Do I need to eat the calories I burn off atthe gym? :-)

79shirl · May 2013

Hi there,

I've recently changed from a weight watchers diet to calorie counting using the iphone app.

I lost approx 4 stone with weight watchers and was over the moon. However, I recently put about 1 stone 7 pounds back on. So I decided to get back into my weight watchers routine after letting my diet well and truly slip over Xmas. I found that I struggled to loose any weight as I had doe previously floowing a Weight Watchers diet.

My husband suggested that I try calorie counting and I researched how many calories I needed a day for my current weight and height to enable me to loose weight. And found on a number websites that I needed a diet of 1200 calories a day to do this. So after some research on foods and their calorie value took on dietig using the MFP app.

Since starting my calorie controlled diet I have lost 9 pounds in 5 weeks, but am a little confused as to what I ned to do with the calories I've earnt at the gym. I go to the gym three times a week and each session I burn off 500-600 calories. Do I need to eat these calories on gym night? Or if I don't eat them will I loose more weight? There are so many different opinions when it comes to calorie consumption, and wether or o to eat the 'bonus' calories earnt at the gym. This week I stuck to 1200 calories a day religiously. I went to th gym 3 times as well this week burning at least 500 calories per session and I didnt loose an ounce of weight and was quit dissappointd.

Can anyone help, as I don't now what to do and don't want to spend the next week eating the calroies I've burnt off at the gym to then get weighed ands have put weight on doing so! :-):smile:

khall86790 · May 2013

If you are going to eat 1200 cals per day then YES you need to be eating back your exercise calories. All of them.

whierd · May 2013

If you are going to eat 1200 cals per day then YES you need to be eating back your exercise calories. All of them.

Yup.

S_Arr_Uh · May 2013

Yes yes yes. My 'goal' is 1630, and on top of that, I eat at least half of my exercise calories (minimum, more if I find food :P), so most days I'm eating between 1900-2300 calories and I've been successfully losing weight

Eventually, you'll find that a simple 1200kcal intake will not fuel your body as you'd like.

megsmom2 · May 2013

If you're following the MFP method..then yes. If you're following some other method (TDEE/BMR or a custom level) maybe not. But keep in mind that it is hard to get adequate nutrition at low calorie levels....and that in itself can hinder loss.

79shirl · May 2013

Hi guys,

Thanks for taking the time to post your advice. Starting this week I'm going to eat the calories I'll burn at the gym.......and am looking forward to it too :-). I must admit that I have been getting to the end of the week and have been feeling drained and this explains why. It's so hard getting the right diet advice when there are so many different methods out there.

I'm now looking forward to this weeks weigh in. Once again, thank you very much :-)

Joannesmith2818 · May 2013

Ooo good job I read this. I am on 1200 cals and so far haven't been eating my exercise cals. From now on I shall!

79shirl · May 2013

Hi joannesmith,

If you don't mind me asking how much weight have you been loosing just on 1200 calories a day. Mine has been very slow at a pound a week and I had one week were I lost three pounds.

It does seem to explain a lot with my slow weight loss sounds like I've been going into starvation mode consuming too fewer calories with the exercise I'm doing.

LiftAllThePizzas · May 2013

If you only have like 20 pounds to lose you shouldn't be trying to lose 2 lbs a week. Losing faster doesn't mean you're losing more fat at a time. If you have too big a deficit your body gets rid of more muscle too, which reduces your calorie needs even more, so by the time you get to "goal weight" you can't eat a decent amount anymore without gaining weight again. This is what a lot of people do, and it's the opposite of bodybuilding. Bodybuilders eat a surplus and lift heavy to gain more muscle than fat, and then eat at a deficit and lift heavy to lose more fat than muscle. Fad dieters, meanwhile, eat at a surplus and sit on a couch to gain more fat than muscle, and then "go on a diet" and eat at a huge deficit and do lots of cardio (or sit on a couch) to lose muscle and fat. With each cycle they end up with less and less muscle... if you think about it this way you can see that it's body un-building.

Check out this thread for a better way to calculate your calorie needs.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

madasanatter · May 2013

My daily target is 1200 calories according to the app. Today I ate 1043 calories but with working out, gardening etc I burnt 1217 through exercise. Should I be eating those too?

soggypuppet · May 2013

Thank you for asking this question. I don't exercise much but have been trying to work it in a little at a time each day. I'm new to this and had not planned to increase my caloric intake. Oops!

BroceryShopping · May 2013

I ate 700 calorie to get competition physical ready. Home they tell us good amount 2000 but I say no you eat 1200 be fit fit girl.

JohnDun · May 2013

Oh I love it when I have been to the gym and just see the amount of calories I can eat build up....its a great treat to start the day with 1490 cals and then after the gym suddnely find I have 2150 calories to eat...mmmm yummy.

Yesterday I had a lot of cals left to use and decided on some nice strawberries and walls light ice cream...what a fantastic snack to have.......

I like the way that I can count cals and track exercise on MFP. I have now lost 56 pounds and just 2.2pounds short of the target I set on Jan the 1st this year. So much so that I will now have to amend my target.

Its good to see you have lost the a chunk of the weight you have put back on...your doing well.....keep going...

J

jondoles · May 2013

I like having the flexibility that comes from earning additional calories, as a result of working out. I don't always consume those extra, banked calories, but like knowing that I can, if I'm still hungry. I'm excited by the results that I've experienced with MFP.

pkdmfp · May 2013

Thanks for asking the question because I was also confused. I normally eat 1200 calories and burn about 900 to 1000 calories 4 days a week. Now I will make sure to eat some of the burned calories.

kittyhasclaws · May 2013

Best way ever to go through the journey when things are freaking CONFUSING: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

If you want the loooooong explanation (it takes you step by step through it all): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

This app will tell you 1200 because it won't go any lower than that unless you manually set it lower. But unless you're petite, that's a very small amount to try to fuel your body with, especially if you're active.

79shirl · May 2013

Hi there guys,

I will be starting to consume my calories burnt off at he gym when I go tomorrow and must say I'm loving the idea as sometimes it's so hard to even stay awake surviving on 1200 calories a day when I've worked so hard at the gym.

cannot weight until weigh day on Saturday :-)

79shirl · May 2013

Hi JohnDun,

Well done to you for nearly getting to your target weight. There is no better feeling. I'm getting there slowly but surely and have no doubt I will again be at my target weight.

It's great to get the added support, help and advise for other MFP members as i have never been party to communities such as this.

I'm loving the strawberry's and ice cream idea and will have to make sure I stock up for a gym night.

Good luck on the 2.2 pouns, I'm sure you'll blitz it!

madasanatter · May 2013

So basically yes eat the workout calories too? If I don't does it speed up weight loss or slow it down?

shaunap3 · May 2013

Typically I try and eat back half of my worked off calories. I pretend it's an extra deserved "snack" on the days that I workout. MFP has already calculated in calories necessary for weightloss in your every day life. Burning off a big chunk of your standard consumption doesn't leave your body with much to fuel itself for it's basic needs.

Mads1997 · May 2013

So basically yes eat the workout calories too? If I don't does it speed up weight loss or slow it down?

If you create too big of a deficit from not eating your exercise calories back you could stall out and stop losing.

madasanatter · May 2013

I best start eating more then....I worked off more than I ate yesterday

tizmi · May 2013

I have been confused about this also.

I'm 5' tall, 200lb and aiming for 112lb - my calories have been set at 1200, as I have a desk job and unless I go to the gym am about as active as a rock.

I do Curves three times a week and burn around 450 each time, plus I burn around 350 on Sat/Sun when I go for a walk. I've been erring on the side of caution since I started tracking calories three weeks ago because I'm desperate to lose weight and see some sort of result to keep me motivated to continue.

I heard that Curves can be overly generous in calculating how many calories you burn during one of their workouts so I was leery of using those earned calories. I just don't want to end up eating the wrong stuff to use up those extras - I already often go over my sugar allowance because of the fruit and a low-fat dessert I eat.

JohnDun · May 2013

Hi JohnDun,

I'm loving the strawberry's and ice cream idea and will have to make sure I stock up for a gym night.

Well folk seem to think that you cant eat so many good things on a diet but if you check out things you will find that there is a low cal ice cream that does taste as good as the full fat stuff...also fresh strawberries mmmmmmmmmmmm.....Hope you enjoy them when you end up with some.....
J

Do I need to eat the calories I burn off atthe gym? :-)

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