Question about calorie counting

Tyvern
Tyvern Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Say i eat 1,400 calories and exercise and burn 530, does this mean i have to eat back that 530 calories to get back to 1,400 calories for the day??

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Provided that the burn is calculated accurately via HRM and reduced by 20% for error, Yes. and you don't" have to", you "get to".
  • Tyvern
    Tyvern Posts: 19 Member
    Sorry for sounding like a noobie but doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out if i eat the calories back
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    Sorry for sounding like a noobie but doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out if i eat the calories back

    Are you only working out to burn calories? :\
  • HWeatherholt
    HWeatherholt Posts: 283 Member
    It depends on what method you are using to get your calorie goal for the day.

    If you are using tdee then you don't get to eat back those calories.

    If you are using neat - which is what mfp uses - then yes you get to eat those back.
  • ilovescarymovies
    ilovescarymovies Posts: 202 Member
    1400 is already a deficit. eating too low of calories will not be good in the long run. try to eat some exercise calories back
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Sorry for sounding like a noobie but doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out if i eat the calories back

    I'm sure it seems that way, but having too high of a calorie deficit is actually unhealthy for your body and can drastically increase the amount of muscle tissue v.s fat lost during your weight loss, leaving you looking flabby at your goal weight, instead of fit.

    Not only this but not having enough calories to fuel your body can result in hormonal problems, hair loss, cracked/brittle nails and body fatigue to name a few.
  • Tyvern
    Tyvern Posts: 19 Member
    Well let me provide a bit more info, im 270lb 6'2 and MFP says i need to eat 3,150 a day.....thats just to high for me i cant eat that much. Based off of exercising 5 days out of a week averageing 600 calories burned how much should i eat ?
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Well let me provide a bit more info, im 270lb 6'2 and MFP says i need to eat 3,150 a day.....thats just to high for me i cant eat that much. Based off of exercising 5 days out of a week averageing 600 calories burned how much should i eat ?

    Okay so I calculated your info on Sedentary on http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    You need 3021 calories in order to maintain your weight with zero exercise.

    I wouldn't recommend eating less than 2000 net calories a day. This will put you at 2lbs loss per week which is the highest safe amount to lose per week.

    Net calories means eating 2000+ exercise calories. If you're having trouble getting this many calories in, there are many suggestions.

    Add more healthy oils, cook with extra olive oil.

    Add avocado to soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches.

    Toss all "fat free" "diet" dairy, buy and use full fat milk, cheese, yogurt ect.

    Eat more nuts and nut butters as snacks.

    If you're having trouble eating more, drink your calories, add milk, juice ect to each meal

    There are plenty of recipes for protein smoothies you can make, some of which are upwards of 1000 calories each.
  • LukeDurett
    LukeDurett Posts: 2
    Let me ask you a question -

    I put in your information and saw that your weight loss goal was 2 pounds per week. In order to maintain your weight, however, your goal would be about 1,000 calories higher - even more with exercising. There's a chance that most of your weight is muscle mass, but I doubt that if you're only eating 1,400 calories a day.

    This means that, at one point or another, you must have consistently been eating 3,000-4,000 calories a day to get to your current weight. Has anything changed in that time?

    If this sounds incorrect, you should probably consult a medical professional. If you haven't been able to eat that much in your lifetime, and aren't eating enough to get muscle mass (I can't even get muscle mass at 1,400, and I'm under 170lb), but have still come to 270 pounds, you may may have a glandular issue. Or, if you have been able to eat that many calories in the past, and can no longer, then there might be something up with your metabolism -- I don't know much about this sort of health, but you should be hungrier than you are.

    Unless you've gotten your stomach stapled recently. This changes quite a bit, and you'd need to let us know for proper advice.

    The stomach is a strange thing - it shrinks and grows over time, instead of remaining a constant size. You may just need to work your way back up to being able to eat more. You can also try eating consistantly throughout the day, instead of a couple big meals.

    But, seriously, if any of these things apply, you might want to talk to a doctor.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Sorry for sounding like a noobie but doesn't that defeat the purpose of working out if i eat the calories back

    No, because the deficit is already built into that 1400 calories.
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    Well let me provide a bit more info, im 270lb 6'2 and MFP says i need to eat 3,150 a day.....thats just to high for me i cant eat that much. Based off of exercising 5 days out of a week averageing 600 calories burned how much should i eat ?

    2150 net, to lose 2 pounds a week. That means 2750 calories a day when you burn 600 calories a day.

    What made you think 1400 a day is okay for a 270 pounds, 6'2'' male? I am 130 pounds, female, and lose on 1600 a day. More if i exercise.
    And i find it a bit hard to believe that you can't eat your maintenance calories. You don't get in a position to lose weight by not being able to eat even what you need to maintain weight. Maybe you're cutting out too many foods, and you're having trouble because you're trying to only eat low calorie stuff?
  • glowgirl14
    glowgirl14 Posts: 200 Member
    The purpose of exercise is not just to burn calories. We exercise to burn, yes...but we also exercise to raise our metabolism...and probably the most important part - when you diet, especially very low calorie, as you're doing right now, you lose fat as well as muscle mass. You don't want to lose muscle mass...just fat.

    And yes, as others have said - 1400 calories for someone of your height and weight is nuts. I am a 5'4, 122lb female and I lose on 1500 calories a day. And I don't exercise nearly as much as most. When I am running, I eat closer to 2000 calories a day. And lose.

    Eating that low for a long period of time will damage your metabolism. When you do that, you will find it harder and harder to lose weight. You will start to feel sluggish and have trouble concentrating. It's a slippery slope.

    Find some good foods to fill up the calories you "can't" eat. As others have said, nuts, avocado, full fat peanut butter, full fat milk or cheese or yogurt. If I had that many calories to work with, I would have no problems! Give me a big steak. Wrapped in bacon. YUM.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Well let me provide a bit more info, im 270lb 6'2 and MFP says i need to eat 3,150 a day.....thats just to high for me i cant eat that much. Based off of exercising 5 days out of a week averageing 600 calories burned how much should i eat ?

    you cant eat that much? so how did you gain weight in the first place?!
  • aimeemarie150
    aimeemarie150 Posts: 354 Member
    Well let me provide a bit more info, im 270lb 6'2 and MFP says i need to eat 3,150 a day.....thats just to high for me i cant eat that much. Based off of exercising 5 days out of a week averageing 600 calories burned how much should i eat ?


    According to your TDEE, you're burning about 3150 a day do NOT eat 3150 a day. To lose 2 pounds a week, try eating 2000 calories a day (only on the days you're working out.)

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