Food Calories & Exercise Calories

projektai

Hi everybody!

I actually confused myself a little since I've started dieting, and so I figured I'd turn to you all.
I aim for 1300 calories daily, which MFP says is about right. I usually eat the same amount when I work out, even though I know I'm burning calories. So I wanted to ask, is it bad for me to not be eating back those calories?

For example, I eat 1300 calories in one day, and work out so that I burn 500 calories in one day. Does that mean I technically only ate 800 calories in one day? Because I know that's supposed to be really bad for you. :c

Maddi_InBetweenDays

Bump! I'm in the exact same position - I'd love to hear some answers.

Newf77

Are you trying to maintain; lose or gain? MFP builds in based on your profile set-up based on your desired goals.

SARgirl

There are a couple different camps of thought on this so you will not get one consistent answer. Basically you need to find what works for you. I generally eat the majority of my exercise calories back but I know other people who don't touch them at all. Good luck!

projektai

I'm trying to lose.

And thanks for the insight & the luck, SARgirl
I think I'm doing okay, I just don't want to hurt myself, or somehow ruin my diet in the long run > ^ <

_stephanie0

eat your exercise calories. MFP asks when you set up your info your DAILY ACTIVITY....i have a desk job so i put sedentary.... if i exercise i always eat my calories... so for me for example, i aim for my BMR in calories 1430, so if i work out and burn 400 i will eat at least 1700, i dont want to be in too small of a deficit...i also never net below 1200....

it IS important in the long run because your body will look for OTHER place other than fat for energy which will ultimately slow down your metabolism. eat up!!

thats why when you log your calories, my fit pal adds more allowance to eat.

stephvaile

eat your exercise calories. MFP asks when you set up your info your DAILY ACTIVITY....i have a desk job so i put sedentary.... if i exercise i always eat my calories... so for me for example, i aim for my BMR in calories 1430, so if i work out and burn 400 i will eat at least 1700, i dont want to be in too small of a deficit...i also never net below 1200....

it IS important in the long run because your body will look for OTHER place other than fat for energy which will ultimately slow down your metabolism. eat up!!

thats why when you log your calories, my fit pal adds more allowance to eat.

yes this eat eat eat :laugh: :laugh:

OTchic

yup eat back your exercise calories. you are right when you say you technically ate 800 calories. there will be several other sides on this some people suggest to eat 50-75% of them back while others say like me to eat them all back so you are up to your net of 1200. i guess it all comes down to what works for YOU. i love it when i eat 1200 calories and burn 400 and get to eat 400 calories AGAIN think about it if you eat 1200 burn 400 you ate 800 cals a day are you really going to do that for the rest of your life? or for the rest of the year? 800cals a day not good.

kaneda333

I think you have to be careful about eating back all your exercise calories because most of us don't have a definitive way of tracking how many calories have been burnt (I know there are body counters you can buy that will tell you when you burn, but they're pretty dear) and the machines at the gym can't always be accurate. Therefore, I think it's fine to eat back SOME of your exercise calories but not all of them, just to ensure you're not eating more than you've burnt.

projektai

eat your exercise calories. MFP asks when you set up your info your DAILY ACTIVITY....i have a desk job so i put sedentary.... if i exercise i always eat my calories... so for me for example, i aim for my BMR in calories 1430, so if i work out and burn 400 i will eat at least 1700, i dont want to be in too small of a deficit...i also never net below 1200....

it IS important in the long run because your body will look for OTHER place other than fat for energy which will ultimately slow down your metabolism. eat up!!

thats why when you log your calories, my fit pal adds more allowance to eat.

ah, oh my gosh!
so by not eating back my exercise calories, I'm really not reaching my BMR?
I'd rather be safer in the long run than think I'm dropping weight fast.

So, does anyone have any advice for gaining those calories back? I'm generally not hungry enough to eat back all of my exercise calories. :c

_stephanie0

eat your exercise calories. MFP asks when you set up your info your DAILY ACTIVITY....i have a desk job so i put sedentary.... if i exercise i always eat my calories... so for me for example, i aim for my BMR in calories 1430, so if i work out and burn 400 i will eat at least 1700, i dont want to be in too small of a deficit...i also never net below 1200....

it IS important in the long run because your body will look for OTHER place other than fat for energy which will ultimately slow down your metabolism. eat up!!

thats why when you log your calories, my fit pal adds more allowance to eat.

ah, oh my gosh!
so by not eating back my exercise calories, I'm really not reaching my BMR?
I'd rather be safer in the long run than think I'm dropping weight fast.

So, does anyone have any advice for gaining those calories back? I'm generally not hungry enough to eat back all of my exercise calories. :c

yeah, thats true. and the above poster said about not tracking calories accurately, this is very true. if i were to go on the elliptical for one hour, it may say i burned 700 while my heart rate monitor only says 450. the machines arent always accurate, so id advise in a HRM if you dont have one already...

as for getting in all your cals... EASY!! i could eat 5000/day no problem hahhaa. easy ways to get in cals are by adding fats.. dont be afraid of them theyre so good for you!! cook with olive oil, throw avocado in salads, FULL FAT foods like cheese....almond butter... mmm or more calorie dense foods like sweet potato vs broccoli...

i personally want to net my BMR most days becuase i'd rather have lose weight slowly and have a fast metabolism than lose weight a bit faster but the second i eat more i'll gain water weight/bloat ect. id say at least try to net 1200 everyday

projektai

eat your exercise calories. MFP asks when you set up your info your DAILY ACTIVITY....i have a desk job so i put sedentary.... if i exercise i always eat my calories... so for me for example, i aim for my BMR in calories 1430, so if i work out and burn 400 i will eat at least 1700, i dont want to be in too small of a deficit...i also never net below 1200....

it IS important in the long run because your body will look for OTHER place other than fat for energy which will ultimately slow down your metabolism. eat up!!

thats why when you log your calories, my fit pal adds more allowance to eat.

ah, oh my gosh!
so by not eating back my exercise calories, I'm really not reaching my BMR?
I'd rather be safer in the long run than think I'm dropping weight fast.

So, does anyone have any advice for gaining those calories back? I'm generally not hungry enough to eat back all of my exercise calories. :c

yeah, thats true. and the above poster said about not tracking calories accurately, this is very true. if i were to go on the elliptical for one hour, it may say i burned 700 while my heart rate monitor only says 450. the machines arent always accurate, so id advise in a HRM if you dont have one already...

as for getting in all your cals... EASY!! i could eat 5000/day no problem hahhaa. easy ways to get in cals are by adding fats.. dont be afraid of them theyre so good for you!! cook with olive oil, throw avocado in salads, FULL FAT foods like cheese....almond butter... mmm or more calorie dense foods like sweet potato vs broccoli...

i personally want to net my BMR most days becuase i'd rather have lose weight slowly and have a fast metabolism than lose weight a bit faster but the second i eat more i'll gain water weight/bloat ect. id say at least try to net 1200 everyday

thank you, I'll try to get my calories from exercising back. I'll keep my eyes open at the supermarket for more filling foods for workout days too c:

Bobby_Clerici

Yes, eat back your exercise calories and enjoy!
Why not?
MFP suggests a daily net calorie intake to result in 1 lb of weight loss per week.
1 pound equals 3500 calories.
3500 divided by 7 days equals 500 calories per day. Our MFP daily number already has that 500 calories subtracted.
When we exercise, that green number goes up, because MFP expects us to eat back your exercise calories to keep your net daily calorie intake steady; that's how MFP works. Read this to learn more.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
And This:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

Just follow the MFP recommendations for healthy, steady and lasting results.
You could reduce quicker, but what would be the quality of that weight loss?
It could lead to increased muscle loss, and that stifles metabolism.
No, eat right, exercise - both cardio and resistance, lose weight in such a way that maintains health and preserves lean body mass which burns more calories at rest.
Good luck to you.:flowerforyou:
All Is Possible!

annabaloo

I found this website very helpful:

http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

projektai

thanks everyone

Oh, and annabaloo, that was a great website!

KaidaKantri

There are a couple different camps of thought on this so you will not get one consistent answer. Basically you need to find what works for you. I generally eat the majority of my exercise calories back but I know other people who don't touch them at all. Good luck!

A lot of people dont touch them. I have heard so many people have issues with not losing anything when they don't eat their exercise calories, and when they start eating their exercise calories they start losing a lot more weight. If your not eating them back, and your not losing, try eating them back, or most of them, and see if it works for you. I had the same issue, as soon as a couple days went by after eating my exercise cals back i started losing again. So in my experience so far, eat your exercise cals, or at least most of them!

mcarter99

For example, I eat 1300 calories in one day, and work out so that I burn 500 calories in one day. Does that mean I technically only ate 800 calories in one day? Because I know that's supposed to be really bad for you. :c

If you ate 1300 calories in a day, you ate 1300 calories in a day. There is no way to erase that nutrition with exercise. You can negate some of those calories, which is an entirely different thing, and negating our intake calories is how weight loss works.

Look at it this way. To lose 1 lb/week you have to have a 500 calorie deficit per day. So maybe you ate 1300 and burned 1800. Does that mean you ate -500? No. A deficit is our goal in weight loss.

If you want to limit your losses to the speed MFP has set for you, and you are good at estimating calories (in and out) then you can 'eat back' your exercise calories and lose at that speed. Though there is nothing dangerous about NOT eating them, anymore than there is about having the -500 deficit above. Your minimum caloric intake relates to food and the nutrition in the food. Keep it over 1200 and your deficit under 1000/day and no authority would call that overly aggressive.