Can't get my head around eating what I earn in exercise!

KLynn0107

Eating back your lost calories is pure stupidity! Eat sufficient calories for your brain. The rest of the body can run on stored energy in the lipids that you want to lose, your brain needs glucose. That is why you should eat at least 1200 calories per day and spread it out to six or more mini meals throughout the day to stave off hunger and keep the blood sugar at homeostatic levels. Failure to do that will result in memory issues, illness, fatigue and possibly even death if you do it for too long... As long as the 1200 calories are being consumed, preference to complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and Omega-3, your body should do fine with working out and losing weight. If you experience negative side-affects then by all means increase the caloric intake slightly, but eating back the calories is a great way to stall the weight-loss and gain back weight. Why do you think the Biggest Loser competitors and others are losing so much weight so quickly... I've dropped 65 in 70 days and that was with a binge weekend in between... I will not eat back calories and in fact I usually eat far less than the suggested calories and simply try to stay over 1200...

First off your first sentence is very disrespectful.
Second I have always eaten back my exercise calories and have a 130lbs loss to show for it. So no stalling for me. If your way works for you then congrats, but please climb down off your high horse there is no need to be rude.

chattipatty2

I must admit I have a slight problem getting my head around this.

10 years ago I did Body4Life I went from 73kg to 56kg and gained 3kg of lean mass, I had a nutritionist and trainer, the nutritionist had me eating 1400 per day and 45 mins cardio & roughly an hours weights 6 x a week, now the results show that this works.

What I cannot get my head round is with this dieting I am expected to eat what calories I burn whereas above I didn' yet still saw results, and very good ones, while I appreciate that rapid weight loss is not the 'best way' regarding maintaining I just cannot see how eating more will get results.

Anyone any thoughts on this?

If you keep your goals in MFP up to date, it will give you the correct cals to eat. Having said that, you would need a heart rate monitor , scale, and be strict on eating well, cal in/cal out.
Having said that, it seems you have some good experience. You do not need to eat every singe calorie back. Once your at goal weight tho, you may need to eat higher calorie foods to keep up with your metabolism!

aakaakaak

Eat less!

Move more!

Simple!!

Mrs. Obama?

LOL did she say this?

Yes, it's part of her campaign for a healthier America.

AbiJj

I think some people lose themselves getting hypersensitive I think Jack wasn't trying to get at anyone, so, SMJ1987, cool it girl! You started an unnecessary squabble.

The science is simple,

Calculate / or in my case, decide what you need to eat to lose weight if you sat around doing nothing all day. Say 1400? (I'm 163 lbs from 182)

Throw in a workout - hopefully and technically you will separate some tissue on a workout because that's normal, and high intensity workout, you will "rip" muscles... It's why it hurts so much...

The calories spent by using those muscles need to be replaced so they can repair - good repair calories include protein, and some carbs for fuel for the next time (dont replenish calories with bad calories as I used to do... cake / chips, as in my old "weight watchers" ways - so a chicken salad sandwich is and excellent idea instead of a latte and muffin...

But eat soon after for better sustenance and before your brain tells you to hit the cookie jar for a quick calorie fix.
I'm finally "getting it" and am losing weight and maintaining a doable lifestyle :-)

Good luck guys!

smokinjackd

I eat until I don't want to eat anymore. If I have a hard workout day there is just no way to eat back my calories.

beckssmith70

Former BFL'er here. The difference is that now we are both back to counting calories, so obviously it wasn't a sustainable program. I gained all my weight back and lost the muscle mass when I had to go back to living life and couldn't just spend my days at the gym anymore.

I didn't have a nutritionist, but did hire trainers. That is darn expensive when you consider that paying for a monthly gym membership and all the supplements that are required for the BFL program. It really adds up.

So here I am, a decade later trying to figure out how to get and stay fit on the cheap. The workouts that BFL recommended are still part of my life, as is the EAS protein mix. Other than that, I'm trying to stay at a minimum cash outlay.

Add me if you like. It's a journey and we could all use extra support.

God it was intense wasn't it! Not sustainable and not healthy! Results fab though, I was very very sceptical when I first was told about it, but those results are not achieved with just the B4L programme had to go more extreme.. I did manage to keep most off for quite a few years.
Lucky for me I did this in NZ my PT was my former partner (who trained a couple of the All Blacks off season) and the nutritionist was a former Ms NZ body builder, She was not expensive as the girl I trained with went at the same time, I think back then it was around $20 every two weeks, for measurements and diet adjustment if needed, the supplements were hellish expensive, but when I start my weight work again a good protein powder I consider essential, I will not necessary use EAS there are good cheaper ones around, just have to find a good brand here in the UK, I am leaning towards Pro MS Body Sculpting Protein for Woman. I have been told that muscle memory is good, so it will not be so hard to put this on again, I hope this is correct.
Pity you are not local I found it so motivating to have a partner going through the same thing, and Brits I know are too lazy, been trying to get someone to buddy up for a fit camp for a week to kick start, but alas as it is not a week on a beach no takers

Have added you, thank you x

professorRAT

Read this! http://blog.metaboliceffect.com/2009/03/27/why-weight-loss-makes-you-fat/

Thanks to my MFP friend for sharing the link, you should all read it.

nannabannana

I should add that doing strength training can help maintain muscle while losing fat. This will help with maintenance later (as well as give you many other health benefits).

Ditto.....Strength Training is Phenomenal........