Eating all my calories

mwyle
mwyle Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    Eat at least some of them. At your weight, you can afford a bigger deficit, so you can eat a little less. Extra body fat will be used for energy.
  • lazyv310
    lazyv310 Posts: 33 Member
    From everything I have read you should be eating them. I am having the same issue I am consistently under my calories, so far I am still losing but I have been reading that my metabolism will slow down ( I am not sure it can get any slower) and I will stop losing.
  • vbradylady
    vbradylady Posts: 9 Member
    I have the same problem....I have a hard time consuming all my calories, especially on days when I exercise. If I'm not hungry...do I really have to eat them just because they are there? Seems counterproductive to losing weight....I wish I could get over that in my head.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    Eat ALL the calories!!!
  • leopardjunkie
    leopardjunkie Posts: 149
    I like to have about 250 left at the end of the day to allow for inaccurate calorie counts etc. So you don"t have to eat all 900 but try and get it closer with some good food :)
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    Eat ALL the calories!!!

    29128667.jpg
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    It's ALL About balancing everything to average out correctly each week.
    If i eat less for a few days than I should, I probably will cheat that weekend and enjoy myself. I try to keep my average up to par. That usually makes life easier too when you want to eat something yummy!
  • GADavies
    GADavies Posts: 62 Member
    The fatter you are the less of an issue it is, and metabolic slowdown is not the big deal some people make it out to be even for thinner people.
  • Zommbunny
    Zommbunny Posts: 42
    I never eat my exercise calories but this is a huge deficit - maybe eat some but down to prefrence and how your body reacts whne on such low cal.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    yes
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    NO.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    it depends - do you base your calories on your BMR and TDEE or do you use MFP's suggested calories?
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    Eat ALL the calories!!!

    29128667.jpg

    Oh yeah, I was waiting for that one :happy:
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Yes.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I ate all my calories and it worked.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    How are you calculating calories burned?

    Machines & MFP can exaggerate the number of calories burned ..... many people chose to eat a % of calories back when using calorie burns from these sources.

    If you are using a heart rate monitor ..... calories burned should be more accurate.

    When you eat too few calories, you may actually burn muscle (as well as fat).
  • Fightin2GetFit
    Fightin2GetFit Posts: 69 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    Would you use the same approach if you were on a 1200 calorie a day diet? Burn off say 600 through exercise, therefore netting 600. Would you think this would be a healthy approach to long term weight loss and retaining lean muscle?
  • andyxbear
    andyxbear Posts: 269 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    That's odd. I've spoken to a nutritionist, too. She said to try and eat them all back and if I couldn't, then at least eat half or most.
  • babyblooz
    babyblooz Posts: 220 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    This is completely contrary to my understanding of how this site works,
  • Fightin2GetFit
    Fightin2GetFit Posts: 69 Member
    I suppose it's hard to say whom is correct. I tend to bounce around between a 1200 calorie diet up to a 1500 calorie diet and ever since I stopped eating my exercise calories burned I've had more progress. To each his own! :)
  • melbogg
    melbogg Posts: 135 Member
    I think the best approach is trying it both ways and see what your body responds positively to.
    Everyone's body, metabolism and weight loss is different. Listen to your body and do whats best for you
  • Fightin2GetFit
    Fightin2GetFit Posts: 69 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    This is completely contrary to my understanding of how this site works,

    You're absolutely correct. I followed the website until recently when I consulted with all three and they all told me the same thing (don't eat them). I try to ignore the net calories now and only look at the food calories. Honestly though, do what ever works for you. :)
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    Eat ALL the calories!!!

    This, I earned them, I am going to eat them.
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    This is completely contrary to my understanding of how this site works,

    You're absolutely correct. I followed the website until recently when I consulted with all three and they all told me the same thing (don't eat them). I try to ignore the net calories now and only look at the food calories. Honestly though, do what ever works for you. :)

    Did these three people understand that MFP sets up the deficit for you?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I've got over 900 calories left to my goal today including exercise calories after all my meals. Should I be eating them all?

    I'm no expert but I've had 3 professionals (a sports medicine dr, a nutritionist, and a fitness coach) all tell me the same thing: NEVER eat your exercise calories. So for example if you were on a 2,000 calorie diet, burned 500 calories exercising, only eat the 2,000 (not 2,500). Hope this helps! =)

    This is completely contrary to my understanding of how this site works,

    You're absolutely correct. I followed the website until recently when I consulted with all three and they all told me the same thing (don't eat them). I try to ignore the net calories now and only look at the food calories. Honestly though, do what ever works for you. :)

    Did these three people understand that MFP sets up the deficit for you?

    Yeah - that's what my first thought was too.

    MFP as designed ......the the deficit is built in BEFORE exercise. MFP does not ASSUME anyone will exercise. When you add exercise in MFP you are increasing the deficit by more.

    When the deficit is too large .... weight loss will eventually stall (think plateau) and you will most likely lose muscle along with fat.

    But consider that some people use exaggerated calorie burns on a regular basis, and others have their activity level set too high ... of course eating back calories under these scenarios doesn't work out for them.
  • mwyle
    mwyle Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks everyone

    Have done much better today. Made all my meals a bit larger and had much less calories left after dinner

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