Adding calories for exercise

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jschidler01
jschidler01 Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
According to the food page on this site I am eating to few calories to lose weight because of the amount of exercise I do. I am having a difficult time adding enough calories to my diet. I could make the cut if I would go to macdonalds but I am trying to stay healthy. Do I really need to increase my calorie intake if I am exercising?

Replies

  • aimee322
    aimee322 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm not increasing my calorie intake. The way I see it... I am exercising to work off some of the calories I already ate... if I eat more because of the burned calories wouldn't you just stay the same weight?
    Anyway I am sticking to my original number and burning calories from workout. It seems to be working and I am plenty full :)
  • lgblack
    lgblack Posts: 73 Member
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    If you look again at your goal tab....I believe it shows the calories you require to stay the same weight....it THEN TAKES OFF CALORIES to get you to your goal weight. That is the number that shows up at the start of every day. That calorie number is assuming NO EXTRA EXERCISE. So if you exercise, your body requires more calories to fuel your body. So you are not doing yourself any favours by keeping to the lower number as you are starving your body for calories.... that will make you retain weight. That said, you don't have to eat every bit of earned calories....but don't fret if you are eating healthy and are eating 3 meals plus 2 snacks. Take your measurements and pay attention to them, as well as what the scale might tell you. Good luck on your journey.
  • thefinn
    thefinn Posts: 7 Member
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    I agree with Aimee. I have a limit of 1600 calories per day and regardless of what exercise I do I don't go over the 1600. Some days I do nearly 1600 calories of exercise a day , so by the end of the day technically I have used no calories...which is execellent for weigh loss.

    If you decrease your calories and increase your exercise the pounds will drop off.
  • lgblack
    lgblack Posts: 73 Member
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    If you look again at your goal tab....I believe it shows the calories you require to stay the same weight....it THEN TAKES OFF CALORIES to get you to your goal weight. That is the number that shows up at the start of every day. That calorie number is assuming NO EXTRA EXERCISE. So if you exercise, your body requires more calories to fuel your body. So you are not doing yourself any favours by keeping to the lower number as you are starving your body for calories.... that will make you retain weight. That said, you don't have to eat every bit of earned calories....but don't fret if you are eating healthy and are eating 3 meals plus 2 snacks. Take your measurements and pay attention to them, as well as what the scale might tell you. Good luck on your journey.
  • faithstephenson
    faithstephenson Posts: 280 Member
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    There are posts flagged at the top of some of the forums that explain it in detail, but basically the site has already figured a deficit for you when you set your goals. Exercising on top of that is good for you, but does create a larger deficit. If your deficit is too large, your body may think it is being deprived of energy and hold on to what you do eat, instead of letting you lose weight.
  • JABehler
    JABehler Posts: 82 Member
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    I agree with not adding more calories because of exercise. It just doesn't make sense to me. I thought you had to burn more calories than you take in or else you will not lose. I also feel the calories "awarded" for exercise is too broad. I walk at a brisk pace with hand weights. (weights for strength and safety, POW!).
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
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    If you look again at your goal tab....I believe it shows the calories you require to stay the same weight....it THEN TAKES OFF CALORIES to get you to your goal weight. That is the number that shows up at the start of every day. That calorie number is assuming NO EXTRA EXERCISE. So if you exercise, your body requires more calories to fuel your body. So you are not doing yourself any favours by keeping to the lower number as you are starving your body for calories.... that will make you retain weight. That said, you don't have to eat every bit of earned calories....but don't fret if you are eating healthy and are eating 3 meals plus 2 snacks. Take your measurements and pay attention to them, as well as what the scale might tell you. Good luck on your journey.

    That's right! Try introducing milk into your diet (if you took it out to save cals), granola (packs cals with just a lil bit), nuts (has good fats and filling full power in just a lil bit), peanut butter, put ruduced fat mayo on your sandwich, cheese.. All these have good cals for you and they are actually good for you and you don't have to feel like you need to eat a whole nother meal to get cals. Think healthy cals.. And STAY AWAY from MCDONALD'S lol.. Those are not the good cals hun.. Give your body what it needs and it will be good to you... love and light! xo
  • gc2052
    gc2052 Posts: 183
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    I have tried eating my exercise calories. AND gained weight. I am trying to eat part of my exercise calories. When I tried to eat my exercise calories it made me not want to exercise as much. I do well if I eat what i need to have enough energy. To get calories in, I try to make it protein ie: an egg, ham and cheese rolled up, cottage cheese.
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
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    I was stuck at 191 FOREVER because I was thinking just like you.. After weighing myself at 191 for a month I jumped on here and posted a topic called, well, "191..191... 191" I got some great feedback and entered milk back into my diet, also peanut butter, mmm I missed it too.. And it started putting me over 1200 cals and guess what... I started losing again. I wasted a month thinking that if I just starved myself then it would go away. Eat and eat healthy :)

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