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Should I be eating all my exercise calories back?

traz16bnl
traz16bnl Posts: 1
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am struggling at losing weight. I exercise daily and this usually includes working out with a trainer and running at least 3 miles a day. I am suppose to eat 1200 calories a day...and I usually stay around this 75% of the time. I have only lost 4 pounds in the last month and I am getting very frustrated. My BMI is decreasing but the scale is not. My question is...when I plug in my food and exercise it increases my calories...should I be eating all of these back? Others have told me that I am not eating enough....but weight lose is simple right? The more you burn and the less you eat the more successful you will be...any suggestions?

Replies

  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Weight loss is not as simple as math, the math is fuzzy.

    You've discovered the most hot-button topic on the site.

    Here's a great link that explains why you should eat all or most of those calories back:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    Second that opinion. Basically it boils down to is what you're doing working? If it is not trying eating half then all.

    Before I set my deficit at 700 and only lost a pound a week. Now it's at 380 and I lose a pound a week. I'm eating 300 more calories and losing the same amount of weight I was when eating 300 less. Who would have thunk it.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    Yep. Ditto from me. I kept stalling and having trouble when I put my settings on here at 2 pounds per week. When I lowered it just a smidgen to 1.5 pounds per week and eat all my exercise calories, I feel good, I'm not hungry, and the scale is going down down DOWN! Yay! Good luck!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Unfortunately, weight loss (healthy weight loss in particular) is nowhere near as simple as I always thought it was- particularly as we get older.

    If you're eating all of your calories + all of your exercise calories and not losing over a period of time, you could try eating half of your exercise calories. The numbers here on MFP are only guidelines, and can't really apply perfectly to everyone.
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