Bonus Calories for Cardio???

Options
ucandanz01
ucandanz01 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so my goal is aggressive but has been working ok for over a week now. But I am baffled that doing exercise allows a lot more calories???? For example I am doing Cardio daily and have bumped it up gradually to burn almost 700 calories an hour. But I don't want to undo that hard work by eating an additional 700 calories a day - will I go into starvation mode by having a low net calorie count each day?

What is the lowest calorie count without going into starvation mode?
«134

Replies

  • cailinlowe
    cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    go by gross calories, not net. it makes no sense to eat back those calories you just burned.. its basically just a wash at that point
  • athenaheim
    athenaheim Posts: 496 Member
    Options
    I dont eat my calories burned back. I have heard so many different things that you will and some say you wont. I am curious to hear what others say.
  • autumnpath
    autumnpath Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    I don't eat my exercise calories either. It's really confusing to me. I too am curious what others will say.
  • MarshaMole
    MarshaMole Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    bump
  • jdaley90
    jdaley90 Posts: 259 Member
    Options
    MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit. Eat your exercise cals back because otherwise it's not healthy or safe. Your body will go into starvation mode. What you really should go by are BMR and TDEE and then follow that.
  • alw141
    alw141 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    I think this is totally a personal decision. If I don't eat back at least some of my calories, my weight loss stalls. You have to find what works for you and go from there.
  • stu236
    stu236 Posts: 44
    Options
    I tried this theory out and did 6 weeks NOT eating them back and then 6 weeks eating them back, I stuck to it religiously and gained
    back everything I lost originally, so it doesn't work for me.

    However, as we are all different it might work for some and not others.

    I think the important thing is to find what works for yourself and stick with that.
  • kumanekochan
    kumanekochan Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit. Eat your exercise cals back because otherwise it's not healthy or safe. Your body will go into starvation mode. What you really should go by are BMR and TDEE and then follow that.
    ^ This is exactly right.
  • sayrahlyn
    sayrahlyn Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    The amount they give you works in a deficit already, so if you ate that amount, you would lose weight. The calories you burn are just extra. I like to stay under my goal, but to me part of the fun of being active is that I get to enjoy treats that I otherwise couldn't "afford." I would say play with it and eat back some of the calories if you are hungry or have something you want. If that doesn't work for you, then don't keep doing it. Although, depending on what your recommended intake is, do be careful that you aren't depriving yourself of nutrition.
  • AmyS1975
    AmyS1975 Posts: 143
    Options
    I'm no expert but I rarely eat back my exercise calories and if I do it's usually on weekends or if I have a meal out. I am definitely not starving or hungry. Good luck reaching your goals ... 27 lb to lose here.
  • serialzombie
    serialzombie Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    I always aim to eat back half my calories.

    (usually chocolate, which I only eat when I've already worked it off in advance)
  • xTenaciousJx
    xTenaciousJx Posts: 555
    Options
    I go by my BMR and TDEE and eat 15-20% below and don't eat my exercise calories back.

    check this out:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    :flowerforyou:
  • mrsknash
    mrsknash Posts: 51 Member
    Options
    I eat my calories back otherwise I find that I am hungry due to burning up more energy and not refueling my body. My weightloss stalls if I don't eat my calories back.

    Just a word of warning - you need to be pretty certain how much your workout burns otherwise you might inadvertently end up eating more than you burnt off.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Options
    MFP already builds in a calorie deficit when you set it up. Say MFP tell you to eat 1500 cals a day with and gives you a 500 cal deficit and then you are burning another 700 thats a 1200 calorie deficit.

    This. A lot of people throw around "starvation mode", but after a week, you've done no damage to your body. It won't be sustainable though. Eat back your calories, but keep in mind most estimates (and even some HRM) can be wrong since they are just estimates and working off of an equation that may not apply the same to everyone. A lot of people tend to eat back 60-80% of their exercise calories. Others eat back 100%. If you're going off an MFP calculator or what the machine says you've burned, I'd go with less than all but more than half of your calories to eat back.
  • mumofmakm
    mumofmakm Posts: 2
    Options
    I'm working out with a trainer and asked him about this too. He said not to eat ALL of the ones allotted to me by MFP. It's got my daily target at 1800 on a regular day and well over 2000 on a workout day. He has set my target at around 1200-1300 on non-workout days and 1800 for workout days. He too said that if you're not eating enough when training hard then your body will just hold on to everything. You have to keep the fire fueled. Also remember to eat every 2-3.5 hours throughout the day!
    I also use a HR monitor so I get more accurate readings of calories burned. Maybe something to think about doing if you're not already.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    Eat back your exercise calories, people!!

    The goal that MFP sets up for you, ALREADY HAS a calorie deficit built into the goal.

    If it tells you you're allowed 700 more calories, that means that if you eat 700 more, you will STILL BE AT A CALORIE DEFICIT and will still lose weight.

    Come on, it's not that hard to understand!! I lost 35 pounds already by eating my exercise calories back every single day.
  • BohemianCoast
    BohemianCoast Posts: 349 Member
    Options
    MFP's calorie counts can be quite high for some exercise, and if you're doing the same thing all the time it might over-estimate your burn. Nevertheless, if you're doing a lot of exercise, say 700 a day, and accurately logging every bite you eat, you'll start to lose weight at the top end of what's safe. If you're losing more than 2lb a week regularly, it would make sense to eat back some of your calories. Or if you're feeling really hungry; this isn't about deprivation.

    I try to eat back about half my exercise calories; sometimes I eat fewer; sometimes I eat *every single one of them*. And more.
  • brunetteavoxgirl
    brunetteavoxgirl Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    I eat back some of my calories, because the weeks I haven't, I don't lose, but i can't eat them all back, because sometimes that's wayyyy tooo much food for me to eat in a day.
  • indyamyp
    indyamyp Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I generally eat back some of my calories but not all. The reason for this is that I don't trust the calorie burning that MFP gives for different cardio workouts. I've read that these estimates are often high, so if you eat back all the calories it says you've "earned", you are actually going over your daily allotment.

    Just my two cents. I agree, you just have to find what works for you
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
    Options
    As others have pointed out, MFP *already* has a calorie deficit set for you. That is why it tells you to eat back your exercise calories so that you don't under eat. When you eat back your exercise calories, you are doing your TDEE minus the deficit you need to lose. When you don't eat them back you are more than likely under eating and will hit a stall sooner than later.

    You shouldn't think of it as "canceling out" your exercise. You should think of the extra calories as the fuel you need for the exercise you're doing. Don't exercise to create an insane deficit and then feel like you're "canceling" something out. Exercise because you want to be fit and feel good, and then fuel that so you CAN be fit and feel good.

Categories