How is it possible to lose weight....

wdella2
wdella2 Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
How can one lose weight if you have to also consume calories burned through exercise??I just don't understand how I am supposed to lose weight through exercise if the very calories burned daily are added right back to my daily caloric allotment/intake. Can somoene help? Thanks!

Replies

  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    My fitness pal has already cut your calories for you. You eat back the exercise calories to make sure you don't end up UNDEReating, which can both stall weight loss and cause health issues if you do it long term.

    Eating back your exercise calories will not prevent you from Losing weight.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Sorry... it's the afternoon and I'm tried. Normally I'd answer this, but right now I'm just going to tell you to search. This has been asked 12,934,193,824,912,749,813 times.
  • wdella2
    wdella2 Posts: 3
    Thanks! Ok so I think my issue is - I was on Weight watchers for 1 year...never exercised and lost 51lbs. Realized that I just stopped losing weight. Assumed I reached my plateau. So started exercising 6 days a week for 30-45 mins each day. STILL wasn't losing weight. Joiined myfitnesspal and started losing weight - but looks like my caloric intake was INCREASED in comparison to the point to calorie conversion when I was on weight watchers (looks like I was consuming about 300 less cals than what my fitness pal has me on)! How does THAT happen?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Do you understand how calories work in regards to weight loss and weight gain?

    Read these:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
    and
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf


    It's all about creating a reasonable calorie deficit to lose weight. There are lots of ways to do that.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    How can one lose weight if you have to also consume calories burned through exercise??I just don't understand how I am supposed to lose weight through exercise if the very calories burned daily are added right back to my daily caloric allotment/intake. Can somoene help? Thanks!

    The calorie deficit is calculated in the number of calories MFP allows you a day.
  • jennybenny35
    jennybenny35 Posts: 10
    Sorry... it's the afternoon and I'm tried. Normally I'd answer this, but right now I'm just going to tell you to search. This has been asked 12,934,193,824,912,749,813 times.

    LOL ! That was funny! but as a newbie.... I was glad that is was asked at least one more time! ;-)
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I eat most of my workout calories back and I've lost 51 lbs already.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Sorry... it's the afternoon and I'm tried. Normally I'd answer this, but right now I'm just going to tell you to search. This has been asked 12,934,193,824,912,749,813 times.

    LOL ! That was funny! but as a newbie.... I was glad that is was asked at least one more time! ;-)
    I think you're going to fit in just fine around here! :happy:
  • jennybenny35
    jennybenny35 Posts: 10
    I eat most of my workout calories back and I've lost 51 lbs already.

    this is awesome!!! I am just starting to understand all of this and it helps to know it really works! Thanks!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    2 things

    1. MFP as designed calculated a deficit with ZERO exercise. That way people who can't/won't exercise still lose weight. You are eating calories back because when the deficit is too large, you will likely lose muscle as well as fat.

    2. MFP gives generous calorie burn "guesstimates" ...... yes, eat back your calories ....but start with 60% ....see how that goes. There is some trial and error.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Another good thread for newbies...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/976981-welcome-to-mfp-don-t-worry-there-s-cliff-notes?hl=cliff+notes
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Just to add a couple of things....

    MFP is a NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogensis) calculator. Don't worry about what the term means...just understand that the way it works is to account for exercise after the fact...you log it after you do it and get extra calories.

    People get confused because they're more accustomed to the TDEE method (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)...regardless of whether they've heard that term before. This method would have you estimate some level of exercise up front...therefore you would get those calories up front and a cut would be taken from your total calories needed to maintain weight with exercise and everything else you do. With this method it would be counterproductive to eat back exercise calories due to the fact that they've been accounted for up front.

    The MFP method works, as does the TDEE method, and really they're about 6 of 1 if you're doing them right...it's just a matter of when you account for exercise...up front (TDEE), or on the back end (MFP).

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