fasted in the am and doing almost entirely compound moves.

chicken46

I am the same, have been doing it for a week. lost 1.5 lbs of the 10 I want to lose, havent been eating loads and have managed to put back on one pound, I dont get it either !!!

pinkminy

I never eat burned off calories back again, or I would gain weight, I'm happy to burn em off and leave em 0ff, I don't want them back, and to build muscle I do some resistance training my dad was a highly competitive weight lifter / boxing / wrestling/ and martial arts guy, he won loads of comps in his day. He helped my mum with diet and fitness and she never ate calories back, she had 9 children and looked awesome, still has great looking shapely legs at age 86.

ianblackburn

I'll take a look and message you later if thats ok?

Much appreciated Matt!

Cheers

Ian

beckie4442

Hmm not really. An hour of cardio is around 600 calories, heavy weights could be up to 900. My method targets fat and leaves muscle well alone. Calories in and being burned off are viewed in a different manner by the bodies hormonal systems, not the same thing.

This is one of my guys, he won sponsorship with a nutrition company and in mens health mags:-

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformation-bobby-changed-attitude-won-sponsorship.html

OMG I need you, it's my birthday week so I've slipped up quite a bit, but if you view my food diary a week or two back I'm trying to keep my carbs low now while lifting weights in the evening x3 pw ( following NROLFW ) but the book advocates giving your body a 48hr rest between work outs. Whatever you do obviously works, ccould you give me some tips please?