should I eat the calories I burn?

fjasmint
fjasmint Posts: 2 Member
edited February 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Im not the best at it but I try to stay at 1200 calories a day. When I workout i dont replace the calories I burn which puts me under calories for the day. Is this okay? Im worried i might be slowing my metabolism and sabotaging myself.

Replies

  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
    Yes! Think of it this way, 1200 calories is already giving you quite a good deficit for just body functions day to day. Now, if you work out, you're making it that much more difficult for your body to perform on even more restricted calories. So eat the calories back, as the deficit is for weight loss and exercise is meant for fitness. :)
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Most of them....yes.
  • sheltol
    sheltol Posts: 120 Member
    1200 in addition to exercise is probably too low. It really depends on how intense your workouts are but I would expect that your are burning 300-400 calories. This could possibly put you at a 900 cal deficit per day which is doable but pushing it. I would suggest bumping up to 1500 a day and seeing how it goes. You can always back off again but give it an honest 2 weeks.
  • fjasmint
    fjasmint Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks you guys. I've been stuck since March and I know cheat days are a problem. I just wanted to cover all bases.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    I never eat my calories back. My calorie intake is TDEE - 20% = 1035. I often cheat a bit, so I figure the exercise just makes up for the cheating. I log every bite and weigh and measure everything.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Yes, MFP already has you set at a deficit for the weight loss you want. I always eat back about half of my exercise calories. When I was on 1200 calories, I ate them all back.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    I never eat my calories back. My calorie intake is TDEE - 20% = 1035. I often cheat a bit, so I figure the exercise just makes up for the cheating. I log every bite and weigh and measure everything.

    This isn't healthy - or really accurate since we don't know by how much and how often the OP cheats.

    Please disregard.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    You're getting some solid advice to eat them back (within reason) above. If you want to know more about the reasons why, I really think this link does a good job of breaking it down: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Eat back about half. This is to help offset any issues with over estimating calories burned.

    The deficit in MFP assumes no exercise. So, exercising allows for extra food. You've earned it after all! Literally!
  • KeepGoingKylene
    KeepGoingKylene Posts: 432 Member
    I never eat my calories back. My calorie intake is TDEE - 20% = 1035. I often cheat a bit, so I figure the exercise just makes up for the cheating. I log every bite and weigh and measure everything.

    if your tdee is that low then i am assuming you calculated it without exercise? in which case if you exercise then you havent figured it out correctly and should actually be eating more. although if you cheat then you are making up for it, but still not correct advice, but i could be wrong......

    OP yes eat your exercise calories back!!!!!!
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
    I never eat my calories back. My calorie intake is TDEE - 20% = 1035. I often cheat a bit, so I figure the exercise just makes up for the cheating. I log every bite and weigh and measure everything.

    But your TDEE already has your exercise calories in it so you actually are eating them...


    Do you know what TDEE is?
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