confused about eating back the calories I burned?

Carolfp
Carolfp Posts: 42 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
HI! so I have calculated that I have a BMR of 1400cals
I'm wanting to lose .5kgs a week and I have set mfp to 1200 cals a day (which I try not to go over).
I usually burn 300-400 cals a day when working out, but I eat them back.
Is this okay or is it absolutely wrong??
I assumed that if I ate 1200cals and worked out my deficit would be 1200-300= 900
so I would be in starvation mode?

aww I hope I havent been wrong this whole time.. i love food...

Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    If your basal metabolic rate is 1400 calories then your calorie goal should be higher than 1200. What are your general stats? Do you have a pretty basic job/lifestyle (no serious walking/standing/labour in your daily life?)

    If you let MFP set your goals then yes, eat back the exercise calories. However, most only eat back half to 75% of them to account for error. How long have you been logging? If you're losing as expected then keep eating them back the same way. If losing a bit slower and unhappy, eat back 75%. If losing faster, raise your net goal (custom goal).
  • Regmack1
    Regmack1 Posts: 2
    So far I have been ignoring exercise calorie credits and keeping calorie count to the original plan. When I finish logging for the day it shows a faster weight loss than I set a goal for.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Regmack1 wrote: »
    So far I have been ignoring exercise calorie credits and keeping calorie count to the original plan. When I finish logging for the day it shows a faster weight loss than I set a goal for.
    because you are increasing your deficit. This is why you eat back your exercise calories; OP has it right. With so much left to lose for you specifically, you may be fine skipping the calories for now, but down the line you'll probably start to notice the ill effects of not quite eating enough - poor mood, lethargy, decreased energy (I had to increase my calories because of my gym performance, and I was already eating 2000 calories!)... the person who gets to eat hte most while losing weight is the winner!
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    edited February 2015
    I eat back all of my exercise cals and I'm losing slowly but steadily. I've got MFP set to lose 1lb a week and I've lost 7lbs in six weeks.

    Today I've cycled to and from work (8 miles) and will run 5k at lunchtime. I'd be passing out if I only ate 1,200 cals today!

    This has worked for me in the past too. A few years ago I lost three stone with Weight Watchers, before I realised that MFP is exactly the same as Weight Watchers, but free. With WW you also get a basic number of points (cals) a day, and can earn more points with exercise. When doing that, I again ate all my exercise points. There was much debate there too - some people ate none of what they earned, some ate some, some ate all.

    To me it's completely logical that if you burn loads of cals you need to replace them. I have friends who do physical jobs and eat about 5,000 cals a day and they're still slim! Similarly, I go on hill-walking holidays and when I spend a full day trekking up mountains I eat a lot more than on days spent at my desk at work.
  • SarahHowells1
    SarahHowells1 Posts: 132 Member
    I eat back the majority of the calories I burn with exercise and still lose weight!
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    EAT THEM BACK.
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