REPLACING USED CALORIES ??????????

gonegonzo
gonegonzo Posts: 22 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Today was the first step in saving my life from obesity .

Reading through some of the posts I've read where you are to replace the calories you've worked off . This is very confusing to me . Maybe I'm thick upstairs but I can't grasp the concept here . can someone explain this to me in common terms ?

Thx ,
gonzo

Replies

  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    Can you first explain what a used calorie is?? I prefer new calories that haven't been pre-consumed.


    KIDDING. Jeez....I know the MFP kindness police would rip me for that. :flowerforyou: <---- for the kindness police


    OP, whatever your calorie goal that MFP gives you is, that is your NET goal. So, let's say your NET goal is 1500 calories and you burn 400 through exercise. You have, in effect, earned another 400 calories and need to eat 1900 to NET 1500. Does that make it any clearer? If not, use the search feature because there are a plethora of threads about "eating back exercise calories" on here.
  • youngcaseyr
    youngcaseyr Posts: 293 Member
    Can you first explain what a used calorie is?? I prefer new calories that haven't been pre-consumed.


    KIDDING. Jeez....I know the MFP kindness police would rip me for that. :flowerforyou: <---- for the kindness police


    OP, whatever your calorie goal that MFP gives you is, that is your NET goal. So, let's say your NET goal is 1500 calories and you burn 400 through exercise. You have, in effect, earned another 400 calories and need to eat 1900 to NET 1500. Does that make it any clearer? If not, use the search feature because there are a plethora of threads about "eating back exercise calories" on here.

    I love that you just used the word "plethora."
  • notdieting
    notdieting Posts: 116 Member
    MFP will set you a calorie goal which ALREADY includes sufficient calorie defecit for you to lose weight, therefore any calories you exercise off are eaten back to keep you fuelled.

    Some people eat them all back, some eat a percentage, some, like me, eat none of them back. It's down to personal preference as to what you do but if you drop your defecit too far, you will inhibit your weight loss in the long term.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Today was the first step in saving my life from obesity .

    Reading through some of the posts I've read where you are to replace the calories you've worked off . This is very confusing to me . Maybe I'm thick upstairs but I can't grasp the concept here . can someone explain this to me in common terms ?

    Thx ,
    gonzo

    Looking at your profile you are 63 yo and 450lbs?

    Well done for wanting to make changes.

    How many calories has MFP set for you?
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    Can you first explain what a used calorie is?? I prefer new calories that haven't been pre-consumed.


    KIDDING. Jeez....I know the MFP kindness police would rip me for that. :flowerforyou: <---- for the kindness police


    OP, whatever your calorie goal that MFP gives you is, that is your NET goal. So, let's say your NET goal is 1500 calories and you burn 400 through exercise. You have, in effect, earned another 400 calories and need to eat 1900 to NET 1500. Does that make it any clearer? If not, use the search feature because there are a plethora of threads about "eating back exercise calories" on here.

    I love that you just used the word "plethora."

    Word of the Day toilet paper. :bigsmile:
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    to make life a lot simpler. Just eat 1800 or more a day, and drink 8 cups of water.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
    Here's the idiot proof version from an idiot :smile: since I'm not good at all the technical terms.

    You need a minimum number of calories a day just to pootle about doing your normal stuff - if you're not very active that number will be lower than if you're very active.

    If as part of your weight loss to start doing extra activity (exercise; working out; running; playing a sport etc) then you will use more calories - but then that means the calories for your normal pootling about are "stolen" to pay for your exercise, so you need to consume more calories for the exercise.

    You don't HAVE to exercise to lose weight - as long as you consume fewer calories than you need your weight will go down. But exercise helps keep you fit, tone you , help you shape up generally.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    MFP gives you a calorie goal that includes a weight loss deficit from maintenance built in. MFP calculates this goal based on an activity level that is not supposed to include exercise...just your day to day hum drum and then any exercise you do is accounted for after the fact when you log it. It is extra activity beyond your day to day hum drum, so it needs additional fuel, otherwise you run a larger deficit which can be counterproductive to your ultimate goals. Other calculators will include some estimate of exercise before the fact which would make eating them back counterproductive...but that is not the case with MFP.

    You are supposed to eat back estimated exercise calories with MFP, the trick is to not overestimate them. Database burns, including MFP's are notoriously inaccurate for most people...they're usually too large. Machines are a better estimate and a HRM is even better for an aerobic event. Still, it's all estimation and you'll likely need to make some kind of adjustment to account for estimation error. When I did the MFP method I just knocked off about 20% - 30% of what my HRM said I burned and that worked just fine in losing 40 Lbs.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Seriously, if you are 450lbs I shouldn`t worry about the exercise deficit.

    But I am really interested to know at at 63yo what goals MFP has set for you??
  • gonegonzo
    gonegonzo Posts: 22 Member
    Thx for the replies .

    MFP gave me 2480 calories to consume per day .

    I walked 30 minutes today ( first time since foot problems 6 months ago ) at a easy pace . I know it isn't much but all that could be mustarded today . Yes I want to add more and more as my feet problems heal .

    What if I don't replace the used calories ?

    Thx
    Gonzo
  • notdieting
    notdieting Posts: 116 Member
    The honest answer is....you will lose weight quicker. At 450lb, you have enough energy reserves stored in your body to fuel additional exercise HOWEVER if you consistently provide less calories than your body needs to fuel itself, over a long period, you may damage your metabolism and therefore harm your long term weight loss goals.

    Your current weight will allow far more leeway than someone of a much lower weight but that won't last forever. I started my journey on a ridiculously high defecit/low net and it did me no harm. In fact it gave me the boost I needed to get my head in the right place but....this was planned and only lasted a few weeks, then I switched to a healthy intake and a healthy, sustainable weight loss.

    There is simply no need for you to eat less than what MFP has given you. I assume, in order to reach 450lb, your daily intake has been several thousand calories so dropping it to 2480 will have a very big impact anyway.

    You should see some serious poundage dropping off hon and still be able to eat 2480 plus exercise calories xx
  • wdwmindy
    wdwmindy Posts: 31
    Great job getting in 30 minutes of walking! My goal is 45 minutes a day of walking and that is my only exercise. I do eat back most of the calories I "earn" by walking.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
    Thx for the replies .

    MFP gave me 2480 calories to consume per day .

    I walked 30 minutes today ( first time since foot problems 6 months ago ) at a easy pace . I know it isn't much but all that could be mustarded today . Yes I want to add more and more as my feet problems heal .

    What if I don't replace the used calories ?

    Thx
    Gonzo

    "much" is relative". No it wouldn't be much for Mo Farrah! But for someone battling their weight and just starting it's enormous, well done! Keep it up. Every step you take will burn a couple more calories :smile:
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    You dont have to eat them back, but if I'm hungry and I have some calories freed up from exercise, I eat.

    Welcome to MFP. Best of luck on your weight loss. You can do it! :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Welcome, Gonegonzo!

    Congratulations on taking the big step to becoming healthy!
This discussion has been closed.

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