extra calories when you workout?
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lesley12345
Posts: 89 Member
I have a question, I am new to this site and I notice when I log in my workouts, it adds calories to my daily goal. My goal is 1280 calorie diet, and if I do 30 mintues of cardio it gives tells me to consume more calories. Am I supposed to consume more calories when I do cardio and excercise? Or should I ignore the recommendation? It's a little odd to me. Thanks!
Lesley
Lesley
0
Replies
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You should consume them if it says you've had less than 1200 calories after you exercise. You have to replenish your body after working out. That's the fun about exercise. The more you work out, the more active you are, the more you get to eat :P0
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I use some of my extra calories but not all of them. And I have lost 3 lbs one week and 2 lbs the next week. So I believe you can use them.0
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Well good luck in your weight loss.0
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Some days I eat them, some days I don't. It all depends on how hungry I am, but I always try to stay above 1200.0
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OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.
Question #1:
Should I eat all my calories?
Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)
Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).
Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.
Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.
Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?
Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.
Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.
Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.
Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)
Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.
Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?
Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.0 -
When you set your weight loss diary, it takes off those many cals you need to lose the weight you want to in a week. Therefore, you get to eat the extras! Don't scrimp too much, your muscles need the energy to grow. Now just to get myself moving-and not towards the fridge-and I'll be laughin!0
-
OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.
Question #1:
Should I eat all my calories?
Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)
Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).
Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.
Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.
Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?
Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.
Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.
Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.
Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)
Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.
Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?
Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.
Cheers gurl-you summed it up great. And the scale IS the devil!:smokin:0 -
good question! my calorie intake is 1200 and most days i'm between 1000-1100. my problem is, i don't feel hungry and i don't get the shaky, dizzy feeling. i drink a lot of water so that could be why i'm not hungry. so today, i exercised and i got about 127 calories to 'eat'. i haven't eaten my calories yet and am still losing weight. what should i do?
sorry to hijack your thread but i am in the same boat too:)0 -
I eat them as I need them. I almost always enjoy some of them though.0
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I just wish those calories could be carried over LOL ... I am no where near where I should be on my calories today. Thanks for that great breakdown as I found this thread just as I was asking myself that same question!0
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I would like to say thank you too!!! I am soooo glad I joined MFP..... it's this kind of education that I realise will help me maintain for the longhaul :-)
I have realised from this common sense, that the reason I m not losing weight is cos I'm NOT EATING ENOUGH!!!! Barmy at first glance, but logical on reflection.
Cheers guys :-)0 -
OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.
Question #1:
Should I eat all my calories?
Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)
Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).
Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.
Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.
Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?
Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.
Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.
Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.
Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)
Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.
Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?
Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.
Cheers gurl-you summed it up great. And the scale IS the devil!:smokin:0 -
WOW!!!! Thank you sooo much for the advice and explanation. Seriously, I was pretty confused and this info was extremely helpful! Thanks again!0
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