Calories

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sherrik10
sherrik10 Posts: 74 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just read in Shape Magazine that you are not supposed to eat back calories burned but MFP says you should. Anybody have any input on this?

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  • fcrisswell
    fcrisswell Posts: 234 Member
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    This debate goes back and forth.

    MFP alrady had the calorie deficit built in to your daily calorie goal. You should still lose weight with no exercise.

    When you exercise you make that deficit bigger which could be too much....hence the eating back of those calories. Sometimes a bigger deficit is not always better and can be counterproductive.

    The big issue comes in when trying to determine how many actual calories are burned when doing specific activities. Not everyone is going to burn thru the same amount of calories doing the same thing because it depends on lean body mass, muscle, etc.
  • kblue2007
    kblue2007 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    I have heard both sides of the story since joining MFP. I personally have to eat back my workout calories, otherwise I stay the same or gain. I think if you have a significant amount of weight to lose not eating back you calories AT FIRST will result in a quicker weight loss, but I'm not sure if it is healthy for your body and eventually your body will require more fuel to maintain the same workouts.
    Good luck!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Ok the thing is any program SHAPE gives you is going to be somewhat different than MFP. They both with bring you to roughly the same amount of calories eaten, but they just do the math differently.

    If you are interested I can explain it- but I don't want to bore you with a long post. The basics are this- if you are doing the SHAPE plan, follow that plan and eat/workout how it directs you. If you are using goals set out from your MFP profile, then eat your exercise calories because that is how MFP the tool is designed to work.

    Neither is wrong, they just are accounting for calories eaten/burned differently.
  • roseyrose2000
    roseyrose2000 Posts: 29 Member
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    Well, personally i think everyone is individual. From my experience, when i eat the calories i burn (using a hrm usually 600 -700 cal a day or more) i never seem to lose:sad: But when i stay around my 1200 going over a little here and there, i seem to lose.? I think everyones experience with this will be different. I hear you should eat them, but when i do , i get no results.
    Good Luck, :-) :smile:
  • sherrik10
    sherrik10 Posts: 74 Member
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    Thanks so much for everyone's advice. I do not follow a Shape program but was just curious as to what other people thought. Thanks!

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