get "more" calories b/c of exercise

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Rmorris89
Rmorris89 Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So when I work out I burn 300-600 cals and then my food diary says I've earned that amount of calories to eat. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out? Should I go over my 1200 or eat what it says I can, I've lost over 50 so far, and I was staying close to 1200 a day and working out twice a day, but I still have 40 to go and I fell off the wagon for a few weeks.

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  • JoJo__Fit
    JoJo__Fit Posts: 258 Member
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    yes it would defeat the purpose but why are you consuming 1200 and working out 2x a day. That's really low especially if you have 40lbs to go. Whats your TDEE?
  • JenzL13
    JenzL13 Posts: 27
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    I'm interested in the reply to this also, as I see eating back the exercise calories as kind of defeating the purpose
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    First, understand TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is the total amount of energy your body burns throughout the day including all physiological activities.

    Your body burns energy from four principle areas:
    Resting Metabolic Rate
    Thermic Effect of Food
    Exercise Activity
    Non-Exercise Activity

    MFP does not include exercise activity into the equation. It was designed for people who cannot exercise or choose not to. Thus, a calorie deficit is automatically created for everyone by selecting a certain weekly weight loss goal - eg: 1000 calorie deficit below maintenance calories for a 2 lb per week goal. Since you are an exerciser, you have to consider those -300 to -600 calories of energy. By not eating back any, you are actually increasing the deficit beyond your intended goal - a potential deficit now of 1300 to 1600.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    MFP includes a calorie deficit in your daily goal. Chances are, you wanted to lose 2lbs/week (which is often too aggressive), so you have to have a deficit of 7,000 calories a week.

    To do this, MFP gave you the 1200/day. This is what you would have to eat to create a 7,000 cal/week deficit if you did no exercise and only laid in bed all day. If you burn a further 600 calories with exercise, you are now 1) essentially trying to work on 600 calories a day, which is no bueno; and 2) You have also increased your deficit by 600, to 7,600 per week. Do this every day, and you're at a deficit of 10,600 calories/week and in theory losing 3lbs per week. this might sound great, but you're also not meeting your nutritional goals at 600 cals/day. It will work for a time. You will lose weight. However, you will lose muscle (conventionally you need 0.8-1g protein per pound of lean body mass to maintain, at 4 calories per gram). You will then start to lose hair and have brittle nails. You will lose energy.

    So its up to you. You can do it this way, lose a lot of weight, not look the way you want, and become another person back here in 4 months complaining about how they are at their goal weight but still look fat, or you can more slowly, and get the results you want.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • Rmorris89
    Rmorris89 Posts: 8 Member
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    thanks for the input! the answers are helpful!
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    This is like saying. I just upgraded to a sports car but I'm not going to go over 20 miles and hour, so I don't waste gas.
    Rundown, your the car. you need more gas to go.
    I wanted to put some car pictures up... just eat moar! burn moar. be awesome, if its green eat!!

    ccrp_9812_15_o%2B1998_car_craft_quick_8%2Bburning_rubber.jpg

    tumblr_m2gpjebEhr1rrk6kpo1_500.gif
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    The reason for doing exercise is that it improves your health.

    But if you exercise and create too big of a deficit by not eating back those calories, you aren't helping your health. So you have it backwards:not eating back your exercise calories defeats the purpose of exercising.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I exercise for fitness.

    I am losing weight counting calories.

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