How to handle net calories

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sina1215
sina1215 Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
Since I am new to the nutrition part of this weight loss maze, I am looking for information regarding the net calorie aspect. If I work out and burn 500 calories a day, am I supposed to eat more to fill those burned off calories? Is the idea to burn off more that you eat?
Sina1215

Replies

  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    here is a very informative thread:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    I very much recommend eating your exercise calories, and this thread goes into great detail explaining the reasoning behind it. :flowerforyou:
  • JenniferMann24
    JenniferMann24 Posts: 293
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    I have heard so many different things that I just don't know. Most everyone on MFP says to eat your exercise calories. Every doctor and nutris. has told me NO, don't eat them. I eat what im suppose to and if im a little more hungry one day I take advantage and if im not i don't. :ohwell:
  • CrystalT
    CrystalT Posts: 862 Member
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    Everyone is different. What works for me, may not work for you. I would suggest just trying different things to see what works for you. One week eat all the calories, the next don't. See what kind of a difference it makes in your weight lose and adjust from there. Maybe you need to only eat 1/2 of the exercise calories, maybe all of them, maybe none.
  • JenniferMann24
    JenniferMann24 Posts: 293
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    Everyone is different. What works for me, may not work for you. I would suggest just trying different things to see what works for you. One week eat all the calories, the next don't. See what kind of a difference it makes in your weight lose and adjust from there. Maybe you need to only eat 1/2 of the exercise calories, maybe all of them, maybe none.

    Thats is good advice!:flowerforyou:
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
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    It depends. If you are like most females on here and set at 1200 calories a day, then you burn 500 and not eat any, you are living on 700 calories a day. That is not enough to keep you functioning normal and in a healthy manner. If you are at maintenance and burn 500 calories and don't eat for one day, then you should be fine.

    Just read the link in the previous post and choose what you think is best for you. Give it a try, give it longer than a week, maybe 3 or 4 for your body to acclimate. If it's not happening for you, try something else.

    Good luck... :drinker:
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    I eat pretty much all of my exercise calories every day. The point is to have a 1000 calorie deficit at the end of the day to lose 2 pounds/ week. I've never, ever in my life eaten my exercise calories- it was always a 1200 or 1500 calorie diet plus exercise. I always lose lots of weight fast...but then I always quit the diet because I'm starving and deprived. This is the first time I don't feel hungry AND I'm losing weight. :smile:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    chgudnitz has a really good point.
    one week is not long enough to see what is going on. more like a month.

    the reason many doctors/nutritionists may not say to eat them is because they are wanting you to create a deficit between intake and output. Luckily for us, MFP has already been set up that way for us by Mike. (Thanks, Mike!)

    So if you exercise, you are creating an even greater deficit than the built-in one. and too great of a deficit can hamper your progress.

    it's all in the thread I linked...
  • sina1215
    sina1215 Posts: 7
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    Thank you Lucky - your comments are very helpful.
  • sina1215
    sina1215 Posts: 7
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    Well, I'm a "big" girl and need more than the minimum 1200 calories per day - so I don't anticipate going below that number any time soon.:sad:

    I do agree with you that it will take some experimenting for me to find the optimum "#" to use up each day. So I will start doing that over the next weeks.

    Thanks for the great advise. I appreciate it.:laugh:
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
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    chgudnitz has a really good point.
    one week is not long enough to see what is going on. more like a month.

    the reason many doctors/nutritionists may not say to eat them is because they are wanting you to create a deficit between intake and output. Luckily for us, MFP has already been set up that way for us by Mike. (Thanks, Mike!)

    So if you exercise, you are creating an even greater deficit than the built-in one. and too great of a deficit can hamper your progress.

    it's all in the thread I linked...

    AND most doctors and nutritionists aren't looking at a slow paced loss - it seems they want to push it faster along so they want you to have a bigger deficit. Now sometimes when you have a lot to lose it's ok to have a higher deficit and your body will pull from fat storage - however - to really tone up while you lose, I've found the slower pace works better and usually it's much more permenant than a quicky loss.

    Yes - I eat my exercise cals - or try to eat them.

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