So confused... Need advice

rhalpin86

My caluclated calorie intake daily should be 1230. If I work out - doing cardio for 30 mins and burn about 200-300 calories do I eat back those calories I just burned? To prevent starvation mode? I've read some people don't agree with eating those extra calories. Isn't there supposed to be a 500 deficit.

I've already dropped 2 lbs but I want to make sure I'm doing this right!!

Greenrun99

Yes, people will say differently but if your using MFP if you have green left, that means you can eat.

erinsueburns

Yes, eat back your exercise calories (assuming that you are accurately logging both weighed food and the amount of calories burned). If you are using MFP's goals, the calorie deficit is built in already and not eating your excercise calories will give you too big of a deficit. Don't necessarily think of it as preventing starvation mode, more think of it as maintaining a reasonable goal that is maintainable.

auddii

MFP already builds a deficit into your calories. If you exercise, it would be an additional deficit (which does not necessarily translate into losing faster). You should be fueling your body for your workouts, aka eating your exercise calories back. Also, MFP tends to calculate the calories fairly low or aggressively depending on how fast you said you wanted to lose. Aggressive weightloss isn't recommended unless you have a lot of weight to lose.

Some very helpful and well written posts about how many calories you should eat:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

jennifox63

bump

jenlarz

I go with the eat them! Esp if you are on such low calories, there will still be a deficit.

rcuadros

i am having the same problem like Rhalpin68 please need advice!

rhalpin86

What if you're not hungry?

kingscrown

My trainer says to not eat them unless I'm really hungry. So, every now and then I eat them. Usually not all of them, but dip into them without worry.

piggydog

What if you're not hungry?

I ususally drink a protein powder mixed with a low fat milk and that will ususally put me back whre I need to be calorie wise

joslin2005

Some don't agree to eat the exercise calories back but MFP already gives you a deficit into your calorie goal. So there is no need to deduct the exercise calories as well.

srpm

When I was being good and tracking things properly I used the exercise calories as a bonus of sorts. It's all about finding what works best for you. For me I see the best results when I eat 1200-1500 calories per day and always make sure that I eat at least 1200, if I exercise I try to net at least 1200 for the day but if I'm not hungry, I don't eat extra just to get to a specific number. You don't have to worry about negative effects from eating under the 1200 calorie mark unless you are doing it on a regular basis for an extended period of time.

FitbeTMF

http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm