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MyFitnessPal Community

NEW Member - calorie intake/exercise question

Heather_Rider

I literally just joined today, and while i an very understanding about my calories im taking in.. i know what i need per day, and i do that.. i have just recently added exercise, and im confused on something.

If my calories for the day are 1200 and i eat 1200 calories... then i exercise and burn 400 calories... Do i have to eat that 400 calories again? Im just scared that im not eating enough? As that has been a problem for me.

Thanks!

Replies

lilpoindexter

No, you don't have to eat them again, unless you want to stay at your current weight. You are on the path to weight loss.

ShyFeather

You should read this if you haven't already: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

Heather_Rider

Thank you! I thought that was correct, but then i worried about eating 1100 instead of the 1200 and burning 400... ive struggled for 8 years and after all this time, i find out im not eating enough!! Thank you so much for answering what must have seemed like a silly question!

heybales

I literally just joined today, and while i an very understanding about my calories im taking in.. i know what i need per day, and i do that.. i have just recently added exercise, and im confused on something.

If my calories for the day are 1200 and i eat 1200 calories... then i exercise and burn 400 calories... Do i have to eat that 400 calories again? Im just scared that im not eating enough? As that has been a problem for me.

Thanks!

You have the right idea. The 1200 already has a deficit from what you would maintain weight at, with no exercise included.
When you add exercise, you add the food, and the keeps that same deficit.

And if that has been a problem, just think about fact there that if you ate 1200, and your exercise took 400 off the top, what exactly is the body left with to work with.

Keep a healthy deficit, eat your workout calories back, that is exactly why your goal is called Net daily goal, you are given credit for exercise, and your daily goal goes up after logging exercise.

Heather_Rider

Thanks, Oishii! Im trying to read it all, while trying to stay off the computer so much to get more movement! LOL

I truly appreciate the link!!

heybales

No, you don't have to eat them again, unless you want to stay at your current weight. You are on the path to weight loss.

You really don't understand how this works do you. Keep your current weight if you eat them back?
Did you set your goal to Maintain current weight actually?

Check out your Goals page if you don't understand, which you don't, before helping others to be confused.

kmmealey

My understanding is you need to eat at least your "BMR" calories. So if your BMR is, for example 1400 calories (figure it out under the TOOLS tab), then you want your "net" calories to be 1400. Go to the "Eat More to Weigh Less" GROUP here on MFP for wonderful ideas, lots of links & healthy tips.

sortin

It doesn't have to do with staying at your current weight. It has to do with staying on track for the rate of weight loss planned.

If you plan for 1lb per week, it's a 500 calorie per day deficit. If you exercise 500 calories a day in addition to your deficit, that'll give you a 1000 calorie per day deficit, and you'll lose 2lbs per week. If you want to stay at the slower pace, then eat back the calories.

It's generally not considered healthy to lose more than 2lbs per week, and that's why you would eat back the calories, to stay in the healthy weight loss range.

Heather_Rider

heybales,

are you saying i should eat the calories back? AHH see, this is where i get confused! Maybe i dont quite understand the deficit?

rebeccasedwards

I am on the 1200 calorie diet. I try not eat back my exercise calories and seem to do better.

Heather_Rider

Okay! that makes more sense... i do want to try to lose 2 pounds a week, so i do not want to eat those calories back... however, thats good to know that if i DO say "have a bad day" i can play with those calories and eat them back, and still lose one pound a week.. Correct? Oh please tell me i finally get this? LOL!

Heather_Rider

Thanks, Rebecca! I guess as long as i dont go over, im good! lol I may try both and see what works best for me! Thanks! and thank you to everyone!

I have no friends yet, if any of you would like to add me! (i still dont know how to add yet! lol)

Heather_Rider

thanks so much, kmm!

flukes9

Yes, you should eat back your calories if you exercise...the setting you chose for your weight loss already includes the plan for LOSING weight. If you're set to lose weight at 1200 calories and then you exercise 300, you are actually allowed to eat 1500 for that day and STILL be on a weight-loss plan. If you don't eat them back, you will be consuming too little calories and your body can hold onto the fat because it thinks you are starving it. If you don't exercise that day, then you only eat 1200 calories (or whatever your setting is based on how active you are, age, etc.).

Heather_Rider

Well, im still confused. LOL!

From what i am gathering... i can officially eat 1200 a day... and i MUST eat that. (before any exercise)

If i exercise and burn 500 calories, i HAVE to eat those 500 calories back?

seriously, can one eat that much food in a day.. and lose weight??

The last doctors visit i had, he told me in order to lose weight, i MUST not consume more than 1000 calories a day.

So I guess my main question is, for strictly losing weight... as long as my NET calories are 1000, will i still lose weight? or will i not have enough calories to lose?

Maybe i should give up already! I just dont understand!!! =*(

manda_c_182

You need to stay in a range, don't stress about hitting an exact number each day. Too little and your body will go into starvation mode and store fat, too much and you will store fat. Generally on this site I think they say you need 1200 to stay above starvation mode, and less than 2000 to not gain weight. So MFP should set you about 1500 to lose weight. (This are my figures, yours might be different depending on age and height). Therefore you can chose to eat your exercise calories back, or not, just as long as your net is between 1200-1500 a day.
Does this help?

flukes9

Don't give up....if you just started, you'll need a week or two to know what works for you....just be sure to log everything and adjust accordingly. Everyone's body is different and what works for one doesn't work for another. Just keep at it, get a minimum of at least 1000 calories a day and go from there. You'll find what works for you, but just don't starve yourself. Hang in there, we're all here to help!

mcarter99

Well, im still confused. LOL!

From what i am gathering... i can officially eat 1200 a day... and i MUST eat that. (before any exercise)

If i exercise and burn 500 calories, i HAVE to eat those 500 calories back?

seriously, can one eat that much food in a day.. and lose weight??

The last doctors visit i had, he told me in order to lose weight, i MUST not consume more than 1000 calories a day.

So I guess my main question is, for strictly losing weight... as long as my NET calories are 1000, will i still lose weight? or will i not have enough calories to lose?

Maybe i should give up already! I just dont understand!!! =*(

You don't HAVE TO eat your exercise calories back. If MFP has you at 1200, that means it's telling you "no, you can't lose 2 lbs/week", which is ridiculous. I would eat 1200 (or take your doctor's advice and eat 1000) and not eat them back, unless you feel like you have to because you're too hungry.

It's not true that you gained weight by not eating enough previously. It's not true that you have to eat above your BMR. If you're uncomfortable at 1000 or 1200 or 1400, by all means eat more. The only thing that matters to weight loss is the size of your deficit.

_stephanie0

My understanding is you need to eat at least your "BMR" calories. So if your BMR is, for example 1400 calories (figure it out under the TOOLS tab), then you want your "net" calories to be 1400. Go to the "Eat More to Weigh Less" GROUP here on MFP for wonderful ideas, lots of links & healthy tips.

this.

my bmr is 1400. i net around 1500. i eat around 1800-1900 cals/day, and yes, i am losing. you dont need to starve yourself to lose!! id aim at atleast your BMR NET!

RobynMWilson

Log your exercise on MFP and it will tell you how many calories you "earned" and add that to your daily allowance, which still has your weight loss goal in mind so eat them b/c eating TOO LITTLE calories will hinder your weight loss just as badly, if not more, than eating TOO MANY calories...

Goal_Line

Well, im still confused. LOL!

From what i am gathering... i can officially eat 1200 a day... and i MUST eat that. (before any exercise)

If i exercise and burn 500 calories, i HAVE to eat those 500 calories back?

seriously, can one eat that much food in a day.. and lose weight??

The last doctors visit i had, he told me in order to lose weight, i MUST not consume more than 1000 calories a day.

So I guess my main question is, for strictly losing weight... as long as my NET calories are 1000, will i still lose weight? or will i not have enough calories to lose?

Maybe i should give up already! I just dont understand!!! =*(

Wow I can't believe a medical professional told you to not exceed 1,000 cal. What most people need is a lifestyle change that they can stick to over the long term. The liklihood of long-tern success on a 1,000 cal diet is nearly zero.

otissa

I'm glad you asked that question. I need to know the same thing. My goal is 1200 calories and I thought I needed to stay well below that. So, I recently found out that I don't eat enough, which is why I can't loose weight.

RobynMWilson

Whatever doctor told you to lose weight to only eat 1000 cals per day should lose his practice!! I eat 2000 cals per day to maintain!! And I'm only 136lbs!! I lost weight a long time ago and have kept it off for many many years so I know more than this doc does apparently. If you restrict yourself that much, you're gonna slow down your metabolism, your body is gonna eat muscle for fuel, which, in turn, would slow down your metabolism even more b/c muscle burns fat. And being THAT restricted may lead to "falling off the wagon". I'm gonna friend you so you can see my food diary every day. I dk your weight or anything but I would NEVER EVER tell anyone to eat less than 1400 cals per day if they're exercising, especially!!

barrveen

I also wasn't understanding when I first started out. if you burn 400 hundred calories in exercise your calorie intake number automatically increases. because your body is burning it up you actually need to eat more to maintain. just eating 1200 for me without exercise wasn't enough. I felt hunger all the time. when I exercised it allowed me to eat more and be satisfied. I also lost weight when I exercised. the week I did no exercise I neither gained nor lost. See what works for you.

wild_wild_life

This thread is really stressing me out. Literally, I'm getting all clammy and tense.

OP, as you can see you will get a lot of conflicting advice on this. Some of it is because people have no idea what they are talking about and some of it is just that this is not an exact science and there are different ways to do it.

I don't think anyone can really give you advice without more information like height, current weight, and goal weight. However, it's important for you to understand how MFP is set up so you can make an informed decision about how to use it.

MFP calculates your daily maintenance calories with no exercise and subtracts a deficit from that based on how fast you want to lose weight. When you exercise, to keep the deficit the same, it "gives you calories back" and expects you to eat them. Understand that eating them will do nothing to change your deficit that MFP has set, while not eating them will increase your deficit, which may or may not be a good idea, depending on your initial deficit and your maintenance requirement. If your initial deficit is 1000 calories based on a 2 lb per wek goal, by not eating them back you are extending this to 1400 which is too high for most people. Keeping your deficit between 500-1000 cals per day is generally safe.

Crazy4Healthy

Can you lose weight eating 1,200 or less, yes... but are you looking for a quick fix or a lifestyle change? I've done the 1,200 calories more than once in my life and managed to drop weight fairly quickly (even without exercise), but I have also always managed to gain it back (and then some). This time, I'm eating more and it is taking me longer to lose, (28 lbs in 7 mths) but I know this is now my life and when I reach my goal I will be able to maintain it. If you commit to 1,200 a day (even with exercise), you will find it very difficult to maintain once you start eating normally again. Even though MFP puts many at 1,200 that is actually on the low end for most (unless would normally be fairly small and petite). I'm only 5'3" and still eating between 1,500-1,700 a day depending on exercise levels and I'm still losing weight at a consistent rate.

Just my two cents.....

heybales

Well, im still confused. LOL!

From what i am gathering... i can officially eat 1200 a day... and i MUST eat that. (before any exercise)

If i exercise and burn 500 calories, i HAVE to eat those 500 calories back?

seriously, can one eat that much food in a day.. and lose weight??

The last doctors visit i had, he told me in order to lose weight, i MUST not consume more than 1000 calories a day.

So I guess my main question is, for strictly losing weight... as long as my NET calories are 1000, will i still lose weight? or will i not have enough calories to lose?

Maybe i should give up already! I just dont understand!!! =*(

1500 sounds like a lot?

Compared to 1200 or 1000?

And how much did you used to eat before that got you to point you now need to lose weight?

Any idea to actually have a frame of reference to know what sounds like a lot?

Sure it sounds like a lot compared to eating 300 calories a day.

And sure it sounds like hardly anything if you used to be eating 3000 calories a day.

What did YOU select as a weight loss goal weekly? 2lbs? Then 1200 already has that taken out, 2200 would have been your estimated no gain no loss amount to eat daily.

And frankly, the only way to truly know is figure out how much you used to eat before making these changes. Log some complete days of all the junk and packaged foods you used to eat in typical day.
Now subtract 1000 calories - eat that much, and you'll lose weight.

faithchange

Please don't give up! You are getting a lot of conflicting information, that's for sure. All I can say is your doctor is WRONG...1000 cal and you would be anorexic. That's crazy. I know when I started on MFP it said 1200 cal too for me, which I was informed by a friend that is a coach and challenging me to lose my last 25lbs that 1700 cal was more the correct amount for me. I do exercise 6 times a week though. I had been plateauing for months and I wasn't always eating that much. So, I agree completely with a post earlier where she said on 1200 you could lose fast, but you likely will gain it back. Totally true.

Never give up on yourself...quitting MFP because you don't understand is just that...giving up on yourself! Stick around and learn. If nothing else, what are you hurting by just logging in your nutrition to be accountable for what you eat daily and then extras like exercise. That's what its all about. Listen to your body and make wise choices about what those calories your eating are.

Most women are in the 1200-1700 category...Also...eat your calories back after exercise if you are hungry. If your not, don't eat. You will know. I lost when I just listened to my body too. Sometimes I didn't log in . This point in my life, I need the accountability again.

Remember don't give up! It does work as they say...if you work it.

vnsaroja

I think if you keep about 300-700 calories deficit from your allotted 1200 +exercise you should be okay. That may give you some leeway for days that you slip

mcarter99

This thread is really stressing me out. Literally, I'm getting all clammy and tense.

OP, as you can see you will get a lot of conflicting advice on this. Some of it is because people have no idea what they are talking about and some of it is just that this is not an exact science and there are different ways to do it.

I don't think anyone can really give you advice without more information like height, current weight, and goal weight. However, it's important for you to understand how MFP is set up so you can make an informed decision about how to use it.

MFP calculates your daily maintenance calories with no exercise and subtracts a deficit from that based on how fast you want to lose weight. When you exercise, to keep the deficit the same, it "gives you calories back" and expects you to eat them. Understand that eating them will do nothing to change your deficit that MFP has set, while not eating them will increase your deficit, which may or may not be a good idea, depending on your initial deficit and your maintenance requirement. If your initial deficit is 1000 calories based on a 2 lb per wek goal, by not eating them back you are extending this to 1400 which is too high for most people. Keeping your deficit between 500-1000 cals per day is generally safe.

But it is often NOT setting your deficit at 500-1000. If her TDEE is 1800 and she wants to lose 2 lbs/week it sets her to 1200. That's 1.2 lbs/week. If she eats back exercise, that's 1.2/week. There's no reason she can't aim to lose 2 lbs/week by not eating back all her exercise calories.