Question About Eating Back Exercise Calories

baileybiddles

Hi all!

Question for you. I am at a goal of 1500 calories per day which I am usually just under or just over. I exercise maybe 3-4 times per week and now that I'm doing Turbo Jam, I'm burning anywhere from 300-600 calories per session. I don't generally eat back exercise calories, or go out of my way to do so, but I'm wondering now if I should be. I have heard that eating less than 1200 calories per day can put your body into starvation mode and you won't lose like you should. If that's true, on days that I'm at my calorie goal and burn 500 calories, I'm only averaging 1000 calories per day after exercise and not eating back.

Is my logic correct?

baileybiddles

Annnyyyone?

twoss9112

Yes, your logic is correct.

Your goal number is "net" calories.

If your goal is 1500 and you eat 1500 with no exercise or additional activity, you are at your net, stop eating.

If your goal is 1500 and you eat 1500, and also exercise 500, you are netting 1000. You do have to put at least some of that back.

The 1500 net goal per day already includes your deficit, so if you eat 1500, exercise 500, and eat another 250, you're fine and you're not going to hinder progress.. Netting under 1200 isn't healthy.

So on the days that you do have more activity than normal or exercise, you have to eat more to fuel that.

baileybiddles

Yes, your logic is correct.

Your goal number is "net" calories.

If your goal is 1500 and you eat 1500 with no exercise or additional activity, you are at your net, stop eating.

If your goal is 1500 and you eat 1500, and also exercise 500, you are netting 1000. You do have to put at least some of that back.

The 1500 net goal per day already includes your deficit, so if you eat 1500, exercise 500, and eat another 250, you're fine and you're not going to hinder progress.. Netting under 1200 isn't healthy.

So on the days that you do have more activity than normal or exercise, you have to eat more to fuel that.

Perfect! I never understood what the "net" number was meant to be for. I appreciate the explanation.

marilynolivares1

not to sound dumb but Iam so afraid to do that because i think I'm not going to loose weight if i eat those calories back. instead I try to listen to my body and if i feel hungry i eat something.

bryionak

yeah, I am not using a kitchen scale and think I am overestimating calories burned. My target is 1800 or so, and try not to go to much over that even when I exercise. I am thinking about getting a kitchen scale and something like the Body media or fitbit or at least something better than the newbalance HRM i have so my estimates are more accurate.