Extra calories from exercise...

nikkia75
nikkia75 Posts: 31
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Im a bit confused (major blonde moment occuring) when i first started MFP my suggested Calorie intake seemed high i was about 600 spare, so i lowered it to 1200 but with doing lots of exercise its adding on an extra 200-400 a day.

Should i try to eat more or just stick to what im doing? I read in someones blog i should eat my exercise calories.

Im 178lbs and want to lose about 30lbs and tone up. So im doing running, aerobics and sit-ups for my exercises.

Replies

  • MagzGraz
    MagzGraz Posts: 31
    Hi there.... I too got a bit confused here but I think for energy purpose if you exercise you get a few more calories to eat...

    Personally I still stick to the 1200 per day!!! I suppose its up to you and how fast you want to lose the weight and also if you can really handle the small amount of calories as in the early days it may be hard.

    Today for me with little exercise I still had 600 calories left over.... when doing calorie counting before I used to eat to the very last calorie and yes I lost weight although it was a slow process... This time I plan my calories at the begining of the day and pace my eating by eating 6 small meals a day.

    breaky, morning tea, lunch,afternoon tea, dinner and small snack..... I find this way I am feeling fuller for much longer!!!!

    Good luck
  • granof3
    granof3 Posts: 10
    Hi
    Just remember that the less you eat, the more your body will become clever at storing energy. I will be eating any extra I get so my body doesn't go into "starvation mode" Look it up! You need to keep your metabolism going. Keep to the 1200 for the week if you want and then eat the extras - just a suggestion. GOOD LUCK!
  • kellygirl5538
    kellygirl5538 Posts: 597 Member
    The more you eat the more you loose is true. My diet is around 1500 a day and i loose. Anything less i remain the same or gain.
  • sftbutterflykiss
    sftbutterflykiss Posts: 223 Member
    yes.. if you dont eat your burnt calories eventually you body will feel like its starving .. and you will stop losing.. i do consume most of my burnt off calories.. more then half.. enjoy it.. not often you are told to eat.. thats the joys of working out!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    MFP sets up a calorie deficit for you, you eat your exercise calories to maintain that deficit. It helps you achieve a nice, steady weight loss each week.
  • stella_star
    stella_star Posts: 25
    I always try to eat at least half of any calories earned from exercise - mostly because the exercise has taken it out of me and I'd struggle to function without eating the extra!
    I never ate the extra at first but once I started to I found it easier to stick to my calorie limit because I wasn't as hungry and my weight loss also sped up as my metabolism improved.
  • zeala
    zeala Posts: 119 Member
    I only use the exercise calories burned as a guideline, because I am skeptical about how accurate they are. I think that how many calories you burn is affected by a lot of variables, such as height, sex, %body fat, age... that I can't imagine that the machine could be THAT accurate.
    So I try to stay at whatever my recommended calories are for the day, without exercise. However, when I come back from a really good work out, and feel that my body needs more fuel, I do eat something extra.
    I really try to pay attention to what my body is saying ( and not my appetite) in conjunction with counting calories.
  • missjenn
    missjenn Posts: 18 Member
    I eat all my exercise cals and have from the beginning. I chose to lose slowly and I never wanted to feel hungry or like I was on a diet. It worked for me. I have reached my goal. Lost 32 pounds and am maintaining now. The last five was tough and took a couple of months. I knew I could have done it faster but like I said I didn't want to feel hungry or deprived.

    Good luck!
  • mrsbeck
    mrsbeck Posts: 234 Member
    I base it on how I feel each day. I don't force myself to eat if I'm not hungry...after all, eating when I wasn't hungry is what got me here! HOWEVER...I always make sure I hit 1200-1300 calories for the day. So, if eating the exercise cals bothers you, and I totally get why it would--it's counterintuitive to eat more while trying to lose--eat back half or three-quarters of them instead of all of them. Just make sure you're getting at least the minimum that your body needs, which is probably around 1200 cals a day.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    You are suppose to eat all of your exercise calories. However, I do not every single day. If I am hungrier than normal, I will eat some/all of them. If I am not that hungry, i do not. It depends on how i'm feeling that day!
  • stella_star
    stella_star Posts: 25
    I should have added that I workout with a heart rate monitor and go by what that says rather than any calories burned provided by the site as I know my HRM is a lot more accurate. Actually my HRM has been the most useful tool for me losing weight, I couldn't cope without it now!
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