Can't get my head around eating what I earn in exercise!
Options
Replies
-
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
With all due respect, most of us aren't working with your nutritionist, or have the same goals/restrictions you have. So your advice doesn't apply.
Yikes...a little moody? That's why she said it was HER opinion and its working for HER. I don't know what makes your advice more applicable than hers.
First, her advice is a "it works for me" rationale, which by it's sheer nature should be taken with a grain of salt. Second, her experience is based on a nutritionist who, presumably, has put together a strategy based on her situation (goals, limitations, etc etc). Those of us who have different goals or different limitations would probably not be best served by following her plan. Last, there is no reasoning, explanation, or context given to substantiate why others should do what she's advising.
I'm not saying she shouldn't do it. I'm just saying that other people shouldn't try it just because it's working for her with no other context.
I assume you're one of those people who feel this site is for support and encouragement. I believe that this is a place for discussion and learning. I'd rather hurt a few feelings but help a few people understand something than be all fluffy and flowery while people are still misinformed.0 -
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
With all due respect, most of us aren't working with your nutritionist, or have the same goals/restrictions you have. So your advice doesn't apply.
Well it does apply really, she is basically saying what I said with my nutritionist and proof that it is working - for her ) I am all power to what works x0 -
I should add that doing strength training can help maintain muscle while losing fat. This will help with maintenance later (as well as give you many other health benefits).
I absolutely believe this to be true, the more lean mass you have the better to burn fat0 -
Simple.
Most people on here (like myself) are doing the lose 1lb a week option (others go for more which isn't good for you), and thus to do that you have to eat you MINIMUM BASIC METABOLIC RATE. aka minimum BMR.
So basically that's usually around 1200 for most people it seems.
Let's say you ate 1200 calories, and you lost 200 calories exercising - well that'd be down to 1000 calories which is below your bodies BMR.
BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to sustain organs, tissue, cells, everything. So if you eat less than that the likelyhood is that you will lose muscle in the process.
When it comes to discussing the 'starvation mode', i'm not talking about that as that's a completely different world (though easily linked).
If you eat 1200 and eat back those 200 to meet at 1400 which makes your net 1200 your body will still function fine but the benefit of exercise is there as your bodies ability to burn the calories the next day are increased (studies show that calories burned one day are still burning and burning more the next day). This may be partially why yo-yo eating (day to day) is also proven to be an effective method of weight loss.
If like most people you exercise, then have a break/rest day or exercise another part of your body, your body is only becoming more effective with exercise and your body isn't just losing the calories it is using them more effectively in trying to keep your heart pumping moving and flowing, absorbing shock as well as muscle repair.
Maintenance level eating is there to maintain your weight and thus you can get away with eating much more than 1200 without losing weight but staying the same right?bThat's why you need to eat the calories that you've exercised back, otherwise your body may use the muscles or tissues to look for what it's missing out on if it's done during a long period of time.
So eating less than maintanence is already what you're doing you don't want to eat below the minimum!0 -
Only eat the calories back if you are trying to maintain or gain weight, but if your trying to shed pounds never eat them back, thats the most simple way to look at it, then you can get in more detail with amount of fats and carbs, Calories can be deceiving, so i would read up on what good calories and bad calories are and go from there.0
-
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
With all due respect, most of us aren't working with your nutritionist, or have the same goals/restrictions you have. So your advice doesn't apply.
Well it does apply really, she is basically saying what I said with my nutritionist and proof that it is working - for her ) I am all power to what works x
OK. I eat 1000 cals today (completely doable for me). I burn 1200 riding my bike (also very doable for me). You saying that's good?0 -
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
With all due respect, most of us aren't working with your nutritionist, or have the same goals/restrictions you have. So your advice doesn't apply.
Yikes...a little moody? That's why she said it was HER opinion and its working for HER. I don't know what makes your advice more applicable than hers.
First, her advice is a "it works for me" rationale, which by it's sheer nature should be taken with a grain of salt. Second, her experience is based on a nutritionist who, presumably, has put together a strategy based on her situation (goals, limitations, etc etc). Those of us who have different goals or different limitations would probably not be best served by following her plan. Last, there is no reasoning, explanation, or context given to substantiate why others should do what she's advising.
I'm not saying she shouldn't do it. I'm just saying that other people shouldn't try it just because it's working for her with no other context.
I assume you're one of those people who feel this site is for support and encouragement. I believe that this is a place for discussion and learning. I'd rather hurt a few feelings but help a few people understand something than be all fluffy and flowery while people are still misinformed.
Nope. I just see a distinction between being helpfully blunt and being rude. That's all. That being said I agree with what you said in your supplementary post on this topic. You seem well informed.0 -
If your goal is to lose weight, then starving yourself is one way to do it.
If your goal is to lose fat, retaining most of your current muscle mass, and keep it off, then eat back the calories.
Eating back exercise calories is an ongoing debate on MFP, but people don't get that if your body needs energy, it is going to either get it from food, fat, or protein. Personally, I want it to get the energy from fat and food and leave my LBM alone - just me.
To the OP, I mean no disrespect by this, but keeping the weight off is a huge goal of mine. It has been proven time and time again, that slow, methodical weight loss is more likely to stay off. Obviously, what you lost before under your PT's advice didn't stay off. Why would you want to do the same thing again, to see good results, then lose them because you didn't change your habits?
No you are right I did maintain for several years but it was due to a back problem that left me bed ridden and a caring partner that bought me 'sweet treats' to cheer me up that made me put it back on again.I do absolutely know that is for rapid results not a lifestyle0 -
Eating back your lost calories is pure stupidity! Eat sufficient calories for your brain. The rest of the body can run on stored energy in the lipids that you want to lose, your brain needs glucose. That is why you should eat at least 1200 calories per day and spread it out to six or more mini meals throughout the day to stave off hunger and keep the blood sugar at homeostatic levels. Failure to do that will result in memory issues, illness, fatigue and possibly even death if you do it for too long... As long as the 1200 calories are being consumed, preference to complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and Omega-3, your body should do fine with working out and losing weight. If you experience negative side-affects then by all means increase the caloric intake slightly, but eating back the calories is a great way to stall the weight-loss and gain back weight. Why do you think the Biggest Loser competitors and others are losing so much weight so quickly... I've dropped 65 in 70 days and that was with a binge weekend in between... I will not eat back calories and in fact I usually eat far less than the suggested calories and simply try to stay over 1200...0
-
To each his/her own, but for me, I started losing weight more quickly once I ate all of my exercise calories back and adjusted my net calories up to 1300-1400 from 1200. I also started feeling better, much less fatigued (the fatigue kicked in after two months of netting 1200 or under and working out hard), and frankly, look pretty awesome. I've been in maintenance for several weeks, still working out, eating without logging, and haven't gained any weight back. Again, to each his own, but I think pulling so far back on calories during the intensive weight loss period may make it harder to eat more normally without gaining weight back when you go into maintenance. I don't feel like there's been all that much of a change in my eating habits since going into maintenance; I've viewed the whole process as a lifestyle change and not a diet. And perhaps therein lies the difference. But again, to each his/her own. What has worked for me may not work for others.0
-
Simple.
Most people on here (like myself) are doing the lose 1lb a week option (others go for more which isn't good for you), and thus to do that you have to eat you MINIMUM BASIC METABOLIC RATE. aka minimum BMR.
So basically that's usually around 1200 for most people it seems.
Let's say you ate 1200 calories, and you lost 200 calories exercising - well that'd be down to 1000 calories which is below your bodies BMR.
BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to sustain organs, tissue, cells, everything. So if you eat less than that the likelyhood is that you will lose muscle in the process.
When it comes to discussing the 'starvation mode', i'm not talking about that as that's a completely different world (though easily linked).
If you eat 1200 and eat back those 200 to meet at 1400 which makes your net 1200 your body will still function fine but the benefit of exercise is there as your bodies ability to burn the calories the next day are increased (studies show that calories burned one day are still burning and burning more the next day). This may be partially why yo-yo eating (day to day) is also proven to be an effective method of weight loss.
If like most people you exercise, then have a break/rest day or exercise another part of your body, your body is only becoming more effective with exercise and your body isn't just losing the calories it is using them more effectively in trying to keep your heart pumping moving and flowing, absorbing shock as well as muscle repair.
Maintenance level eating is there to maintain your weight and thus you can get away with eating much more than 1200 without losing weight but staying the same right?bThat's why you need to eat the calories that you've exercised back, otherwise your body may use the muscles or tissues to look for what it's missing out on if it's done during a long period of time.
So eating less than maintanence is already what you're doing you don't want to eat below the minimum!
Kanata- best explanation of it! Thank you!0 -
Most calorie calculators include exercise in your calculation - you have to exercise or you are eating more than you should.
MFP doesn't. It has a baseline activity rate and then you log your exercise and earn it back. Different methods, therefore different advice.
In addition, as many have said, it's a matter of what you're losing. If you exercise and don't eat back the calories, you lose mostly muscle. If you exercise and eat back the calories. you lose mostly fat.
This effect gets bigger over time. The first few weeks you're losing mostly water. Then it goes to almost no water and mostly muscle and fat. Which you lose depends on whether you eat enough to metabolize fat while exercising.0 -
Simple.
Most people on here (like myself) are doing the lose 1lb a week option (others go for more which isn't good for you), and thus to do that you have to eat you MINIMUM BASIC METABOLIC RATE. aka minimum BMR.
So basically that's usually around 1200 for most people it seems.
Let's say you ate 1200 calories, and you lost 200 calories exercising - well that'd be down to 1000 calories which is below your bodies BMR.
BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to sustain organs, tissue, cells, everything. So if you eat less than that the likelyhood is that you will lose muscle in the process.
When it comes to discussing the 'starvation mode', i'm not talking about that as that's a completely different world (though easily linked).
If you eat 1200 and eat back those 200 to meet at 1400 which makes your net 1200 your body will still function fine but the benefit of exercise is there as your bodies ability to burn the calories the next day are increased (studies show that calories burned one day are still burning and burning more the next day). This may be partially why yo-yo eating (day to day) is also proven to be an effective method of weight loss.
If like most people you exercise, then have a break/rest day or exercise another part of your body, your body is only becoming more effective with exercise and your body isn't just losing the calories it is using them more effectively in trying to keep your heart pumping moving and flowing, absorbing shock as well as muscle repair.
Maintenance level eating is there to maintain your weight and thus you can get away with eating much more than 1200 without losing weight but staying the same right?bThat's why you need to eat the calories that you've exercised back, otherwise your body may use the muscles or tissues to look for what it's missing out on if it's done during a long period of time.
So eating less than maintanence is already what you're doing you don't want to eat below the minimum!
I understand this principle my head does that is lol, What I mean is if I had not done it the opposite way in the past and it working then it is hard for me to see it working this way, but I will give it a go! xx0 -
I eat back some/most of my burned calories, because I personally don't lose weight if I'm not eating enough. I love MFP because I get to eat AND lose weight.0
-
Simple.
Most people on here (like myself) are doing the lose 1lb a week option (others go for more which isn't good for you), and thus to do that you have to eat you MINIMUM BASIC METABOLIC RATE. aka minimum BMR.
So basically that's usually around 1200 for most people it seems.
Let's say you ate 1200 calories, and you lost 200 calories exercising - well that'd be down to 1000 calories which is below your bodies BMR.
BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to sustain organs, tissue, cells, everything. So if you eat less than that the likelyhood is that you will lose muscle in the process.
When it comes to discussing the 'starvation mode', i'm not talking about that as that's a completely different world (though easily linked).
If you eat 1200 and eat back those 200 to meet at 1400 which makes your net 1200 your body will still function fine but the benefit of exercise is there as your bodies ability to burn the calories the next day are increased (studies show that calories burned one day are still burning and burning more the next day). This may be partially why yo-yo eating (day to day) is also proven to be an effective method of weight loss.
If like most people you exercise, then have a break/rest day or exercise another part of your body, your body is only becoming more effective with exercise and your body isn't just losing the calories it is using them more effectively in trying to keep your heart pumping moving and flowing, absorbing shock as well as muscle repair.
Maintenance level eating is there to maintain your weight and thus you can get away with eating much more than 1200 without losing weight but staying the same right?bThat's why you need to eat the calories that you've exercised back, otherwise your body may use the muscles or tissues to look for what it's missing out on if it's done during a long period of time.
So eating less than maintanence is already what you're doing you don't want to eat below the minimum!
I understand this principle my head does that is lol, What I mean is if I had not done it the opposite way in the past and it working then it is hard for me to see it working this way, but I will give it a go! xx
You're trying to compare 2 different approaches, both of which can work when done properly. The problem is that they work differently. Anytime you try to compare different programs, especially if you try to merge them, you're going to have problems.
There are lots of successful programs out there... pick 1 and go with it, but don't second guess them.0 -
Do people realize that there actually is science and reason behind all this?
Jackson, you are a triathlete. And a young man. You are burning thousands of calories with your intense exercise and weight lifting. You have to have a higher caloric intake, but do you eat back every calorie you burn? I'm sure that is hard for you to do at that level of intensity. Your body is not like the average person's on here. Everyone is different. The MFP only builds in a 460 calorie a day deficit for me. That is less than 1 pound a week weightloss in theory. For me, as a 49 yr old female with disabilities, in reality, it is even less. I must exercise on top of staying at goal calories to lose any substantial weight and keep it off. Everyone has to figure out what works for them.
Science says it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound in a week. Doctors say that 2 pounds a week if a safe rate to lose. Since MFP only factors in a 500 calorie per day deficit, reason tells me that I will need to burn an extra 500 per day to lose 2 pounds a week. If I eat that 500 calories back, I will only lose 1 pound per week.0 -
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
I lost that much in my first 3 weeks too - eating back all of mine - and I urge you to consider doing the same because this way you stay healthy and have plenty of energy as the months tick by and a little leeway for treats and meals out without having to go over. A lot on here have found their loss rate lessens if they eat too little.0 -
Here's my humble opinion on this (shared by my nutritionist): the calories you gain by exercizing and that you don't eat back are weight you're gonna lose, so I NEVER eat them back, I stick to my 1,400 calorie plan. I'm not judging anyone who does, but it sure works for me as I have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks
With all due respect, most of us aren't working with your nutritionist, or have the same goals/restrictions you have. So your advice doesn't apply.
With all due respect, she never said it was advice, she stated it was her opinion. So your aggressive statement wasn't necessary.0 -
The thing is everyone is different.
.
LOL.0 -
I make every effort to.Jackson, you are a triathlete. And a young man. You are burning thousands of calories with your intense exercise and weight lifting. You have to have a higher caloric intake, but do you eat back every calorie you burn?
No we're not.. that's a cop out. Everyone has a TDEE. Everyone has a NEAT. Everyone needs to eat below their TDEE to lose, above that to gain. How exactly you get there is up to you. If you want to set your daily goal = your TDEE - 20%, that's fine. If you want to set it to your NEAT, that's fine too. But which of those you do SHOULD be impacting your decision to eat or not eat back your exercise cals.Everyone is different.
The problem is that MFP is better suited to some people than to others. But because no one is talking about the specifics of their situation, we can't talk in finer detail, we have to talk in generalizations.
is that because it won't recommend lower than 1200?The MFP only builds in a 460 calorie a day deficit for me.
Right - your specific situation means that MFP isn't well suited for you. It doesn't mean that the science doesn't apply to you.That is less than 1 pound a week weightloss in theory. For me, as a 49 yr old female with disabilities, in reality, it is even less. I must exercise on top of staying at goal calories to lose any substantial weight and keep it off. Everyone has to figure out what works for them.
First of all, 2lbs per week isn't safe for everyone. It depends on a variety of things, including how much that person has to lose.Science says it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound in a week. Doctors say that 2 pounds a week if a safe rate to lose. Since MFP only factors in a 500 calorie per day deficit, reason tells me that I will need to burn an extra 500 per day to lose 2 pounds a week. If I eat that 500 calories back, I will only lose 1 pound per week.
But to your point... you are supporting my argument. The science applies to everyone. MFP may or may not, but science does. You just have to fit it to your situation.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions