question?

Anna2004
Anna2004 Posts: 3
edited September 27 in Introduce Yourself
Ok so, my calorie goal is 1300 a day. When I put in my exercise for the day, it will give me more calories to eat. So am I supposed to eat more or stay in under 1300 calories. Can someone please let me know. I want to reach my goal, but also be healthy.

Replies

  • kyodi
    kyodi Posts: 376 Member
    You need to eat back what you burned in exercise. It through me for a loop too, but from reading on these boards I've found it's very important to eat them back. I have been doing so and I'm down 45 lbs since mid February :-D
  • Kat0310
    Kat0310 Posts: 341
    I think different people may have different opinions on that but I don't eat my earned exercise calories.
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    Try to keep the net about 0 at the end of the day.
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    Eat until your calories remaining is close to, but not over Zero.

    MFP calculates your deficit, and then adds your exercise calories back in, as your deficit is already set.
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    The number they gave you is for healthy weight loss if you do not do additional exercise.
  • misssmiles
    misssmiles Posts: 207 Member
    i use my exercise calories as a cushion... incase i do go over... or if i REALLY want that ice cream cone... but i try to not eat back all of the calories... after all weight loss is about calories in and calories out...
  • crazybeautiful38
    crazybeautiful38 Posts: 3
    I might be wrong on this and if I am then someone please correct me. But if you eat and then work out you obviously burn the calories that you've already consumed, so you would need to make up for what you've burned. I think that if you stay within the calorie intake that the site gives you then you should still see results. I hope that kinda helped you out.
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    Try to keep the net about 0 at the end of the day.

    Not NET. Calories remaining.
  • Kat0310
    Kat0310 Posts: 341
    i use my exercise calories as a cushion... incase i do go over... or if i REALLY want that ice cream cone... but i try to not eat back all of the calories... after all weight loss is about calories in and calories out...

    I agree!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Try to keep the net about 0 at the end of the day.

    NO, YOUR NET SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL 1300, the caption on the top that says calories remaining should be near 0, slightly over or under is fine.

    MFP gave you 1300 calories to lose your goal amount of weight without exercise (you have a daily defiict of 500 cals for every 1lb/week goal) If you exercise and burn 600 cals your deficit will be larger than your goal amount and if you only at 1300 cals your body will function as if you only at 700 (1300-600) and did not workout.

    In other words eating 1300 and burning 600 from a workout would be like eating 700 calories and not working out. This is not enough calories and the only way to meet your weekly goal it to eat 100% of the calories MFP gives you, assuming you are calculating calories burned correctly and correctly measuring your food.
  • runnermel
    runnermel Posts: 278
    You need to eat back what you burned in exercise. It through me for a loop too, but from reading on these boards I've found it's very important to eat them back. I have been doing so and I'm down 45 lbs since mid February :-D

    Wow! congrats on the loss! that's awesome!
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
    The 1300 calories is a NET. That means you start with 1300 calories a day. If you exercise 300 calories that will make your net calorie intake 1000. Therefore you need to eat 300 extra calories in order to net 1300. It is important you eat your exercise calories back. If your net falls below 1200 calories a day your metabolism will slow down and your weight loss will slow down too. I hope this makes sense.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Your aim should be at least 1300. Especially if you've set yourself up for 2 lb. per week weight loss like most people do. Eat as many of your exercise calories as you can, as long as you are getting an accurate number on your burn. Some things tend to overestimate caloric burn, so you may need to play with it a little bit.
  • adougherty10
    adougherty10 Posts: 50
    I was confused about that too. I have found some really good answers under the "please read first newbie" posts under the general diet questions.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
    I think different people may have different opinions on that but I don't eat my earned exercise calories.


    I didn't eat mine back at first either. I was only netting 700-800 calories a day. I plateaued and my weight loss came to a halt. I went almost 3 weeks without losing anything. As soon as I started eating back my exercise calories (netting 1400 calories a day) my weight loss picked right back up. I have lost 38 pounds in 16 weeks. I don't know how long you have been on here, but I did notice that you haven't lost any weight. It may be because you aren't eating enough calories if you are burning calories from exercise every day. Eating back exercise calories will boost a person's metabolism and facilitate weight loss.
  • nickfarrow
    nickfarrow Posts: 5
    I don't understand why people eat their exercise calories..
    There's no point in working out if your going to eat them. As long as your over the necessary 1200 calories a day and eat a healthy well balanced diet you'll lose weight at a nice steady pace!
    I agree, I sometime use mine as a cushion just in case I fancy a treat.
  • Anna2004
    Anna2004 Posts: 3
    Thank u all for the info, it really helped me to understand the calorie, exercise & net better. I would just think, why do I want to eat what I just burned, but it makes sense. Thank u:smile::smile:
  • NotAllWhoWanderAreLost
    NotAllWhoWanderAreLost Posts: 615 Member
    Try to keep the net about 0 at the end of the day.

    NO, YOUR NET SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL 1300, the caption on the top that says calories remaining should be near 0, slightly over or under is fine.

    MFP gave you 1300 calories to lose your goal amount of weight without exercise (you have a daily defiict of 500 cals for every 1lb/week goal) If you exercise and burn 600 cals your deficit will be larger than your goal amount and if you only at 1300 cals your body will function as if you only at 700 (1300-600) and did not workout.

    In other words eating 1300 and burning 600 from a workout would be like eating 700 calories and not working out. This is not enough calories and the only way to meet your weekly goal it to eat 100% of the calories MFP gives you, assuming you are calculating calories burned correctly and correctly measuring your food.

    this is EXCELLENT advice and deserves to be on the thread twice! :drinker:
  • Kat0310
    Kat0310 Posts: 341
    I think different people may have different opinions on that but I don't eat my earned exercise calories.


    I didn't eat mine back at first either. I was only netting 700-800 calories a day. I plateaued and my weight loss came to a halt. I went almost 3 weeks without losing anything. As soon as I started eating back my exercise calories (netting 1400 calories a day) my weight loss picked right back up. I have lost 38 pounds in 16 weeks. I don't know how long you have been on here, but I did notice that you haven't lost any weight. It may be because you aren't eating enough calories if you are burning calories from exercise every day. Eating back exercise calories will boost a person's metabolism and facilitate weight loss.

    I just joined last Friday and haven't done my official weigh in yet. I plan to do that weekly. Also, the exercising I do doesn't result in very high calorie amounts (I only log about 300 burned). I will take your advice though, if I end up plateuing later I will add on more cals if needed.
  • Anna2004
    Anna2004 Posts: 3
    Thank u. I will start today. I wasn't eating what I had burned in the last month and I did notice that I havent lost any weight. Thank u, your info.
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