Exercise calories? Help?

jocember · February 2011

So, when I first started here I read a few articles that talked about eating your exercise calories and how it was a good thing. A few friends of mine are running a weight loss email group and I mentioned to them that I didn't eat all of my exercise calories one day, and I was instantly berated about how by doing that I'm eating all the calories back and won't lose weight. I'm really, really confused now and was hoping someone could explain this fully to me? Should I not eat them, or should I eat them? I try to stick to 1,500 calories a day, but often burn between 400-800 with workouts.

agab67 · February 2011

Seems to me that at 1500 calories a day you're still set to lose a pound a week, right?
So if you run for an hour and burn 500 calories, you could eat 2000 calories that day and still lose that pound a week. I'm no expert, but my understanding is that if you start losing weight too fast by being way under calorie, then your body will totally pack it all right back on the second you drop your guard because it thinks you've gone through a survival incident and wants to store fat for the future.

cerysrhi · February 2011

your net calories should be above 1200 so if you eat 1500 and burn between 400 and 800 cals you are not above the 1200 minimum your body needs to be able to function properly. your body could go into starvation mode and will store fat instead of burn it. In answer to your question you will need to eat your exercise cals to bring your net cal intake to above 1200 thats not to say you have to eat all of them but because this site has already set deficit in your daily calories you should still achieve your weight loss weekly goal even if you eat all of your exercise cals or don't exercise at all.

liscar · February 2011

when you sign up for MFP you are already at a negative when you start in the morning. That's enough to lose weight. When you exercise, those are extra and you should eat them to re-fuel your body.

Personally, I can't survive on 1200 calories a day.....I eat those, then I go workout so I can eat more....weight is just slipping right off. Ok, so I can eat 1800 calories a day, sedentary - not doing anything, and not gain any weight. So if I eat 1200 and don't do anything, I'm at a 600 calorie negative and I will lose weight. I work out so I can eat more AND my body is getting tone and I'm getting fit. So it's a win win

IF you don't eat your work out calories, you will set your body into starvation mode as it's already at a negative and now you're asking it too work out as well....you'll quit losing and feel sluggish and icky - at least that's how I feel if I don't eat enough calories.

This last week, I didn't lose anything, I lost body fat and inches though SO I started eating more calories and I've lost another pound.

khrys1 · February 2011

Go to "home," the click on "general diet and exercise help" and read the articles with the "pinup tacks" by them for new members- these articles are written by the creator of the site and explain why you should eat back most of the calories you burn from exercise (basically, it's because the amount of calories you're "supposed" to have each day is already calculated by MFP, and if you burn off a lot more, you could lose more weight than is safe....)

pyro13g · February 2011

You eat them and let your group get skinny fat.

liscar · February 2011

when you sign up for MFP you are already at a negative when you start in the morning. That's enough to lose weight. When you exercise, those are extra and you should eat them to re-fuel your body.

Personally, I can't survive on 1200 calories a day.....I eat those, then I go workout so I can eat more....weight is just slipping right off. Ok, so I can eat 1800 calories a day, sedentary - not doing anything, and not gain any weight. So if I eat 1200 and don't do anything, I'm at a 600 calorie negative and I will lose weight. I work out so I can eat more AND my body is getting tone and I'm getting fit. So it's a win win IF you don't eat your work out calories, you will set your body into starvation mode as it's already at a negative and now you're asking it too work out as well....you'll quit losing and feel sluggish and icky - at least that's how I feel if I don't eat enough calories.

I think the key is If the body can't function properly, it can't burn calories right, it doesn't metabolize correctly, it stores fat in case it needs it etc etc...... if you feed correctly, it will do the correct thing with the food you give it.
This last week, I didn't lose anything, I lost body fat and inches though SO I started eating more calories and I've lost another pound.

pyro13g · February 2011

Let's put this in perspective. I you weighed your goal 120 and worked out intensely 5 days a week you would need the following calories.

Maintenance:
1943 Calories/day

Fat Loss:
1555 Calories/day

If you weighed 280

Maintenance:
3071 Calories/day
Fat Loss:
2456 Calories/day

If you weighed 200

Maintenance:
2507 Calories/day
Fat Loss:
2006 Calories/day

Amajoy · February 2011

I just posted something on this which helps explain it... Please read it, made complete sense to me... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/172555-understanding-exercise-calories-to-eat-or-not-to-eat-them

NoAdditives · February 2011

MFP already has you eating a caloric deficit. It's either 250, 500, 750, or 1000 calories less depending on your desired weekly weight loss. So even if you didn't exercise you'd still lose weight. And that's why when you do exercise you're supposed to eat the calories you burned. Your body needs a certain amount of nutrition in order to function properly. Getting less than you need can slow your metabolism and will make you store fat instead of burning it. For most people, not eating exercise calories puts their caloric deficit too high, meaning they don't get the calories/nutrition/fuel that their body needs.

You won't be undoing your hard work by eating exercise calories, you will still lose weight. I know it seems counterintuitive to think that you have to eat in order to lose weight, but it's true. Cutting calories drastically and burning tons through exercise doesn't get you to burn fat, it only starves your body.

ladyhawk00 · February 2011

The other people in your group are not working off of MFP's deficit calculations. MFP uses a formula that includes a BUILT IN cal deficit, regardless of exercise. So if you sit on your butt, and meet your cal goals, you will have a deficit. If you log 60 minutes of exercise, and meet your cal goals, you will have a deficit. MFP is designed for a healthy rate of weight loss, and therefore creates a reasonable, healthy deficit in your daily cal goal (assuming your weekly loss goal is reasonable.) Say your loss goal is 1 lb per week. That is a deficit of 3500 cals per week, or 500 cals per day. MFP subtracts 500 cals per day for you, whether you exercise or not.

If you do NOT replace the exercise cals, you will create a LARGER deficit, and not be fueling the body sufficiently - and it WILL begin to rebel.

Follow MFP's guidelines - they work!

Azdak · February 2011

At your weight and at this point in your journey, you probably need not be that concerned with eating back exercise calories as long as your intake is in the 1500-1800 range, esp if you are exercising and lifting weights.

At 280+lbs it is highly doubtful that you will go into "starvation mode", even with a large calorie deficit, as long as your intake is high enough (i.e. 1500-1800 cal/day)

Smokechic · February 2011

With speaking to a trainer about this before...there is a general rule that everyone follows. Reality, every case is different. That being said, she had said that there is truly no "rule" to be followed. Everything depends on your routine and body. Basically, the best thing to follow is if your not hungry, don't eat. Do not purposely not eat to help lose...this will put your body into starvation mode. If you exercise and don't eat back the calories then its ok. If you eat back the calories, its ok too. Just don't force it. There is truly no minimum amount of calories that should be eaten, but people follow the 1200 rule, I think, mainly because you want to be sure to get all the necessary nutrients your body needs. Your main thing is to listen to your body....it will tell you if your lacking something. But if your making healthy food choices and exercising and not going over the calories alloted by MFP, you should lose.

pyro13g · February 2011

There is truly no minimum amount of calories that should be eaten, but people follow the 1200 rule, I think, mainly because you want to be sure to get all the necessary nutrients your body needs.

You might want to read about Basal Metabolic Rate.

Exercise calories? Help?

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