Eating exercise calories

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patwil73
patwil73 Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I am a bit confused about the eating your exercise calories - I tried reading some posts on it and I am still not sure.

When I signed up I put light activity in my profile and no plans to exercise. I also said I wanted to lose a pound a week. It calculated my daily calories as 2350. I have been walking a lot more at work and doing 3 or more 20 minutes fast walks to get used to exercising again. So it says I am burning between 500-600 calories in exercise.

Does this mean I should be eating 2850-2950 in calories a day? If so, where can I go to find what more I should be eating? My problem is I am a very picky eater. I like meats (but not fish), I like fatty cuts over lean, I'm not big on vegetables but do eat carrots, celery, corn, green beans and potatoes.

My first 3 days I think I averaged around 1600 calories eaten, and just wanted to make sure I don't go into the starvation mode.

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • kaylada89
    kaylada89 Posts: 38 Member
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    I have no idead i have wrote the same as you but with 5 workouts a week and mine says that i only need 1100 calories, which is very low so i eat someof the calories i have burned of earlier. Good luck
  • BeckyNovak
    BeckyNovak Posts: 2
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    Personally, I don't eat the extra calories earned from exercise because if I do eat them then my weight stays the same. The whole point of my exercising is to create a deficit in calories and that will create the weight loss. I know that 1 pound =3500 calories so you have to have a 3500 calorie deficit for the week to lose 1 pound for that week. Some of the deficit can come from exercise and some from eating less calories. So, my advice is not to eat the calories you burn from working out.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    What do you do for your job? Are you sure you should be light active, if you have a desk job you should set at sedentary? if you are on your feet and moving all day and keep your setting as light active you will want to eat at least some of your exercise calories. If you decide to change to sedentary you should eat most or all of your exercise calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Personally, I don't eat the extra calories earned from exercise because if I do eat them then my weight stays the same. The whole point of my exercising is to create a deficit in calories and that will create the weight loss. I know that 1 pound =3500 calories so you have to have a 3500 calorie deficit for the week to lose 1 pound for that week. Some of the deficit can come from exercise and some from eating less calories. So, my advice is not to eat the calories you burn from working out.

    This is only a good idea if you want to loose weight and have your setting as maintenance otherwise your caloric deficit may be too large and you could end up hurting yourself, or have a major lack of energy.
  • bobspdx
    bobspdx Posts: 198 Member
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    As long as you have a 500 calorie deficit everyday then you will lose 1 lb/week. I would not suggest eating your exercise calories and just stick to your normal daily allowed amount, you should lose at least 1lb/week.

    For me, yesterday I went over my calories but still had a 622 deficit with my workout so I should be fine going slightly over. Today is my day off from working out (though I may either do Wii or some cardio) so I have to make sure I do not go over my normal calorie limit.
  • melgibson
    melgibson Posts: 702 Member
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    At 2350 Cals a day I would say you will not ever go into starvation mode.
    Sounds a lot of calories for someone who's not exercising to me.
    Stick with it if it's working, I would not say anymore than that though.

    And the 20 minutes walk calories burned sounds too high.

    Unless your eating under your BMR i would not worry about starvation mode at all, not a factor, your trying to loose weight so you should be restricting your intake.

    Under 700 a day is an amount that might happen but even then not always.

    I'm on under 1000 a day and exercise sometimes 1000 cals a day.
    I eat extra to compensate my exercise, I'm not even loosing weight, just maintaining, and building up my fitness.
    So 2350 will not put you into starvation mode.
  • girliegirl1822
    girliegirl1822 Posts: 164 Member
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    bump for later
  • mfegan
    mfegan Posts: 6
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    My level is 1400 a day but I find on workout days if I do not go into my extra calories earned I end up starving either in the afternoon or evening and binging. My normal days are 1400 but I need at least 1600 on good workout days. I always try to have a deficit.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Under 700 a day is an amount that might happen but even then not always.

    I'm on under 1000 a day and exercise sometimes 1000 cals a day.
    I eat extra to compensate my exercise, I'm not even loosing weight, just maintaining, and building up my fitness.
    So 2350 will not put you into starvation mode.

    Unless you are under 100 lbs you are not eating enough and that is probably why you are not loosing.

    you said that you may need as low as 700/day to enter "starvation mode" your body's metabolism will start slowing down, albeit gradually, if you are under your BRMR caloric allowance (the amount your body will burn if in a coma). So 700 cals per day will definitely slow down your metabolism.
  • patwil73
    patwil73 Posts: 28
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    What do you do for your job? Are you sure you should be light active, if you have a desk job you should set at sedentary? if you are on your feet and moving all day and keep your setting as light active you will want to eat at least some of your exercise calories. If you decide to change to sedentary you should eat most or all of your exercise calories.

    I'm a nursing supervisor, so I spend 10 hr shifts walking from unit to unit helping out and checking on patients. The original account creation listed nursing as lightly active.
  • patwil73
    patwil73 Posts: 28
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    At 2350 Cals a day I would say you will not ever go into starvation mode.
    Sounds a lot of calories for someone who's not exercising to me.
    Stick with it if it's working, I would not say anymore than that though.

    And the 20 minutes walk calories burned sounds too high.

    Unless your eating under your BMR i would not worry about starvation mode at all, not a factor, your trying to loose weight so you should be restricting your intake.

    I changed my goal to 2lbs a week so it is now down to 1850 calories. I just started so I'm not sure if it is working or not, but I know I have been under my calories - and way under my exercise calories - since I began. The 20 minute walk came straight from the exercise database. I wear a pedometer and it clocks me at 2.5 mph on my normal rounds and 3.9 on my brisk walks.

    It seemed a bit high to me too, but it was close to the calorie burned on a walking website I visited - I put my weight and distance in and it came back close to what MFP said.
  • stratdl
    stratdl Posts: 303 Member
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    You may want to check out the following thread:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    It has lots & lots of info in it that might help you out.

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