Calorie counting

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livelovenlaughh13
livelovenlaughh13 Posts: 17 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So this is my first time really calorie counting. I'm working out 6 days a week with Jillian Michael's Body Revolution {I've done this program before..I love it} and using MFP to track my calories, etc. I don't want to sound dumb here..but oh well lol

So If I'm eating 1,200 calories a day as per MFP recommendations... then working out and burning on average 188 ish {if not more} calories per workout, then I eat those calories?

Because it says burning that 188 adds onto my calories per day. I had like 400 something left for today after entering my entire day, then it went up to 600. So if i am eating the 600 is that still eating the right amount of calories? If this makes sense.

Replies

  • debralynn04
    debralynn04 Posts: 11 Member
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    Good question , I would like to know that myself.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    So this is my first time really calorie counting. I'm working out 6 days a week with Jillian Michael's Body Revolution {I've done this program before..I love it} and using MFP to track my calories, etc. I don't want to sound dumb here..but oh well lol

    So If I'm eating 1,200 calories a day as per MFP recommendations... then working out and burning on average 188 ish {if not more} calories per workout, then I eat those calories?

    Because it says burning that 188 adds onto my calories per day. I had like 400 something left for today after entering my entire day, then it went up to 600. So if i am eating the 600 is that still eating the right amount of calories? If this makes sense.

    Eat to the goal on your home page - so 1200 + 188 = 1388. Therefore you will net 1200. Or else, you will only be netting 1012 calories which is not enough for an adult.

    I don't think that MFP "recommends" 1200 either. It's just the lowest it'll let you set it if you try to lose the maximum amount in the shortest possible time. Others will probably weight in here, but that's ultimately not sustainable.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Yes, if you're following the goal MFP gave you (and haven't customised your own goal to include exercise) then that's how it's designed to work. It wouldn't recommend you eat only 1200 calories on the assumption that you're doing regular exercise.
  • ahizzel
    ahizzel Posts: 28 Member
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    Everybody make a different choice when it comes to eating back their exercise calories but when you are only eating 1200 a day I suggest eating them back. Because if you don't you will only be giving your body less than 1200 calories to live on throughout the day and that is not enough. You might loose a lot of weight at the beginning but you will soon plateau and not loose anymore.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I don't think that MFP "recommends" 1200 either. It's just the lowest it'll let you set it if you try to lose the maximum amount in the shortest possible time. Others will probably weight in here, but that's ultimately not sustainable.
    Agreed, 1200 is very low for most people. Is your (OP) profile picture current? If so, I doubt 1200 is the optimal level for you.
  • tperk100
    tperk100 Posts: 1 Member
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    As long as your daily calorie summary count does not go into the red, you will (theoretically) lose at least the weight that you have set as your goal.
  • livelovenlaughh13
    livelovenlaughh13 Posts: 17 Member
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    I don't think that MFP "recommends" 1200 either. It's just the lowest it'll let you set it if you try to lose the maximum amount in the shortest possible time. Others will probably weight in here, but that's ultimately not sustainable.
    Agreed, 1200 is very low for most people. Is your (OP) profile picture current? If so, I doubt 1200 is the optimal level for you.

    Yeah it is current, last weekend. How do I figure out how many calories to eat a day then? I'm about 138 5'2 {I gained 10 pounds after doing so well and losing a lot of baby weight.. which is why I am trying to lose 10-12 pounds}
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    You can probably lose weight on more than 1200 calories. Someone will be along shortly to recommend a some Scooby Workshop calorie calculator thing (I don't have the link handy) to determine your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and then you would eat that amount of calories per day, and not eat back your exercise calories, because they're already factored into the TDEE. If you decide to only eat 1200, because that's what the site says, you probably should eat back the exercise calories. But someone is likely to tell you that you don't have to.

    I am losing weight at a net of 1900 calories, daily. I eat back my exercise calories. Sometimes the next day, instead of the day I "earned" them. I lost just about 3 pounds in a month - which, at 160 lbs, I think could probably be a little faster. So I'm going to go ahead and track at 1750 for a month, and see what happens. I predict a 4-5 lb loss.
  • rhondatime2chg
    rhondatime2chg Posts: 92 Member
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    I eat back a good portion of my exercise calories, but not every single one. Because most of us over-estimate how many calories we are actually burning (even heart rate monitors have an inaccuracy percentage), and then we under-estimate how many calories we are eating.
  • livelovenlaughh13
    livelovenlaughh13 Posts: 17 Member
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    Ahh wow thanks for all the info.

    I spent a year+ working out did great, never calorie counted etc but then I got stressed and started overeating and said screw it for about 2 months. That's when I gained 10 pounds! So I'm trying to get back on track.
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    So this is my first time really calorie counting. I'm working out 6 days a week with Jillian Michael's Body Revolution {I've done this program before..I love it} and using MFP to track my calories, etc. I don't want to sound dumb here..but oh well lol

    So If I'm eating 1,200 calories a day as per MFP recommendations... then working out and burning on average 188 ish {if not more} calories per workout, then I eat those calories?

    Because it says burning that 188 adds onto my calories per day. I had like 400 something left for today after entering my entire day, then it went up to 600. So if i am eating the 600 is that still eating the right amount of calories? If this makes sense.

    Eat to the goal on your home page - so 1200 + 188 = 1388. Therefore you will net 1200. Or else, you will only be netting 1012 calories which is not enough for an adult.

    I don't think that MFP "recommends" 1200 either. It's just the lowest it'll let you set it if you try to lose the maximum amount in the shortest possible time. Others will probably weight in here, but that's ultimately not sustainable.


    This is right....you will see folks say "eat your exercise calories" - this is what they mean. Keep in mind that MFP tends to estimate calorie BURN a bit high. That is my opinion, anyway...so I never eat ALL the calories back. I do a boot camp class twice a week, an hour on the elliptical once a week and a good three mile walk/run twice a week. What seems to work for me is to eat back about 70% of the calories I burn - my base goal is 1400 a day - on an exercise day I will eat 1600 - 1700 depending on what workout I did...slow and steady.

    Good luck to you!
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
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    I am trying to lose the last 10pd also. Started m.f.p. last weekend (there about) and was wondering the same thing.
    It is hard to eat back the calories if you exercises in the evening. By the time I log all my food then exercise, I usually have extra calories to eat.
    I often wonder if I should just grab a candy bar and get the calories up b.c 1200 is said to be to low. haha
    Maybe more time logging food and exercising I will get a better feel for the number.

    But, yes, as far as I can figure out, we are to eat back the calories we exercise. Which to me does not make sense, but they say it works. Good Luck and you can Friend me if you wish.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I am trying to lose the last 10pd also. Started m.f.p. last weekend (there about) and was wondering the same thing.
    It is hard to eat back the calories if you exercises in the evening. By the time I log all my food then exercise, I usually have extra calories to eat.
    You don't have to wait until you've done the exercise to eat the calories. Eat them earlier if that suits you better.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I don't think that MFP "recommends" 1200 either. It's just the lowest it'll let you set it if you try to lose the maximum amount in the shortest possible time. Others will probably weight in here, but that's ultimately not sustainable.
    Agreed, 1200 is very low for most people. Is your (OP) profile picture current? If so, I doubt 1200 is the optimal level for you.

    Yeah it is current, last weekend. How do I figure out how many calories to eat a day then? I'm about 138 5'2 {I gained 10 pounds after doing so well and losing a lot of baby weight.. which is why I am trying to lose 10-12 pounds}
    When you're a healthy weight, or close to it, you can only lose so much fat at once. You're better aiming to lose 0.5 lbs a week; that should give you a higher goal.

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