Calorie intake question

Shrinking_kel

Hi there!

A friend and I were wondering if it's best to eat to your recommended calorie intake per day or to the new number given when you exercise? In my thought process, I'm exercising to lose weight not so I can eat more. I know that the more you exercise, the more you should fuel your body I'm just getting confused if I should, for example use 1380 calories as my daily allowance today or the 1953 because I did 500-odd calories worth of exercise today.

Thank you!

Illona88

I would recommend eating back your exercise calories.

If you don't eat enough you will lose weight too fast and you will become really tired and lethargic (I once tried the fast way and passed out from exhaustion, just a warning).

Best to lose the weight a bit slower and still feel like you have some energy.

Porcelaine22

Hi there!

A friend and I were wondering if it's best to eat to your recommended calorie intake per day or to the new number given when you exercise? In my thought process, I'm exercising to lose weight not so I can eat more. I know that the more you exercise, the more you should fuel your body I'm just getting confused if I should, for example use 1380 calories as my daily allowance today or the 1953 because I did 500-odd calories worth of exercise today.

Thank you!

I am very curious about this too,,, I am also sitting at 1200 calorie goal and although I exercise and usually gain say 200-400 extra most days someone has suggested upping my 1200 will help me lose more... is this true??

Thanks

littlejobo120

I wrote a reply on a thread similar to this the other day and a couple of people have come back and said that they found it helpful so hopefully it will help you too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/692123-feedback-on-my-diary-please-please-please

Please feel free to add me if you like. The same goes for anyone else.

Good luck!

marsbarxo

You're going to get a lot of people giving you either answer, but what I think you should do is try it out for yourself. For me, I found that if I eat back my exercise calories, I don't lose a thing, and I don't lose weight too fast without eating them back. I've been on track for 1-2lbs weight loss per week (usually around 5-7lbs per month) and I feel great doing it... no exhaustion or lethargy here.

psuLemon

Whats your height, age, weight, job and weekly workout routine. With this we can estimate your caloric requirements.


On a side note, there are a few reasons people dont lose when eating back exercise calories. 1. They are over estimate (using mfp this can be common) or 2. they dont wait long enough so their body can adjust. Many people try it for a few weeks which doesnt allow a body to adjust.

Porcelaine22

2. they dont wait long enough so their body can adjust. Many people try it for a few weeks which doesnt allow a body to adjust.

Can I ask what you mean by adjust? Adjusting to the exercise or what? (Forgive me if I am being dim!)

KellyUK1987

From what I've seen on the boards Calories help you function. So, the amount that MFP says usually to eat, is just the amount you'd need to function on a normal day, with no exercise. So, when you exercise, you're using energy (calories). It is good to eat them back, but not every single calorie as MFP isn't 100% accurate with calorie expenditure.

I tend to eat about half of mine back, unless I've used a HRM to calculate the calories burnt.

So today, your original intake is 1380, but you exercised, pushing it to 1953 - I'd eat about 1700 calories.

Some do eat calories back, some don't. I just find that if I don't, I'm very sluggish and tired. (As you're using energy quicker)

psuLemon

2. they dont wait long enough so their body can adjust. Many people try it for a few weeks which doesnt allow a body to adjust.

Can I ask what you mean by adjust? Adjusting to the exercise or what? (Forgive me if I am being dim!)

If you go a long time with very low calories, your body can suppress your metabolism to maintain proper functions. So when you add more calories, it takes some time for your body to get used to the addition calories. Its kind of like a shock factor. This is whyba person a month for the body to level out and stsrt losing weight. I will say if you use mfp to estimate exercise calories then you should eat 50-75% of them.

kranch25

I very rarely eat back my exercise calories. My recommended calories is 2200, before any exercise. I generally stay somewhere between 1900 and 2200, no matter what I do for exercise. There have been a few times I have dug into the exercise calories, but not very much.
Like someone said above, I think it really does depend on each person. I am knocking on the door of 60 pounds lost, so I figure it is working for me this way, and have no intention of changing it until it needs to be.

DepauvilleKid

If your calorie goal was set at a moderate amount, say 1600 calories a day, I probably wouldn't eat them back. However, if your calorie goal was set at say 1200, then I would definitely eat them back. You don't want to starve yourself because it will lead to you feeling terrible or giving up on your diet.

If you do choose to eat them back, I would split the difference. If you say you burned 500 calories in exercise, then only eat back 250 calories. To be honest, I think that calories burned while exercising are always estimated too high. You can accurately track the calories in your food, but tracking exercising calories is a crap shoot guess at best.

trekkietaz

i have found out that if you want to lose weight you need to not eat your calories back but if you are trying to maintain your weight then you should eat you calories back .

Shrinking_kel

Hi guys

Thanks so much for your responses so far.

I have been doing Weight Watchers for about 5 months and have lost 7.5 kg.

I'm 157cm, 110 kilos and at the moment I'm doing 60 mins Water aerobics twice a week, 60 mins low impact aerobics once a week and trying to get out for a walk at least once on the other days. I am a stay at home mum with an active almost 5yo & a 3yo so on my feet most of the time.

With Weight Watchers I find that I do need to go above my daily points for a loss. At least one extra small meal in the middle of the day. Either a tin of tuna with rice cakes or a boiled egg, something of that nature.

All advice is welcomed!!

Spartan_Maker

If you eat back your exercise calories, then you are attempting to lose weight at your stated goal of 1 or 2 lbs. a week, whatever you set. If you don't, then you are trying to be more aggressive than you said you wanted to be.

The thing to be wary of is whether the exercise calories you record are accurate or not. If you overestimate the calories you burn and then eat them back, then you're obviously going to be thrown off track.

NearlyThere2011

I stalled for a long time by eating back exercise cals and also trying NOT eating back exercise cals. My husband suggested looking at Scooby's site for nutrition (http://scoobysworkshop.com), and that site suggested that I manage my diet and weight loss goals by consuming 50% carbs, 30% Protein and 20% Fat (MFP lets you set these levels too so you can see where you're headed).

It has made SUCH A DIFFERENCE!! I managed to lose 5lbs in 4 weeks prior to going on holiday, and that was after yo-yoing the same 2lbs for a year!

My daily calorie intake using Scooby's method is appx 1600 based on 4 x 1hr workouts a week (that's my minimum - I generally do around 8hrs as a rule). I just reset my MFP goals, and don't log my exercise calories since they've already been taken into account in my macro nutrient allowances.

It's worked for me..

Good Luck :flowerforyou:

kluvfreddy

That is true! When I stalled I read about eating more weighing less. Your not suppose to eat less than your (BMR) Body Metabolic Rate. You can calculate a new BMR by going to www.scoobysworkshop.com and re-calculate your calories to meet your (BMR). I hardly ever eat my exercise calories unless i'm on a splurge day. I recommend you to go read the group (Eat More Weigh Less). I hope this helped and good luck!

psuLemon

Hi guys

Thanks so much for your responses so far.

I have been doing Weight Watchers for about 5 months and have lost 7.5 kg.

I'm 157cm, 110 kilos and at the moment I'm doing 60 mins Water aerobics twice a week, 60 mins low impact aerobics once a week and trying to get out for a walk at least once on the other days. I am a stay at home mum with an active almost 5yo & a 3yo so on my feet most of the time.

With Weight Watchers I find that I do need to go above my daily points for a loss. At least one extra small meal in the middle of the day. Either a tin of tuna with rice cakes or a boiled egg, something of that nature.

All advice is welcomed!!

Based on your stats, lifestyle and workout routine, I would have you around 2100 calories. Your BMR is around 1844, you are lightly active due to children and being a stay at home mom. Alone (before exercise) your TDEE is around

1844 * 1.375 = 2535

And if you burn on average 400 calories working out then your TDEE is

2535 + 400 = 2935

So calorie requirements are around

CR = 2935 *.7 = 2054


Now you really have two options. You can set your base calories to 1750 calories and eat back some of your exercise calories or you can set your goal to 2050 and eat the same amount of calories and NOT eat back exercise calories. Either way will work.

jonilynn70

You have to create a calorie deficit to lose weight so if you eat your calories back - no deficit. 3500 calories for a pound.

psuLemon

You have to create a calorie deficit to lose weight so if you eat your calories back - no deficit. 3500 calories for a pound.

This is only true if her account is set up to maintain otherwise, it has a deficit in the base calories, so eating back exercise calories still provides a deficit.

jonilynn70

Good point - thanks!!