Burned Calories, METS and Eating Them Back...

LittleSpy

Ok wait, something is clicking now! Are you suggesting that because MFP already provides the 1,000 calorie deficit per day, there is no need to create it further with excercise? Is this where the argument comes from eating your calories? If so, I can now see why there is sooooo much confusion about this!

DING DING DING DING DING!!!!!

You got it.

LittleSpy

The idea is that for some people, if they create a deficit too large (1000 calorie deficit a day is arguably too large for anyone not "obese"), their body will kind of freak out on them because their net calories (the calories they eat vs. the total number of calories they burn in a day) are so low. The body can react to a large deficit the same way it reacts to starvation, hence the term "starvation mode."

Someone could eat 2000 calories a day, but if they're exercising and burning 1500 calories each day, their body responds to that as though they've only eaten 500 calories that day. The limit is different for everyone, but the reason people warn you so much about eating exercise calories is that if your body does enter "starvation mode," it takes a good bit of time and work to dig yourself back out of it, from what I understand. So, I think most people just want to take the healthier "better safe than sorry" approach and eat some of their exercise calories. But, like I was saying before, many extremely overweight folks can handle a higher calorie deficit because their bodies have so much extra fat to use as energy, it's *unlikely* (not impossible) for their bodies to freak out about it.

karmasBFF

Ok wait, something is clicking now! Are you suggesting that because MFP already provides the 1,000 calorie deficit per day, there is no need to create it further with excercise? Is this where the argument comes from eating your calories? If so, I can now see why there is sooooo much confusion about this!

DING DING DING DING DING!!!!!

You got it.

LOL! I'm not saying I agree, not just yet! But now I have an angle to work off! You have been so patient! Thank you sooooo much!

stormieweather

YES!! :happy:

Using MFP's guidelines, you do not ever "need" to exercise to lose weight. BUT, if you choose to do so, it is probably wise to eat at least part of those calories back in order to fuel the additional energy burned by your body during said exercise.

Note: I said "probably". Some people over estimate their activity levels or under estimate their food intake or aren't accurate on their exercise calories...so eating them back does not work for those people (as their deficit is being eliminated by those errors).

karmasBFF

The idea is that for some people, if they create a deficit too large (1000 calorie deficit a day is arguably too large for anyone not "obese"), their body will kind of freak out on them because their net calories (the calories they eat vs. the total number of calories they burn in a day) are so low. The body can react to a large deficit the same way it reacts to starvation, hence the term "starvation mode."

Someone could eat 2000 calories a day, but if they're exercising and burning 1500 calories each day, their body responds to that as though they've only eaten 500 calories that day. The limit is different for everyone, but the reason people warn you so much about eating exercise calories is that if your body does enter "starvation mode," it takes a good bit of time and work to dig yourself back out of it, from what I understand. So, I think most people just want to take the healthier "better safe than sorry" approach and eat some of their exercise calories. But, like I was saying before, many extremely overweight folks can handle a higher calorie deficit because their bodies have so much extra fat to use as energy, it's *unlikely* (not impossible) for their bodies to freak out about it.

See, now at my weight and height, I am considered obese. What does this mean for me? That I can create a larget deficit? My BMI is at like 39 or something really high!

karmasBFF

YES!! :happy:

Using MFP's guidelines, you do not ever "need" to exercise to lose weight. BUT, if you choose to do so, it is probably wise to eat at least part of those calories back in order to fuel the additional energy burned by your body during said exercise.

Note: I said "probably". Some people over estimate their activity levels or under estimate their food intake or aren't accurate on their exercise calories...so eating them back does not work for those people (as their deficit is being eliminated by those errors).

Ok, so tell me what you all think:

I will make sure I eat 1200 calories.
I will burn 300 calories minimum.
I will only enter what I burned based on the METS theory that initiated this post, meaning (# of minutes) x (ACTIVITY MET-REGUALR MET) x (number of calories I burn a minute.
Then I will try to eat half of them back

Does this sound safe?

LittleSpy

See, now at my weight and height, I am considered obese. What does this mean for me? That I can create a larget deficit? My BMI is at like 39 or something really high!

See, the thing is that everyone is different. Some people can get away with it. Some can't. So if you decide to try in order to lose weight faster, you need to always keep in mind that if you hit a plateau, it may mean you need to start eating more.

I personally have been able to get away with it. I create a larger deficit than 1000 calories a day and I've been losing an average of 2.5 pounds a week. UNTIL recently. I was noticing my weight loss slow down even though my deficit had been the same as the months before I started eating more about 3 weeks ago and it's worked so far to keep me from plateauing.

As far as the whole METS theory, again, the arguable answer to that is that you don't stop burning extra calories the second you stop exercising -- you continue to burn extra calories for quite some time afterwards (1 hour?). So, those extra calories essentially make up for double counting the small amount of calories you would've normally burned without exercising. And if you don't want to believe that, then eating just a portion of your exercise calories is certainly an option.

The bottom lines are that 1. Everyone is different. 2. What you decide to do is YOUR choice. 3. You need to understand the risks of creating too large of a calorie deficit. How large is too large? Refer to bottom line #1.

MercuryBlue

YES!! :happy:

Using MFP's guidelines, you do not ever "need" to exercise to lose weight. BUT, if you choose to do so, it is probably wise to eat at least part of those calories back in order to fuel the additional energy burned by your body during said exercise.

Note: I said "probably". Some people over estimate their activity levels or under estimate their food intake or aren't accurate on their exercise calories...so eating them back does not work for those people (as their deficit is being eliminated by those errors).

Ok, so tell me what you all think:

I will make sure I eat 1200 calories.
I will burn 300 calories minimum.
I will only enter what I burned based on the METS theory that initiated this post, meaning (# of minutes) x (ACTIVITY MET-REGUALR MET) x (number of calories I burn a minute.
Then I will try to eat half of them back

Does this sound safe?

That sounds good to me. For a long time I only ate half of my exercise calories, and I lost weight without hitting a plateau or going into save/starvation mode. Heck, I still rarely eat ALL of them. Just most of them. Give it a try. Your body will eventually tell you if it needs more calories- then you might have to do some metabolic repair. Keep that in mind....

But honestly, none of us really 'know' what's right for our body right off the bat. There isn't a one-size-fits-all plan. You just sort of start off trying to lose weight in the healthiest way possible. Some people will find they don't need as many calories as MFP tells them and they can afford not to eat their exercise calories without any troubles. Some find they HAVE to eat their exercise calories, and that their body just can't make do with 1200. Some find that 1200 is just the perfect number for them, but have other things they need to 'tweak' along the way. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you. Eventually, you'll start to figure out what works for you.

karmasBFF

Thanks so much for all of the posts and arguments and debates, this is by far one of the most interesting posts I have been a part of! And I learned soooo much!

AWWWW, "LOVE" YOU GUYS!!