Help- How does MFP really help you lose weight?

Roskarin
Roskarin Posts: 7 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So I am a little confused on how this works. If we are given a calorie consumption based on how much we want to lose but then given more calories for when we exercise, how are we losing weight? Sorry if this is confusing or don't understand what I am asking. It's just that I don't know how we are losing weight if we are eating more calories, is because when we exercise we need more glycogen/glucose from calories to energize our bodies to burn those calories? Ugh so confused! Please help.

Replies

  • Jenks
    Jenks Posts: 349
    The original amount it gives you is a deficit from what you already burn just being alive. The additional calories you gain from exercise are optional, but you might want to consider using a portion of them because if you're burning a HUGE amount compared to what you're taking in your body will go into starvation mode.
  • buffalogal1979
    buffalogal1979 Posts: 236 Member
    Hi,
    Under the General Diet and Weight Loss folder (the one that you have posted this question in) there are a ton of links to posts and information that will help you with this question - and a lot of other useful info too. As a newbie myself, I found them all very helpful. They are the first handful of posts in this folder.
    HTH.
    Good luck to you!
  • spitfire1962
    spitfire1962 Posts: 347 Member
    That was a good answer Jenks. I like MFP because I am accountable. I have to be honest and look at my daily consumption and see where I could have made better choices. Also it feels really great when I am below calories allowance.
  • Sunsh1ne
    Sunsh1ne Posts: 879 Member
    What Jenks said. Your body burns so many calories a day, even at rest. Based on your height, weight, age, and activity level, MFP calculates how many calories that is, and then if you want to lose a pound a week, it gives you a food budget that's 500 calories less than that number. That gives you a defecit of 3500 calories a week, or one pound. It really is that simple. Exercise is still important, though, even though you're not counting that calorie burn towards your loss, because by using your muscles, you're making sure that your body doesn't ditch muscle tissue instead of fat tissue. You're also encouraging your body to build lean muscle, which burns more calories at rest, AND when you work out, your metabolism is boosted during recovery. So, bottom line: you lose weight with diet and build health with exercise.
  • MichelleWagner50
    MichelleWagner50 Posts: 240 Member
    What Jenks said.... :-)
    For example: MFP tells you to eat 1400 cals a day which is a deficit of 200 cals from what your body burns to be alive. If you exercise and burn 300 cals, you should eat at least some of them back or else your body will go into starvation mode and you won't lose weight. It isn't good to eat too few calories in a day or your body can't function.
    Does that make sense? This is just an example. I don't know what your MFP requirements are, but I thought it might help to put some numbers in it to show you.
    Hope it helps!:flowerforyou:
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    To second what Jenks said... when you first joined and put all of your information it - the system calculated a number - your BMR. It took your BMR and your regular activity level and calculated what you need to consume to maintain. Then you told MFP how many pounds per week you wanted to lose... and it calculated a deficit based on that number... and subtracted it from your "maintenance number". So the number that MFP gave you to eat is how many calories you should eat to safely lose 1-2 lbs a week depending on what you input.

    When you exercise, you burn calories and because you're already eating at a deficit you can eat those calories. I eat most of my exercise calories because I've found that if I don't - the following day I'm ready to eat the house down.

    I can honestly say - this is the easiest thing I've ever done to lose weight... and it works.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    All of the threads in this link are helpful to new members with questions about how the site (and your body) work.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
  • Roskarin
    Roskarin Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks everybody, that all makes sense now
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