guys, help me!

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msgabismit
msgabismit Posts: 195
in Food and Nutrition
Have a couple of questions and need some answers. For one, eating back your exercise calories, yes or no? I've read many say yes, and many say no but they never gave reasons why not or why do so???
Second question goes to food- When you eat late at night, for example even if you have a banana because you're hungry..but it's 12:10am..Do you log the food for the day you haven't went to bed yet or do you log it for the next day since it's past midnight? I feel like since I haven't been to sleep yet, it's not the next day. I just want to be able to log my things right and need some advice on this.

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  • msgabismit
    msgabismit Posts: 195
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    Anyone!? I'd love to hear some advice and input.
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
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    I don't think it matters if you log on the previous day or the current day after midnight as long as you are consistent. Myself: I log anything before 7 am as the previous day. IOW If I eat something during the night I consider it part of the previous day.

    As far as eating back your exercise calories. This is a new idea to me. I'm not sure yet. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on if I feel hungry. The way MFP is set up though, I think it's meant to eat those calories because your goal amount is for if you do no exercise. For eg. my goal is around 1600 cal per day because I want to lose a half pound per week. Theoretically, if I do no exercise at all, I will still lose that half pound.

    You understand this is not a totally perfect system and many things affect "weight" on the scale. So that half pound per week, I consider to be an average amount which will show up as true over a period of a few months. But week to week...no. There will be ups and downs.

    One thing I do know from all my ups and downs over the years. There is no "right" way that is true for every person nor for a particular person at different times. The whole thing is a process of discovery.
  • msgabismit
    msgabismit Posts: 195
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    My goal is 1600 as well. I would love to lose a pound a week but I'm not as heavy so the weight does not come off easily. My BMR is 1476. My TDEE is somewhere around 2200. So 1600 with or without exercise, I should lose something.
  • SMJ1987
    SMJ1987 Posts: 368
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained?hl=exercise+calories+explained

    Here ya go.
  • SMJ1987
    SMJ1987 Posts: 368
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    As for your second question it doesn't REALLY matter when you log it. Your body doesn't care if you exactly meet 1600 calories every day. Weight loss or gain will be the result of what you do on average over the long run. Your body responds to what food you eat, not what page you log it in an online diary.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    It doesn't really matter which day you'd log that banana in the same way that stepping over a date line and back isn't time travel.
  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
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    As for your second question it doesn't REALLY matter when you log it. Your body doesn't care if you exactly meet 1600 calories every day. Weight loss or gain will be the result of what you do on average over the long run. Your body responds to what food you eat, not what page you log it in an online diary.

    great advice and true.
    I needed that reminder today. thanks :)
  • msgabismit
    msgabismit Posts: 195
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained?hl=exercise+calories+explained

    Here ya go.

    You are my hero!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Here's my thought on the exercise calories...

    My first experience with MFP, I followed the guidelines and ate them back, and my weight loss was rather hit or miss.

    I fell off for a while and, while still exercising, I did what I wanted. Gained a bit back, but I think that was more due to some medical issues.

    Got serious again and got back on MFP... Knowing my body and my experiences in the past, I knew that I had to have a little bit bigger caloric deficit in order to lose steadily.

    The way I see it, I don't eat back all of my exercise calories now, for two reasons: I think that I might underestimate my caloric intake and overestimate my calories burned from exercise. Not on purpose, but I think it's human nature. By not eating back all of my exercise calories I give myself a little bit of wiggle room on my calories (which, in turn, has given me a bit more wiggle room in my pants! :wink: ).
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
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    Thank you. This is an excellent explanation.
  • bombshellinprogress
    bombshellinprogress Posts: 125 Member
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    It really depends on what shift you work and such. As a person who works an 8 to 5 job I log my calories from midnight until the next midnight. I guess using my BodyBugg got me into that routine because it tracks my calories burned starting at midnight. My thing that I always try to consider when eating late is watching the carb content. If you eat something high in carbs and then go to bed it will be stored as fat. Just something to think about.....
  • msgabismit
    msgabismit Posts: 195
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    Here's my thought on the exercise calories...

    My first experience with MFP, I followed the guidelines and ate them back, and my weight loss was rather hit or miss.

    I fell off for a while and, while still exercising, I did what I wanted. Gained a bit back, but I think that was more due to some medical issues.

    Got serious again and got back on MFP... Knowing my body and my experiences in the past, I knew that I had to have a little bit bigger caloric deficit in order to lose steadily.

    The way I see it, I don't eat back all of my exercise calories now, for two reasons: I think that I might underestimate my caloric intake and overestimate my calories burned from exercise. Not on purpose, but I think it's human nature. By not eating back all of my exercise calories I give myself a little bit of wiggle room on my calories (which, in turn, has given me a bit more wiggle room in my pants! :wink: ).

    fantastic explanation!
  • dished555
    dished555 Posts: 2
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    I agree that you just need to be consistent on which 24-hour period you add the after midnight calories to. About exercise - I only "eat back" some of my exercise calories if I do a solid hour of exercise or more. I didn't come up with that formula. I'm in a 12-step program for compulsive eaters and that's what my sponsor suggests. She's lost about 65 pounds and kept it off for several years by following a food plan and exercise program.

    I bicycle, so it's not difficult for me to get over an hour of exercise. But if I just walk a mile or two, I don't really pay attention to the added exercise calories. As someone who has lost a lot of weight more than once in my life (and by a lot, I mean 50 to 150 pounds), this time around, I'm not so focused on the scale as I've always been in the past. I've lost 45 pounds this time, and I've done it in 13 months, in a slow, healthy way. I just want to get off the roller coaster and continue to eat healthy and exercise - and NOT gain my weight back!

    Hope this helps.
  • vernoe65
    vernoe65 Posts: 4
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    Up to you if you eat them back or not. If you don't, weight loss should be a little faster. I've done it both ways. Depends on the day.
  • msgabismit
    msgabismit Posts: 195
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    Thank you all! :) Love having my silly questions answered. I feel like I have so many, but I will gain some knowledge soon, I hope!

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