WHY DO PEOPLE EAT BACK THEIR EXERCISE CALS?!
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Im VERY new to this site, and weightloss... I dont understand all of what you guys are saying but now im concerned... I need to lose 44 more pounds.... I eat around 1200 calories a day but most days I burn about 1200 calories...
but I never eat more tha 1200 calories... I dont want to starve my body... Should I really be eating more?
You should be NETTING 1200 cals. You're netting 0. That is NOT healthy. Please, please eat more.0 -
Why do people give a crap what other people do?
There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.
If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?
So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)0 -
dITTOI drink mine in a long stemmed glass. :drinker:
I do it because I prefer to exercise and have wine than to not exercise and not have wine.0 -
If you want to lose weight, keep it off, and lose majority fat instead of muscle, have an easier time breaking plateau's and a lower chance of hitting them, it's probably a much smarter idea to eat back your exercise calories. Most of the people who look really, really good on here (not 'skinny fat') eat back their calories from exercise, or at least most of the calories they burn. Also, 2lbs a week for someone who doesn't have as much to lose is the absolute MAX that is considered 'healthy and manageable'. If I were you, I'd set my sights on a 1 lb a week loss, or 4-5 lbs a month. I'd much, MUCH rather lose slowly but change my body and look amazing at the end, than go for a quick loss, losing a bunch of muscle and end up looking 'skinny fat'. People have already explained the science behind it all for you, but this is just my 2 cents
On a completely unrelated note, this makes it much easier to be able to ENJOY food! 0 -
I don't eat them back. Ever. I don't even get to the top of the recommended calories unless I'm having a date night out or something. I don't eat breads or dairy or refined sugars though. Meat, veggies and fruits...... and occasionally nuts...... and a little fat every day. (And I feel fabulous!).... do what you know is best for you.0
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Eat more people, I am so mad at myself for wasting 70+ days not eating enough and therefore not losing anything for the last 60 days. I just got a bodymedia and was floored that I burn 3500+ on a typical day and was only eating 1200. You don’t need to spend the money on a bodymedia, all the numbers from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ were quite accurate for me. Here is to eating more, feeling better, and getting to my goal weight 0
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Obese people feel better knowing they can eat more after they workout and as long as they're still in a caloric deficit it works but it just makes people feel better about eating more for the most part.
Seriously? *SMH*0 -
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Use the Military Body Fat Calculator to get your body fat %.
Then use the BMR calculator.
It will give you a chart. Pick your activity level, eat that amount of calories and don't eat back your exercise calories.
I just looked at that and it is insane. I'm at a healthy BMI and used to be a dancer so know how much I should weight when I am lean and muscular at this height.
According to that calculator, at the HIGHEST end of healthy fat percentage, I'd have a BMI of 19. That is, indeed, what I weighed when I was dancing 4-6 hours a day six days a week. But it sure wasn't the high end of healthy - it was skinny - even my dance instructors told me so.0 -
ok - now i understand! now - HOW did you get rid of back fat?? i feel like i have a baby koala clinging to me.
Are you asking me?
Appropriate calorie deficit for the amount of weight to lose, adequate protein, exercise calories, and regular exercise. For me that meant an average of 1800-2200 calories total (after adding the exercise calories), minimum of 100g of protein daily, with running and strength training (heavy lifting) for exercise.
I've been maintaining my weight loss (more or less... I've gained a few pounds, but stayed the same size or gotten smaller) for over a year.
This is the ONLY time a weight loss plan has worked for me. Every other time, I got disgusted, frustrated and quit before reaching my goal, and in retrospect, that's because I was doing it all wrong. I didn't have the energy to keep going because I wasn't properly nourished.
This? This is something I can see myself doing the rest of my life. There's nothing to quit. I'm eating normally, and have from the get-go.0 -
Because those exercise calories can be pretty darned tasty, that's why! :bigsmile:
Do I always eat them back? Sometimes... and sometimes I don't.... sometimes I only eat half of them.... and occasionally I plan a big workout so I can go out and enjoy that bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and still meet all my macros for the day.
It's all up to personal preference, and it seems to be working just fine for me.0 -
I never heard any talk about net calories or eating back exercise calories until I joined MFP. While it does work for some folks, I will remain skeptical because I don't work out to eat more, I work out to get fit. I have been trying to train myself to eat when I'm hungry and not because there is food to eat. I have been eating between 1200-1300 calories a day. I am 5'10, 189lbs so yes I know that is below my BMR. But I have PCOS so BMR calculators aren't exactly accurate for women with PCOS. Actually I don't trust the accuracy of these online calculators period since I get a different result for every one I try. Speaking of calculators, unless you have a HRM how do you know how many calories you burned in the first place. Why risk going over and canceling out your workout.
One problem I do have with MFP is in the settings, for sedentary or lightly active etc. It asks you about you work activity not your workout activity. I work out 6 times a week, but as a freelancer some months I work everyday, some months I don't work at all. I switch from sedentary to lightly active based on my work schedule. Doesn't really make sense to me.0 -
Here's typical weight loss, per my exercise physiology textbook.
Thank you for posting this chart!
That's great!0 -
Eat more people...
But what if I don't like Soylent Green?!
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)0 -
Because MFP already figures in a reasonable to high calorie deficit when you choose your weight loss goals. If you are shooting to lose 2lbs/wk, and you don't eat back exercise calories, your deficit becomes higher than well established safe limits. You can only lose so much fat in a day, so pushing the boundaries means your additional weight loss beyond a reasonable deficit is going to come from your muscle mass. Not a good choice.
NOT TRUE, you won't start using muscle until your below 6% body fat.
NO way ^^ that is right. I lose muscle when I do too much cardio or if I eat and don't exercise, or even if I train too much without eating enough. I haven't been at 6% body fat since I was a fetus.0 -
Why do people give a crap what other people do?
There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.
If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?
So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)
OP was being a bit judgmental and also acting like everyone is here to lose weight at the fastest rate possible and everyone doing it differently is somehow wrong. She "cares" in the wrong way.
She wasn't really asking advice - she was making assumptions and ranting without taking the time to really consider a 1.5-2 weekly weight loss isn't sustainable for most people, especially if they don't have a lot of weight to drop. OP also doesn't seem to understand that exercise isn't done solely to lose weight. Just like it isn't done solely to be able to eat more, or look better naked, or any one single thing.0 -
I understand the net thing and keeping it under the goal amount, but I also know that some people eat back their calories the way they spend every dime they get...*shrug*. Some people can't accumulate deficits of calories, or savings of money, and some see the bigger picture of it and are able to work it out. I see them both like budgeting, and some people love to do it and some don't. I think that maybe also some people don't understand that exercise calories can be a little bit like a credit card, not really 'yours' to spend without consequences--some sites can be confusing to some people.0
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If you don`t want to follow MFP then why be here?
track food intake
track food intake good answer! but if you track it and not follow the recommendations...why bother tracking? Why would you track calories etc?
its very simple mermaid....the only thing i track is how much food i eat......period.....i workout hard and if im still hungry some days ill eat a little more....if im not i wont....im not going to eat just to fuel my "machine"...eat 1900 cals a day now and work butt off 5 days a week in gym...why waste more time than needed tracking estimated numbers0 -
:laugh:0
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Why do people give a crap what other people do?
There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.
If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?
So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)
OP was being a bit judgmental and also acting like everyone is here to lose weight at the fastest rate possible and everyone doing it differently is somehow wrong. She "cares" in the wrong way.
She wasn't really asking advice - she was making assumptions and ranting without taking the time to really consider a 1.5-2 weekly weight loss isn't sustainable for most people, especially if they don't have a lot of weight to drop. OP also doesn't seem to understand that exercise isn't done solely to lose weight. Just like it isn't done solely to be able to eat more, or look better naked, or any one single thing.
Thats what I was thinking? lol Thanks for clearing that up for me 0 -
Because MFP already figures in a reasonable to high calorie deficit when you choose your weight loss goals. If you are shooting to lose 2lbs/wk, and you don't eat back exercise calories, your deficit becomes higher than well established safe limits. You can only lose so much fat in a day, so pushing the boundaries means your additional weight loss beyond a reasonable deficit is going to come from your muscle mass. Not a good choice.
NOT TRUE, you won't start using muscle until your below 6% body fat.
NOT TRUE. You're an idiot.
I'd list why, but many have thankfully already done so.0 -
Bump0
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im gunna go have a beer....well wait its a quarter mile walk to the bar so ima have 1.4 beers...feedin the machine0
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im gunna go have a beer....well wait its a quarter mile walk to the bar so ima have 1.4 beers...feedin the machine
lol I get it now. Thanks Brown.
Ill just drink back my exercise cals. This forum is getting better than i expected!0 -
Obese people feel better knowing they can eat more after they workout and as long as they're still in a caloric deficit it works but it just makes people feel better about eating more for the most part.
Oh please...I burned an extra 1500 cals yesterday and a further 1400 today. If I didn't eat back my calories (or some of them) I'd be exhausted. I really need to concentrate whilst working, I cannot afford to be hungry/tired.0 -
Why do people give a crap what other people do?
There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.
If people didn`t give a crap about what other people do then they would not post a question?
So they make it other people`s concern when they ask for information or advice :-)
OP was being a bit judgmental and also acting like everyone is here to lose weight at the fastest rate possible and everyone doing it differently is somehow wrong. She "cares" in the wrong way.
She wasn't really asking advice - she was making assumptions and ranting without taking the time to really consider a 1.5-2 weekly weight loss isn't sustainable for most people, especially if they don't have a lot of weight to drop. OP also doesn't seem to understand that exercise isn't done solely to lose weight. Just like it isn't done solely to be able to eat more, or look better naked, or any one single thing.
Thats what I was thinking? lol Thanks for clearing that up for me
Well why don't you tell us what you were thinking?0 -
As a former olympic decathlete, Doctor of Nutrition and PT, winner of the prestigious Conrad Elvehjem Award for Public Service in Nutrition, Professor at Yale, Worlds Strongest Man, and pulitzer prize winning author of "You're Fat and I'm Not so $uck It", I can say with confident aplomb and candor that I'm...Never gonna give you up, never gone let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
mmmmmm dessert (good thing I exercised first)0 -
Because it works. And what everyone else said: MFP puts you in a deficit. There's no need to create a bigger one.
Believe it or not, at the deficit you're operating at, you may not see the weight loss you want. Slow and steady is the best way to go that is usually the most effect. Too few calories a day and weight loss typically stalls.
Try what you want, but if you'd like to keep the weight off post-wedding AND honeymoon, I strongly suggest you go the more conservative life-style approach route that many of us follow. After all, staying fit and sexy once you're married is a LOT more important than being skinny for one day i.e. your wedding day.0 -
its very simple mermaid....the only thing i track is how much food i eat......period.....i workout hard and if im still hungry some days ill eat a little more....if im not i wont....im not going to eat just to fuel my "machine"...eat 1900 cals a day now and work butt off 5 days a week in gym...why waste more time than needed tracking estimated numbers
Are you still trying to lose, or is that your maintenance number? Because if you're maintaining at 1900... that's pretty darn low for a young, healthy guy. :frown:
I'm a fairly short 40 year old woman and I eat more than 1900 most days. Yay for a good metabolism! :drinker:0 -
Why do people give a crap what other people do?
There is a deficit built into your calorie intake if you are sent to any of the losing settings - if people want to eat their workout calories back and lose at a slower rate, that really isn't your concern.
It is a concern if she wants to know the reason that people do it to further her own progress. Same as if I asked why in the world people would want to 'clean eat' or be a vegetarian... We ask questions to better understand things. I didn't read even ONE time the OP asking people to STOP eating their exercise calories. Maybe I missed it??? :huh:0 -
I usually don't eat my calories back, but that's if I exercise at night. If I exercise in the morning or afternoon, I'm going to starve myself all day. O.o
I look at it this way: What I burn off equates "I can have that glass of milk that helps me sleep at night" if I'm well-under my calorie goal.
I didn't eat my calories back when I first started, and I didn't lose anything. When I ate back a little bit, eight pounds fell off easily within a week. If you listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs.0
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