Eat your exercise calories. What?

brandyme
brandyme Posts: 400 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
"We do not recommend that any member consume fewer than 1200 net calories on any given day." - MyFitnessPal

Ok, so I've done ok so far 52 pounds down but I am thinking I might be missing something here because I workout quite a bit now. I typically get in at least 90 minutes of exercise a day working out twice a day 5 days a week and about 60 minutes on my "rest days" only working out once. That being said, I burn quite a few calories. Typically 500+ a day and eat about 1750-1950 cals a day.

If I follow MFP's suggestion I will need to eat an extra 500 calories a day or more. Is this really what I want to do? If I do this, where is my deficit and how will I lose weight without a deficit? According to BodyMedia I burn about 2700 calories a day total after all my exercise. MFP would have me eating all but about 300 calories of that. So my deficit is then lower than the 500 for a 1lb a week weight loss.

Replies

  • Firestar98
    Firestar98 Posts: 30 Member
    Figure out your deficit with no exercise calculated in. This is the amount you want to burn. Then, perform exercise and add it in. As you add it in make sure you eat at least half of what's reported as "burned". Numbers regarding the amount of calories burned during exercise are HIGHLY variable, so I can't recommend ever eating ALL the calories listed.

    As an example, I've had a day like this before:

    - My daily deficit puts me at 1400 calories /day
    - I worked out for 30 minutes, MFP claims I burned ~300 calories
    - I'll eat about 1600 calories for the day, or just slightly less

    Even though 1400 + 300 = 1700, I don't trust the 300 number. I do know I put effort in and that the effort is almost always worth no less than half the figure stated (it's rare to see a fitness calculator that would say less than half of the number reported on here) so I sorta' split the difference and say about a 2/3 ratio. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, so take it with a grain of salt, but this is how I approach things.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    If it ain't broke. . .
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    If MFP gives you a goal to consume 1200 calories, and you burn 500 exercising, it's 1200+500 =1700 calories consumed, but you're netting 1200 calories. You're still at a deficit. 1200 is the bare minimum anyone should be eating. you could calculate your BMR, and that number would be the number of calories you need if you were in a coma, so many people aim to eat above their BMR. There's also the TDEE-20% method. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 will help you calculate your BMR and your TDEE. Find out what your TDEE is and subtract 20% from that and that's how many calories you should eat (with or without exercise, not eating exercise calories back). I know my TDEE-20%, but follow MFP, and the numbers come out pretty close to being the same.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    How are you determining your exercise burns? The discrepancy may be there. Yes, you are supposed to eat extra on days when you work out, assuming you are using the MFP defaults, to make sure that your deficit does not grow too large. If you are using the MFP estimates to determine your burns, it may be overestimating. It sounds like the bodymedia is giving you your TDEE number, so you should typically be eating about 500 below that number. If you calculate your exercise burns correctly, the TDEE method and MFP's NEAT method should give you the same totals.
  • sorcha1977
    sorcha1977 Posts: 133 Member
    I'd trust the BodyMedia if that's working for you. MFP's numbers can be skewed.

    To answer the initial question, though, it comes back to the "fill a car with gas" analogy. Some people end up too far in deficit and need to eat a bit to get back up to a decent calorie number. Some people eat very little and exercise a ton and then can't figure out why their weight loss stalls.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
    If MFP gives you a goal to consume 1200 calories, and you burn 500 exercising, it's 1200+500 =1700 calories consumed, but you're netting 1200 calories. You're still at a deficit. 1200 is the bare minimum anyone should be eating. you could calculate your BMR, and that number would be the number of calories you need if you were in a coma, so many people aim to eat above their BMR. There's also the TDEE-20% method. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 will help you calculate your BMR and your TDEE. Find out what your TDEE is and subtract 20% from that and that's how many calories you should eat (with or without exercise, not eating exercise calories back). I know my TDEE-20%, but follow MFP, and the numbers come out pretty close to being the same.

    Maybe this is why it doesn't make sense for me.... I'm not using MFP's calculated numbers. I put in my own calorie goal based on my TDEE-20% (sort of), I actually used my BMR + 300, which is just shy of TDEE-20% by about 100 calories. Perhaps that is why I question MFP's methodology.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
    How are you determining your exercise burns? The discrepancy may be there. Yes, you are supposed to eat extra on days when you work out, assuming you are using the MFP defaults, to make sure that your deficit does not grow too large. If you are using the MFP estimates to determine your burns, it may be overestimating. It sounds like the bodymedia is giving you your TDEE number, so you should typically be eating about 500 below that number. If you calculate your exercise burns correctly, the TDEE method and MFP's NEAT method should give you the same totals.

    I use BodyMedia's arm band to calculate my burn, which typically is lower than my actual burn because it doesn't calculate in-place exercise very well.

    I think I am doing the calculation on my own then BodyMedia syncs up with MFP, which is where I think the issue is coming in. It's starting to make sense now. Thanks.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
    If it ain't broke. . .

    LOL. Great answer. I just have to understand it to make sure I'm using the tools right and that I am eating enough to make up for the vigorous exercise. ;)
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    If you are using TDEE - 20% that should include your exercise/activity already and you dont eat back your exercise calories... congrats on your loss this far!! It seems to be working for you... so unless you are super hungry why change things??
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    If it ain't broke. . .

    LOL. Great answer. I just have to understand it to make sure I'm using the tools right and that I am eating enough to make up for the vigorous exercise. ;)

    Got it.

    Just keep doing what you're doing until you hit a plateau for more than a month, then reevaluate.

    Don't overthink it.

    .
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
    Set your MFP numbers to the same as your BMF. As you exercise, BMF will sync with MFP and add on the additional calories. Which you can then eat. Or not.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
    If you are using TDEE - 20% that should include your exercise/activity already and you dont eat back your exercise calories... congrats on your loss this far!! It seems to be working for you... so unless you are super hungry why change things??

    Yep, it all makes sense now. I was using my own custom calorie goal which was TDEE - 20% and I was not eating my exercise calories. I see now that MFP is using net calories for the 1200 calorie goal. I was originally under the impression they were saying eat 1200 total, regardless of activity, which seemed extremely unhealthy. I just wasn't paying attention. It's been awhile since I used MFP, so it works a little different than it used to.

    Thank you! I am happy with my results, so I am not necessarily changing anything, I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something. In the end the outcome is the same. If I were to use MFP to guide me with a 1200 cal net and eating my exercise calories then I would end up eating about the same amount of calories... roughly 1700-1900 so I'm good.

    I think I like MFP's guided version though, because it seems to be more dynamic. Which one do you all use?
  • fatasfatass69
    fatasfatass69 Posts: 18
    Yep, it's all based on calories-in vs calories-out. If you were to burn that extra 500 calories without eating extra, it would put you on an unmanageable deficit most likely.

    It looks like your 1200 +20% = about 1440 calories estimated for your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. (TDEE)

    If you burned 500 extra calories in a day, that boosts your TDEE up to 1940.

    If you still ate only 1200 calories that day, it would put you down to a 39% deficit, and that would be miserable and unsustainable. To fix it you get to eat those 500 calories back to even it out to a 20% deficit.


    It's good to question things! If you know how the system works, then you'll have a good chance of figuring out how to modify it for better personal results!

    I personally like how easy MFP has made it, just keep tracking your food and follow the numbers!
    As simple as you can get really.
  • triathlete5301
    triathlete5301 Posts: 182 Member
    If MFP gives you a goal to consume 1200 calories, and you burn 500 exercising, it's 1200+500 =1700 calories consumed, but you're netting 1200 calories. You're still at a deficit. 1200 is the bare minimum anyone should be eating. you could calculate your BMR, and that number would be the number of calories you need if you were in a coma, so many people aim to eat above their BMR. There's also the TDEE-20% method. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 will help you calculate your BMR and your TDEE. Find out what your TDEE is and subtract 20% from that and that's how many calories you should eat (with or without exercise, not eating exercise calories back). I know my TDEE-20%, but follow MFP, and the numbers come out pretty close to being the same.

    Maybe this is why it doesn't make sense for me.... I'm not using MFP's calculated numbers. I put in my own calorie goal based on my TDEE-20% (sort of), I actually used my BMR + 300, which is just shy of TDEE-20% by about 100 calories. Perhaps that is why I question MFP's methodology.

    If you are using a BMR estimator and you have factored in your exercise, you would not eat back your calories for exercise. that has already been figured into your BMR.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
    Yep, it's all based on calories-in vs calories-out. If you were to burn that extra 500 calories without eating extra, it would put you on an unmanageable deficit most likely.

    It looks like your 1200 +20% = about 1440 calories estimated for your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. (TDEE)

    If you burned 500 extra calories in a day, that boosts your TDEE up to 1940.

    If you still ate only 1200 calories that day, it would put you down to a 39% deficit, and that would be miserable and unsustainable. To fix it you get to eat those 500 calories back to even it out to a 20% deficit.


    It's good to question things! If you know how the system works, then you'll have a good chance of figuring out how to modify it for better personal results!

    I personally like how easy MFP has made it, just keep tracking your food and follow the numbers!
    As simple as you can get really.

    Your math is just about spot on. When it comes down to it... it's exactly the same as I was doing before; however, I really like that MFP calculates based on my actual TDEE coming from BodyMedia. This way I can adjust for heavier or lighter workout days. DYNAMIC... love it and can't say it enough. I think this might be a break through for me to kick it up a notch. Yesterday I added in an extra workout just because I knew I wouldn't make my target deficit. After that I managed to meet my goal for the day. Much easier to adjust this way.

    Thanks all.

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