Who eats exercise calories?

I would try to eat half of them and see of that helps.

I eat most of them, definitely at least half.
Louise

yes. eat them.

I agree that you should eat at least half of them.

I have not been eating back calories burned from exercise and I think that is the reason that I'm not losing as quickly as I could be. I've been sticking to 1200 calories a day even though I burn approx. 600 through exercise most days. Do you think that eating exercise calories is important? If so, do you eat ALL or just some of those calories back?

So basically you are only getting 600 calories per day which will cause your metabolism to slow down and your body to start holding onto fat and burn protein from your muscles. When you Daily Goal is at 1200 you have to eat those calories to bring you back to at least 1200 or you will stop losing fat. Link below will explain it.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

Yep, you need to eat them, especially if your base intake is only 1200. Your body needs that much to keep going and keep your metabolism up. Try making sure your net caloric intake is at least 1100 each day and see if that helps. You might want to go even a little over that for one day just to give your metabolism a kick start and let your body know that you're going to start giving it more fuel.

NOPE! but I never burn that many calories either. Are you positive you are burning 600 calories? I wear a HRM and MFP always gives me very over-inflated values. I trust my HRM with a chest strap over MFP. Trust me, I am not in starvation! I keep my blood sugar level all day long! If I happen to feel hungry from exercising (rarely) I add extra protein.

Yep, you need to eat them, especially if your base intake is only 1200. Your body needs that much to keep going and keep your metabolism up. Try making sure your net caloric intake is at least 1100 each day and see if that helps. You might want to go even a little over that for one day just to give your metabolism a kick start and let your body know that you're going to start giving it more fuel.

Isn't that why we work out? So we can eat more. I have always eaten all my exercise calories and I have never gone below 1380 calories a day.

Yes, eat them back.

If I eat any lower than around 1400 my weight will stall, so I often will have to eat half a quarter to half the amount of calories I burned.

Just a wee note on eating the exercize cals If you haven't before then increase them slowly everyday maybe 50 or 100 just to give your body time to adjust to the increase :drinker: or you may show a gain (it happened to me :grumble: )

Hi,
You may want to recalculate your caloric needs. Honestly, most people need a minimum of 1200-1500 calories a day to cover basic metabolism function. the problem may not be you not eating your exercise calories, it may be that you're not eating enough period. I personally shoot for 1800 calories a day, this is after i did the math myself using a BMR equation and the Harris Benedict equation. BMR is the basal metabolism rate which the the amount of calories you need to perform everything from breathing to digesting to thinking, that's the minimum amount of calories you need to maintain optimal weight and function if you are completely sedentary. If you're exercising then you need to eat more calories to maintain proper function and weight. the Harris Benedict equation will tell you how many extra calories you should be eating with your activity level, so if you add those together that wil be the amount of calories to eat to maintain your current weight. if you're trying to lose weight then you should take that number and subtract 300-500 calories and no more than that. I hope this helps a little, I'm going to school for exercise science and I actually just finished a course on exercise assessment and how to train and recommend things for people trying to lose weight. here are the equations:

BMR

women: BMR=655 + ( 4.35 * weight in lbs) + (4.7 * height in inches) - (4.7 * age in years)

men: BMR= 66 + (6.23 * weight in lbs) + (12.7 * height in inches) - (6.8 * age in years)

Harris Benedict equation

sedentary (little to no exercise) : calorie - calculation = BMR * 1.2

lightly active (light exercise/ sports 1-3 days/week) : calorie - calculation = BMR * 1.375

moderately active (moderate ex/sport 3-5 days/week) : calorie- calculation = BMR * 1.55

very active (hard ex/sports 6-7 days/week: calorie-calculation= BMR * 1.725

extra active (very hard ex/sport + physical job or 2x training) : Calorie - calculation= BMR * 1.9

if im hungry i eat some but not all. Most ive eaten is 100 back and ive been loosing 2lb steadily per week

I eat them. If you daily intake is 1200, and you burn 600, that means that your body only has 600 calories to live off for that day. The end result is that you're putting your body into starvation mode and it thinks that you are starving, so it holds on to all of the fat in your body for survival. You have to eat what you burn. I found the easiest way to do this, start eating as soon as you wake up especially if you know that you are gonna workout, and if you know about what you are gonna burn. Eating six times a day does work! It keeps your energy going. After that first small meal eat every 2 hours until you get to six and then stop, this allows your body to digest everything and gives you a couple hours before you lay down (depending on your schedule) to naturally burn some calories so you don't lie down on them. Ex. if your first meal is at 8am your last should be 6 bed between 8-9 to insure proper rest-again based on schedule. If you absolutely get hungry after the 6th meal eat a piece of fresh fruit or veg or something very lite.

i burn approx 400 cals when at the gym but i really couldnt eat all of them back, my targets 1290. 3rd week in and im still loosing steadily. Today ive burned, 500ish cals, ive eaten both my lunch & breakfast with snacks and have a filling dinner planned and im still under my goal. I would be forcing myself to eat another 600???