Should I replace the calories I burn with exercise?

sammybov
sammybov Posts: 11 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
My daily allocation is 1200 calories but if I burn say 400 calories at the gym my allowance goes up to 1600. I kind of think that defeats the purpose of exercising. Am I better to stick to my 1200 no matter how much exercise I do? My concern is that my body won't be getting enough fuel to cope with the extra energy I'd need if I don't. I want to lose weight, not maintain it, what's the healthiest thing to do?

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    You should eat AT LEAST 1200, your body needs that bare to function. Is the 1200 something you set or did MFP suggest that?

    When you exercise even if you eat it back you still are speeding up your metabolism etc and I find when I eat close to my goal cals I lose more weight then trying to get as low as I can
  • amyfly
    amyfly Posts: 137
    If mfp set your calories at 1200 you prob. naturally burn about 1550 calories a day with out exercise so by eating the calories you burn during exercise you ARE refueling yourself - the calorie deficit that makes you lose weight is already built in... check your goals tab, it shows it there.
  • desireebutts
    desireebutts Posts: 22
    Yes/no - make sure they are good calories if you are replacing the calories with excersise. :) Even though a piece of cake counts every so often :) If you dont' eat enough then your body will start to slow its metabolism down and your weight will start to plateau off, because it will think that you are not going to get enough nutrition to work out like you want so it will store the calories... I try to eat every 3- 4 hours... TRY key word :) Good luck
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,187 Member
    The daily calories MFP gives you are based on MOST of the info you filled out on your diet profile under "Goals." However, it does NOT base it whatsoever on your answer to the question about how many times a week you plan on exercising. It's kind of confusing. So the calories it gives you for your weight loss-goal (1,200 in your case) are without exercise. Once you enter workouts into your exercise diary, it adds those calories burned to your total, so you would eat them to still achieve your desired goal. Hope that helps!
  • KellyBurton1
    KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
    I once wouldnt eat mine and then I plateau, I knew I had been doing wrong cause I had no energy, I got weak and sometimes dizzy. I eat regardless every 4 hours or when I need to. I try to stay around 350 to 400 cals each meal and add more protein than MFP allows. I eat a few almonds before every meal. I excerise first thing in the morning and after Dinner. I'm glad to say I finally broke my plateau. So in short " YES" eat some or most back!
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    Please read the "stickey" notes (messages with the red push pin icon) at the top of this section. There are posts there that answer this question better than I ever could. And lots of other questions as well. Best of luck!
  • sammybov
    sammybov Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks everyone. Thanks millerll for the heads up, the posts there are very helpful!
  • sammybov
    sammybov Posts: 11 Member
    As long as you maintain a 500 calorie deficit (but never eat below 1200 calories a day) between what you consume vs what you burn you will continue to lose weight. My BMR (how many calories I'd burn if I stayed in bed all day) is 1437 calories per day.
    ie. If I did nothing but rest for a whole day. I would only consume 1200 calories. I know 1437 - 500 = 937 but it is dangerous and puts your body into starvation mode to consume less than 1200 calories a day
    If I say burned 400 calories at the gym on another day, this would mean I would burn 1437 (BMR) +400 (Gym) = 1837 that day. To continue my weight loss, I would only eat 1837 (BMR + Gym) - 500 (Calorie Deficit) = 1337 calories that day.
    Same goes for if I burned 600 calories running the next day, I would only eat 2037 (BMR + Gym) - 500 (Calorie Deficit) = 1537 calories.
    So you just need to be smart about what calories you eat back. MFP calculates it all for you, be sure to eat as many calories as your goal calorie intake for the day recommends and you'll be on the right track.
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