So confused... Need advice

rhalpin86
rhalpin86 Posts: 43
in Health and Weight Loss
My caluclated calorie intake daily should be 1230. If I work out - doing cardio for 30 mins and burn about 200-300 calories do I eat back those calories I just burned? To prevent starvation mode? I've read some people don't agree with eating those extra calories. Isn't there supposed to be a 500 deficit.

I've already dropped 2 lbs but I want to make sure I'm doing this right!!

Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Yes, people will say differently but if your using MFP if you have green left, that means you can eat.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Yes, eat back your exercise calories (assuming that you are accurately logging both weighed food and the amount of calories burned). If you are using MFP's goals, the calorie deficit is built in already and not eating your excercise calories will give you too big of a deficit. Don't necessarily think of it as preventing starvation mode, more think of it as maintaining a reasonable goal that is maintainable.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    MFP already builds a deficit into your calories. If you exercise, it would be an additional deficit (which does not necessarily translate into losing faster). You should be fueling your body for your workouts, aka eating your exercise calories back. Also, MFP tends to calculate the calories fairly low or aggressively depending on how fast you said you wanted to lose. Aggressive weightloss isn't recommended unless you have a lot of weight to lose.

    Some very helpful and well written posts about how many calories you should eat:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • jennifox63
    jennifox63 Posts: 44 Member
    bump
  • jenlarz
    jenlarz Posts: 813 Member
    I go with the eat them! Esp if you are on such low calories, there will still be a deficit.
  • rcuadros
    rcuadros Posts: 1
    i am having the same problem like Rhalpin68 please need advice!
  • rhalpin86
    rhalpin86 Posts: 43
    What if you're not hungry?
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    My trainer says to not eat them unless I'm really hungry. So, every now and then I eat them. Usually not all of them, but dip into them without worry.
  • piggydog
    piggydog Posts: 322
    What if you're not hungry?

    I ususally drink a protein powder mixed with a low fat milk and that will ususally put me back whre I need to be calorie wise
  • joslin2005
    joslin2005 Posts: 138
    Some don't agree to eat the exercise calories back but MFP already gives you a deficit into your calorie goal. So there is no need to deduct the exercise calories as well.
  • srpm
    srpm Posts: 275 Member
    When I was being good and tracking things properly I used the exercise calories as a bonus of sorts. It's all about finding what works best for you. For me I see the best results when I eat 1200-1500 calories per day and always make sure that I eat at least 1200, if I exercise I try to net at least 1200 for the day but if I'm not hungry, I don't eat extra just to get to a specific number. You don't have to worry about negative effects from eating under the 1200 calorie mark unless you are doing it on a regular basis for an extended period of time.
  • FitbeTMF
    FitbeTMF Posts: 251
    http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm

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