Eat back my exercise calories???

FischerBluesMom
FischerBluesMom Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Help!!!

I am sure it may have been asked many times before, but I wasn't seeing a
Straight answer in the posts I read...

I have my diet set at 1200 calories to lose weight. So if I eat my 1200 calories, but exercise
500 calories off, should I eat those 500 calories to stay out of starvation mode? I'm so confused.

I haven't been having great success lately in my weight going down, despite sticking to my 1200 calories,
So I wondered if maybe this is why???

Any help would be appreciated!!

Replies

  • SSGirlLV
    SSGirlLV Posts: 38 Member
    I have the same question.. When I was losing weight like crazy I was working out 4-5 days a week and not eating back my exercise calories.. The problem was that I was hungry a lot. I think this time I'm going to try to not eat them and eat more often. Smaller meals. Maybe that will help me not be hungry all the time!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Straight answer... YES!

    MFP already sets you up with a calorie deficit so if you exercise and don't eat back those calories, that makes a huge deficit that could slow or even stall your weight loss (sometimes referred to as starvation mode). The changes you're making should be as much about losing weight as they are about getting healthy and if you're not eating enough, you're not going to be healthy.
  • FischerBluesMom
    FischerBluesMom Posts: 2
    I have no idea why, but I just now got to read these replies. Sorry!
    I have noticed that if I don't 'eat back the calories' on days that I work
    Out really hard, I get weak and feel overly hungry.

    Thanks guys for the responses and happy road to health to you both. :)
  • shmoony
    shmoony Posts: 237 Member
    Eat back half. That way you get the benefits of being able to eat more, and lose more.
  • tgtraumarn
    tgtraumarn Posts: 3 Member
    I have also been confused. I ate the calories last week and had no weight loss. My husband told me to not eat back the calories this week. I may try half.

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