weight/exercise

wises5
wises5 Posts: 53
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
You can drop pounds without working out right? i do workout just a lot has happen in the past few weeks been busy. MFP has me on 1200 calories, so if i work out I would or should eat them back so why not just eat 1200 and not work out. its worked for me the past few weeks, funeral/surgery just watched calories & still lost the same as working out. why? also just decided today to cut my sodium from 2500 to 1500 will the help with my last 5 pounds?

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    You lose weight through a calorie deficit. MFP sets you up with a calorie deficit without any exercise, so yes you can lose weight without exercise. That is why MFP recommends eating back exercise calories--it does not take exercise into account when calculating your daily calories.
  • Marisela233
    Marisela233 Posts: 48 Member
    can u guys help me out? i dont understand the whole eating back ur excercise calories thing? then how is the excercise affecting ur weightloss if ur eating back what you burned....?
  • Re4mstr
    Re4mstr Posts: 1
    I'm pretty sure it heighten your metabolism rate? Not sure though.
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
    can u guys help me out? i dont understand the whole eating back ur excercise calories thing? then how is the excercise affecting ur weightloss if ur eating back what you burned....?

    Because MFP already has you set at a Healthy calorie deficit to loose weight based on your Normal activity levels for day-to-day life. So basically if you only eat 1200 calories then work off 600 of it you only ate 600 calories for the day causing such a sever calorie deficit your body cant function properly
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Yes, you can lose weight with just a calorie deficit and not exercising. But, the weight you lose will include muscle mass. Muscle mass is maintained by doing resistance training and it burns more calories at rest then fat mass. So, if you exercise you won't necessarily lose "weight" as fast, but you will be in better shape health wise, have a higher basal metabolic rate, and will fit in smaller clothing then if you just lose "weight" from dieting alone. That being said, we all have issues that crop up where we go for a time without being able to do our normal workouts. Deal with what is going on in life and add exercise in when you can.
  • Hsanders3961
    Hsanders3961 Posts: 245 Member
    That is also why you see many people on here say that weight loss is 80% diet / 20% exercise. For me, it is important to exercise as I do want to make sure I am losing FAT and not losing muscle mass. A nutritionist told me once, that someone who starves themselves and loses 20 lbs. will lose 17 lbs of muscle and 3 lbs of fat--therefore making it easier to regain that loss. She said the same person who lost 20 lbs, but added exercise, would lose 17 lbs of fat, and only 3 lbs of muscle. I dont know if what she said is entirely true, but it makes sense to me. So, yes, I do feel exercise is important, but weight loss can definitely still happen if we dont have time to exercise every day. Luckily, MFP pre-calculates that deficit for us so that it is not going to hinder our weight loss if we miss a few days of working out. However it happens, weight loss is weight loss. And I wish you the very best of luck!
  • MFCuce
    MFCuce Posts: 14 Member
    I started to get discouraged yesterday. I found this site and have been keeping track since 3/22. They have me on 1200 calories as well. I do not work out. I plan to but trying to get in the habit of watching what I eat and drinking water.. I have not lost a pound yet but I have not gained. I assume I should lose once I start walking to work, which is my plan. I read that people can eat more who exercise as they can eatthier exercise calories. I don't understand that concept. Why would you exercise to burn the calories then be able to eat them back and lose? When I first started this I noticed that I do not eat enough calories, I was basically eating an average of 900 calories a day and not drinking water. So I am trying for the 1200, drinking 8-12 glasses of water but the scale isn't budging. So if you can lose weight without without working out let me know how!! But congrats on what you did lose, I hope I can once I get motivated to walk!
  • sanura
    sanura Posts: 459 Member
    well, you can lose weight without exercising, and when times are tough you don't need to stress about missing a workout, but exercise is more important than just losing weight. you improve the health of your heart, lungs, blood vessels, increase strength and bone density, some studies have also proven exercise relieves some health conditions like depression, arthritis, insomnia, it also improves balance, coordination and mental clarity.
    as for the question about eating back your calories that is because mfp already sets a deficit, and if your deficit is too high your body will go into starvation mode, which mean you burn less calories and store more fat. you dont need to eat all of them unless you are doing very intense training.
    good luck
  • sanura
    sanura Posts: 459 Member
    I started to get discouraged yesterday. I found this site and have been keeping track since 3/22. They have me on 1200 calories as well. I do not work out. I plan to but trying to get in the habit of watching what I eat and drinking water.. I have not lost a pound yet but I have not gained. I assume I should lose once I start walking to work, which is my plan. I read that people can eat more who exercise as they can eatthier exercise calories. I don't understand that concept. Why would you exercise to burn the calories then be able to eat them back and lose? When I first started this I noticed that I do not eat enough calories, I was basically eating an average of 900 calories a day and not drinking water. So I am trying for the 1200, drinking 8-12 glasses of water but the scale isn't budging. So if you can lose weight without without working out let me know how!! But congrats on what you did lose, I hope I can once I get motivated to walk!
    you may be losing fat but if you weren't drinking water before you are going to rehydrating for a couple week, and you could add up to 10 pounds of water weight, don't panic, your body needs it. (this is based on advice from my naturopath)
  • wises5
    wises5 Posts: 53
    Thank-you everyone great advice, i try to workout 30 mins everyday but I feel bad because its only like 100 calories..
  • Hsanders3961
    Hsanders3961 Posts: 245 Member
    I started to get discouraged yesterday. I found this site and have been keeping track since 3/22. They have me on 1200 calories as well. I do not work out. I plan to but trying to get in the habit of watching what I eat and drinking water.. I have not lost a pound yet but I have not gained. I assume I should lose once I start walking to work, which is my plan. I read that people can eat more who exercise as they can eatthier exercise calories. I don't understand that concept. Why would you exercise to burn the calories then be able to eat them back and lose? When I first started this I noticed that I do not eat enough calories, I was basically eating an average of 900 calories a day and not drinking water. So I am trying for the 1200, drinking 8-12 glasses of water but the scale isn't budging. So if you can lose weight without without working out let me know how!! But congrats on what you did lose, I hope I can once I get motivated to walk!

    Great to have you on the site! If your body was used to only 900 cals a day, your metabolism had likely slowed down to accomodate for the low calorie intake. Now that you are boosting your cals up to 1200 a day, you are working on getting that metabolism back up to speed. It will take a little bit, but I think we will start to see a loss within a week or two. Working out does increase your metabolism as well. Search the forums for the explanation on 'eating your exercise calories'. I had the same question when I joined and there are hundreds of threads that explain it and it will make much more sense. Good luck on your weight loss journey and feel free to add me if you are looking for support!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    A nutritionist told me once, that someone who starves themselves and loses 20 lbs. will lose 17 lbs of muscle and 3 lbs of fat--therefore making it easier to regain that loss. She said the same person who lost 20 lbs, but added exercise, would lose 17 lbs of fat, and only 3 lbs of muscle. I dont know if what she said is entirely true, but it makes sense to me.

    She was making up numbers to help emphasize the effects of exercise. If you are doing straight cardio, you will still lose muscle mass just not quite as much as if you didn't workout at all. Weight training on the other hand will maintain that muscle mass so that you are losing primarily fat mass.
  • wises5
    wises5 Posts: 53
    what about me cutting my sodium is half? will it help?
  • Marisela233
    Marisela233 Posts: 48 Member
    can u guys help me out? i dont understand the whole eating back ur excercise calories thing? then how is the excercise affecting ur weightloss if ur eating back what you burned....?

    Because MFP already has you set at a Healthy calorie deficit to loose weight based on your Normal activity levels for day-to-day life. So basically if you only eat 1200 calories then work off 600 of it you only ate 600 calories for the day causing such a sever calorie deficit your body cant function properly

    ohhh ok i think i understand now but its no necesary for me to burn the 1200 calories and them eat them is it?
  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    I started to get discouraged yesterday. I found this site and have been keeping track since 3/22. They have me on 1200 calories as well. I do not work out. I plan to but trying to get in the habit of watching what I eat and drinking water.. I have not lost a pound yet but I have not gained. I assume I should lose once I start walking to work, which is my plan. I read that people can eat more who exercise as they can eatthier exercise calories. I don't understand that concept. Why would you exercise to burn the calories then be able to eat them back and lose? When I first started this I noticed that I do not eat enough calories, I was basically eating an average of 900 calories a day and not drinking water. So I am trying for the 1200, drinking 8-12 glasses of water but the scale isn't budging. So if you can lose weight without without working out let me know how!! But congrats on what you did lose, I hope I can once I get motivated to walk!

    The other problem is as you get older it is much harder to lose weight..(oh how I know this to be true) because you have already lost muscle mass..a natural ageing thing....its hard.....but it will happen...but exercise is important..exercise is essential for bone density as well as muscle tone for us more mature ladies!!!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    Thank-you everyone great advice, i try to workout 30 mins everyday but I feel bad because its only like 100 calories..

    I have some questions for you. What sort of exercise are you doing? What are you using to determine the number of calories burned?
  • MFCuce
    MFCuce Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you for replying. Yes, I need to be concerned about the bone issue. I am on Fosamax as I have osteopenia. I am 53 and really haven't eaten the correct foods most of my life. My 83 yr old mother lives with us now and she always told me it would catch up with me. Shhhh, don't anyone tell her!!
  • ninakirby
    ninakirby Posts: 1
    Re: i try to workout 30 mins everyday but I feel bad because its only like 100 calories... Don't feel bad, remember all of the other health benefits you are receiving as well. Also, as you get into the habit of exercising you will probably find it comes easier allowing you to increase the intensity which will increase the calories burned. Keep at it and good luck!
  • jocelynlewis
    jocelynlewis Posts: 94
    Yes I would like to understand that also! :)
  • wises5
    wises5 Posts: 53
    I have a gazelle machine so just running on that...i'm at college n busy plus i just had wrist surgery
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    what about me cutting my sodium is half? will it help?

    That will help with water retention, but not fat loss. Preventing water retention from sodium, though, will show up as a loss on the scale and can decrease blood pressure and kidney issues.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    can u guys help me out? i dont understand the whole eating back ur excercise calories thing? then how is the excercise affecting ur weightloss if ur eating back what you burned....?

    Because MFP already has you set at a Healthy calorie deficit to loose weight based on your Normal activity levels for day-to-day life. So basically if you only eat 1200 calories then work off 600 of it you only ate 600 calories for the day causing such a sever calorie deficit your body cant function properly

    ohhh ok i think i understand now but its no necesary for me to burn the 1200 calories and them eat them is it?

    Just being alive your body burns a set amount of calories, called the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. Add in normal daily activity like taking care of children, walking to and from your car for work, taking the stairs, etc. and you increase the normal calorie burn by an activity factor. Not counting exercise, that is what MFP uses to determine your maintenance calories and it subtracts a deficit of 500 to 1000 calories a day (for a 1-2 pound a week loss) from that. So, if you don't exercise you are already burning the calories you are given by MFP as your goal. If you then add in exercise you increase your calorie burn. While some think they shouldn't eat their exercise calories because they want a greater deficit, this can backfire on you if your body perceives that what you are eating isn't coming close to meeting your normal energy requirement. From my classes, I've been taught that you should consume at least 80% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (BMR + daily activity + exercise) in order to make sure the body doesn't feel like it needs to slow down your metabolism because of not having adequate fuel.

    I was once given the example of driving across country in a semi, which while not 100% accurate in comparing to the body it gives a great visual to help explain why you should eat.. They have two gas tanks. One is the gas they fill up with at the gas station (IE the food we eat) and the other is the gas that is in reserve (IE glycogen, fat, and protein stored in the body) in case they don't have a gas station close enough to fill up the first tank before running out of fuel. The second tank has plenty, but if you cut it too close on the first tank, then the second tank tries to keep from running completely out of fuel by conserving or using less then it could. So, if you don't have enough in the first tank, the second tank won't work as well to make up the difference. If you don't have at least 80% of the fuel to get from New York to Los Angeles in the first tank, then you get stuck out of fuel in Las Vegas instead. If you don't have enough fuel for the BMR and activity from the first tank (IE intake) then you'll deplete what can be used from the second tank (IE fat stores) and won't have the energy to complete your workouts. Make sense?
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