Food vs calorific deficit..help me out here

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suey2k1
suey2k1 Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Can someone please enlighten me here. I was of the impression that I was supposed (according to MFP) be consuming 1200 calories a day. Now my understanding was that exercising would create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight but my food diary keeps upping the calories for the amount of exercise that I do and is telling me I'm starving if I stick to the original 1200.....should i be eating more to compensate for the exercise I do or will that just leave me on a 'maintenance' level?

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  • emmaxbon
    emmaxbon Posts: 123 Member
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    You are supposed to eat your exercise calories. If you only on 1200 a day and exercise gives you say 400 and you don't eat them then you are only eating 800 a day. Far too low. However MFP over-estimates the calories burned during exercise so the general consensus is to eat 50% of your exercise calories.

    This is what I do however after browsing the forums a lot, it seems like working out your TDEE (total daily eneregy expenditure) is a better way of working out what calories you need per day and I am looking at doing this for starting next week.

    HTH
  • emmaxbon
    emmaxbon Posts: 123 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=GUIDE+TO+SEXY+PANTS

    Read this, it explains it far better than I ever could!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Can someone please enlighten me here. I was of the impression that I was supposed (according to MFP) be consuming 1200 calories a day. Now my understanding was that exercising would create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight but my food diary keeps upping the calories for the amount of exercise that I do and is telling me I'm starving if I stick to the original 1200.....should i be eating more to compensate for the exercise I do or will that just leave me on a 'maintenance' level?

    If MFP gave you 1200 calories a day it is due to the data you entered. If you put 2lbs a week weight loss in that is too fast for someone with so little to lose.

    As well Yes you should eat back part of your exercise calories. MFP gave you a deficet in the calories to eat to lose the weight you want the exercise is extra you can eat you should never go below 1200.
  • suey2k1
    suey2k1 Posts: 10 Member
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    I understand that i shouldn't go below 1200...and i pretty much stick to that with some going over a tad at the weekend...but if MFP gives me say. 500 cals for exercise should i then (even at 50% of my exercise cals) be eating 1450?
  • FlexinHenrique94
    FlexinHenrique94 Posts: 48
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    1200 is low enough. Man, how do you guys "survive" by eating so little? To keep it simple, just trust MFP. If you're exercising that day, add the calories you burned in your diary and eat more :)
  • emmaxbon
    emmaxbon Posts: 123 Member
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    Yep :)
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I understand that i shouldn't go below 1200...and i pretty much stick to that with some going over a tad at the weekend...but if MFP gives me say. 500 cals for exercise should i then (even at 50% of my exercise cals) be eating 1450?

    Correct

    And @ 1200 I would consider eating closer to ALL your exercise calories back. Half at the very least.
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
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    If you asked mfp to give you maintainence calories (which at 1200 I doubt this is the case) then exercise would create a suitable deficit. If you have already told mfp that you are aiming to lose X amount each week then you are already in a deficit with your calorie goal. Exercise will just exacerbate this deficit and could lead to you not getting enough fuel to run your body. You'll probably end up tired and hungry. Its best to eat most of the exercise calories back.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    MFP already gives you a deficit. If you have 1200 to eat, MFP thinks your maintenance is 1700 (that's for 1# loss per week; depends on what you put in).

    Eat the exercise calories back, about 50% if you're using MFP numbers.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    You have less than 10 lb. to go. Set your goal to .5 lb. and be patient. The smaller deficit will also help you transition to maintenance.

    Your deficit is built into your calorie goal, so you must eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories. The calorie counts and burns are just estimates, so some people reduce the margin of error by eating back half their exercise calories.

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

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