PLEASE READ: New insight on eating back your exercise calori
ugogirl1234
Posts: 43
So the topic has been discussed over and over. I know. So why am I revisiting the topic, you say? Because I have had some insight and would like to share it with all members. First of all, let me say congratulations to all who have taken the steps to improve themselves. We are all on this journey together and I look forward to seeing how everyone manages.
Okay, so now for the topic at hand. I have read many posts not just here but everywhere else discussing whether or not you should eat back your exercise calories. Needless to say, some do and some do not. I personally do NOT. When I first joined MFP I had to enter all my stats, one being my caloric goal amount. Before I give you that number, you should know some pretty important numbers first. In order to maintain my weight WITHOUT exercising, I need to eat 1340 calories a day. In order to maintain my weight WITH exercise, I need a little over 1800 calories per day. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/bmr-formula.php
In order to LOSE weight I need to take 1800 and subtract at LEAST 600 calories to give me a goal caloric amount of 1200 cals per day. Here is where the confusion comes in for many people and until a while ago, myself included. When you enter your caloric goal into MFP, it is the NET amount you should be entering. As mentioned, I need to eat 1200 cals per day to lose weight, but my NET calorie goal is 600. So basically, you are taking the number you need to lose weight and reducing it by 1/2.
Still skeptical. Take a look at my numbers for today.
Goal: 1200, which I already explained factors in my daily activity level
Food: 430 calories. Okay only 770 calories to go.
Exercise: 60 minutes step aerobics: 508 calories and UP my caloric goal went. I am now at 1278. So it is very clear to me. MFP does NOT know that 1200 calories ALREADY included my activity level.
Another way to get numbers that won't confuse you is to avoid adding in your exercise. Either way, I think this information may help shed some light on "how"MFP is calculating its numbers.
Good Luck to all!
Okay, so now for the topic at hand. I have read many posts not just here but everywhere else discussing whether or not you should eat back your exercise calories. Needless to say, some do and some do not. I personally do NOT. When I first joined MFP I had to enter all my stats, one being my caloric goal amount. Before I give you that number, you should know some pretty important numbers first. In order to maintain my weight WITHOUT exercising, I need to eat 1340 calories a day. In order to maintain my weight WITH exercise, I need a little over 1800 calories per day. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/bmr-formula.php
In order to LOSE weight I need to take 1800 and subtract at LEAST 600 calories to give me a goal caloric amount of 1200 cals per day. Here is where the confusion comes in for many people and until a while ago, myself included. When you enter your caloric goal into MFP, it is the NET amount you should be entering. As mentioned, I need to eat 1200 cals per day to lose weight, but my NET calorie goal is 600. So basically, you are taking the number you need to lose weight and reducing it by 1/2.
Still skeptical. Take a look at my numbers for today.
Goal: 1200, which I already explained factors in my daily activity level
Food: 430 calories. Okay only 770 calories to go.
Exercise: 60 minutes step aerobics: 508 calories and UP my caloric goal went. I am now at 1278. So it is very clear to me. MFP does NOT know that 1200 calories ALREADY included my activity level.
Another way to get numbers that won't confuse you is to avoid adding in your exercise. Either way, I think this information may help shed some light on "how"MFP is calculating its numbers.
Good Luck to all!
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Replies
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i'm no newbie but to be honest i find your explanation confusing. maybe i will read it a few more times0
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I think you have confused your BMR with 'the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight' - they are not the same thing. It would be very unlikely that your total energy expenditure at rest was only 1340kcal.
Personally, I think people should do whatever they feel is right for them and whatever is bringing them sustainable success. If you are exercising a lot you should probably at least eat some of the calories back, if you are exercising a little it's not likely to be such a big deal. Of course we have to remember that everything that is calculated and entered here is an estimation so adjusting based on results makes the most sense.0 -
What I was trying to say is eating back my exercise calories increases my daily caloric amount, which is already deficited. I am a newbie to MFP, but not to the concept of how to lose weight. I just think the calculator for the MFP application is misleading. By the way I have lost 8lbs so far by not eating back my exercise calories.0
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No confusion. I used the BMR formula of which I posted the link for. My BMR is 1340 if I simply do not do anything but sit. I exercise at a moderate level 5-6 days a week so to maintain my weight I would need 1800 or so. But I don't want to maintain. I want to lose. Hence the 1200 calories deficit.0
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No, your BMR is the amount of energy that your body uses before any bodily processes. Assuming you are digesting food etc it is significantly less than the amount of energy you are burning at rest or throughout your general activites of daily living e.g. going to the bathroom, preparing food etc which burn more cals than laying down but you wouldn't count as exercise. To compare energy in to energy out you need to calculate total energy expenditure, not BMR. That's all I'm saying.0
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What I was trying to say is eating back my exercise calories increases my daily caloric amount, which is already deficited. I am a newbie to MFP, but not to the concept of how to lose weight. I just think the calculator for the MFP application is misleading. By the way I have lost 8lbs so far by not eating back my exercise calories.
I agree that your original post is somewhat confusing. It doesn't make much sense to me that your body would only need 1340 calories to maintain itself. But, if it works for you, then more power to you. I will keep eating back the majority of my exercise calories though as I have lost 18 pounds (5 of those were pre-MFP) in 2 1/2 months doing so.0 -
Here is a link which explains BMR. Like I said, it is what I need if I did nothing all day. Feel free to plug in my stats. I am 5 feet 3 inches, 37 years old and weigh 131lbs. I know what a BMR is, trust me.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/0 -
As a registered dietitian, I too am confident that I know what a BMR is
Sorry I seem to have confused you! 0 -
I think you're confusing MFP's activity level portion of your daily goal with exercise calories. You tell MFP how active you normally daily. This is NOT how much you exercise. You add exercise calories separately each day, and your calorie goal goes up accordinly. Now, whether or not you choose to eat those is up to you, but there is a difference. Please read the link below.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo0 -
Good Luck!0
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I plugged in your stats. It definitely says 1347 for your BMR.
It also gave me the number of 1852 to maintain your current weight. (I multiplied by 1.375)
I have to say, though, that I am also confused by what you're trying to explain in your post.0 -
I read the article and its exactly what I could not explain. This 1200 calories I plug in ALREADY includes my exercise. So yes I now realized that MFP does not know this about the number I plug in, which is why I wrote the post. Sorry everyone seems to think I am confused, but I am not.0
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Mfp does figure in a calorie deficit for your lifestyle. That is just day to day living without specific exercising. That is the calories you burn showering, walking to yhe car, making yhe bed, etc. When you add a specific exercise like 500 calories on the elliptical that is an additional 500 you get for doing extra, that is why your goal goes from 1200 to 1700. Because you burn more you get more. Its life burning a fire, if you don't add more fuel as things burn up you will run out of fuel eventually.0
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Now, THAT I did not know. I did not realize, that MFP factored in a calorie deficit. Thank you for being the only one to clear this up.0
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I'm glad you've figured out a formula that works for you but I have to agree with others who have responded to what you wrote - it is a confusing. I'll stick to what is working for me.0
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I read the article and its exactly what I could not explain. This 1200 calories I plug in ALREADY includes my exercise. So yes I now realized that MFP does not know this about the number I plug in, which is why I wrote the post. Sorry everyone seems to think I am confused, but I am not.
Sorry butyou are confusing terminology. "Lifestyle" and "exercise" are not the same. Lifestyle is day to day routines and activity. Do you have a desk job or are you on your (like a nurse) all day. Those two lifestyles burn different amounts of calories but are not in the category of exercise. Things like treadmill, circuit trsining, etc are not automatically figured in, that is why you add them in seperately.0 -
what you are saying is.......do not eat the calories earned by excercise or you will not loose weight.
I agree with you as I have eaten mine for past 3 weeks (this is my 4th week) and I haven't lost an oz. I am now going to 'NOT' eat my exercise earned callories and see how it I can do any better.0 -
I am older and have been watching my calories for 4 months now, some times I eat the extra calories that I have burned up by exercising and some times I don`t. I try and maintain 1200 calories per day. Admittedly most days I do very little extra exercise. I have been pretty good at not exceeding my calorie intake and I have lost nothing. I am gettting pretty fed up. Does anyone else feel that may be the information in the database is incorrect and the calories that the users enter are not accurate enough.. calories by weight of food maybe would be better.0
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The only problem if you eat too little is you may be losing weight but it could be lean tissue/muscle rather than fat, That is the main reason this site reccoments eating back exercise calories.
Do you really do nothing all day other than exercise?? the bmr would mean resting (literally bed rest) !
I work on a busy hospital ward and have a house and family to run so I consider myself to have a lightly active lifestyle so to maintain my weight I need more daily calories than my BMR....MFP calculates this for you...exercising on top of this 5 times a week increases this again.....MFP calculates the deficit for you it is not trying to 'catch' people out.
Good luck with your journey but this site's principles are not an evil conspiracy to sabotage peoples weight loss, they promote healthy gradual sustainable weight loss and healthy lifstyle changes x0 -
Yes. I understand now. I remembered putting in "Active" for my Activity Level. By doing this, a caloric deficit was already created for me, right?0
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Let me say this again....go to the top of this forum section and read the posts with the red push pin icon..."Links you want to read again and again" and "Newbies please read these". Start with the posts about exercise calories and calorie deficits.
They answer ALL these questions better than I could. Read the info and THEN decide for yourself if you CHOOSE to eat exercise calories or not. But PLEASE read these first. You can't make good decisions on something this important if you don't understand the basics behind the process.0 -
Yup, thats day to day lifestyle exercise is what you then add in your daily diary and I find it a really good way of sticking to a healthier lyfestyle and weight loss program as it motivates me to exersize so I CAN eat the calories back...I really struggle on 1200 lol... and im seeing gradual weight loss results and definite toning results. GOOD LUCK
Ps. be aware that some exercises in the database may overestimate the calories burnt. x0 -
I think you're confusing MFP's activity level portion of your daily goal with exercise calories. You tell MFP how active you normally daily. This is NOT how much you exercise. You add exercise calories separately each day, and your calorie goal goes up accordinly. Now, whether or not you choose to eat those is up to you, but there is a difference. Please read the link below.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
That link is written by a user that no longer has an active account,who exactly was the person that orginally wrote that,doctor,trainner,nutritionist.........0 -
I want to thank everyone for all of their feed back. I also would like you to visit the following link. It is a calculator I used before joining MFP. I encourage everyone to visit this site and plug in their stats. Then, compare those numbers with the ones MFP is giving you. It just comes to show that we can't rely on calculators and applications.
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm0 -
I think you're confusing MFP's activity level portion of your daily goal with exercise calories. You tell MFP how active you normally daily. This is NOT how much you exercise. You add exercise calories separately each day, and your calorie goal goes up accordinly. Now, whether or not you choose to eat those is up to you, but there is a difference. Please read the link below.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
They have reactivated/changed their user name since that post.
The author is an ACE certified trainer, with a special interest in nutrition. (current user name is SHBoss)
That link is written by a user that no longer has an active account,who exactly was the person that orginally wrote that,doctor,trainner,nutritionist.........0 -
They have reactivated/changed their user name since that post.
The author is an ACE certified trainer, with a special interest in nutrition. (current user name is SHBoss)
...and he ROCKS! Ive learned so much from his posts and really encourage you to listen to what he has written.
Oh, and I agree with the other comments re: your OP being confusing. Its not just that I think you are confused. Its that you are confusing ME with your attempt at explaining "new insight" into something I already understand quite well, thanks to the posts linked above. I eat back almost all of my exercise calories (some days half, some days all, but always SOME of them), and Im losing more than a pound a week and have dropped more than 7 inches in 7 weeks.
Ive used that freedieting.com link before. Its helpful for cycling calories and they really stress eating more calories when you are working out.0 -
You make a interesting point. You say... Some days All..... some days 1/2...... But SOME of them. But what you don't say is that you are eating them All everyday? But congrats on your weight loss.0
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If you are a newbie just follow the MFP program, eat your exercise calories.......... it works.0
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I've read a LOT of the threads on MFP questioning eating/not eating exercise calories (thus, I landed here, reading your OP). I am fairly certain I have never heard anyone say we should all eat "ALL of our exercise calories EVERY single day."
The idea is to eat MORE when you exercise to fuel your body. If you create a deficit that is too large, you will certainly lose weight initially. But if its not a calorie lifestyle you can maintain (ie, not a "diet" or short term commitment) then you will likely gain all the weight back, plus more.
I am cutting and pasting this, as I dont have the energy to entertain an argument on this right now. Something I wrote a while ago:
Your body requires a certain number of calories in order for you to simply exist. In order for you eyes to blink, your heart to keep beating, your hair to keep growing, your organs to keep functioning, you have to feed it a certain number of calories. This number is called your BMR. (Use the tool on this site to check your BMR...) For example, my BMR is about 1490 calories. So say I lay in bed allllll day, motionless. I would require 1490 calories just to keep my body alive.
The second I get out of bed, walk across the room, open the door to the bathroom, brush my teeth, pee, weigh myself, turn on the hot water,and hop in the shower...I have burned calories. Minimal...but still enough to start cutting into the 1490 my body needs in order to fuel its most basic functions.
So if I eat my BMR of 1490 a day, I am only giving my body enough to do its basic functions.
MFP gave me a number of calories based on my desire to lose 2 lbs a week. At my height and current weight, losing 2 lbs per week is not reasonable, but the lowest MFP will set someone's calories is 1200 (For many good reasons). 1200 is sort of an arbtrary number at this point but no one should really eat LESS than 1200, and there are likely very few people who could eat 1200 calories for the rest of their lives and maintain weight or stay satisfied. (opinion...sorry) I lost 20+ lbs eating 1200 cals a day. YEAH, ME! Right? Wrong. The second I started eating "normal" again, I gained all 20+ lbs back, PLUS MORE. It might "work" in the short term, but for many here, 1200 calories isnt the lifestyle change needed to STAY healthy and thin.
OK, back to the exercise thing. If I eat my 1500 (1490) cals today, my body will already be at a deficit for weight loss since I got out of bed, functioned, walked, lifted my toddler countless times, etc. So if I were to workout and burn 500 calories this afternoon, my body would be at an even greater deficit, and risk pushing my body to panic. Once your body panics and your metabolism worries that you are not feeding it enough, you will start to store fat at a faster rate. Your body and metabolism will try to hang onto any extra store of fat in preparation for an upcoming "famine".
Another way to look at it: If you eat 1200 calories and then exercise 500 calories away, you are only holding onto 700 calories for your body to draw from for energy, organ function, eye blinking, etc etc. Its just not enough for your body to exist on withut causing longterm troubles.
It took me a looooong time to "get" this. I still have to consciously remind myself to eat my calories in order to lose weight. It seems counter-intuitive...but it WORKS. When I eat my BMR and at LEAST half my exercise calories, I lose weight. When I only eat 1200 calories, I am miserable, hungry, and i might lose some weight initially...but i gain it alllll back with a few extra for fluffiness.
Bottom line: eat more, lose more.
BMR + exercise calories = success0 -
Thanks for the explanation. But, I'm sure you have experienced times when you were not even hungry enought to eat back all the exericise calories. 90% of my workouts are at night. When I get home from the gym MFP says I need to eat 700 more calories. Its not that I don't want to, I physically cannot. This is why I wrote the post . I was concerned that the application was not correct, but apparently it is.0
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