exercise makes calorie allowance goes up, can I change this?

hannahlibertypink
hannahlibertypink Posts: 47
in Getting Started
Hi,

I don't want to be allowed to eat more after I have done exercise, I want to keep the calorie count lower so that I loose weight faster.. but it changes automatically. Do you know how I change this ??

Thanks

Hannah
«1

Replies

  • TechnoEve
    TechnoEve Posts: 10 Member
    hi!

    you can simply go without calculating exercise....
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • nictheman
    nictheman Posts: 32 Member
    Your allowance is just for "net calories". So that basically means that any calories burned through exercise can be added to your allowance (in order to guarantee the 0.5kg/week or whatever you've set as your weekly target).

    If you really don't like this (I find it very handy and makes me a little less guilty in those binge days ;D) you could always set your "calories burned" from exercise at 1 or 0 every time you do the exercise.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    The more you exercise, the more you can eat!!!

    Personally I don't think you should try and lose weight faster, it will just come back on quicker.

    Slow & steady wins the race : )

    No... I don't no how to amend it - Sorry!

    How many lbs a week have you set MFP to, for you to lose?
  • TechnoEve
    TechnoEve Posts: 10 Member
    or, you don't add exercise....
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Faster isn't always better. The reason MFP adds your calories back is that your deficit is already figured in. Making it larger might be unwise.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    The calorie allotment that you are set up with already includes a deficit, so when you exercise you are creating a greater deficit. You are meant to eat those calories back.

    I know it sounds counterintuituve, BUT creating a greater deficit isn't always the best way, because it's not sustainable over a period of time.

    Keeping your calories too low for too long in order to lose weight faster generally leads to overeating because you will be HUNGRY.

    You want to focus on creating a lifestyle that will enable you to keep the weight off forever, rahter than focusing on how quickly you can lose the weight.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I'm afraid its not that simple
  • raynkidz0406
    raynkidz0406 Posts: 1 Member
    You won't lose weight if you're not eating enough. Your body will do into "starvation" mode and hold everything. You can still eat more (because you exercised), just make sure you eat the right foods. Eat the foods that will nourish and repair your body instead of foods that will body will just store.
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    I just set my exercise burns to 1. There isn't a way to do it other than manually though. So when you enter say swimming 30mins and the numbers come up in the box just change them to 1.

    However, I will say that MFP does take into account a daily deficient of 5OO cals already. So if you burn say 1,OOO exercise cals a day you are encouraged to eat at least 50-75% of these back.

    I can't stick to just eating a percentage though so I use the 1 logging system. Although my daily calorie intake is set higher than MFP recommended for me to compensate for this

    Bottom line just be careful you don't end up running on empty! It'll do you no favours in the long run. If you only burn a cpl of 100 cals through exercise daily then it should be okay.
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
    Just ignore it, or don't log your exercise. No one's going to reach out of your computer and force feed those calories back into you haha. However, a deficit IS already factored in your calorie log, and if you want to maintain whole body muscle, organ, brain, hair, heart, etc health... you'll want to eat them back. Take things slow and give your body adequate nutrition. It's easy to start out with a big deficit, but trying to maintain that will wreak havoc on your system and send your body into starvation- like, the real "halting body processes" kind, not the "skipping breakfast" kind you read about around here...
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    You won't lose weight if you're not eating enough. Your body will do into "starvation" mode and hold everything. You can still eat more (because you exercised), just make sure you eat the right foods. Eat the foods that will nourish and repair your body instead of foods that will body will just store.

    no, sorry to tell you but that's incorrect. Your body will not "hold everything" and "starvation mode" as it is used in this example is a myth. Otherwise how would VLCDs work? You can't deny that they do actually work, people do lose weight on them (sustainability is another animal of course). It's not healthy by any means, but don't toss around "starvation mode."
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    Just ignore it, but make sure you're eating above your BMR and under your TDEE.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Faster isn't always better. The reason MFP adds your calories back is that your deficit is already figured in. Making it larger might be unwise.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    this!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Faster isn't always better. The reason MFP adds your calories back is that your deficit is already figured in. Making it larger might be unwise.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ^^^^ this

    too big a deficit may seem like a shortcut, but it's counterproductive in the long term. You need to fuel your body properly, for the good of your health and because it's what's easier to stick to in the long term.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    Hi,

    I don't want to be allowed to eat more after I have done exercise, I want to keep the calorie count lower so that I loose weight faster.. but it changes automatically. Do you know how I change this ??

    Thanks

    Hannah

    That would be basically mean that you're undereating
  • Colorfan
    Colorfan Posts: 230 Member
    Just dont log the exercise.
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
    I do not consider this a good idea. The less you eat below the calorie allowance, the harder weight will decrease.
    Our body does not function as we want to, but as it is programed. And on starvation times its default setting is to keep weight.
    So: EAT! :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Also for those suggesting 1 calorie burns-- I do that. However, my calorie goal is set higher to account for my exercise. OP is wanting to keep her goal low AND not have exercise calories, and that's not something that should be recommended, imo.
  • butlersoft
    butlersoft Posts: 219 Member
    Also for those suggesting 1 calorie burns-- I do that. However, my calorie goal is set higher to account for my exercise. OP is wanting to keep her goal low AND not have exercise calories, and that's not something that should be recommended, imo.

    ^^^^ THIS .....

    "My Car needs needs $5 of fuel to travel 50km ....... however I want it to do 200km on $5 of fuel" ***NOPE*** ... gotta put more fuel in to that "car"
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    It rather depends on the deficit and exercise the OP has set.
    .5lb/week deficit and doing 300 calories of exercise according to MFP? Still a lower deficit than many have on here.

    2lb/week loss and doing 1250 calories of exercise, while eating low calories? Probably a bad idea.
  • FingerLakesGal
    FingerLakesGal Posts: 1
    Do eat your calories. I think it also depends on intensity and type of exercise you're doing..ie walking vs run. If you exercise and not replace at least some of the calories, esp protein, you risk loosing muscle and that you don't want to do..plus you could put your body in starvation mode in which your body adapts and conserves the best it can, meaning you won't loose any weight.
    I recently switched to a high protein, low carb diet..basically only carbs come from veggies. No breads/pasta and I do vigorous exercise 4-5 times a week and eat my calories cause I'm hungry. Feeling great, more energy, losing weight.

    Questions to ask: type and duration of exercise: fat vs muscle burn: what is the calorie deficit/day.
    Evaluate weekly your exercise, food, energy level.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    log your excersize as one calorie

    this is what I do.. but you do need to eat them back every once in a while. it helps me so much to trick up my metabolism.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Faster isn't always better. The reason MFP adds your calories back is that your deficit is already figured in. Making it larger might be unwise.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    This. If you are new, it's a must read.


    If you are not new and maybe just switched to the TDEE method, then don't log your exercise, or log it as one calorie. I quit logging exercise shortly after I switched to TDEE.
  • TechnoEve
    TechnoEve Posts: 10 Member
    i recently switched to my TDEE and don't add my exercises
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    log your excersize as one calorie

    this is what I do.. but you do need to eat them back every once in a while. it helps me so much to trick up my metabolism.

    Lol. You don't trick anything. Silly post is silly.

    You beat me to it....

    now you will get called mean instead of me...:drinker:
  • zenhiker2014
    zenhiker2014 Posts: 84 Member
    OP, you got your answer (don't log exercise, or log it and set the calories burned to 0 or 1) but I really hope you will consider the good advice you've gotten about rethinking your approach. When I joined MFP I read lots of threads discussing this, and read the stickied posts, then went out and did some of my own research on the web and in several books. I am convinced that for the great majority of us (there are always some exceptions) arbitrarily eating a fixed, low number of calories to lose weight fast is not a good plan. You want to be healthy, and getting to your goal weight is part of being healthy. But you also want a body that is fit and strong and can do all the things you like to do in life. And you want to stay at that healthy, appropriate weight and fitness level for good. All those goals are better met with a modest calorie deficit, development of good eating and exercise habits, and patience.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    QFT
    Faster isn't always better. The reason MFP adds your calories back is that your deficit is already figured in. Making it larger might be unwise.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ^^^^ this

    too big a deficit may seem like a shortcut, but it's counterproductive in the long term. You need to fuel your body properly, for the good of your health and because it's what's easier to stick to in the long term.
    Also for those suggesting 1 calorie burns-- I do that. However, my calorie goal is set higher to account for my exercise. OP is wanting to keep her goal low AND not have exercise calories, and that's not something that should be recommended, imo.
  • lujako
    lujako Posts: 87 Member
    "My Car needs needs $5 of fuel to travel 50km ....... however I want it to do 200km on $5 of fuel" ***NOPE*** ... gotta put more fuel in to that "car"
    [/quote]

    Well said! Thank you for the analogy.

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