Exercise Calories??

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NikkiJ17
NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel like this topic has been gone over and over here on the message boards, but I'm a little dense and I'm still having trouble calculating. I understand that my BMR is how many calories my body needs just to function (think, walk, breathe, organ function, etc.) Mine is1490. So, if I eat 1500 calories but burn an additional 800 my body is only functioning on 700 calories when really it needs 1490?? Is that correct?? So do I eat all of my exercise calories, half, or what??? Some days I can burn, through work outs, an additional 1000 calories, so I should eat 2500 calories?? Sometimes I have a hard time eating 1500 (without resorting to junk food). Someone please clear this up for me once and for all in as simple a manner as possible please!!! Thanks!!!

Replies

  • kristimartiny
    kristimartiny Posts: 62
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    I still get confused too...seems odd, calories in calories out but to eat more than the 1200 or whatever you are assigned on here, seems kinda crazy to exercise and EAT those calories too and think you will lose weight.....
  • BriannaSkye
    BriannaSkye Posts: 135
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    If mfp says to eat 1500 you must eat 1500, if you burn 500 off you need to eat another 500
  • MTLumps
    MTLumps Posts: 82 Member
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    Know that I am not an expert, but I understand it this way... your BMR is used to calculate the calories you should eat each day based on your activity level. I sit at a desk all day, so my BMR is less than yours and I am trying to lose a pound a week. MFP tells me I can eat 1240 calories a day. When I work out I do eat at least some of what I burn, depending on the day but not always. Your body needs fuel to operate efficiently, so if you burn 1000 calories you should try to take at least some of that back in - use a protein shake or drink if you want. Fewer calories and is good for your working out body.

    I burned 405 calories this morning so I have a total of 1645 that I can eat today if I choose. I typically do eat most of what I burn and I am losing weight as long as I don't go over. It really does work... :smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I feel like this topic has been gone over and over here on the message boards, but I'm a little dense and I'm still having trouble calculating. I understand that my BMR is how many calories my body needs just to function (think, walk, breathe, organ function, etc.) Mine is1490. So, if I eat 1500 calories but burn an additional 800 my body is only functioning on 700 calories when really it needs 1490?? Is that correct?? So do I eat all of my exercise calories, half, or what??? Some days I can burn, through work outs, an additional 1000 calories, so I should eat 2500 calories?? Sometimes I have a hard time eating 1500 (without resorting to junk food). Someone please clear this up for me once and for all in as simple a manner as possible please!!! Thanks!!!

    Actually you are wrong about BMR. BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to maintain its weight in a coma like state. You are thinking maintenance calories which is BMR plus a daily allowance based on your activity level from sedentary to very active. So if your BMR is 1490 your maintenance is higher, if you are set to lose 1 lb per week you are in a caloric deficit of 500/day and your caloric goal on MFP is 1490, your maintenance would be 1990. If you burn 1000 cals your deficit is now 1500 (500 for your goal and another 1000 from exercise) MFP recommends not going below 1200 NET calories so you would have to eat at least 1200 plus your exercise calories up to your daily goal plus exercise calories so if you are set at 1490 (daily goal) and burn 1000 your should eat between 2200 (1200+100) and 2490 (1490+1000).

    That being said how are you calculating your calories burned. If you are not using an HRM I would recommend eating 50-75% of the total as they may be estimated high. If you are using a HRM make sure you back out the calories you would have burned had you not worked out as they are already in you daily allowance and would be double counted.
    If your maintenance is 1990 you would have burned 1.38cals/min (1990/24/60) not working out so if you burn 1000 in 2 hours you would have to back out 166 (1.38*120 min) from the 1000 and enter 834 into MFP and eat between 1200+834 and 1490+834. Hope this helps.
  • mbrook04
    mbrook04 Posts: 9
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    If your caloric intake (to maintain) is 1490 and you eat 1500, then the extra calories will add up over time. Probably never notice. However, if you eat 1500 and work out and burn 500 then you will be under your caloric intake and lose weight. You never want to over eat or under eat, bad things happen when you do. Try not to consume less than 1200 per day (working out has nothing to do with consumption). And try to stay under the 1490 (If by just after lunch you have already consumed 1460 then you burn 1000 doing a lot of cardio it means you can eat about 1000 more calories without having to worry about gaining weight, but, if you’re not hungry don’t eat the extra calories just because you can).
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
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    Your BMR is what your body needs to work in it's current state- but you are trying to push it down to a smaller state (if you are shooting for weight loss here). You need a deficit to make your body burn fat for energy. You should try to keep a net calorie intake of about 1200 (at least)- but you may be under your BMR with calories you eat in a day.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    ... And try to stay under the 1490 (If by just after lunch you have already consumed 1460 then you burn 1000 doing a lot of cardio it means you can eat about 1000 more calories without having to worry about gaining weight, but, if you’re not hungry don’t eat the extra calories just because you can).

    Not good advice hunger is not the best method of judging nutirtion requirements. If you are not hungry and ate 1490 but burned 1000 you are functioning as if you only at 490 cals, not enough for anyone therefore you must, (must is emphasized) eat most if not all of them back or over time you will lose muscle instead of fat and seriously hurt your metabolism. One day here or one day there is fine but not day after day of this.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Your BMR is what your body needs to work in it's current state- but you are trying to push it down to a smaller state (if you are shooting for weight loss here). You need a deficit to make your body burn fat for energy. You should try to keep a net calorie intake of about 1200 (at least)- but you may be under your BMR with calories you eat in a day.

    If you only ate BMR you would be in a deficit. as soon as you wake up and move you burn more than what BMR would suggest and therefore would lose weight eating BMR or even slightly above BMR, as long as you are below maintenance.
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
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    I feel like this topic has been gone over and over here on the message boards, but I'm a little dense and I'm still having trouble calculating. I understand that my BMR is how many calories my body needs just to function (think, walk, breathe, organ function, etc.) Mine is1490. So, if I eat 1500 calories but burn an additional 800 my body is only functioning on 700 calories when really it needs 1490?? Is that correct?? So do I eat all of my exercise calories, half, or what??? Some days I can burn, through work outs, an additional 1000 calories, so I should eat 2500 calories?? Sometimes I have a hard time eating 1500 (without resorting to junk food). Someone please clear this up for me once and for all in as simple a manner as possible please!!! Thanks!!!

    Actually you are wrong about BMR. BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to maintain its weight in a coma like state. You are thinking maintenance calories which is BMR plus a daily allowance based on your activity level from sedentary to very active. So if your BMR is 1490 your maintenance is higher, if you are set to lose 1 lb per week you are in a caloric deficit of 500/day and your caloric goal on MFP is 1490, your maintenance would be 1990. If you burn 1000 cals your deficit is now 1500 (500 for your goal and another 1000 from exercise) MFP recommends not going below 1200 NET calories so you would have to eat at least 1200 plus your exercise calories up to your daily goal plus exercise calories so if you are set at 1490 (daily goal) and burn 1000 your should eat between 2200 (1200+100) and 2490 (1490+1000).

    That being said how are you calculating your calories burned. If you are not using an HRM I would recommend eating 50-75% of the total as they may be estimated high. If you are using a HRM make sure you back out the calories you would have burned had you not worked out as they are already in you daily allowance and would be double counted.
    If your maintenance is 1990 you would have burned 1.38cals/min (1990/24/60) not working out so if you burn 1000 in 2 hours you would have to back out 166 (1.38*120 min) from the 1000 and enter 834 into MFP and eat between 1200+834 and 1490+834. Hope this helps.

    THANKS, Eric!!! Makes more sense now. I think I'll shoot for consuming the 50-75% of my exercise calories in addition to my BMR.

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