Eating your burned calories?

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SlimmingSarah
SlimmingSarah Posts: 74
in Fitness and Exercise
I dont understand this concept of eating your exercise calories?

I dont want to work my butt off just to eat them again! What is all this talk of eating your exercise calories?

Replies

  • staceyo1211
    staceyo1211 Posts: 163
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    Im in the same boat, I so dont understand that. Ive asked others and looked it up on the internet. Do you have to do this everytime you exercise or just a few times a week or what? I know its not rocket science, but im missing something because I dont get it.......please help someone!!!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    It's suggested on MFP because they already have a sustainable rate of loss factored in based on your goals... 1/2 lb, 1 lb 1 1/2 lb or 2 lbs, not eating the calories increases your deficit to levels that may not be sustainable long term.

    Some people do eat them all back, others don't, each has those maintaining a loss, try eating them back for a couple weeks, if you don't lose try not eating them.
  • Jenna1971
    Jenna1971 Posts: 28
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    Hi Sara,

    I so totally agree with you on that! I am not a fan of exercise, so when I do it - I want to reap the rewards of it and not eat that amount in calories!

    I just joined the site this week....

    It is an interesting journey to say the least!

    Jennifer
  • BabyDuchess
    BabyDuchess Posts: 353 Member
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    The way I understand it is you get a certain amount of calories you should eat each day according to your weight, activity level and weight loss goals; this does not include any exercise. So when you burn calories from exercise you are actually taking them from what your body needs to just function on a normal basis. I don't eat all of my exercise calories back but I do eat some of them and sometimes I eat most of them and I'm consistently losing 1.5 - 2.5 pounds a week. As long as you log all of your exercise and all the food you eat or drink and don't go over the calorie limits, you should lose weight. Hope this helps. :happy:
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    great explanation here *S*

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ladyhawk00/view/mfp-basics-78491
  • Risabamfo
    Risabamfo Posts: 9 Member
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    There is already a calorie deficit built in to you caloric goal. So if you meet your daily goal you will lose weight. If your deficit is too high you might not be consuming enough calories which could hinder you weight loss.
  • SlimmingSarah
    SlimmingSarah Posts: 74
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    I hate exercise! I'm not going to drag myself out there (currently in the puddles and rain) just to eat it all back. I think I am going to try NOT eating my extra calories for a few weeks, and if my weightloss is poor I might consider eating some of them back.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    Ok, in simple terms... Calories are the fuel your body runs on. It needs so many calories a day for your body to function at it's maximum capacity for burning fat. If you eat too few calories, it will store the calories you DO eat instead of burning them. If you eat too many, again, they are stored. If you exercise and burn a lot of those calories, you need to eat them back so your body can keep functioning at maximum capacity. Theoretically, you could lose the weight by altering your diet alone... the reason I exercise and eat those calories back is that the exercises help shape and tone your body and build up muscle where there was only flab before. Does that help?
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
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    What worked for me was to realize that EATING is for gaining weight and losing weight and to fuel your body. Calories=units of energy. The exercising is for building cardiovascular and muscle strength. It makes it simple this way.

    I eat 1500 calories a day and don't exercise I loose two pounds a week.

    I eat 1500 calories a day and exercise 500 calories worth and then eat 500 more calories. I lose two pounds per week. But I also get stronger and my heart gets stronger. This is the benefit of exercising and eating to fuel the exercise.

    Take Micheal Phelps. He probably eats 10,000 calories per day or more when hard core training. He has no fat on him and is one bad *kitten*!

    So eat right, fuel the body, and get strong!
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    Take Micheal Phelps. He probably eats 10,000 calories per day or more when hard core training. He has no fat on him and is one bad *kitten*!

    So eat right, fuel the body, and get strong!

    Love it!
  • twistygirl
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
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    If you have a lot of body fat you don't have to eat your exercise calories.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    think of it like driving a car, you have a limited amount of gas before the car starts to break down. The calories or fuel that mfp gives you will get you to your destination driving at 80 mph. Now think of exercise as getting you there at 120 mph but not stopping for fuel means that the tires get worn down faster, the car will break down easier and in the end will explode. The body is the car, the calories are the fuel, the tires are your muscle without proper fuel they break down and in the end the body feeds off itself. The point of the exercise is to increase the metabolic rate (the speed at which you can safely drive) not to burn off the fuel (calories).
  • christy_frank
    christy_frank Posts: 680 Member
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    It's suggested on MFP because they already have a sustainable rate of loss factored in based on your goals... 1/2 lb, 1 lb 1 1/2 lb or 2 lbs, not eating the calories increases your deficit to levels that may not be sustainable long term.

    Some people do eat them all back, others don't, each has those maintaining a loss, try eating them back for a couple weeks, if you don't lose try not eating them.

    Agreed. In order to start losing again after my 6 week plateau, I increased my calories....it worked.

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