Eating back your calories rant.

Poorgirls_Diet

BUMP just cause I FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE fatgurl2thin!! Love ya and I am so proud of you and hope to be as strong as you in every sense of the word! Keep kickin' some fluffy tail doll!

I swear you crack me up, thank god we are friends

Presleyforpresident

as someone with an ex-eating disorder, i can say this: you are not starving yourself.
do what works for you, which you're clearly doing, and *kitten* the rest of them.
listening to what other people have to say about YOUR body is ridiculous.

Poorgirls_Diet

Your time up to this point hasn't been wasted. Exercise will still change your body composition even if you're eating enough calories to maintain your current weight. Also, exercise is supposed to have an especially powerful effect on diabetes and insulin insensitivity. As far as eating ~1200 calories a day, it's really not that bad as long as you make smart food choices.

Thanks for your support and understanding

JustJennie1

You're supposed to "eat back" your exercise calories. The fact that your exercise was being over estimated by the application is unfortunate but not all that uncommon. Two people with the same weight but different body composition (think one muscular and lean, the other not so much) will burn different amounts of calories in a given exercise. MFP wouldn't be able to give you an accurate measurement of calories burned without a lot of additional information.

So, if your caloric deficit is set to 500 kcal/day and your exercise was overestimated by 500 kcal, then you would be at maintenance level and lose no weight (although your body composition should still be changing from the exercise).

So yes if you're not losing any weight then you need to look at your intake and realize it's being overestimated somewhere (usually in the exercise column). Or it could be that you're not accurately logging your intake, but that doesn't appear to be your problem.

Also, I know it's tempting to tell people "this worked for me so you should do it to" but isn't that how you got into trouble in the first place?

And seriously... people are freakin' rude on MFP. Everyone thinks they're god's gift to calorie counting.

Lastly, to people who said "you should still be losing weight at 2500 cal per day," go look up a BMR calculator and realize that you're wrong (and rude as f**k).

Lol thats the only thing that has made me laugh all night 'Everyone thinks they are god's gift to calorie counting', thanks for cheering me up.

I will have to revise my eating calories as the personal trainer thinks that sitting at 1200 should be fine rather than eating 1550 I just think I will be starving though if I bring it down to 1200 but I guess this week will tell. Its just really frustrating that nothing has worked. I eat right, log everything from a spoonful of sugar to a watermelon but the scales weren't moving. I am hoping paying this chap £25 an hour is going to be worth the effort and finally getting things to move in the right direction.

If you eat the right foods you will be satisfied at 1200 calories

Poorgirls_Diet

It is for this reason that instead of asking for advise on a forum you should do your own research and experiment for self with what works and what doesn't... what works for some doesn't work for others...

Get yourself a heart monitor and know exactly how much you are burning - figure out your BMR use that as baseline - though I myself prefer the TDEE <--- has your trainer spoken to you about those terms?

The best thing you can do for yourself is research and get educated.

Good Luck

Yep valuable lesson learnt! This was only day 1 with the personal trainer, can't remember if he mentioned TDEE but I will ask him tomorrow when I see him. Today he was more concerned about me eating back calories. Thanks though for your understanding and if I look half as good as you in your picture I will have done things right, take care

Poorgirls_Diet

I'm so glad you sought out professional help. I think it's different for everyone. It's very easy to overestimate your calorie burn and underestimate how much you eat. For me I started at 220 lbs, 5'9". I was eating 1440 cals as a base for 2 lb a week loss. My lifestyle was set to lightly active, one above sedentary. I chase 2 preschoolers and a toddler all day as well nursing several times a day. I did eat back all my exercise cals, but I tried to be conservative in my estimates. This worked for me. I've lost 53 lbs since the beginning of Jan.

wow congratulations! Very inspirational

x_JT_x

There are disclaimers all over MFP stating "Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy." I get that you're frustrated with your situation but I think that the real lesson that you should be taking away from this is that advice is just that, advice. The responsibility for researching that advice and determining whether it applies to your situation lies with you. I wish you the best of luck and truly hope you've found the answers you need to get healthy.

Cupcakehippiemommy

BUMP just cause I FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE fatgurl2thin!! Love ya and I am so proud of you and hope to be as strong as you in every sense of the word! Keep kickin' some fluffy tail doll!

I swear you crack me up, thank god we are friends

Feel the same way cupcake, lucky to have you in mah crazy life too ^u^

Poorgirls_Diet

I'm with the OP. First, we shouldn't be sarcastic with each other, especially since we're here for support. Most of us can get torn down in our own family and homes and work - we don't need it here.

But, I've always been against eating my exercise calories unless it's a special occasion and then I try to earn it. But one of my reasons is that I automatically don't trust the calories burned, via exercise equipment, MFP or anywhere else. If I do eat any, it's not very many.

Thanks well done on your progress so far xx

Poorgirls_Diet

as someone with an ex-eating disorder, i can say this: you are not starving yourself.
do what works for you, which you're clearly doing, and *kitten* the rest of them.
listening to what other people have to say about YOUR body is ridiculous.

Yep thats going to be my attitude from this day forth! Thanks chick xx

Goal_Driven

I have learned from personal experience with my body that I can not eat back exercise cal's just because I either won't lose or witll actually gain. But every person is different, just gotta learn your body. But sounds like youre on the right track! good luck with your journey!

LadyBeryl

I exercise to strengthen my muscles and to improve my metabolism and stamina -- not so I can eat more.

Further, I found that the calorie burn in the exercise DB on MFP is too high -- way too high -- for me. I burn HALF what it tells me for exercises. If I "ate back my calories", I would gain weight. Unless I use a "custom exercise", I always have to alter the calorie burn when I use exercises in the DB here.

I've got admit that on the rare times I go over my pre-exercise calorie limit, I exercise so that I can stay under.:blushing:

Poorgirls_Diet

There are disclaimers all over MFP stating "Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy." I get that you're frustrated with your situation but I think that the real lesson that you should be taking away from this is that advice is just that, advice. The responsibility for researching that advice and determining whether it applies to your situation lies with you. I wish you the best of luck and truly hope you've found the answers you need to get healthy.

Very true but you learn the hard way with regards to 'such' advice and I will be doing my own research from now on hopefully getting the help that I need. When I joined this site as a morbidly obese woman I was really looking for some help which is why I asked the question back then so being new I didn't expect the rude responses. So now I know what I should be doing I won't be asking those sort of questions again as there are throlls on here who just want to make fun of a person' size and belittle someone' intentions to losing weight.

Thanks for your input I appreciate your honesty, take care

jerseygirlmaggie

I've had a heart rate monitor almost since the start of exercising, just because I don't trust mfp numbers. I started at 237lbs and never used to eat back exercise calories unless I was really hungry. I plateaued at about 204lbs for MONTHS and then started to consume all my exercise cals back and now the scale is moving again...
The most important thing is to have an accurate view of what you're burning, maybe invest in a heart rate monitor?

I think we've all learned something here today. You have to do what works for you. The poster above is a perfect example of this. You may have to play with it until you find the right formula for safe and permanent weight loss. Thanks for your post because it was a learning experience for me too!

Good luck!!!

goulbourn

Before we leap in and knock the MFP calorie levels compared with HRM tools too heavily, some understanding of HRM tools is needed.

They are far from infalible and are commonly based upon tables and different software both within watches and systems you upload too will differ considerably.

To illustrate, this evening I did a 60 minute cycle ride with several hills to get the HR up. My HRM watch then uploaded the data to both Suuntos excellent movescount web site (http://www.movescount.com/scoreboard) and I also use some PC based software called Firstbeat athlete (http://www.firstbeat.fi/consumers/firstbeat-athlete).

I'm a heavy guy 102kg (but shrinking weekly ) - the interesting thing is the difference in results :

a) Firstbeat says 580cal
b) Movescount says 703cal

This is based on having told both exactly the same weight/body composition etc and the identical heart rate data having been exactly the same as its been taken from the same watch.

Interestingly MFP estimates that same exercise would have been 656 cals - pretty much bang in the middle of both!

By far the best advice I was given post being diagnosed as diabetic was to make sure I controlled diabetes rather than letting diabetes control me.

I've not been doing this for long - this is my first post after using the site for approx 10 weeks, I suspect the key is to take control of the process yourself.

Whatever tools you use, you need to have an understanding of the data that they are giving you - try to make informed decisions.
MFP is a useful tool, understand its strengths and weaknesses and use it to help you meet your goals.

Good luck.

rosecando

^^^^ good thots their goulbourn ^^^.

I dont personally eat back cals from exercise any more as my weightloss surgeon told me- my fat stores will provide my extra energy demands not food. ( actually it was funny as He said" my body already has over 50k of supermarket attached to it ":blushing: )

Molly_Maguire

I hardly EVER eat mine back, and it works for me. I don't judge others if they do, though. Do what gives you the best results.

Poorgirls_Diet

Before we leap in and knock the MFP calorie levels compared with HRM tools too heavily, some understanding of HRM tools is needed.

They are far from infalible and are commonly based upon tables and different software both within watches and systems you upload too will differ considerably.

To illustrate, this evening I did a 60 minute cycle ride with several hills to get the HR up. My HRM watch then uploaded the data to both Suuntos excellent movescount web site (http://www.movescount.com/scoreboard) and I also use some PC based software called Firstbeat athlete (http://www.firstbeat.fi/consumers/firstbeat-athlete).

I'm a heavy guy 102kg (but shrinking weekly ) - the interesting thing is the difference in results :

a) Firstbeat says 580cal
b) Movescount says 703cal

This is based on having told both exactly the same weight/body composition etc and the identical heart rate data having been exactly the same as its been taken from the same watch.

Interestingly MFP estimates that same exercise would have been 656 cals - pretty much bang in the middle of both!

By far the best advice I was given post being diagnosed as diabetic was to make sure I controlled diabetes rather than letting diabetes control me.

I've not been doing this for long - this is my first post after using the site for approx 10 weeks, I suspect the key is to take control of the process yourself.

Whatever tools you use, you need to have an understanding of the data that they are giving you - try to make informed decisions.
MFP is a useful tool, understand its strengths and weaknesses and use it to help you meet your goals.

Good luck.

I honestly know nothing about hrm' at all. During the period of 12 weeks the personal trainer wants me to wear one day while I am with him so he can record what I am doing and how I am getting on. Like yourself I have also checked just now on another website Sparkpeople that I am on too and theirs are out by 104calories as well. However the point that I was trying to make and seemed to have got missed is that people have been telling me to eat back my calories even when they were over estimated and when I didn't really have to. I should hope to know next week when we put the plan into action. Right now I will be using the sight to record my food but I will never trust the exercise estimates again unless I manually enter them. I just wanted to add the reading from the hrm was an exact calorie match to the machine that I was using to exercise on. So its 100% accurate!!

goulbourn

Believe me, I'm a big fan of HRM data - it appeals to my inner geek. I'm sure its more accurate for a given individual than a broad estimate from a website.

However, my point is that HRM tools only provide an estimate too. So personally I've made the decision to generally eat a percentage of what it says unless I'm feeling really hungry post exercise.

majikmiker

MFP overestimates the burn from exercise.

Personally I haven't found this to be true. I was like you and had 150+ pounds to lose, and I was questioning the fact that I was burning 1000 calories on the treadmill according to MFP. Being new to fitness I didn't realize that there was a calorie counter on the treadmill as well. I started comparing the two and they have always been within about 50 calories of each other, with MFP being a little on the high side.

I also hired a trainer, and have lost 166 pounds in 18 months. I would listen to your trainer before listening to anyone on here (but listen to me, ok???).

Like alot of people who've commented, I also don't eat back my exercise calories, unless I feel the need to. And even then I have some yogurt or protein, or some fruits and veggies. I eat maybe a third of my calories back if I'm hungry after working out. I generally work out late at night too, so I try not to eat anything heavy before bed. If I know I'm gonig to burn 1100 calories playing 3 hours of ball hockey (my typical Sunday night) then I usually eat a bit more a few hours before, build up a bit of a calorie cushion.

Anyways, this is your thread about you, so enough about me. Feel free to add me if you want support etc. and way to go hiring the trainer, mine changed my life.