PLEASE HELP! I am obese. Should I be eating back exercise ca
Emili03
Posts: 164 Member
I still fall in the obese category at 5'8" and weight approx 225. This is the only website that I have ever seen that says to eat back your exercise calories. I really want to lose the weight once and for all this time. The first week I followed my recommended caloric intake and did not exercise and dropped 11 lbs. The second week I did the same and lost 3 lbs. The third week, I began doing Zumba each day and eating back my exercise calories and gained a lb. It can't be muscle gain yet....What should I do?
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No, you are right, it wouldn't be muscle yet. You can't gain muscle in a calorie deficit and would need to be strength training anyway, not just cardio.
I think it depends on your settings. What did you put as your weekly goal to lose, your activity level and how many calories is MFP telling you to eat?0 -
Eating your exercise calories back will be more and more important as you get closer to your goal. My goal is 15 pounds, so I eat mine back always. Not sure what the "schedule" is on this.
Also, as you become more fit, you will burn fewer calories. Do you use a heart rate monitor? Perhaps your calorie burn is overstated (?)0 -
If you are going by the mfp calorie rn, don't. They always over estimate and you end up eating more than you've actually burned. Go by your hrm (and if you don't have one get one).
If you have been going by your hrm and still gained, it could be water weight or an excessive amount of sodium. Watch your sodium intake as it will make you retain more water, and thus weigh more.0 -
i always ate my exercise cals. I thought it was helpful in the beginning because if I was really craving something, like PIzza, I could eat it but I knew exactly how far I had to run to earn it!
I lost 50 lbs and always ate my exercise cals (unless I wasn't hungry, of course).
I think it's a "to each their own" sort of thing, but if you are eating 1200 cals and working out like the ****ens, I would advise eating your exercise cals because going too low in your net cals can mess up your metabolism (I'm not a doctor, but I've heard this from enough sources I consider reliable that I trust it).0 -
If you are hungry, you should eat. Running a big calorie deficit is not good. If I am hungry, I eat back some of my exercise calories. Like you, I am obese and am going for the long term/forever changes to change my life. I know when I upped my exercise I hit a plateau for a bit. Then after a few weeks I started losing. If I were you, I'd try alternative measurements of success, like measuring your waist etc and weigh yourself less often. Unless I go to the doctor and they put me on the scale I only weigh myself once a month. It helps cancel out little fluctuations.0
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bump0
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i always ate my exercise cals. I thought it was helpful in the beginning because if I was really craving something, like PIzza, I could eat it but I knew exactly how far I had to run to earn it!
I lost 50 lbs and always ate my exercise cals (unless I wasn't hungry, of course).
I think it's a "to each their own" sort of thing, but if you are eating 1200 cals and working out like the ****ens, I would advise eating your exercise cals because going too low in your net cals can mess up your metabolism (I'm not a doctor, but I've heard this from enough sources I consider reliable that I trust it).
hahaha! They auto-edited my comment!!! hahaha!!!! I was saying a non-sexual phrase "like the d-i-c-k-e-n-s" ...oh MFP. You crack me up!0 -
I am 5 feet 7 inches and I started at 200 pounds. I did exactly what MFP told me to do and lost 40 pounds before I got pregnant. I set my goals in the beginning to lose 1-1 1/2 pounds and lowered that as I got closer to my goal weight. I always ate back my exercise calories, but also religiously stayed within my calorie range. Oh - and those first couple weeks, I dropped a ton of weight before I started seeing weight loss anywhere from 0-2 pounds a week. Just don't get frustrated that it's taking too long - it's better to focus on knowing that it WILL work if you just keep at it!
Good Luck!0 -
You are correct - it is not muscle gain. What it is is water retention. The variable you changed in week 3 was that you added exercise. By doing that, your muscles are retaining water. It can be alarming at first, but it WILL go away! Just keep doing what you're doing, because you are doing GREAT :-)0
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No, you are right, it wouldn't be muscle yet. You can't gain muscle in a calorie deficit and would need to be strength training anyway, not just cardio.
I think it depends on your settings. What did you put as your weekly goal to lose, your activity level and how many calories is MFP telling you to eat?
This is not true. Depending on where you were physically prior to starting, you could be gaining muscle. The reason I say this is because muscle gain is not only caused by lifting weights. ANY weight bearing exercise can increase muscle mass, especially when you are going from sedentary to active.
Zumba would be considered a weight bearing exercise in this case, and in order to support your body mass in the motions, your leg muscles would have to build up and become stronger. As far as I understand, you aren't in a deficit, as you were eating your BMR and exercise calories.
This is why measuring inches is super important.
ANY exercise that has any weight resistance can cause muscle gain. Your body mass is considered weight resistance. This is why doing things like lunges, squats, push ups, etc will develop muscles. Please don't believe that you have to be specifically strength training with weights in order to build muscle.
That being said, I agree that your muscles are probably swelling with water. Try waiting at least 24 hours of a rest day after your last workout before weighing, and get a tape measure.0 -
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It's entirely up to you - I eat some back but not all the time as the more I exercised the less hungry I became!0
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No, you are right, it wouldn't be muscle yet. You can't gain muscle in a calorie deficit and would need to be strength training anyway, not just cardio.
I think it depends on your settings. What did you put as your weekly goal to lose, your activity level and how many calories is MFP telling you to eat?
I put 2 lbs loss as my weekly goal and MFP is telling me to consume 2,000 roughly. (Before adding exercise it was 1269.) Yesterday, I consumed 1699. I think I may take the suggestion to get a heart rate monitor...just in case MFP and/or the Zumba calorie calculator is overestimating calories burned.0 -
If you have a lot to lose you don't need to eat them back, however when you have under 20 lbs to lose you should eat 60-70% back.
This is just what worked for me. I'm in my last bit of weight loss and if I don't eat most of my exercise cals back I gain.
My father in law is eating most of his back after a 90 lbs weight loss, but he said he didn't at the beginning.
If your are fit and trying to increase muscle mass (getting bigger muscles) you have to eat more. Muscles require proteins to repair.
And if you are obese you can gain muscle mass at a calorie deficit (only exercise calories). However someone with a strong BMI cannot gain muscle mass at a deficit.
Really listen to your body. Are you really hungry or are you eating cause it tastes good. (this is my habit) If you are hungry eat those exercise calories. This journey is supposed to be positive not torture.0 -
Eat some back, but I find their calorie counts very low, so you might want to verify calories and portion size before you enter it on this site.0
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Again, it is NOT muscle gain. It is your body reacting to exercise! And intense exercise at that, I'd recommend giving yourself at least one (if not two) rest days a week.
Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/83600-why-you-gain-when-starting-a-new-workout
"...The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program"
The answer: Keep doing what you're doing. If in a few weeks you're still up, then it's time to look at your food intake.0 -
I've never eaten back my exercise calories even when I was on Weight Watchers(they call them activity points). This is just my opinion, not based on fact but I don't think you should eat them. Many times we overestimate the activity intensity and it might give us more calories back than it should. If you are in weight loss mode and not maintenance mode, I wouldn't eat them back.0
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I dont eat mine. My body has ENOUGH fat to burn if it needs energy & fuel.
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If you are going by the mfp calorie rn, don't. They always over estimate and you end up eating more than you've actually burned. Go by your hrm (and if you don't have one get one).
If you have been going by your hrm and still gained, it could be water weight or an excessive amount of sodium. Watch your sodium intake as it will make you retain more water, and thus weigh more.
^^^^ This.
Get a heart rate monitor. Watch out for sodium and water weight. Eat back most of your exercise calories (once you're sure that your calorie burn is accurate).0 -
I was obese when I started this journey (5'7", 260 lbs) and I've eaten every single calorie I can get my hands on for the last 2+ years! Don't force it though, if you're not super hungry then there's no need to eat just to reach your daily goal, but do make sure you net at least 1200 in order to make sure you're properly fueling your body.
Also, to be a bit more accurate on the calorie count if you don't have an HRM, you can edit the # that MFP gives you by whatever factor you choose (I'd recommend 50-75% for a more accurate #). So say you enter your Zumba as Dancing for 60 minutes and the box comes up saying 700, you can then click in that box and change the 700 to 525 (700 * .75). That way you can utilize the calculations that MFP gives you instead of having to do the math in your head all the time.
Lastly, I just wanted to add one more voice to the chorus about your weight going up due to exercise. It is definitely not muscle gain as that takes a lot of time and training, especially for us women. Since we're just talking about a week, you can safely assume it's water weight due to your muscles retaining water as part of their natural healing process. Keep eating right, being active and drink plenty of water, especially on your exercise days.
Keep up the good work!! You're doing great so far!
ETA: By the way, the reason MFP tells us to eat our exercise calories is because they set a higher calorie deficit. Many other calorie calculators give you a higher daily goal and assume you're going to be active. With MFP, you don't HAVE to be active to lose the weight so when you are active, they want you to make up for those calories burned in order for you not to have too drastic of a calorie deficit.0 -
I dont eat mine. My body has ENOUGH fat to burn if it needs energy & fuel.
Unfortunately, the body won't look to fat first - it stores fat if it's feeling starved. It will start eating away at lean muscle if it needs the energy/fuel. This is why it's important to eat!0 -
If you're not super hungry then there's no need to eat just to reach your daily goal, but do make sure you net at least 1200 in order to make sure you're properly fueling your body.
Agree.0 -
No, you are right, it wouldn't be muscle yet. You can't gain muscle in a calorie deficit and would need to be strength training anyway, not just cardio.
I think it depends on your settings. What did you put as your weekly goal to lose, your activity level and how many calories is MFP telling you to eat?
This is not true. Depending on where you were physically prior to starting, you could be gaining muscle. The reason I say this is because muscle gain is not only caused by lifting weights. ANY weight bearing exercise can increase muscle mass, especially when you are going from sedentary to active.
Zumba would be considered a weight bearing exercise in this case, and in order to support your body mass in the motions, your leg muscles would have to build up and become stronger. As far as I understand, you aren't in a deficit, as you were eating your BMR and exercise calories.
This is why measuring inches is super important.
ANY exercise that has any weight resistance can cause muscle gain. Your body mass is considered weight resistance. This is why doing things like lunges, squats, push ups, etc will develop muscles. Please don't believe that you have to be specifically strength training with weights in order to build muscle.
That being said, I agree that your muscles are probably swelling with water. Try waiting at least 24 hours of a rest day after your last workout before weighing, and get a tape measure.
This. You can gain muscle in a deficit if you are overweight. Especially if you consume enough protein.0 -
That is all well and good for you, but honestly - my calories per day are 1340 right now, set for a 1 pound per week loss for my sedentary lifestyle. I exercise to the tune of 400-600 calories per day EVERY day. If I didn't eat back my calories, my net would end up being 750-950 calories per day. That, IMO, is not enough food to exist on long-term. Sure, if my daily allowance were 2000 calories, I could probably manage it, at least for a while, but this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may or may not work for another, IMO.I've never eaten back my exercise calories even when I was on Weight Watchers(they call them activity points). This is just my opinion, not based on fact but I don't think you should eat them. Many times we overestimate the activity intensity and it might give us more calories back than it should. If you are in weight loss mode and not maintenance mode, I wouldn't eat them back.
OP, definitely get a HRM - without it, your wildly guessing at calories burned (and even with it, your guessing, but it's likely to be a better guess-timate :laugh: ). Then and only then would I consider the exercise calories fair game, in their entirety. I'm just starting this journey, but I've lost about 11 pounds since the last week of January following what I describe above. I haven't gone over calories since the first day I started (started mid-day and that day was doomed because of my awful breakfast and lunch already eaten, but logged it anyways!) and I've seen, on average, the weight loss predicted.
FWIW, I also saw that when I changed things up (added a more rigorous exercise, etc) I sometimes saw the scale move in the other direction for a short while. It was always followed by a significant drop a week or two later, so don't get discouraged if, as you try new things, the loss isn't linear. It probably won't be. But you WILL lose weight! :flowerforyou:
Oh, and FWIW, my legs are definitely stronger from my cardio work. I haven't yet started weight/resistance training, but being obese, my legs are definitely changing because of being on my feet for a couple hours each day working out. So I'd dare to guess I have built a little muscle just from my legs having to support my rather impressive mass and propel it along. :laugh:0 -
Eat what MFP tells you to and go to a gym and lift weights. Worry about tweaking later. Work the program for a while and assess how well it works before you decide you need to stray from it.0
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First of all, WELL DONE on losing 14lbs in 2 weeks, you are doing fantastic, just stick with what you are doing!!!
You generally lose more the first few weeks, then your losses will level out - try also taking measurements as you can lose inches rather than lbs at some times. I lost 6 the first week, gained 1 the second week, then lost 5 the third week. Now I lose between 1-3 most weeks on 1770 cals - net is around 1500 after exercise. (I am 5'5, 210lbs BTW). My diary is open if you want a look. Ive also adjusted my macro settings to 45C / 30F / 25P as stanadard protein of 15% is very low if you exercise a lot.
As you get smaller you need to aim for lower losses so your net cals dont fall too low, generally:
75+ to lose = 2lb / week
50-75 to lose = 1.5lb / week
25-50 to lose = 1lb / week
0-25 to lose = 0.5lb / week
MFP says to eat back your exercise as the deficit for your chosen weight loss is already included in the calorie allowance you are given. If you dont eat them back ,you are creating double the deficit which can be too high and affect your loss HOWEVER - the exercise calorie counts on MFP can be on the high side, so if you use those eat back maybe 1/2 to 2/3 to make sure you arent eating back too much, or get a HRM for more accurate burns.
If you have gone from not eating back exercise to adding them in, the sudden increase in cals can cause a temporary gain while your body adjusts to the new cal level, this happened to me too when I had to lay off exercise due to an injury, and the week after my losses started up again.
Gains after exercise can also be due to stored water to repair your muscles - I saw this in a post recently that explains how this works:
Water weight. When you exercise, and particularly with increasing exercise, your body stores water for 2 reasons. One, it stores water for aid in muscle repair, and two, when you exercise, you use glycogen. When you increase exercise, your body stores more glycogen in preparation for the increased exertion. It takes roughly 4 parts water to store one part glycogen, so if your body stores an extra pound of glycogen, you will also gain 4 pounds of water weight.
hope this helps x0 -
If you are using the MFP estimates, you should probably assume it is off by 25%. MFP is generally really far off of the amount burned. also give it more time, it has only been 3 weeks. Too soon to establish a pattern. Your weight can go up due to too much sodium, to little fiber or too little water.0
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That is all well and good for you, but honestly - my calories per day are 1340 right now, set for a 1 pound per week loss for my sedentary lifestyle. I exercise to the tune of 400-600 calories per day EVERY day. If I didn't eat back my calories, my net would end up being 750-950 calories per day. That, IMO, is not enough food to exist on long-term. Sure, if my daily allowance were 2000 calories, I could probably manage it, at least for a while, but this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may or may not work for another, IMO.I've never eaten back my exercise calories even when I was on Weight Watchers(they call them activity points). This is just my opinion, not based on fact but I don't think you should eat them. Many times we overestimate the activity intensity and it might give us more calories back than it should. If you are in weight loss mode and not maintenance mode, I wouldn't eat them back.
OP, definitely get a HRM - without it, your wildly guessing at calories burned (and even with it, your guessing, but it's likely to be a better guess-timate :laugh: ). Then and only then would I consider the exercise calories fair game, in their entirety. I'm just starting this journey, but I've lost about 11 pounds since the last week of January following what I describe above. I haven't gone over calories since the first day I started (started mid-day and that day was doomed because of my awful breakfast and lunch already eaten, but logged it anyways!) and I've seen, on average, the weight loss predicted.
FWIW, I also saw that when I changed things up (added a more rigorous exercise, etc) I sometimes saw the scale move in the other direction for a short while. It was always followed by a significant drop a week or two later, so don't get discouraged if, as you try new things, the loss isn't linear. It probably won't be. But you WILL lose weight! :flowerforyou:
Oh, and FWIW, my legs are definitely stronger from my cardio work. I haven't yet started weight/resistance training, but being obese, my legs are definitely changing because of being on my feet for a couple hours each day working out. So I'd dare to guess I have built a little muscle just from my legs having to support my rather impressive mass and propel it along. :laugh:
All too true! Lol, my legs did NOT like the jumping in my Zumba class last night! Thanks for the input.0 -
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE FOR HIS/HER INPUT. :flowerforyou: MFP COMMUNITY, YOU GUYS ROCK! i knew it was early to freak out but I also did not want to continue to do the "wrong" thing and risk gaining back the weight that I have already lost. You have all definitely given me some "food for thought." I will keep going and eat back some but not all those exercise calories since i really didn't feel hungry for all of them anyway.0
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Make sure you eat at least your BMR every day (look it up in the tools....we have similar stats and mine is 1730). Never net less than 1200 calories with your food and exercise calories.0
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