Calories Burned Vs Calories Earned

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towerofpower2011
towerofpower2011 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
This is perplexing me a bit - if I go to the gym and burn calories but don't replace these, so that I go below my calories figure which means that on MFP that I am in 'starvation' mode, will this mean that I will stop losing weight?

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  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    If you remain in "starvation mode" consistently (often) then yes, you will stop losing weight.
  • willimh
    willimh Posts: 227 Member
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    I don't really know. Back in 2006 I did about 120 mins of cardio 5 days a week burning about 1000 cals a day and ate my points from weight watchers and kept losing weight. 7 months 52 lbs was gone. Im lost on that to right now.
  • laurenashley813
    laurenashley813 Posts: 8
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    I've been wondering the same thing ... I hear to eat those calories and then I hear to not eat those calories :( not sure what to do. I'm a very picky eater so eating healthy has been a challenge...
  • krisawyer
    krisawyer Posts: 1
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    I wondered the same thing. I would do 90 minutes running and earn all these calories but did not want to eat them all. I hit a plateau after losing 6 lbs and thought it was because I was eating way to may calories.
  • sabichu
    sabichu Posts: 61
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    I get confused about this matter too. I usually do end up eating what I've earned and I still lost weight. Hmmm... Mind you I started doing that after I hit plateau due to me eating too little cals:burning lots of cals and It caused me to lose weight again :) maybe replacing your exercise cals does some
    Benefit.
  • LaylaClapton
    LaylaClapton Posts: 29
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    Maybe eating some of the earned calories would be best? If I earn 400, and eat back 200, I'd still be ahead of the game. (I hope)
  • superstarcassie
    superstarcassie Posts: 296 Member
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    This topic come up all the time: You want a NET goal of 1200 if that is where your calories are set.

    If I eat 1700 calories and exercise 500 calories, my net is 1200. Therefore in theory, I should lose 2 lbs a week. I eat my calories back (I have a heart rate monitor for a more accurate estimate). If you have too large of a caloric deficit, you may be depriving your body of nutrients and energy. You still need fuel to live. Your body could burn off the muscle and keep the fat. Most of us are here to lose fat, so we need to not create such a large deficit and slow our metabolism! Hope this helps!
  • QuikImpulse
    QuikImpulse Posts: 6
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    If you're really that far below because you're working out so hard, I'd suggest a protein shake which will add some calories, but will help your muscles grow and heal.

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