Few Questions about the Calorie System

rh02198
rh02198 Posts: 2
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, So i'm new here and i've been wondering a few things:

the calories that I burn during exercise- do those allow me to eat more or should i still eat 1500 calories with or without exercise?
I'm really struggling with this. Will I lose more weight faster if I eat 1500 but then burn some of that off in my daily excercise?

thanks!

Rebecca

PS. reading all of the success stories on this site has really inspired me to continue with my weight loss journey!

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    yeah..you burned those off, so you can eat them back again, but it will make your daily intake higher because of the exercise..just keep watching the cals, as not to go over..you will get the hang of it eventually,,i had the same concern..best of luck, and feel free to add me :)
  • Dmonique85
    Dmonique85 Posts: 112
    I try to maintain the calories that I am limited to, but may sometimes go over the normal daily rate on special occasions if I exercise. I wouldn't recommend trying to eat ALL of the calories (especially if you said that you would exercise x amount of times per week when it came up with your daily amount). I think because MFP deducts exercise calories no matter what (even if it's a part of what you said you would normally do) you should be conservative. You will lose faster that way.

    But always listen to your body...:)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    You will find a LOT of discussion about this topic here. They system is set up to give you a calorie deficit even if you eat the calories you burnt exercising, you can be guided by the NET calorie number rather than your initial daily goal.
    Many people here will advise you to eat your exercise calories. I do, but not everyone does.

    Have a read of this for all you wanted to know and more!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
  • MountainKing
    MountainKing Posts: 4 Member
    Don't fall into the mind game of, "I exercised today so I deserve more food." That is the fastest way to undermine your entire weight loss goal.

    Look at it this way, Pringles Potato Chips (assuming you are in North America) have about 140 calories/serving... a serving of about 14 chips I might add. To burn off those 140 calories you'd have to ride a bike for 15 minutes (approx).

    The goal here is calorie deficit, burn more than you eat, short and simple.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Yes, the cals added for exercise are intended to be eaten. MFP generates a built in deficit (based on what you chose), regardless of exercise. So if you don't eat them, you create a larger deficit, that may be unhealthy and unsustainable. It may seem counterintuitive, but eating too little will slow the metabolism and lead to muscle-loss, rather than fat loss.

    Here are some great threads that explain it in a little more detail. Good luck to you!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Don't fall into the mind game of, "I exercised today so I deserve more food." That is the fastest way to undermine your entire weight loss goal.

    Look at it this way, Pringles Potato Chips (assuming you are in North America) have about 140 calories/serving... a serving of about 14 chips I might add. To burn off those 140 calories you'd have to ride a bike for 15 minutes (approx).

    The goal here is calorie deficit, burn more than you eat, short and simple.

    Ahhh, but don't forget that MFP has built in a calorie deficit for you. As long as you don't go over on your NET goal you are still getting a daily calorie deficit.

    Edited to add: What Ladyhawk said!!!!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Don't fall into the mind game of, "I exercised today so I deserve more food." That is the fastest way to undermine your entire weight loss goal.

    Look at it this way, Pringles Potato Chips (assuming you are in North America) have about 140 calories/serving... a serving of about 14 chips I might add. To burn off those 140 calories you'd have to ride a bike for 15 minutes (approx).

    The goal here is calorie deficit, burn more than you eat, short and simple.

    This is not really the right approach. No, exercising doesn't mean you "deserve" more food - it means you REQUIRE more food. As MFP has a built in deficit, before exercise (and after), eating the exercise cals preserves the deficit you initially chose.

    And it would be incorrect (and unhealthy) to say that you should burn more than you eat. You want to keep a moderate deficit - burning more than you eat puts you at an extremely large deficit, which leads to muscle loss, binges, and weight regain.
  • rh02198
    rh02198 Posts: 2
    Thanks so much guys. =D
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