Help with calories

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Amyzk125
Amyzk125 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I log my food and exercise daily. I've been told that even with I workout, I should get down to 0 calories left with no deficit AND I've been told to keep the deficit to help lose! What is the best thing to do? HELP!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You should be eating all the calories given to you plus half your exercise calories back (to account for overestimation of burns). If your goal is 1500, and your exercise burns 400 calories, that would give you 1700 to eat.
  • thegreatcanook
    thegreatcanook Posts: 2,419 Member
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    What's your calorie goal? Add me and I can check your diary.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    You should be eating all the calories given to you plus half your exercise calories back (to account for overestimation of burns). If your goal is 1500, and your exercise burns 400 calories, that would give you 1700 to eat.

    This^

    MFP gives you a goal so that you can lose weight without exercise. So even before exercise you are at a deficit. To maintain your deficit (keep it from getting to big), you need to eat some of your exercise calories back.
    Example:
    MFP estimated Burn without Exercise: 2000
    To lose 1lb per week: -500
    MFP Goal : 1500
    Exercise: 400 (50% being 200)
    MFP estimated burn with Exercise: 2200
    To lose 1lb per week: -500
    MFP Goal : 1700 (or NET 1500)
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    I've seen people say everything from don't eat them back (which is what my doctor told me) to eat everything back.

    Most people underestimate what they eat, and most machines overestimate what you burn.
    So if you're going to eat any of it back, do it only once in a while, and only 1/3 - 1/2 of what it says you've burned.

    If you're not losing weight, then don't eat back anything, &/or consider dropping your calorie goal.
    If you're losing too fast, or you feel bad, try eating back some of it.

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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??
  • ryanwood935
    ryanwood935 Posts: 245 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??

    Dieting sucks. You get to eat more food when you exercise.

    Exercising is great for your body.

    Adding resistance training helps to retain more lean body mass than just dieting alone, so you don't have to cut down as far to look great.

    Tons of other personal reasons why people work out, including finding new passions, meeting likeminded people (fit people are very helpful for staying onboard!), stress relief, etc..
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??

    The point in eating them back is to prevent yourself from undernourishing/feeding your body.

    If you calculate your net (no exercise) needs as being 2000 to maintain and you then cut that down to 1600, then when you exercise your TDEE is now, say, 2300 for the day. So you'd eat 1900 so that you maintain the same deficit size and ensure you are properly fueling your body.

    If you calculated 2000 for net maintenance, eat 1600, and then burn 2300 that day but still only eat 1600, you've just unnecessarily increased your deficit.

    If you calculated 2000 for net maintenance but decide to eat 2000 calories, then you'd need to exercise to create that deficit. This is the only time you'd not eat the calories back when using a net calorie intake method.

    If you know that without exercise you need to eat 2000 cals to maintain, but then you calculate to include exercise and find that on average you can maintain on 2200, then you can just eat 1800 every day without eating back exercise calories and basically have the same deficit that you had in the other situations.

    But most people here do not do the last 2 methods. Hence they need to eat back exercise calories - at least half to all of them. I rec starting with all of them, because a) most people have too-aggressive goals and are better off eating more food, b) it's much easier to monitor results and then lower the caloric intake if you aren't losing at your desired rate
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??
    Not everyone who exercises does so with the intent to burn calories.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??

    MFP already creates a deficit for you. The exercise is in addition to that deficit.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    This is actually helpful. I'm at goal, but never got the exercise rationale before.
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    You should be eating all the calories given to you plus half your exercise calories back (to account for overestimation of burns). If your goal is 1500, and your exercise burns 400 calories, that would give you 1700 to eat.

    This^

    MFP gives you a goal so that you can lose weight without exercise. So even before exercise you are at a deficit. To maintain your deficit (keep it from getting to big), you need to eat some of your exercise calories back.
    Example:
    MFP estimated Burn without Exercise: 2000
    To lose 1lb per week: -500
    MFP Goal : 1500
    Exercise: 400 (50% being 200)
    MFP estimated burn with Exercise: 2200
    To lose 1lb per week: -500
    MFP Goal : 1700 (or NET 1500)

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Most people eat back half the calories burned in exercise (accounts for over calculations).
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Everyone has a different opinion on how many exercise calories to eat. Try eating half and see how that goes. If it doesn't work, you can adjust it.

    I only eat them back if I'm hungry.
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Can I ask what is the point of exercising if you are going to eat all of the calories you've burnt off back??
    Exercise is great for your cardiovascular system. That's why they began calling it "cardio." There are other health befits, too, like becoming stronger, feeling better, etc.

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