I have a question :D

Bambalina11
Bambalina11 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I'm 29 mother to two kiddies 4 &1, I weigh atm 181lbs started @ 186lbs nearly 2 weeks ago.

Now MFP states for me to lose 1lb a week I need to eat 1480 calories, to lose 1.5lbs a week I need to eat 1240 calories. I eat between these (1360) which I am happy on now (1st few days were a killer).

I recently introduced excercise about 4 days ago (I havent done ANY excercise since 2006) I'm doing the shred (started on Sunday) and twice a week I'm doing the school run which consists of me pushing the 1 year old in the stroller with the 4 year old on the buggy board. its a 1.2 mile journey there when I'm dropping my son off theres a rather steep hill (sons school at the top - soda law :D) then I walk back 1.2 mile - there and back takes me 1hr 10 mins (longer when I'm pushing both kiddies). When its time to pick him up I walk a further 1.2miles up the massive hill and this takes about 25mins, I usually get the bus back as by this point i'm knackered (I only started this last week).

My question is, do I need to eat the calories I have earned through excercise? Or do I still stick to my 1360 cals? I dont want to do any harm to my body and I'm quite prepared to lose around 7lbs a month (Ideally I would like to lose 32lbs over the course of 4-5 months, I'm 5ft7 and want to keep my boobs and bum!!!)

Any answers would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!!!

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    knackered and bum in the same post?! You must be a Brit! (I assume knackered means tired - never heard that one before!)

    To answer your question, yes, eat the exercise calories back. Especially since you are only eating 1360 a day anyways.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat them back and lose your goal amount of weight/week. Another options is to eat more everyday and average the exercise out for the week. So instead of 1360 on days you don't workout and say 1800ish on days you do, you could eat 1600ish everyday, whatever makes it easier for you is what you should do.
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    knackered and bum in the same post?! You must be a Brit! (I assume knackered means tired - never heard that one before!)

    To answer your question, yes, eat the exercise calories back. Especially since you are only eating 1360 a day anyways.

    Yup total Brit:bigsmile: And yes it means tired lol

    Ah good to know, do I have to eat these calories on the day that I burn them, or can I say, save some of them for a Sat night (Tv night as with two small kiddies me & OH never get out lol)

    Is that ok today almost like a treat night?

    Thanks,

    B
  • Jazzy1961
    Jazzy1961 Posts: 6
    But eating the calories back makes no sense to me. Isn't the daily calorie calculation based on your starting weight vs your weight goal? If so, I'd assume calories burned off from exercise would be the reason you lose weight.

    I'm a former WW loser, and while still a 'lifetime member', have found that each time I lose, if I deviated slightly from the 'plan', the weight came back on and then some. Calories are new for me (again). I used to eat based on points. When we exercised, we didn't have to use the additional points.

    At present, my daily calorie total allowance is 1210. To eat another 467 calories, I feel would be too much and defeat the purpose I worked out.

    Just my thoughts.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    one thing to keep in mind is that MFP is notorious for overestimating calories burned during activity. For this reason, many people suggest eating some but not all of the exercise calories. I tend to put in about 25% less time than I actually exercised, so that i don't have to think about the discrepancy late on.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    btw, 7 lbs a month is a lot. The first month, you lose more. As far as keeping the boobs and "bum", strength training will help keep things in place.
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
    It all depends what works for you. I don't eat mine back but I am also only 4'11 and MFP tools of BMR show my body only burns 1245 calories doing nothing, so if I eat the recommended 1200 calories a day my only loss would be from exercise calories earned! I do eat some back if I hardcore workout and burn a lot but if I only burn 300-500 I usually don't. Just listen to your body, if your hungry eat, if not don't force anything. You can test it out and do one month not eating back and one month eating back and see how your body responds. Some days I am super hungry and some days i eat lots of veggies and protein and no way am I still hungry. Good luck!

    OHH and if your going to eat back all your calories burned I definitely definitely recommend a heart rate monitor so you aren't over estimating your workouts!
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    But eating the calories back makes no sense to me. Isn't the daily calorie calculation based on your starting weight vs your weight goal? If so, I'd assume calories burned off from exercise would be the reason you lose weight.

    I'm a former WW loser, and while still a 'lifetime member', have found that each time I lose, if I deviated slightly from the 'plan', the weight came back on and then some. Calories are new for me (again). I used to eat based on points. When we exercised, we didn't have to use the additional points.

    At present, my daily calorie total allowance is 1210. To eat another 467 calories, I feel would be too much and defeat the purpose I worked out.

    Just my thoughts.

    I know it is confusing, but I started reading through all the posts on here and there was one girl who ate 800 cals a day and did 30 min treadmill a day...they were advising her that just for your body to function without any excerise you need 1000 cals, which got me thinking If i'm eating what i need to lose weight then doing excercise which is mainly cardio based (my hearts going and I'm sweating ICK) and MFP is saying its between 300-400 cals earned back thats taking my total cals to under 1000 which is Bad for my body (I think i'm understanding it right).

    Thats why I asked the question because I want this to be a forever thing not a year thing I dont want to keep getting overweight.

    Until I read that stuff I was on the same mindset as you, now I just dont know lol :frown:
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    But eating the calories back makes no sense to me. Isn't the daily calorie calculation based on your starting weight vs your weight goal? If so, I'd assume calories burned off from exercise would be the reason you lose weight.

    I'm a former WW loser, and while still a 'lifetime member', have found that each time I lose, if I deviated slightly from the 'plan', the weight came back on and then some. Calories are new for me (again). I used to eat based on points. When we exercised, we didn't have to use the additional points.

    At present, my daily calorie total allowance is 1210. To eat another 467 calories, I feel would be too much and defeat the purpose I worked out.

    Just my thoughts.

    remember how you told MFP how much weight you wanted to lose per week? It created a deficit into your calorie goal based on that. So, the calorie deficit is already there. If you want to work out and not eat the calories, you are creating more deficit.

    The purpose of exercise is more so your muscle don't atrophy too much and you keep your LBM up so your metabolism stays higher. If you don't exercise or don't eat calories back, you start losing LBM.

    A bigger deficit isn't always better. Slow weight loss stays off. The goal shouldn't be "each time you lose weight" but rather "I lost a bunch of weight once..."
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
    But eating the calories back makes no sense to me. Isn't the daily calorie calculation based on your starting weight vs your weight goal? If so, I'd assume calories burned off from exercise would be the reason you lose weight.

    I'm a former WW loser, and while still a 'lifetime member', have found that each time I lose, if I deviated slightly from the 'plan', the weight came back on and then some. Calories are new for me (again). I used to eat based on points. When we exercised, we didn't have to use the additional points.

    At present, my daily calorie total allowance is 1210. To eat another 467 calories, I feel would be too much and defeat the purpose I worked out.

    Just my thoughts.

    /quote]

    You don't need to re-consume ALL those calories, but keep in mind, when you work out you are deficiting your body those calories. For me, my goal is 1500 a day, but some days I burn 600 calories exercising, and obviously 900/day is not enough so I try to bring it back to about 1200 with food. But its not like you have to eat 3 cups of ice cream to fill those calories...Eat protein, veggies, smoothies...all great choices! Don't deficit your body too much or your body will think you are starving and store all the food you consume into fat!
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    Thanks guys, I think your all "correct" :D

    I think what I will do Is stick to my 1360 cals and on a sat have 2 glasses of wine :D

    I'm not a hardcore excerciser (like I said only just started)....one day I hope to be....

    Ah your right 7lbs I was basing on these last two weeks, but I have only just started to diet thats why Ive dropped the 5lbs, 1-1.5lb a week is what I am aiming for!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Thanks guys, I think your all "correct" :D

    I think what I will do Is stick to my 1360 cals and on a sat have 2 glasses of wine :D

    I'm not a hardcore excerciser (like I said only just started)....one day I hope to be....

    Ah your right 7lbs I was basing on these last two weeks, but I have only just started to diet thats why Ive dropped the 5lbs, 1-1.5lb a week is what I am aiming for!

    For you to lose your goal amount of weight you would eat 1360 with no exercise, once you exercise you need more fuel. So if you burn 500 cals and eat 1860, it would be the same as eating 1360 on a day you don't workout as 1860-500 = 1360-0.

    Not a good idea to save up all exercise cals for the wine on the weekend. If you want to save some great, but not all of them, your body needs the fuel to get through the next workout. Maybe if you only eat half them back and save the rest you should be fine.
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    Also I have made the following changes - Rocket lettuce every day, cottage cheese everyday, whole wheat steamed rice or 79g whole wheat pasta everyday, fruit twice a day and the biggest thing for me switching from 2ltr full fat coke A DAY!!! (do not know how my teeth have not fallen out....) to 2ltr water a day! I understand the concept of lifestyle change and eating healthy natural foods as opposed to processed and fatty. However it would be nice to have the odd take out (not everyweek) and know that because I excerecised all week I could have it, if that makes sense :)
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    Thanks guys, I think your all "correct" :D

    I think what I will do Is stick to my 1360 cals and on a sat have 2 glasses of wine :D

    I'm not a hardcore excerciser (like I said only just started)....one day I hope to be....

    Ah your right 7lbs I was basing on these last two weeks, but I have only just started to diet thats why Ive dropped the 5lbs, 1-1.5lb a week is what I am aiming for!

    For you to lose your goal amount of weight you would eat 1360 with no exercise, once you exercise you need more fuel. So if you burn 500 cals and eat 1860, it would be the same as eating 1360 on a day you don't workout as 1860-500 = 1360-0.

    Not a good idea to save up all exercise cals for the wine on the weekend. If you want to save some great, but not all of them, your body needs the fuel to get through the next workout. Maybe if you only eat half them back and save the rest you should be fine.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhh
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I would also like to point out that with only 30ish lbs to lose a goal of more than 1lb/week may be too aggressive and can lead to the loss of a large % of lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

    Here is a good reference, if you have over 100 lbs to lose you can lose more than 2 lbs/week safely, that being said it is best to set a realistic safe weekly loss goal and:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
    Eat 'em back. Trust me.

    I've been the route of working-out-not-eating-calories-back. It wrecks your metabolism. A good guideline is to never NET under your BMR, which you can calculate here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ Your BMR is basically what your body needs just to exist on a daily basis, before you do any sort of moving around at all. If you dip below that, prepare to feel hungry, cranky, and tired. Also, while you may lose all the weight you want to lose, as soon as you try to start eating at your "maintenance" level again, chances are you'll gain weight back. (Not to mention, some of the weight you lost was probably muscle mass and not fat, which is the very last thing you want!)

    It's definitely not a race to the finish with this. Take your time and you'll get there. And with this route, you may even reach your "goal body" before you reach your "goal weight"--muscle looks damn good if it's still there when the fat sheds!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    But eating the calories back makes no sense to me. Isn't the daily calorie calculation based on your starting weight vs your weight goal? If so, I'd assume calories burned off from exercise would be the reason you lose weight.

    .....

    At present, my daily calorie total allowance is 1210. To eat another 467 calories, I feel would be too much and defeat the purpose I worked out.

    No, the calorie calculation is based on how many pounds you tell it you want to lose per week. Everybody picks 2 pounds a week, because who wouldn't want to lose that much? It will set you at a minimum of 1,200 cals. However, that isn't wise for everyone.

    You eat the calories to fuel your workout because MFP calculates you calories to lose weight without extra exercise. When you do exercise, you need additional calories for your body, or else you are not going to have enough nutrition to healthily lose weight.
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    Now you can See why I asked :D

    So check: deduct 25% off from what MFP says Ive earned back then eat 3/4 back save 1/4 for the Sat night wine
    Eat the 1480 cals instead of the 1360 cals to lose 1lb fat per week not muscle, re-evaluate when less weight to lose
    When my body can handle it incorporate more stregth training to tone up and get a good shape (skinny not a good look)
    Accept the fact that it will probably take more than 5 months and be happy that my health will see me through :D
    Dont overdo it and burn out!!

    Okay, I'm happy with this, it makes more sense, like I said on earlier reply that girl with the 800 cal post kinda freaked me and got me thinking about this a lot more as opposed to purely losing weight....
  • Jazzy1961
    Jazzy1961 Posts: 6
    Wow, love the answers and now understand more of how this process works.

    Thanks, all, for the information! Appreciate your time!

    I probably won't eat back all the calories burned, and I think being a bit more conservative if I decide to do so is wise.

    You all rock!

    :happy:
  • Bambalina11
    Bambalina11 Posts: 13
    Wow, love the answers and now understand more of how this process works.

    Thanks, all, for the information! Appreciate your time!

    I probably won't eat back all the calories burned, and I think being a bit more conservative if I decide to do so is wise.

    You all rock!

    :happy:

    I know!!! Thats what I thought :D

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