Consume the calories you just burnt off ?

Keebler1976
Keebler1976 Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So finished my diary and got this at the bottom of page *Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories... Does MFP always read this way? Maybe it is a warning? I am under my calories because of my exercise, example: If my daily calorie goal which is set, based on my total weight lose goals is 2000 and I eat 1900 and then work out and burn 500 are we saying I need to then consume the difference another 600 cal to bring you back to your daily cal goal of 2000 ? I can understand if you are not eating your allotted calories you could go into starvation mode and not lose any weight but if you are gaining back calories from exercise are you to consume what you just burnt? Or is it only recognizing the 100 calories I did not eat before my exercise?.. Thoughts?

Replies

  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    Yes, you eat back the calories after exercise if you are already eating at a deficit.

    If MFP tells you that you should eat 2000 calories based on your height/weight/activity level and you are planning on losing weight then you should eat around 2000 calories a day. If you exercise these calories off, you are eating less than 2000 so MFP warns you.

    edit: What is your TDEE?
  • Cheeky_0102
    Cheeky_0102 Posts: 408 Member
    it warns me if i get under 1200 calories... i thought that was a setting for everyone.

    it doesn't care if i burn off ALL my calories, as long as i eat my 1200. maybe it's lower now,
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    It's recognizing the 600 (if it's mfp settings you have it set to) and wants you to eat those back.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    it warns me if i get under 1200 calories... i thought that was a setting for everyone.

    it doesn't care if i burn off ALL my calories, as long as i eat my 1200. maybe it's lower now,

    For a lot of people that is the generic setting...one size fits all setting...doesn't mean it's correct for everyone though.
  • haymancm
    haymancm Posts: 280 Member
    I don't pay much attention to the calories, only the sodium, carbs, & sugar, especially after I work out. My goal is to make sure I eat at least 1200 cal/day. In the mornings, I start out @ 1660 cal/day. Sometimes, I eat that much, other days I don't. For the most part I eat around 1755 cal/day & don't eat back my 1000 workout cals.

    When I am under 1660, I don't get a warning about too few calories eaten for that day.
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
    I don't pay much attention to the calories, only the sodium, carbs, & sugar, especially after I work out. My goal is to make sure I eat at least 1200 cal/day. In the mornings, I start out @ 1660 cal/day. Sometimes, I eat that much, other days I don't. For the most part I eat around 1755 cal/day & don't eat back my 1000 workout cals.

    When I am under 1660, I don't get a warning about too few calories eaten for that day.

    So you try to hit 1200, but you eat 1775, and don't eat back 1000 of them from exercise, netting 775 cals? :huh: Am I misreading?
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    it warns me if i get under 1200 calories... i thought that was a setting for everyone.

    it doesn't care if i burn off ALL my calories, as long as i eat my 1200. maybe it's lower now,

    Do you log your exercise calories? If you burn off ALL your calories its exactly the same as not eating anything for the day.
  • Keebler1976
    Keebler1976 Posts: 70 Member
    edit: What is your TDEE?
    [/quote]

    Sorry what Does TDEE? stand for (kinda new here)
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    edit: What is your TDEE?

    Sorry what Does TDEE? stand for (kinda new here)
    [/quote]

    Its the number of calories you burn in a day (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html you can calculate it using this (first one that came up on google lol)
  • Keebler1976
    Keebler1976 Posts: 70 Member
    My TDEE without exercise is 2931, when I enter as per what I do in a day/week it shows 3786...
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    edit: What is your TDEE?

    Sorry what Does TDEE? stand for (kinda new here)
    Its the number of calories you burn in a day (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) without exercise. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html you can calculate it using this (first one that came up on google lol)
    [/quote]

    That is wrong...TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure INCLUDING exercise. That's why when you use the TDEE -20% ( or 15 or 10 or whatever) method you do not eat your exercise calories.
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    *edited*
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    edit: What is your TDEE?

    Sorry what Does TDEE? stand for (kinda new here)
    Its the number of calories you burn in a day (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) without exercise. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html you can calculate it using this (first one that came up on google lol)

    That is wrong...TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure INCLUDING exercise. That's why when you use the TDEE -20% ( or 15 or 10 or whatever) method you do not eat your exercise calories.

    Ah youre right, I think I got my acronyms mixed up. Either way OP is on the right track with the 2000 calories. Sorry for confusing you OP!
  • jadams1650
    jadams1650 Posts: 139 Member
    edit: What is your TDEE?

    Sorry what Does TDEE? stand for (kinda new here)

    Its the number of calories you burn in a day (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) without exercise. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html you can calculate it using this (first one that came up on google lol)
    [/quote]
    Ummm...I think TDEE includes exercise...TDEE is TOTAL Daily Energy Expenditure. That is why TDEE-20% causes weight loss. You are eating a 20% deficit to your average daily expenditure of energy.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    The N.E.A.T (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is the method that does not include exercise...this is the method that MFP uses which is why it wants you to eat back exercise calories.
  • moodyshannon15
    moodyshannon15 Posts: 39 Member
    This is a totally confusing thread! Lol my calories for the day is set by mfp. At 1330..I try to stay at that number regardless. I may
    Eat back a few of my exercise calories, but not all of them.
  • SarahDavs
    SarahDavs Posts: 161 Member
    I a little confused too. :3 I thought that I wasn't supposed to go past 1200 (my daily calorie goal) even if I have added exercise.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    I a little confused too. :3 I thought that I wasn't supposed to go past 1200 (my daily calorie goal) even if I have added exercise.

    You should always eat your exercise Calories back...especially if you're using the basic 1200 (such a small amount ) calories mfp sets people at. You want to NET that calorie goal if you're using the MFP way/set up otherwise you are taking in way to few calories.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    You need a deficit to lose weight. This is the best way I can think to show you what is happening and why you should at least eat some of your exercise calories back:

    Example:

    TDEE: 2300
    Daily Goal/amount you eat total: 1800
    Deficit: 500 a day

    That's a 500 calorie deficit so you're already burning more than you're consuming just by doing daily activities.

    Add exercise to that and you get this:
    TDEE: 2300
    Daily Goal: 1800
    Amount you eat: 1800
    Exercise: 300
    Net Amount: 1500
    deficit: 800

    You're now at an 800 calorie deficit. You could eat those exercise calories back, because over all your goal still puts you at a deficit. By eating them back, it will give you the 500 calorie deficit you have when you don't work out.

    edit: Forgot to add

    TDEE: 2300
    Amount You eat: 2300
    Exercise:300
    Net amount: 2000
    Deficit: 300

    If you were to eat at maintenance and work out, then you wouldn't eat your exercise calories. This is because the exercise calories would be creating the deficit, instead of you creating it by limiting your intake.
  • SarahDavs
    SarahDavs Posts: 161 Member
    I a little confused too. :3 I thought that I wasn't supposed to go past 1200 (my daily calorie goal) even if I have added exercise.

    You should always eat your exercise Calories back...especially if you're using the basic 1200 (such a small amount ) calories mfp sets people at. You want to NET that calorie goal if you're using the MFP way/set up otherwise you are taking in way to few calories.
    ^Thanks for letting me know.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    My TDEE without exercise is 2931, when I enter as per what I do in a day/week it shows 3786...

    If this is true, and MFP is calculating the same, your goal to lose 2 lbs/week should give you an MFP daily target of about 1931 calories (a 1000-calorie daily deficit for a loss of 2 lbs/week). That's based on not exercising. When you do exercise, you burn more - as you've shown, you burn around 3786 daily, so to lose the 2 lbs/week you're aiming for, your actual intake will be about 2786 daily, or, 1931 plus all your exercise calories. It's just how MFP calculates.

Categories