I can't eat back my exercise calories

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littlemili
littlemili Posts: 625 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a problem that some days it is literally impossible to eat back even half my exercise calories. It makes me feel physically sick to try and I don't exactly have an issue with appetite. The problem is I walk 40 minutes (quickly) each day to college, sometimes twice, and when I get there my degree is in violin performance so I would usually practice 800 calories worth in a day (5 hours). Then if I also do 30-40 minutes of a workout that day I can end up needing to eat over 2000 calories - to put it in context I am meant to be eating 1200 without exercise and trying to lose 1lb a week. Other days I will literally do no exercise at all and those days I tend to hit bang on 1200 or there abouts.

I am worried about this starvation mode I have read about but I can't see that it can be an issue for me...? I have a BMI of 25.7 and on days when I burn a lot of calories I do eat more, but I just can't see the point of making myself feel ill from eating just to get those calories back on. Besides, I am trying to lose weight and I worked hard for those burnt calories! Should I change my aim to lose 2lb a week so it allows me fewer calories, or is it ok to accept that if I am burning 800 calories on violin practice that I don't eat them back (as it's not proper exercise, just a side effect of studying)?

Thanks for any feedback. I am a bit at a loss here and new to dieting and calories so any help is really appreciated.
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Replies

  • lnelson88
    lnelson88 Posts: 64
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    I need to know the answer to this too.
  • lcheese1984
    lcheese1984 Posts: 6
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    I didnt know that we were supposed to eat back the exercise calories.......
  • terri0702
    terri0702 Posts: 17 Member
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    I need to know to...
  • katcornwell
    katcornwell Posts: 1
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    I agree with you! I don't understand the science of it either. It seems counterproductive to keep eating to balance out at 1200 calories. Today is my 4th day of doing this and I'm usually under my calorie count once i put my exercise in, and by that time of day, the thought of sitting down and eating a bunch of food just to lift the calories seems goofy. If someone can explain the logic behind it, it would help. I think starvation mode would only kick in if you are only eating maybe 500-600 calories a day and doing no exercise, but I could be wrong.
  • kaitimae
    kaitimae Posts: 727 Member
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    I would not count whatever you are doing as far as practicing as exercise. Yes, it's physical (I have a degree in music, so I trust me I know!), but I would just consider that part of your everyday routine - and when you go into your settings to set up your calories for MFP, check the box that says you are "moderately active." Right now I have a desk job, but before this job, I was working in childcare. I didn't count all the running around I did after kids as exercise though - that was just part of my job.

    DO count your walking to class and whatever purposeful workouts you do at the gym, outside, etc.
  • PlanetVelma
    PlanetVelma Posts: 1,231 Member
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    Here's a really great post on exercise calories....


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • bhb301
    bhb301 Posts: 338 Member
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    Not a expect , but if you do violin practice alot, change your activity to heay, or don't count them at all. Does it burn that many, do you wear a HRM?
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    1) Starvation mode absolutely can be an issue for you, precisely BECAUSE you are so close to a healthy weight range and are burning so many calories. Starvation mode is triggered when your body tries to protect its fat stores (its version of an emergency back up for possible starvation)

    2) What are you eating? If you open your diary we can likely help you pick out places and foods you can bulk up to reach your goals.

    3) Don't do a workout on top of everything else? I mean you already lead an active lifestyle and are getting a consistent burn.

    4) 1200 is as low as the site will let you go. If you changed your goals to .5 lbs per week you likely won't see much of a deficit.

    5) Try bulking up your meals throughout the day- eat 4-500 cals at breakfast, lunch and dinner and the remaining should be easy enough to fit in through snacks.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
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    Your net calories need to be the 1200 you have. I usually try to get there but some days I can't. Try to add things--cheese, condiments etc. to your food. Instead of having chicken with veggies have garlic bread instead or something. Obviously don't eat something terrible for you to make those up, but just add things onto your usual meals to make up for some of that. Or drinks. Like milk or something.
  • Brittney24
    Brittney24 Posts: 105
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    You need to net around 1200 calories.
    The site already puts you at a deficit of 1200 calories, so when you exercise and burn say 800 calories all your body has left for the other functions it needs to carry out for the day is 400 calories. That's WAY too little.

    Your body will go into starvation mode by doing that since you aren't letting it function properly. Also you're body will start to recruit from body stores, mainly protein which 1. you're going to lose protein mass and 2. even if you do lose weight you'll be "fat-skinny" since you still will have a lot of fat stores but little muscle stores.

    I'd say as long as you reach a net of 1200 calories you should be alright, but don't go under than consistently or you'll go into starvation.
  • CFAITH_WARD
    CFAITH_WARD Posts: 281 Member
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    Have you been doing this voilin practice before starting this program?....It maybe that you to mark yourself in the setting as being an active person.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    plan ahead, on the days you workout spread the cals out over the day that way you are not trying to eat so many post workout.
  • otr12
    otr12 Posts: 632 Member
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    I started eating (most of) my exercise calories back and stopped losing weight. I hear this happens and I should just press on. It will eventually improve, or so they say. I haven't seen evidence of this yet. I'm starting to wonder if it's alll just a cruel joke. But I'm impatient and it's only been a week.
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
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    Holy Moly! 800 calories for practicing Violin! Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying its not tough, because I wouldnt even know, as I have never played....but seriously, I thk I will take that up! I spend 45 minutes in the elliptical sweating like a pig and I burn less than 500!!!

    Anyway, I struggle with the same thing. Never know what to do. I think its becomes more of an issue when you have less to lose and you hit that plateau......
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    I am going to say that if you are used to doing 5 hours of violin practice everyday... it likely isn't exercise anymore. It's something you would be doing anyways. I wouldn't worry about consuming calories for this. Is it work... Absolutely. But because it is something you do daily and not muscle building or cardio... I wouldn't count it.

    I would however count the brisk walk that you do as that likely leads to an elevated heart rate.
  • hyper_stitch
    hyper_stitch Posts: 180 Member
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    Hmmmmmm I'm not too sure about this either. I don't drive so I walk alot and carry heavy bags etc I don't even add any of this activity because I've always done it, so the way I see it I put the weight on doing it and my body's already used to it if that makes sense?!

    If you're losing at a rate you're happy with I wouldn't get too hung up on it.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    so, I agree with Newfiedan that you should make every attempt to spread your calories out throughout the day, if you know you are doing the extra calorie burn, plan for that. 2000 calories isn't that much to eat in a day if you plan out right.

    And no don't raise your deficit, not where you are, in fact I would lean more towards lowering your deficit (I.E. raising the amount of calories you eat) as 1 lb a week for someone at a healthy BMI is generally difficult to accomplish and even harder to maintain for any length of time. Assuming, that is, that you don't have an inordinate amount of muscle mass or some other reason that your BMI would be off.
  • otr12
    otr12 Posts: 632 Member
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    ...Instead of having chicken with veggies have garlic bread instead or something. Obviously don't eat something terrible for you to make those up...

    ?
    Can I get that garlic bread recipe?
  • foxylady8098
    foxylady8098 Posts: 57
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    I wouldn't even count the calories you burn from the violin practice because your body is already accustomed to that type of exercise on a regular basis. It's like if you have a job where you are on your feet all day; you wouldn't count that time on your feet as exercise, you would just count it as a high exertion job when you enter it into MFP. The only time I would reccomend to add it is if you practice longer than you do in a normal day, or if you are playing a concert or something.

    Hope this helps.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    I started eating (most of) my exercise calories back and stopped losing weight. I hear this happens and I should just press on. It will eventually improve, or so they say. I haven't seen evidence of this yet. I'm starting to wonder if it's alll just a cruel joke. But I'm impatient and it's only been a week.
    caloric imbalance if you have not seen weight loss in 2 weeks. Either to much or to little, my guess is that you are making a simple mistake somewhere.

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