Calorie Intake and Exercise

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freerider531
freerider531 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I lost pounds and the program took me from 1240 calories to 1390. I try to keep my calorie intake limited to the 1390, sometimes I go a little over. My question is, if I take in 1390 and work out and burn 450 should I be eating more so when I work out I am still at 1390 in the end. This may sound stupid but I have been stalled for about a week at the same weight since the increase in calories.

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  • godsgiftjcp
    godsgiftjcp Posts: 50
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    I would say just get yourself at a net of 1200 cal/day and u should be okay. I really dont understand the exercise cal. myself though.....
  • freerider531
    freerider531 Posts: 3
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    Thanks I will try that
  • Nikstergirl
    Nikstergirl Posts: 1,549 Member
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    Yes, you can and should eat back some if not all of your exercise calories. Try to keep you net between 1200-1390 and you should be good. Sometimes when we stall in our loss it's because we need to eat more. I know, sounds crazy, but it's true!!!
  • tmyers541
    tmyers541 Posts: 53 Member
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    The calories it allows you to eat is already deficit from the natural calories you burn all day. So therefore when you exercise you need to eat a bit more to keep up your metabolism, especially if you have something with protein in it right after you workout. Not everyone can just do 1200 calories a day, for some of us that would be sending our bodies the signal that we're starting to starve it.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions hope that helps...it helped me
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    MFP is designed for you to eat the calories it adds for exercise. MFP creates a built in deficit, based on your weekly loss goal, regardless of exercise. Whether you log exercise or not, you will still be at a deficit. If you don't replace those exercise cals, you create a larger deficit, which may be unhealthy and unsustainable. Eating too little, and losing weight too fast, can cause many problems, including binging, hair loss, skin flaps, gallstones, and weight regain.

    Here are some threads that explain in more detail about how to determine healthy goals/deficits, metabolism, and why eating too little will backfire. Good luck to you!

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

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories

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

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Try giving yourself a range
    (when I started I was so stressed about hit my 1200 cal exactly. I knew I'd never stick with it if I didn't shift my approach, so the range theory... the bottom range was the MFP lose 1lb/wk and the very top of my range was the amount of calories it took to maintain my GOAL weight)

    and then mix it up within that range I'll do 2-4 days on the low side then a day or maybe 2 on the middle or high side. It seems to keep my metabolism going.

    Now that I'm getting closer to my goal my range is lose 1/2lb/wk at the bottom and maintain my GOAL weight at the top.
    (healthier to lose slowly and I know I can lose... it's the maintenance that worries me)

    Also don't enter your exercise in your goals, log it daily if you have it in both places it will give you twice as many calories as you have actually earned
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Also don't enter your exercise in your goals, log it daily if you have it in both places it will give you twice as many calories as you have actually earned

    This is actually incorrect. The exercise entered in "goals" as intended exercise does not impact cal goals/deficit in any way. It's mainly just there as a goal, to help you see if you're completing the exercise you intended to do. But, you need to be careful not to include your purposeful exercise in your daily activity level - it should be logged each time you do it.

    The only time exercise cals are added is when you individually log each entry.

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