Question about MFP exercise/calories

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BreakingUpWithObesity2013
BreakingUpWithObesity2013 Posts: 276 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When you do a workout and put it in..it adds those calories back to what your allowed to eat that day. Is that effective if you are trying to lose weight? I have a little over 100 lbs to lose so I want to make sure I'm doing it the right way and that confused me...thanks for the help guys!

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  • chefpenfold
    chefpenfold Posts: 1
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    I think it depends on how serious you want to take your weight loss, I wouldn't try and eat a lot more if you've done a lot of exercise, but eating some more is probably necessary, hope you find this helpful .
  • penny39
    penny39 Posts: 266 Member
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    I am glad you asked this question. I am kinda confused about it also. Hope we get an anwser, soon.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    There's a BOAT LOAD of posts about that. Just look on the boards a bit.
  • BreakingUpWithObesity2013
    BreakingUpWithObesity2013 Posts: 276 Member
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    Thank you! I think I'm just going to stick with 1660 calories a day no matter how hard I work out... :)
  • Collene23
    Collene23 Posts: 6
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    Hi there, not that I am an expert but you want to consume a bit more when excersising. You need the extra fuel to keep your body burning. After excersicing I never eat as much calories as what I am aloted as yes I think that would totally defeat the purpose
  • Bobble2610
    Bobble2610 Posts: 40
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    I eat my exercise calories, whereas my wife doesn't...

    She NEEDS to eat them if she wants to lose 2lbs a week like I do, cos you need to eat AT LEAST 1200 per day and for her, that means only losing 1.5lbs a week.

    I on the other hand have 1270 calories a day if I want to lose 2lbs a week, so I can afford to eat mine... and it works for me - I lose about 2lbs a week even after eating most, if not all of my exercise calories.

    But it depends on you and your body - experiment and see what works. :o)
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    When you do a workout and put it in..it adds those calories back to what your allowed to eat that day. Is that effective if you are trying to lose weight? I have a little over 100 lbs to lose so I want to make sure I'm doing it the right way and that confused me...thanks for the help guys!

    I have been told both. Some people on here told me it is important to eat the added calories to "make up" for what you earn back exercising. They told me your body needs them. However, I consulted with my dietician and my trainer and they both told me with my weight (and I need to lose around 100 pounds too), in order to lose, I need to stick to the 1200-1500 calories they both suggested to me, regardless of my exercise. They said eating the added calories will only "maintain" my weight, but not allow me to effectively lose weight. I am in no way a professional, but that is what was suggested to me by a trainer and a registered dietician. Hope this helps.
  • marianna0056
    marianna0056 Posts: 13 Member
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    From everything I have heard from some of the weight loss "experts" on here, aka body builders, they say that you should eat those calories. Otherwise your body will go into starvation mode. IF you are exercising, and starve yourself, your body will hold onto the calories, so they say. I was eating under my calories and exercising, and actually gained weight, a few pounds...that is. So now I am trying to eat the exercise calories. But make sure they aren't refined carbs, such as starches, bread, etc... Make them good fats, like walnuts, olives, etc. But watch the sodium, because that can add water weight. Protein is good for you, and I think that what MFP allows me is too low. What one guy who has been successful, on his blog, said, you are supposed to eat as many grams of protein as your weight. So if you are 200 lbs, that would be 100 gms of protein a day. MFP only allows about 65.
    I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I am just passing along what I gleened from him. And those who lost weight with the South Beach diet agree with that. And people lose weight on it. Just keep up the positive attitude, and try it...if it doesn't work, you can always change it up. Good luck!
  • wilmelenne
    wilmelenne Posts: 113
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    on the posts here theres a debate...some say if you want to lose weight you shouldn't eat back the earned calories others say if you don't eat back at least some of the calories your body can go to starvation mode and slow down your metabolism. But in reality it's a misconception...your body can go into starvation mode but that's if you are under your goal for weeks and if your are a few hundred calories below your goal without any exercise.

    With that said I'm only alotted 1200 calories a day so on the days that I burn more than 500 calories working out I will only let myself consume 1500 calories. on the days where I'm burning less than 500 I only consume 1200.

    I hope this helps. It seems to be working...
  • dihardcheer86
    dihardcheer86 Posts: 67
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    If you do stick with what they give you in the beginning of the day, yes, you will lose weight. But if you exert you're body and don't replenish it enough (well, if your body doesn't think you do) then you may plateau. It thinks it's in starvation mode (I am just getting my body out of that) so, now i try to eat some or all of the calories I've 'earned' from exercise.
  • klov87
    klov87 Posts: 4
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    When you do a workout and put it in..it adds those calories back to what your allowed to eat that day. Is that effective if you are trying to lose weight? I have a little over 100 lbs to lose so I want to make sure I'm doing it the right way and that confused me...thanks for the help guys!

    I have been told both. Some people on here told me it is important to eat the added calories to "make up" for what you earn back exercising. They told me your body needs them. However, I consulted with my dietician and my trainer and they both told me with my weight (and I need to lose around 100 pounds too), in order to lose, I need to stick to the 1200-1500 calories they both suggested to me, regardless of my exercise. They said eating the added calories will only "maintain" my weight, but not allow me to effectively lose weight. I am in no way a professional, but that is what was suggested to me by a trainer and a registered dietician. Hope this helps.

    Wow they only suggested 1200-1500 calories for you, now I find that easier for me. They suggested 2300 for me and thats entirely to much food. I know I'm fluffy but I'm not really a big eater never have been. So 2300 cals will be a serious challenge.
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
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    I eat all mine back plus one day a week where i go over by 500 to 1000 calories (my Friday splurge meal). I have been averaging 1.5 to 2 pounds a week for the last three months. I do for the most part eat pretty healthily six meals through out the day, except for my splurge meal. I find my metabolism gets racing pretty good this way.
  • BryanAir
    BryanAir Posts: 434
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    Here is the lowdown. You can eat back your exercise calories and if they are accurate you should, over time, be able to lose an average of what you set as your goal loss.. There will be minor fluctuations from week to week. If you don't eat your calories, you will almost certainly lose more weight, but at a pretty high cost. Your body will use some of your muscle at fuel. Since muscle burns calories just by being part of you, you end up lowering your BMR. If you reach your goal weight with all your muscle intact, you can eat hundreds of more calories a day than someone who reaches their goal weight by burning fat and muscle. So by going slower and eating back some exercise calories you will probably be more successful in the long run.

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