working out and eating 1200 cals.

amypomm

Hi Im just a little confused. When eating a 1200 calorie diet do I need to replace the 500 calories I burned off with food to keep my caloric intake at 1200? Or is the 500 calories burned off the defict Im looking for to loose the weight?

lawrahmck

1200 already has you at a deficit, make sure you eat back!

simplyshrinking

Great question. I am interested to know this as well!

markymarrkk

I think you should eat back the 500 cals you burned.. 1200 is like the bare minimum needed for your body to function normally. 1200 cals has the deficit already counted into it.

sophayz

i usually try to eat back my calories so that my net is 1200 but don't shove food down your throat if you are not hungry . see it more as an extra .

Danni3ll3

MFP expects you to eat those calories back. So a lot of people here eat all or most of them back.

Krane925

always eat the exercise calories

kdub67

You want to count the net calories...the 1200 calorie limit already has a deficit built into it (ie if you want to lose one pound a week, it factors the 500 cal per day deficit in). Many people, myself included, eat back their exercise calories, especially those on a 1200 calorie limit. So if you are burning 500 through exercise, eat around 1700 per day. Hope this helps!

imyourscar

If your goal is 1200 kcal and you exercise burning off 500 kcal, you want to eat a total of 1700 kcal a day

djames92

eat your 1200 calories plus eat the extra amount that you burned off working out

dorianaldyn

I usually eat back some (but not all) of my calories. I don't use a heart rate monitor so those caloric burns are just estimates and I don't trust them to not be overstated. So, I'm usually under 1200 on a NET basis, but not by too much.

Colleen60148

Your deficit amount of 1200 is what is calculated for you to consume after daily activity. So if you ate 1200 and didnt exercise you would be on track. If you ate 1200, burned 500, that would mean you only have 800 of caloric energy which puts your body into starvation mode and is inefficient.

Stick to the recommended deficit after 'calories consumed' minus 'calories burned' = 1200

annicins

I usually eat back some (but not all) of my calories. I don't use a heart rate monitor so those caloric burns are just estimates and I don't trust them to not be overstated. So, I'm usually under 1200 on a NET basis, but not by too much.

Same here.

Strangelyinsane

Hi. To keep within your goal on this website you can eat up to the calories you burn in addition to your 1200 calories. Many people don't eat back all of the calories. I find my weight loss is most reliable when I keep my total calorie consumption at 1500 or less regardless of my burn calories.

However, everyone is different. There are a lot of success stories on this website and the one common thread I've seen is they have made a commitment to a lifestyle change and stuck with it whether it be strict calories in/calories out, primal, vegan or whatever.

With 23 lbs lost you've made some progress! Find what works and is sustainable for you and stick with it! Good luck!

PS
I am by no means an expert at anything including weight loss. Now, weight gain? That I know...

wildfirediva

Yes like others have said....

At 1200 kcal you should definitely eat back your exercise kcals or you may force your body into starvation mode and it will hold on to the weight.

You should never go under your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR- if you were to have a lazy day in bed this would be the minimum calories to sustain your body functions). That varies from person to person. The key is keeping your caloric intake in deficit from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and no lower than your BMR.

Consistency is key.

In the long run you may find yourself having to eat more to maintain your workout performance and energy level.

marypatmccue

I wish.... people knew how to use the search function. *beats head on desk from seeing this post so many times every day.....* :laugh:

gpoliver

You need to make up your calories so at the end of the day you are at 1200 calories FOR THE MOST PART. However, recently I have found that if I am not hungry, not dizzy from not eating, and i have eaten the right amount of carbs, protein etc. then its okay not to ALWAYS eat back your calories. What you DO not want to do is have your body think it is starving itself and then it will hold on to your calories, and it becomes harder to lose the pounds. A few times, I have also eaten over my calories (and it wasnt just for fun, cuz that sometimes happens) just because I am so hungry, and I can tell my body needs the fuel. Dont deprve yourself if your body needs the energy....

amypomm

Thanks everyone. Thats the reason why I prbably havent lost weight this past 2 months. Im going to start eating what I burned off. This helps so much! It just completly boggles my mind to think I can eat that much and still loose weight. Ive been eating around 1000 calories a day and working out with not so much weight loss. It has taken me 6 months to loose 30 pounds. Do you think I can lose 2 pounds a week if I start eating 1200 calories a day plus what I burn off? I hope my weightloss will increase with the food intake. Thanks everyone who responded.

gabbysabs

if you want to lose 2 pounds a week, you need to have a 1000 calorie deficit a day. Don't eat your burned calories, or you will be defeating that burn. in that case, skip the workout and just eat less calories