Exercise ?

jMfxO
jMfxO Posts: 9
edited September 22 in Introduce Yourself
This sounds simple but, say you eat 1,200 calories a day but you burn 400. Does that mean your overall consumption is now 800 caloric intake?

Replies

  • keysr
    keysr Posts: 19
    For me, if I workout and burn 400 calories, then I allow myself to eat 400 MORE calories on top of my 1,200. Normally, I suggest eating a good protein meal after you workout and you can get the most out of your muscles.
  • bubblez_x3
    bubblez_x3 Posts: 43
    I too would like to know..
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
    This sounds simple but, say you eat 1,200 calories a day but you burn 400. Does that mean your overall consumption is now 800 caloric intake?

    Yes. You need at least 1200 calories per day + your exercise calories. If you cannot manage to do this for an extended period of time, your body goes into starvation mode and it's MUCH harder to drop the weight.
  • sjaudio
    sjaudio Posts: 52
    If you burn an extra 400 calories, your daily intake can go up to 1600. I say "can" for two reasons. One, if you don't eat your workout calories you'll end up dropping the pounds faster (you can find a lot of discussions on the boards about who eats them or who doesn't...it's really up to you). Two, the site has the tendency to overestimate the calories burned in an exercise. Unless you are using a heart rate monitor to track your calorie burn, I would take the numbers you are given with a grain of salt. That's not to say that you haven't burned extra or that you are not doing a great job at the gym, just don't assume that a generic number here is spot on.

    Anyways, welcome to the site and good luck with your weight loss journey.
  • joannasamples
    joannasamples Posts: 16
    I haven't been eating my exercise calories (on purpose, but not freaking out if I go over a little), but I haven't lost anything either since I've been exercising seriously. I've about decided to eat some but stay under 1/2. I always try to eat lots of protein after a workout to help rebuild the muscles. I think you'll find lots of people in both camps, you just have to decide what works for you. good luck and keep up the hard work, it WILL pay off for you :happy:
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I agree, go by what the machine says (my stairmaster says i burn 300 calories but MFP says 600???) if you're already at a minimum of 1200 calories than you should eat all your calories back...if you're like me and get 1610, i burn 600 at the gym, i only eat half back...because i'm over 1200, that's all i really worry about...and the fact that i don't calculate calories burned for weights or anything else i do in life (cleaning, sex, grocery shopping) I don't worry if i'm -90 or -100 calories, because i know i've burned it off somewhere along the way...hope that helps:huh:
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    Please, read this!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    It'll explain the whole concept of exercise calories.

    Cheers! :flowerforyou:
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