Should I be eating the calories I have burnt off???

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Replies

  • brutalbaby
    brutalbaby Posts: 87 Member
    I weigh at the moment 177.2 and I am 5'2. I really really push myself when I am working out to the point where I am so out of breath and feel like I am going to be sick. I guess my HRM is in accurate, I didn't pay an awful lot of money for it to be honest. When I get more extra cash I will buy a better one and also a pair of better scales, they was also cheap lol. BUT saying this, I do take measurements every week and have lost:
    2 inches off waist
    1.5 inches off belly
    1.5 inches off hip
    1.5 inches off top arm
    1 inch off top legs
    1 inch off neck
    1 inch off chest.....

    in 6 weeks.
  • jawheb
    jawheb Posts: 295 Member
    There is a free BMR calculator for the iPhone.
    I use it and it's accurate to my scale readings at
    home. I measure everything including body fat.
  • Cgrnlaw
    Cgrnlaw Posts: 84 Member
    Great info everyone....Im struggling with this issue too.
  • JulieinMaine
    JulieinMaine Posts: 14
    I would make sure that at least most of the calories that you are eating after are protien calories, so you don't lose muscle.
  • ClearNotCloudyMind
    ClearNotCloudyMind Posts: 238 Member
    I'm also puzzled by this. I did a bike ride today and MFP says I've used nearly 2000 calories?! I've eaten more than usual (around 150%) and feel completely stuffed. I can't imagine stuffing down 3400 calories in one day so either the exercise calories are too high, the recorded calories are too low, or eating back exercise calories makes no sense.
  • alexis831
    alexis831 Posts: 469 Member
    I weigh at the moment 177.2 and I am 5'2. I really really push myself when I am working out to the point where I am so out of breath and feel like I am going to be sick. I guess my HRM is in accurate, I didn't pay an awful lot of money for it to be honest. When I get more extra cash I will buy a better one and also a pair of better scales, they was also cheap lol. BUT saying this, I do take measurements every week and have lost:
    2 inches off waist
    1.5 inches off belly
    1.5 inches off hip
    1.5 inches off top arm
    1 inch off top legs
    1 inch off neck
    1 inch off chest.....

    in 6 weeks.

    Sounds like you are doing fine then! Just stick with it. A plateau is when you go a month or two without a weight drop OR inches/body fat. I would wait it out for another 2-3 weeks and see. You loose the most within the first couple of weeks then it tapers off. This and being a girl throws a wrench into the whole scale thing. Don’t freak out you are probably okay. Hard today because I have freaked out myself. Then I threw the scale out. Much better.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I'm also puzzled by this. I did a bike ride today and MFP says I've used nearly 2000 calories?! I've eaten more than usual (around 150%) and feel completely stuffed. I can't imagine stuffing down 3400 calories in one day so either the exercise calories are too high, the recorded calories are too low, or eating back exercise calories makes no sense.

    Eating them back makes sense WHEN all things are accurate ..... obviously accurate is not always the case. There are many factors in play. Example: Activity levels are RANGES .... not one exact number. MFP uses the average (I assume).

    Calorie burns depend a lot on exertion level .... this is "how hard was the workout for YOU" ..... not just 4 MPH at 8% incline.... again averages are used unless your HRM (chest strap) calculates this number.

    MFP as designed calculates a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. That way when you exercise ... you increase the calorie deficit even more. "When" the calorie deficit is too high .... your body will burn both fat & muscle for fuel.

    I would eat a percentage of exercise calories ..... and see how it goes. Some people use "weekly" deficit approach. They have 1 or 2 really big calorie burn days ..... and allocate the exercise calories over several days. You have to find what fits for you.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I don't eat them ALL back (especially when it's a lot) but I do try to eat something back and make sure I'm always netting over 1200 at the absolute minimum. I've just recently upped my limit as I was feeling like I was not eating enough (always tired, sluggish, not at all as energetic as I normally am)

    I went hiking for 2 1/2 hours today and figured about 2.5 mph average with hills - I got >1000 cal burned - but this site doesn't really have the most accurate numbers. I generally low ball the cal burn and highball the calories eaten in cases where I don't have the exact numbers. I figure better to eat too little some days than too much all the time.
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    And yes I do have a heart rate monitor. Not entirely sure if its really that accurate though. But turbo fire is a very high cardio program, it uses a lot of HIIT workouts.
    Damn! Sign me up!! Sounds like an amazing work out!
  • 6spdeg
    6spdeg Posts: 394 Member
    I'm also puzzled by this. I did a bike ride today and MFP says I've used nearly 2000 calories?! I've eaten more than usual (around 150%) and feel completely stuffed. I can't imagine stuffing down 3400 calories in one day so either the exercise calories are too high, the recorded calories are too low, or eating back exercise calories makes no sense.

    seems im in the same boat you are. i do two workouts a day. and im barely getting round 1900 in and with workout supposed to be around 3k... im friggin stuffed and upon that tons o water. Im not currently losing weight but my vascularity has increased. veins are popping out everywhere.
  • brutalbaby
    brutalbaby Posts: 87 Member
    I weigh at the moment 177.2 and I am 5'2. I really really push myself when I am working out to the point where I am so out of breath and feel like I am going to be sick. I guess my HRM is in accurate, I didn't pay an awful lot of money for it to be honest. When I get more extra cash I will buy a better one and also a pair of better scales, they was also cheap lol. BUT saying this, I do take measurements every week and have lost:
    2 inches off waist
    1.5 inches off belly
    1.5 inches off hip
    1.5 inches off top arm
    1 inch off top legs
    1 inch off neck
    1 inch off chest.....

    in 6 weeks.

    Sounds like you are doing fine then! Just stick with it. A plateau is when you go a month or two without a weight drop OR inches/body fat. I would wait it out for another 2-3 weeks and see. You loose the most within the first couple of weeks then it tapers off. This and being a girl throws a wrench into the whole scale thing. Don’t freak out you are probably okay. Hard today because I have freaked out myself. Then I threw the scale out. Much better.

    So far I would say the past nearly 2 weeks I have been the same weight, at least I haven't increased I guess. But the inches are still coming off, so I am starting to believe that I am better off just going by that some times. Does any one know if I should be taking protein shake?

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