New to my fitness pal....question about caloric intake

jacquelinemoniquegarcia
jacquelinemoniquegarcia Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So my page says Ive only lost one pound but I have lost 26 total I put my current wight for accurate calorie counting. I have a question about caloric goals and what not when I work out its showing that I earned more calories does that mean that I should be eating that many or staying at the normal amount in order to lose weight ....

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I usually eat back most of my exercise calories. I keep losing, so I keep eating:)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    Yes. This site is designed to be used just like that. You get a base number. Say 1500. Then you exercise and enter that into the site. Say 300.

    That means you need to eat 1800 for the day.

    Just eat until the bottom line on your Food Diary is as close to "0" as you can get it.
  • essicagoddess
    essicagoddess Posts: 9 Member
    I think it can become a slippery slope eating back the calories you burn on exercise. I find it is more successful to have a gross calorie intake you limit yourself to, regardless of your workouts. I try to limit myself to 1200 a day, even if I do a lot of exercise. Occasionally I go over, but not often.
  • jacquelinemoniquegarcia
    jacquelinemoniquegarcia Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks lol Im like hmmm what does this mean...I mean I just started this and I wasnt counting calories b4 so I wasnt sure lol I was just working out and eating when I was hungry lol
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    I think it can become a slippery slope eating back the calories you burn on exercise. I find it is more successful to have a gross calorie intake you limit yourself to, regardless of your workouts. I try to limit myself to 1200 a day, even if I do a lot of exercise. Occasionally I go over, but not often.

    Then you need to do a little bit of reading on how weight loss works, and how this site is intended to be used.

    Here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • donnajean84
    donnajean84 Posts: 4
    most of what i've read is that you should try to eat back at least 50% of the calories you earn from exercise. if you eat too few calories then you'll actually stop losing weight b/c your body will go into starvation mode.
  • lessofme150
    lessofme150 Posts: 105 Member
    most of what i've read is that you should try to eat back at least 50% of the calories you earn from exercise. if you eat too few calories then you'll actually stop losing weight b/c your body will go into starvation mode.

    This is what I tend to do. Some days I am not hungry enough to eat my exercise calories but I aim for 50% when ever possible and some days I eat back almost all.
  • 02oakleyb29
    02oakleyb29 Posts: 12 Member
    most of what i've read is that you should try to eat back at least 50% of the calories you earn from exercise. if you eat too few calories then you'll actually stop losing weight b/c your body will go into starvation mode.

    I have been searching to find out how much of your exercise calories you should eat back and haven't seen any numbers, just that you should eat back most but not all...thanks for this info. I hate not knowing if I am doing it right or wrong :)

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