HELP ME

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yacker678
yacker678 Posts: 41
in Health and Weight Loss
I know there are a ton of topics about this but I still do not understand. I work out really hard 6 days a week. If I eat all those calories back then what is the point? I thought the point is to burn more then you eat right? Eating 700 extra calories or more is just eating back the work I just did NO? Please help me so confused.

Replies

  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    The point is that you have a calorie balance in your body of no lower than 1200 cals. Before you started this, you were just eating, and probably clocking in 2000 or more calories. Now that you are eating and working out, you are possibly working yourself lower than 1200 calories (in your body).

    ex. You eat 1500 calories
    you work out and burn 700 calories
    you are going to need to eat 400 calories to be back at 1200

    It will all make sense in time. Just keep at it. I hope I didn't confuse you further!!
  • wpij25
    wpij25 Posts: 161
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    I can't wait to see replys to this. I was just asking myself the same thing. I am confused. :(
  • rcrea
    rcrea Posts: 80
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    I'm really glad you asked this question, because I was just about to post on the same topic. Is there anyone out there who is really knowledgeable about this? I understand that you need to consume your base calories, but is it absolutely necessary to consume the extra calories you get from exercising or is that just considered a bonus to use as you see fit?
  • DRAGONGIRL91
    DRAGONGIRL91 Posts: 12
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    hi when I first started using this site I saw that. But this is what I am doing. I want to lose 170lbs and its telling me to eat 2200 a day I think that is too much still so I stay about 1200 to 1500 only.
  • corey_e
    corey_e Posts: 162
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    You gotta look at it like this. MFP tells me I can eat 1200 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week. That's with no exercise. I go to the gym everyday and I burn on average 700 calories. If I don't eat up those extra calories my body is only getting 500 calories a day and then I won't see any results because my body is starving and hoarding the calories I do give it. It pretty much evens out.
  • GabrielMaestas
    GabrielMaestas Posts: 88 Member
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    Gotta eat to lose weight!

    Here's an example:

    Calories burned in a day with out exercise 1200

    Calories burned from exercise 500

    Gotta eat those 1200 calories a day to keep your metabolism burning and the 500 calories burned during exercise accumulates through out the week so.

    Exercise multiplied by 6 days a week equals 3000 calories burned. That's almost one pound of fat burned per week!!
  • Jartexas
    Jartexas Posts: 59 Member
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    check out the BMR calculator on the tools tab,
  • tnmomof4
    tnmomof4 Posts: 33
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    i am so glad you asked this question because I didn't understand it either. It is all starting to make sense. Thank you!!!:smile:
  • Cbandelier
    Cbandelier Posts: 217 Member
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    MFP sets your calories at a deficit.

    Working out gives you a deficit.

    2 deficits is going to put your energy expenditure vs calories in too low, causing the starvation mode.

    If you really don't want to have to eat your exercise calories, set your daily caloric intake to a maintenance level. Then all your exercise "counts" and you don't have to eat anything back. Unless you are doing some excessively crazy exercise sessions, you should end up ok. This will only work if you exercise all or most days a week.
  • jjstokes
    jjstokes Posts: 47 Member
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    This is a link to an article on this site that explains why you need to eat your exercise calories. I hope you can get to this article. It explains it very well.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    You will lose weight in a healthy way, and you can't do that quickly. Just steadily.
  • wilted6orchid
    wilted6orchid Posts: 423 Member
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    I have been eating 1200 calories for months. No exercis at first and lost a couple of pounds. Then, I started exercising, and...didn't lose a thing. As you exercise you have to increase the calories you eat so your body doesn't store fat (starvation mode theory). As long as you always have a deficit of 500 calories in the end you should lose about a pound a week. That is a 500 cal deficit total. If you burn a ton of calories during exercise and you save 1000 calories, this isn't always a good thing...particularly if you are REALLY hungry. If you're not hungry don't sweat it. But I have done this before and right around my goal weight I was still intaking 1200 cals and I was starving...not just a plateu, but literally wanted to eat the walls...the kids...it was awful.
  • LeslieRoyale
    LeslieRoyale Posts: 331 Member
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    Hi All,
    If you look at the home page for this forum, you'll see a couple of topics pinned to the top. Check out the ones that say they're for newbies...there's a LOT of awesome information contained in them!!
    Specifically, here's the link that will explain your question, in great detail:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    Hope this helps! Eat those calories!! :wink:

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