I can lose weight without exercise

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tnsingo
tnsingo Posts: 5
in Motivation and Support
I'm really confused. I've spent the past few days reading and trying to understand MFP. What's the point of working out if I have to eat all those calories? So technically I would lose weight if i didn't work out and just stuck to my food cal intake.

Everywhere else says "No you arnt suppose to eat those back! You are acutually suppose to burn twice as many calories as you eat and by eating those back your wasting your time!"

I run a lot and burn many calories I can barely eat 1200 cals how am I supposed to eat back 600 cals that I burned?

Replies

  • devan44
    devan44 Posts: 130
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    You will get tons of different opinions on this. I usually do not eat my exercise calories back unless I'm hungy. For me it's pretty simple - eat if you are hungry and don't if you aren't! Some will say you risk going into starvation mode but from what I've read that's a myth. It would take a few days of not eating to go into a true starvation mode.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    MFP sets you up with a deficit worked in already, so yes, you are supposed to eat the exercise calories, or you are creating too much of a deficit.
    It can be pretty easy to reach a goal, have a PB sandwich, a glass a milk, a protein shake... they've got some good cals!
    You want to fuel your body to have the strength to be able to run!!
  • tnsingo
    tnsingo Posts: 5
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    Thanks for responding!
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    The deficit that MFP gives you is your TDEE - 20%, therefore even if you eat all your allotted cals you are eating at a deficit of 20%

    Your excercise is added on top of this, so you should eat those cals back or your deficit will be greater than 20%. However, I find MFP tends to overestimate cardio cals slightly, so I try not to eat them all back. Going too much under this will hinder your weightloss - counter intuitive, I know, but thats how it is.
  • DoriGaga
    DoriGaga Posts: 96
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    Have you ever heard the expression "Get thin in the kitchen, get fit int he gym?" It's one of those 80/20 things, 80% diet and 20% working out...

    You can absolutely lose weight by diet alone, but you can't out exercise a bad diet. You should get out of the mindset that you exercise to lose weight, because you really exercise to be physically fit (which is equally as important).

    The thing with exercise is though, regular exercise changes the way our bodies use calories. When you work out (especially strength training), your body needs to use calories to repair and build up muscles, so when you eat, more of your calories are redirected to muscle repair. Since your body is using those calories for muscle repair rather than energy, your body turns to fat stores for energy (hence why they say you continue to burn calories AFTER a work out)... But say you are eating 1500 cals a day, and you burn 400 in the gym, you are now left with 1100 net, which is not enough for your body to run off of, hence why you eat them back.

    So, in essence, you can lose all the weight by diet alone, but your body won't be running as efficiently as it would if you were also physically fit, which makes your body burn more and also look better (with muscle tone).
  • suzywantsitall
    suzywantsitall Posts: 85 Member
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    bump
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    I'm new too but I only just figured it out after a few weeks of being very very confused.

    I'm short and quite petite, 5 ft with starting wt of 160 & goal weight of 120 (bear with me, this is important)
    MFP gives me 1200 cal a day after a deficit of 500 cal has been instituted, projected rougly wt. loss is 1#/wk.

    I found it nearly impossible to do without exercise. It can be done though, my first 10 days on MFP, I certainly lost. It was just an unsustainable way to live for me.

    With exercise I NET 1200 cal and I'm still losing :drinker: I do weight training 3 x weekly and (goofy as it sounds:blushing: ) Dance Central for a couple of hours a day. This gives me an enormous amount of calories (for me anyhow) and I can be human again :laugh: Gosh was I cranky before:flowerforyou:

    Good luck, keep reading and it will make sense to you eventually. I got a fitbit zip and it really took the mystery out of what I was burning. Turns out on my really sedentary days, I was barely burning 1400/day. With the fitbit, I feel confident that my activity is tracked in a way that I can use.

    I know some folks don't eat back their exercise calories and some do. The way to figure out which camp you fall into is if you can eat back calories and still maintain a deficit of 500 cal per day then go ahead (assuming 1#/wk loss). If you are short like me and only get 1200 cal in the first place, exercise to get the calories to create the deficit and live like you're only watching your weight instead of strict dieting. I hope that makes sense :laugh:
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Your understanding is correct. MFP sets up your deficit so that you would lose weight even without exercise.

    So not eating bakc your exercise calories increases that deficit. Whether it increases it to a stage that it's "too much" of a deficit...that's where the debate comes in.

    But exercise is more than just increasing your deficit - it improves your health in lots of other ways, improves your shape, helps retain your lean body mass etc
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    To me, the main reason for excercise is the physical fitness aspect and asctetic reasons. Sure, I can lose weight with just diet, but, diet will not make me stronger, and it will not make me toned. Now, sure...haha, I still have a long ways to go before my buddha belly will be small enought that toned is even a real thought, but if I start now I will have all the proper motivation and technique in place when I get there.

    Excercise also give me an 'out' to eat some cookies.
  • droneofvelvet
    droneofvelvet Posts: 290 Member
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    Of course you can lose weight without working out that is a no-brainer.

    But working out improves your health. Your circulation, muscle mass (burns more calories while you do nothing), the way your body looks, bone density, the way you feel, your energy levels improve, when you're an old person you will be able to move and not be bed-ridden , etc. the list goes on and on. The biggest aspect for weight loss would be that people who exercise routinely are more fit and don't have to stay on a strict calorie restrictive diet for the rest of their lives.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    This is useful.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
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    When I first started losing weight... and, actually, when I lost all my weight (over 100 lbs)... I hadn't heard of MFP. I used the Weight Watchers points scale to determined how many calories I eat in a day. It has changed since with their new points plus, but at the time, you plugged in your stats and it gave you a points allocation per day – 1 point = 50 calories. Using that, I always maintained a healthy calorie intake that stepped down as I lost weight (every 10 pounds I lost, I dropped by 50 calories a day). I didn't factor my exercise into that, although I was working out 5x a week in a gym. Those calories burnt, effectively, became my "banked" calories that allowed me a cheat meal once a week without interfering with my weight loss. Now that I am on MFP, I use the same rationale. I do not eat back my exercise calories; but I do enjoy a cheat meal – usually a night out with friends at a restaurant – without worry. And I still make progress.
  • PaigeAnderson100
    PaigeAnderson100 Posts: 301 Member
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    I personally don't eat back my burned calories and on the days that I work out, I try to burn at least 500 calories. I give myself 1300 calories in a day to eat.

    I know a few people who do eat back their calories and it works for them but, I don't see the point in it so I don't.

    I live by the motto "Eat less. Move more" and that seems to work for me.

    I know that MFP can be confusing at times but, eventually you will find a lifestyle that works for you and it will just come to you rather than being so confusing. You can do this however you would like. Maybe one week you should eat back those burned calories and compare your weight loss to a week that you burn half of what you ate without eating any back. Whatever works for you could be different than what works for other's. I wish you the best of luck.
    If you would like to, you can add me as a friend.
  • FahadNaseem
    FahadNaseem Posts: 80 Member
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    I eat back my burnt calories only on weekends, it's working for me so far in losing weight.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Some will say you risk going into starvation mode but from what I've read that's a myth. It would take a few days of not eating to go into a true starvation mode.

    Starvation mode is exactly what it means, starvation... you'd have to not eat or have water for a few days for you body to enter starvation mode... because you'd be starving.

    It's Survival mode that you should be worried about. If you are not consuming enough for your body to function (minimum net calories 1200, I suggest BMR being your net goal) your body will start buring fat and muscle to maintain health. This is a negative thing, think about what muscles you have that are vital... such as your heart. Without eating enough to maintain your day to day your depletion of energy will affect more than your weight it will start to wear on your muscles including your heart. And when you begin to eat normally again, enough for your body to fully function day to day it will start to store fats and when you aren't trying to build muscle through exercise when losing weight then you'd be likely to lose some of that lean muscle mass with the fat as well. This is what is called skinny fat.

    So you have to ask yourself, do I want to be skinny fat and possibly wear down those muscles that I need to use or would it be better to eat back those calories and make sure that my body is getting what it needs and losing actual fat instead?
  • brownshuga30
    brownshuga30 Posts: 106 Member
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    I say do what works for you. Sometimes this topic can be very confusing. Some people swear by eating back ALL of their exercise calories. I don't eat back all of my exercise calories but I might eat back 100-200 but not everyday and I've been successful after starting my journey all over in December so far 30lbs.
  • jsrussell2127
    jsrussell2127 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I'm new too but I only just figured it out after a few weeks of being very very confused.

    I'm short and quite petite, 5 ft with starting wt of 160 & goal weight of 120 (bear with me, this is important)
    MFP gives me 1200 cal a day after a deficit of 500 cal has been instituted, projected rougly wt. loss is 1#/wk.

    I found it nearly impossible to do without exercise. It can be done though, my first 10 days on MFP, I certainly lost. It was just an unsustainable way to live for me.

    With exercise I NET 1200 cal and I'm still losing :drinker: I do weight training 3 x weekly and (goofy as it sounds:blushing: ) Dance Central for a couple of hours a day. This gives me an enormous amount of calories (for me anyhow) and I can be human again :laugh: Gosh was I cranky before:flowerforyou:

    Good luck, keep reading and it will make sense to you eventually. I got a fitbit zip and it really took the mystery out of what I was burning. Turns out on my really sedentary days, I was barely burning 1400/day. With the fitbit, I feel confident that my activity is tracked in a way that I can use.

    I know some folks don't eat back their exercise calories and some do. The way to figure out which camp you fall into is if you can eat back calories and still maintain a deficit of 500 cal per day then go ahead (assuming 1#/wk loss). If you are short like me and only get 1200 cal in the first place, exercise to get the calories to create the deficit and live like you're only watching your weight instead of strict dieting. I hope that makes sense :laugh:

    Sooooo glad someone else is experiencing this! I have been, too.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    MFP sets you up with a deficit worked in already, so yes, you are supposed to eat the exercise calories, or you are creating too much of a deficit.
    It can be pretty easy to reach a goal, have a PB sandwich, a glass a milk, a protein shake... they've got some good cals!
    You want to fuel your body to have the strength to be able to run!!

    This! MFP is set up differently to most sites, as it gives you a calorie goal with the deficit built in, based on how much you want to lose per week with no exercise. that is why you should eat any extra calories burnt back.
  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
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    I think it is a mistake to think of exercise as a tool to lose weight. Exercise is an important lifelong activity that will maintain health and lean muscle mass. It is not something to do only when you are trying to lose weight.

    And if you only eat 1200 calories, burn 600 and don't eat back the exercise calories, your body will not be happy in the long term!
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
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    It all depends on what you are aiming for.

    Do you want a certain number on the scale, a certain level of health at the doctor or a certain body. Or all three?

    If you want all three, or at least a certain kind of body - you will have to exercise.

    this whole thing is a table, and a table has four legs.

    nutrition, strength training, cardio, and rest. no one leg is more important than than any other.

    If you want one quarter of the results you have the potential to reach, then by all means, only do one.

    If you want maximum results - then you're going to have to do all four.

    if you want to be thin. Go ahead and just diet, that's totally your call and no one else's.
    if you want to be fit, though, gotta do all four darlin.

    :drinker:

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