eating back exercise calories

princesspiper123
princesspiper123 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im new to this whole MFP thing....I dont quite understand eating back my exercise calories, should I be eating them back because if I dont I get the your eating too few calories message at the end of the day. But if I do eat them back how am I still creating a deficit

Replies

  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    Are you using the TDEE method or the MFP method?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Im new to this whole MFP thing....I dont quite understand eating back my exercise calories, should I be eating them back because if I dont I get the your eating too few calories message at the end of the day. But if I do eat them back how am I still creating a deficit

    Your calorie goal is already a deficit from your theoretical maintenance calories without exercise...meaning if you did no exercise whatsoever you would lose weight eating to your calorie goal. That's why you put in your stats and loss rate goals, etc...so the calculator can calculate a calorie goal for weight loss. The number you get is not anything remotely close to a maintenance number of calories. You do not need to create a calorie deficit with exercise with MFP, your deficit is already incorporated into your GOAL.

    Maybe play around with the calculator a bit an you'll see what I mean...put is that you want to maintain or gain or whatever and watch the numbers change. When you do your activity level with MFP, it is supposed to be sans exercise...meaning exercise is an additional activity that needs proper fuel.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    If you search the forum boards you will find hundreds of threads explaining this.
  • tjohnoconnor
    tjohnoconnor Posts: 58 Member
    If you are following MFP method they want you to hit your net calorie and in an ideal world you will still be in a deficit. Depending on your metabolism you might not want to eat them all back until you see how it works out.. If you lose more than 2 pounds a week you might want to eat a little more
  • mstripes
    mstripes Posts: 151 Member
    Use caution eating back all of your fitness calories. Most fitness based calorie expenditure numbers are grossly overstated. For example I use a hrm when I ride my bike (daily) and my calorie burn per my hrm is almost half of what mfp says I burn given the duration and speed. I try not to eat back all my fitness calories and I am losing close to 2 pounds a week. If I were to use the calorie numbers that mfp suggests based on the duration and speed (or intensity) of my exercise I would not be losing weight at all and would likely be gaining some.

    It really is a delicate balance though as you do not want your body to be in starvation mode either. If you do not eat enough back that can happen and derail your efforts.
  • princesspiper123
    princesspiper123 Posts: 4 Member
    Ok so when I filled out my goals I put in lose 2 pounds per week, based on the 1200 calorie per day they gave me they say I will only lose 1 pound per week. Obviously I am not going to eat under 1200 calories because as is im pretty hungry at different times of the day sticking to the 1200 so if I try not to eat back my exercise calories should I be able to lose 2 pounds per week...by the way im 5'5" and 145 pounds and would like to get down to 130
  • Vigilance88
    Vigilance88 Posts: 95 Member
    With only 15 pounds to go you should not expect to be losing 2 pounds a week. Stop focusing on those 2 pounds.
    1200 is too little for your height/weight.

    Your BMR is ~1520, so don't go lower than that. On top of that you have your daily activity and excercise. Not sure how much that is for you, but try out this calculator.


    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    At your weight and height, I suggest eating back at least 1/2 your exercise calories back!
    2 pounds per week is too much at your height and weight! You should have entered 1/2 pound per week.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    You are only trying to lose 15 lbs and you are at a healthy weight already so you need to lower your weight loss plan. 1/2 a pound a week deficit is more reasonable. You could do 1 lb a week deficit for the first 5 lbs but then lower it to 1/2 lb weight loss deficit.

    The closer you are to goal, the smaller your deficit should be.

    If you are following the MFP method - pick a weight loss goal and your daily activity level (not including exercise) and eat that amount of a deficit - any calories you burn are bonus and you get to eat those. If you dont exercise, you dont eat anymore than what MFP gave you.
  • princesspiper123
    princesspiper123 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks everyone for the input, its greatly appreciated, I have my first weigh in Monday and i'll see how much I lost, after that I will probably change my goals to 1/2 pound or 1 pound per week and see what happens and hopefully I wont feel so hungry:)

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