A little guidence & knowledge on calories please !

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Dragon67
Dragon67 Posts: 123 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am still fairly new to the calorie counting ..spent many a year on slimming world but wanted to try another way..... I don't think I have truely grasped this concept of eating back excersise calories.... my calorie goal for the day is 1390 ( want to lose 1lb a week and weigh 186.5lbs and am 5ft 6in) if I "earn " 200cals through work outs, what should I be eating for that day..... ..... Did what I thought was correct and lost 1/2lb (still going to SW as I paid up front for classes).... any help...thanks

Replies

  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
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    Eat your 1390 plus whatever you burnt off.

    1390+200 = 1590. So eat 1590
  • Dragon67
    Dragon67 Posts: 123 Member
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    Thanks for replying......It sounds too simple :wink: ....... as I don't have a heart rate /calorie monitor , would it be a good idea to HALF the calories it says on here and then eat them...
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I'd go half at most if you have no way of accurately measuring your burn.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    you can invest in a HRM from online (as I just have for my 2 weeks snowboarding) so you can really watch what you lose :)
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
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    If you can't get a HRM, I would definitely half the calories MFP says you burn through exercise.
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
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    My experience of pre- and post-HRM is that the calories that MFP estimates are pretty accurate. But it probably varies significantly from person to person depending on weight, how much effort you're putting in, and level of fitness.
  • Anthony110101111110001101
    Anthony110101111110001101 Posts: 239 Member
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    My findings is that MFP was close to double in many instances the calorie burn between it and what my HRM said when I finally got around to getting a battery for it! :smile:

    For now I'd half it just to be safe, if you aren't losing weight after a few weeks increase it slowly. What I'd be trying to work to though is purchasing a HRM just so you can be sure.
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 555 Member
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    what sort of activity level are you? I am 5'6 and after some research I realised that I was right in that MFP calorie recommendation was too low for me! To figure out my calories I used this http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now I am 138 lb and my calorie goal is around 1550 (PLUS my excercise calories) to loose 1 lb/week. Sometimes I don't eat back all of my calories, but I usually eat back at least some/most of them. It seems strange that you weight more than me currently, but would be eating less when our weekly goal is the same :/

    I don't know your activity level but from your age, weight, and height, even at a very low/no excercise activity level your BMR is 1559 calories. BMR is the calories your body burns normally if you were to do nothing all day, just sit there and breath. Many people go with their maintance calories/TDEE -20%.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    For now, choose an arbitrary percentage of exercise calories (50% would be a fine place to start). Be consistent about it, be accurate with your food logging, and let your results tell you whether or not you need to increase or decrease that percentage.
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    Just want to throw out there that MFP gives me FEWER "burn" calories than what my stationary bike "computer" says by at least 100 cals, for 30 minutes of effort so I go with the MFP lower amt. to be safe. And yes, I eat back, usually.

    Eating back has been a good thing for me. It has reinforced the link between exercise and diet, and gives me a reward for working out. If I wasn't losing, I'd have to reassess, but I'm losing right on target, 7 pounds in 6 weeks.
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    PS- I keep my calorie goal in the low range (that people here like to rant about). It gives me the leeway to eat back and to be wrong about , or underestimate, the amt. of calories I'm ingesting.
  • qoeqoe
    qoeqoe Posts: 1 Member
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    Look into a fitbit. It calculates your calories burn and even tells you about your sleep, how many hours you really get and how many times you wake up a night. They are like $99.00. With one of these you will get the calories burn for your body, not averages of everyone elses. They can sync to you MFP and your smart phone. Available online, Best Buy, Staples, etc.

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