Who wants to beat a dead horse? (Exercise calories again)

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Thexplodingirl
Thexplodingirl Posts: 80
in Fitness and Exercise
My husband is adamant that a calorie I consume is not equal to a calorie I burn, and thinks it's dangerous to my weight loss to eat my calories back. There are days (like today) where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to eat all of my calories back. My daily allotment is 1210, I burned 1647 on a hike, and I ended up having 900 something left after I ate a good lunch and dinner.

Does anyone have any information to substantiate his claim that a consumed calorie is different from a burned calorie? Feel free to give me any tips on eating all those calories back, it's hard when it's twice as much as my normal allotment. (and yes I've eaten nuts today!

Replies

  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Protein shakes with milk are a good way to get vitamins, protein and calories.

    When you put your information into this site (height, weight, age, weight loss goals, exercise goals, etc) MFP automatically figures in a deficit when it gives you your calorie goal for the day. It is telling you to consume that many calories to lose weight in a healthy way. So, let's say it tells you to eat 1500 calories in a day. Let's say you go to the gym and you burn 500 calories and you don't eat them back -- well, then you've only consumed 1000 calories for the day. This is too low. MFP wants you to eat 1500, so you eat back the 500 you burned off exercising and you're now back to 1500.

    1500 (eaten calories) - 500 (exercise) = 1000 + 500 (eaten back) = 1500.

    When you do something like hiking and can't eat back all the calories burned - do the best you can to get it as close as possible. However, in a lot of cases it simply isn't possible to eat another 1200 calories. Do the best you can. It won't hurt to not eat them back once in awhile, but if you aren't losing weight and you aren't eating them back -- I recommend eating them back for awhile to see if that moves things along.

    BTW, I always eat mine back.
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
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    Personally if I don't eat the extra exercise calories I don't lose as much as if I try to eat them all. Is your husband a nutritionist? I have a high daily allotment myself and I do my best to eat enough calories to make up for the exercise....I don't always make it but I try. I think that you should just keep doing what works for YOU! Awesome job on that hike!!
  • Thexplodingirl
    Thexplodingirl Posts: 80
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    Yeah but have you heard anything about that a consumed calorie is different than a burned calorie? I understand why people say we should eat all of our exercise calories back, I'm just.... I guess wanting something to show my hubby to shut him up :)

    by the way he's not a nutritionist, suggests I meet with an expert and not listen to mfp. :p he's losing weight too, lost 40 lbs so far, just not mfp, and not exercising.
  • xelapw
    xelapw Posts: 12
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    34 grams peanut butter, banana & two slices wholemeal bread. Highly calorific but good fats. I have my doubts about the cal thing too but can tell you that when I was on holiday I walked every day and swam for an hour or more every day. Did not over eat kept well within cals and in two weeks only lost 1 lb. Been told by a doctor that not eating enough and need to eat the exercise cals!
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
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    So I Googled calories consumed vs calories burned I am figuring that caories consumed is fuel for the calories you burn.....check it out :) wish I could be more helpful.....if you google it yourself choose the Mayoclinic oprtion it goes into depth :)
  • Thexplodingirl
    Thexplodingirl Posts: 80
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    Can you post the link to the article you're talking about?

    Maybe I should just make HIM cite his source!
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
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    I can try.....may I request you as a friend?
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
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    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006
  • ehilgeman
    ehilgeman Posts: 45
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    I mean seriously. A calorie is a scientific measurement of how much heat/energy it would take to burn off a specific thing. It's not subjective measurement, regardless of whether you're talking about what you eat or what you burn. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Now, I have to say, I was not 100% convinced about eating all my exercise calories. I've been doing Weight Watchers for years and not eating my exercise points, and I simply stopped losing. I've been eating my exercise calories on MFP and have started losing again. Plus, at least once a season, you see Jillian Michaels telling some contestant on the Biggest Loser that they have to trust in the process and eat more than they are. And, if you want a more scientific explanation of why to do it, what really convinced me was this post:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    And more discussions about it on this page:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    It's my understanding that your body needs those calories to fuel your body during your workout, and shortly after. I would recommend, if you burn a lot of calories like that to try to consume most of them around your workout. Maybe trailmix on a hike, or something similar. I don't think one day will kill you either way. It won't put you into starvation mode, and one day of excess won't make you gain exessive amounts of fat. If you workout like that a lot, I would try to eat more. At least half your calories from exercise. If not, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    there is no science behind this..and like most of these diet beliefs...they are myth.

    if you arent hungry and still have plenty of energy..dont eat them back. you know your body, everyone body is different..what works for one, wont work for another.
  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
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    I wish I could communicate to everyone on here that I have lost 54lbs by eating back half of my exercise calories.

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