Heeellllllllllllllp:(

You might want to read this thread

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

You might want to read this thread

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

Definitely take a look at this...and keep up the awesome job you are doing. It WILL pay off. I promise you! :drinker:

Yeah really 4000 burnt. Spinning for 5 hours on monday to qualify as an instructor. severe training :P Bum still hurts 4 days on hehe. I also burnt 2800 yesterday from a 20 mile walk and with my normal cals i still couldnt eat them all. I am training for the 100km trailwalker in July so the mileage will keep getting higher so more cals burnt. I have an issue with sitting down usually only sit down after 7pm from 7am. I include all cals burnt from everything i am doing....should i do that ? For example this morning i have walked 1.1/2 miles to get children to school i have done more walking for shopping, housework at home...i am adding all this. Hmmmmm......

When you signed up to MFP, did you say you were an active person?

When I signed up I said sedentary because I work in an office, sat down all day etc etc, so I add all the exercise I do.

If you put you are very active though (not sure on the exact labels) then you may not need to add your walking to school etc.

You might want to read this.

Almost everyone reaches a weight loss plateau at some point in their fitness lives. The reason is that the human body works hard to keep energy intake and output in balance. In other words, your body does not like to lose weight (not a revelation, huh?). After your initial weight loss, your progress will slow down and eventually stop even though your exercise and food intake is consistent. The bottom line is that the very efforts you make to burn more calories may eventually slow it down.
Problem 1. Lowering your calories too much
Fact: It takes calories to burn calories. When you decrease your food intake, your body simply lowers its metabolic rate in response. This still allows the body to function properly, but ultimately your body requires fewer calories which creates hunger and prevents you from losing fat.

Solution:
Keep your calories slightly below your maintenance calories so that your energy and metabolism remain high. A deficit greater than 500-700 calories makes it much more difficult to maintain your lean body mass. To determine your approximate daily caloric needs, use this formula:

Men
kg (body weight) x 24 = kcal/day
Women
kg (body weight) x 23 = kcal/day

note: kg = pounds divided by 2.2 (i.e.: 180 lbs / 2.2 = 81.8 kg)

You can also calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate to determine how many calories you need to function, and then use a calorie calculator to add in calories you burn through out the day and with exercise.

Next page More Ways to Break the Plateau

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/weightplateaus.htm

Think I might have hit this problem,, with exercise I am some times 500 to 800 calories a day below the the number of calories I can consume on a 2 lb week weight loss program. My problem is I am getting to like the exercise and not that hungary. In the last month I think I have exercised more, ate less and lost less weight then any time since I started this diet. I had over 800 calories left to eat when I went to bed last night.

Ok, this is just me but I still need to lose about 83 pounds. 3 weeks ago I let MFP calculate my calorie intake for the day and it brought me down to 1320. So I did that for 2 weeks. I didn't lose any weight and gained 2 pounds! Then I raised my calories by 100 per day and I started losing weight again! I normally don't eat my exercise calories and if I do I try only to eat about half of them. I hope this helps, if it makes sense! :blushing:

wait--yesterday you walked for 20 miles and did 5 hours of spinning?? W O W! I would be dead.

Don't eat your exercise calories?

You might be over training. This will cause your body to actually have a reverse effect on weight loss. Just make sure at the end of the day you have a deficit of calories (the actual number will depend on your weight loss goals). I hope this helps:flowerforyou:

Are you telling me that ....yes, I should eat my exercise calories everyday or....no, I shouldn't! I guess I don't understand. And that could be the reason that I have only lost 11 pounds since 1/10/11. We usually do anywhere from 2 miles of exercising to 4 miles every day. And I just sit at a desk everyday (sedentary). Can someone help me with this?? thanks alot!!

Are you telling me that ....yes, I should eat my exercise calories everyday or....no, I shouldn't! I guess I don't understand. And that could be the reason that I have only lost 11 pounds since 1/10/11. We usually do anywhere from 2 miles of exercising to 4 miles every day. And I just sit at a desk everyday (sedentary). Can someone help me with this?? thanks alot!!

For Tracey (and others who don't want to to maths, you don't have to!)

There are two things to remember here:
1. MFP has already given you a calorie deficit when it suggests how much to eat. It could be as much as 1000 cals a day if you have set your goals to lose 2lb a week.
2. Many people suggest 1200 cals a day is a safe minimum for women to eat.

Now, pay attention to the summary on your home page. This will show how many calories are left to eat your recommended amount of cals. Today, mine is telling me:
Goal 1550, Food 1680, Exercise -375. So, my NET (ie how many calories my body has to work with today) = 1305.

You don't need to do any maths, just keep an eye on the NET, aim for over 1200.

But, eveyone has their own theory on what works, eating around 1600 cals NET a day is working for me, I've lost 19 lb in 10 weeks.

For the OP, if you are exercising that much, you need to do some research into the right amount of food to sustain your body while working so hard, I suspect most of us here have no idea how to compensate for this much exercise!