Eating Back Workout Calories

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arijo7
arijo7 Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a question that may sound a little dumb, but I just want to be sure. My calorie goal is 1200, so I know that I have to eat my workout calories back in order for my net to be 1200. Over the summer, I plan on working out more and burning more calories, so am I supposed to eat ALL of those back? I know that if I didn't, my net would be under 1200, but what if I burned 500-800 calories a day? Am I supposed to eat that much back? It seems like too much, but I want to exercise more. Would I still lose weight if I was eating way more calories because I burned them off? Or would it be safe to not eat all of them back?

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  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    MFP is quite notorious for setting calorie goals FAR too low, regardless of height and weight. For example, it told me to eat 1200, and my BMR (the bare amount of calories I need to LIVE) is 1280. And I am extremely tiny, only 5 feet. So unless you are smaller than me, or bedridden, it is almost a CERTAINTY that you are eating too little. (This can result in lean muscle loss, chronic fatigue, metabolism damage, and bingeing due to over-restriction.)

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight. With this method you do not eat back your exercise calories, as they are already figured into your daily goal.
  • arijo7
    arijo7 Posts: 35 Member
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    What number should I subtract from? The TDEE number, or the BMR number?
  • arijo7
    arijo7 Posts: 35 Member
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    Never mind, I got it! Thank you so much! :)

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