same calories regardless of exercise?

jillybeanpuff

Is it ok to just try to eat the same amount of calories regardless of whether you exercise or not? I currently eat around 1600 a day and am losing at about a pound a week. I just don't want to mess up my metabolism or anything else by not eating back my exercise calories.

It might help to know that I usually have between 600 and 300 calories left when I get home from work, which is when I exercise. I usually work out 5 nights, doing 30DS. That burns about 260 cals. A lot of times after I work out I'm not hungry and make myself eat the rest of my 300-600 cals, so it would be difficult to add 260 on top of that. I get done working out around 7:30 and go to bed around 10:30.

auddii

1600 is horribly low, and a pound a week isn't overly fast. For now, I'd stick with it and see how you do. Don't forget to use the "check in" option as you lose weight; it will recalculate your calories every five pounds you lose.

psuLemon

If you are doing JM, set your account to lightly active and then yes you can eat the same thing every day as it takes into consideration exercise. But you should start eating denser foods to actually meet your goals. But it's probably fine that you eat about 1600-1850 calories.

psuLemon

1600 is horribly low, and a pound a week isn't overly fast. For now, I'd stick with it and see how you do. Don't forget to use the "check in" option as you lose weight; it will recalculate your calories every five pounds you lose.

Did you mean, isn't horrible low? I assume you did. Also, by the way it reads.

seena511

if you're consistently losing a pound a week, i'd stick with that until you plateau and then maybe look at making some adjustments. but if it ain't broke...

jillybeanpuff

my TDEE-20% is 1735. I tried that for a bit and didn't lose anything. In the beginning I was at 1600 and lost, and now that I'm back at 1600 I've lost again. So I think I've found my sweet spot, I just want to make sure I'm not doing any long-term damage by not eating back my exercise cals.

psuLemon

my TDEE-20% is 1735. I tried that for a bit and didn't lose anything. In the beginning I was at 1600 and lost, and now that I'm back at 1600 I've lost again. So I think I've found my sweet spot, I just want to make sure I'm not doing any long-term damage by not eating back my exercise cals.

It's impossible to lose a lb a week at 1600 calories and no lose at 1735. If you lose a pound at 1600, your TDEE is 2100, which means at 1735, you would lose at .8 lb per week. There had to be another factor. But if you are losing at 1600 then stick with it.

jillybeanpuff

It's impossible to lose a lb a week at 1600 calories and no lose at 1735. If you lose a pound at 1600, your TDEE is 2100, which means at 1735, you would lose at .8 lb per week. There had to be another factor. But if you are losing at 1600 then stick with it.

maybe I just psyched myself out :blushing:

seena511

my TDEE-20% is 1735. I tried that for a bit and didn't lose anything. In the beginning I was at 1600 and lost, and now that I'm back at 1600 I've lost again. So I think I've found my sweet spot, I just want to make sure I'm not doing any long-term damage by not eating back my exercise cals.

since you're still netting around 1350 every day, assuming you eat up to 1600 and do nothing besides the 30DS, that's probably not too low for the time being. what is your BMR?

edit for math...

PurpleLadyZ

I think everybody is different - if you've figured your TDEE and found your sweet spot, then stick with what works for you. I calculated my TDEE based on sedentary and I am very active, I don't eat back my exercise calories and where I'm at works for me. you just have to figure out what works for you, at this time, in your fitness journey. as you continue, those needs may change and you may need to adjust. good luck

jaded011

i NEVER eat back the exerecise calories. i try to be under goal all the time. sometimes what i burn is more than the calories i take in and my net calories for the day is in the negative, but that doesn't happen often. they have me set at eating 1200 a day before any type of burning the calories. i aim for 800 - 1000 and then try to burn 300-500 a day. Yes, i understand this isn't the HEALTHIEST way. but my fiance made me promise to eat at least 800 calories a day , didn't say anything about net calories though. . my dr knows about this and isn't thrilled with me, and keeps ordering blood work, but as long as its fine, he isn't sayiing much since i cut out the fasting. but if my blood work gets thrown off he is gonna start giving me a hard time. Its in my file from years ago that i have EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). COE (chronic over eating) would make me gain a ton, then i would fast and burn calories and end up losing 60, 70, 80 real fast. Right now though im the smallest i have been since before i can remember. The weding dress i wore when i was 17 hangs off me. but i still need todrop more. my goal is a bit extreme and i realize that. if i lose 45 more i'd be happy and my fiance would stop growling at me every day over my calorie obsession. funny thing is- i guess i didnt realize you were SUPOSSED to eat back your work out calories. maybe its the way my brain works, but i just assumed it would be a no no to do so.


this calorie tracker isnt totally correct. i had lost 15 pounds before i started this site, and i actually wanna lose about 60 more, not 30 more, but when i put down a goal it seemed SOOOOOOOO far away, i decided to go for a lower one then make another one when i reached this one. but my fiance is pissed when i say i wanna lose 40 more but i wanna NOT be double digits in the jean size anymore. THATS really my goal, not a number on the scale, a number on the tag of my jeans. (im a 14 or a 16 right now depending on how its made, i was a 24 back end of june when i started losing)

for the lady who made this post. i think its great you are losing 1 pound a week continually. keep up the good work. my fiance and dr would be thrilled if i decided to make a goal of 1 pound a week on a regular basis and get the nutrients i need very day, instead of 3 and eat more like a normal person and it not be a total obsession and deal with migrains and feeling tired all the time.

seena511

i NEVER eat back the exerecise calories. i try to be under goal all the time. sometimes what i burn is more than the calories i take in and my net calories for the day is in the negative, but that doesn't happen often. they have me set at eating 1200 a day before any type of burning the calories. i aim for 800 - 1000 and then try to burn 300-500 a day. Yes, i understand this isn't the HEALTHIEST way. but my fiance made me promise to eat at least 800 calories a day , didn't say anything about net calories though. . my dr knows about this and isn't thrilled with me, and keeps ordering blood work, but as long as its fine, he isn't sayiing much since i cut out the fasting. but if my blood work gets thrown off he is gonna start giving me a hard time. Its in my file from years ago that i have EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). COE (chronic over eating) would make me gain a ton, then i would fast and burn calories and end up losing 60, 70, 80 real fast. Right now though im the smallest i have been since before i can remember. The weding dress i wore when i was 17 hangs off me. but i still need todrop more. my goal is a bit extreme and i realize that. if i lose 45 more i'd be happy and my fiance would stop growling at me every day over my calorie obsession. funny thing is- i guess i didnt realize you were SUPOSSED to eat back your work out calories. maybe its the way my brain works, but i just assumed it would be a no no to do so.

when you're burning that much, you should definitely eat back your exercise calories. OP, do not do this. if you calcuate your aclorie goal based on your TDEE, then you don't eat them back. if you calculate them using MFP, then eat them back.

GauchoMark

Here's my 2 cents...

We can calculate calories burned, estimate food portions, run theoretical models to estimate losses, etc. all day long. BUT at the end of the day, all of that is speculation and estimations. It is VERY difficult to get really accurate with these things.

On the other hand, you have 6 weeks (I assume based on your weight loss and quoted rate of loss) of data that says that what you are doing is causing you to lose 1 lb/wk. So, the calculations don't match up. Who cares?! This is a healthy rate. Why change?

Here's my point: We can calculate these things, but they are all subject to estimation errors. These estimation errors can be rather huge. So chances are, you are currently eating more than 1600 calories and/or exercising less than you give credit for. It doesn't really matter, as long as you are consistent.

I always say, the calculations are great, but success over the long term boils down to some trial and error. What you are "trying" is working, and is a healthy rate. Just keep doing what you are doing.

psuLemon

i NEVER eat back the exerecise calories. i try to be under goal all the time. sometimes what i burn is more than the calories i take in and my net calories for the day is in the negative, but that doesn't happen often. they have me set at eating 1200 a day before any type of burning the calories. i aim for 800 - 1000 and then try to burn 300-500 a day. Yes, i understand this isn't the HEALTHIEST way. but my fiance made me promise to eat at least 800 calories a day , didn't say anything about net calories though. . my dr knows about this and isn't thrilled with me, and keeps ordering blood work, but as long as its fine, he isn't sayiing much since i cut out the fasting. but if my blood work gets thrown off he is gonna start giving me a hard time. Its in my file from years ago that i have EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). COE (chronic over eating) would make me gain a ton, then i would fast and burn calories and end up losing 60, 70, 80 real fast. Right now though im the smallest i have been since before i can remember. The weding dress i wore when i was 17 hangs off me. but i still need todrop more. my goal is a bit extreme and i realize that. if i lose 45 more i'd be happy and my fiance would stop growling at me every day over my calorie obsession. funny thing is- i guess i didnt realize you were SUPOSSED to eat back your work out calories. maybe its the way my brain works, but i just assumed it would be a no no to do so.

You do realize this way of eating will be the reason you will be able to gain the weight back as quickly as you lost it right? Extreme diets leads to extreme rebound. When you lose fast, you lose a lot of muscle which means you need to lose a lot more weight to have a lean and tight body. And if you want to maintain your metabolism, eating 800 calories is just not going to be able to maintain it. Unfortunately, if you never learn how to eat and realize that you can eat a lot more calories, you will end up where you started.

psuLemon

It's impossible to lose a lb a week at 1600 calories and no lose at 1735. If you lose a pound at 1600, your TDEE is 2100, which means at 1735, you would lose at .8 lb per week. There had to be another factor. But if you are losing at 1600 then stick with it.

maybe I just psyched myself out :blushing:

i would concern with that statement. But at least now you know your TDEE is around 2100 calories which means you can NOT gain new fat until you consistently surpass that mark.

Bighiker2

I NEVER eat back the exercise calories. When I do, I either don't lose anything that week or gain a little. My husband and I LOVE to hike; we usually hike 15-20 miles every Sat., plus I go to the gym twice weekly AND still gain if I eat my exercise calories!! But that's probably just me LOL

matthewdylenbrown

What you are "trying" is working, and is a healthy rate. Just keep doing what you are doing.

What he said