Am I really supposed to eat all these calories...?
NLR0207
Posts: 10 Member
After getting the pain-management prescription of steroid/epidural injections over the past 3 months for chronic back pain, I am super-motivated to lose some weight that I had gained over the past 3 years. So...today, I exercised 1,100 calories. It's 7:45p and MFP is telling me I can eat 1,700 more calories. I can't do that! Will I really still lose weight if I do? Will I lose it faster if I do follow this plan, as opposed to just eating my original 1,220 calories per day I start out with? I don't see how I can eat that much more....Thanks for your feedback! I'm new to this App and I really like it!
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Replies
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exercise calories are greatly overestimated. i usually eat back half. how did u burn that many calories?0
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You're netting 120 calories (barring that your burns are 100% accurate, which they most likely aren't)? Eat something.
Of course you would lose faster, but you'll lose muscle mass and deprive yourself of nutrients if you consistently eat below your goal.0 -
Just curious - how on earth did you burn 1,100 calories with exercise in one day with chronic back pain?0
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Eat your original 1220 calories ... and if you feel like eating a little bit more, then eat some of your exercise calories.
I rarely eat all my exercise calories ... often I eat half of them or sometimes even less than half. One reason for that is because MFP, and most 'calories burned' sites, over-estimate the calories we burn doing stuff.0 -
Are you saying that your exercise burned 1100 calories?
MFP has a built in deficit. So if you eat 1220, your deficit is already in there. If you exercise, you can eat those back - they are like bonus calories. You won't be undoing your hard work.
That said, I'm very, very conservative with my exercise calories. Whatever MFP gives me, I cut in half, and I only eat those calories back if I'm hungry.
Make sense?0 -
I wouldn't feel obliged to eat 1700 cal if you're not feeling like you need them, however 1100 on a workout day seems a little low. In the past, I've had success mixing the numbers up- some days going higher, some days lower.0
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TheVirgoddess wrote: »That said, I'm very, very conservative with my exercise calories. Whatever MFP gives me, I cut in half, and I only eat those calories back if I'm hungry.
Make sense?
That's a great idea. I always kinda feel like it's cheating when I eat back my exercise calories. I always log my exercise at the end of the day, after my last meal so that I don't see those extra calories and become tempted to eat them. Or I don't even log them at all through MFP.0 -
I wouldn't feel obliged to eat 1700 cal if you're not feeling like you need them, however 1100 on a workout day seems a little low. In the past, I've had success mixing the numbers up- some days going higher, some days lower.
are u saying burning 1100 EXTRA calories is low? i must have misread something?0 -
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I wouldn't feel obliged to eat 1700 cal if you're not feeling like you need them, however 1100 on a workout day seems a little low. In the past, I've had success mixing the numbers up- some days going higher, some days lower.
She said she BURNED 1,100 calories, not ate 1,100 calories on an exercise day.0 -
After getting the pain-management prescription of steroid/epidural injections over the past 3 months for chronic back pain, I am super-motivated to lose some weight that I had gained over the past 3 years. So...today, I exercised 1,100 calories. It's 7:45p and MFP is telling me I can eat 1,700 more calories. I can't do that! Will I really still lose weight if I do? Will I lose it faster if I do follow this plan, as opposed to just eating my original 1,220 calories per day I start out with? I don't see how I can eat that much more....Thanks for your feedback! I'm new to this App and I really like it!
I generally eat a portion of my exercise calories... about half. Still lost 20 lbs.
If you only eat 1,200 calories and you burn 1,100 of those calories with exercise then that doesn't leave you many calories for your normal daily functioning. I don't think you are going to be feeling very good for long doing that.0 -
I am a little lost. OP, how many calories did you eat so far today? And how many calories do you feel you burned? What type of exercise did you do and for how long, and can I ask what your current weight, height and age are?0
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Thanks so much for the quick feedback!
I'll answer the questions in no particular order: I'm exercising and actually WANTING to exercise, since the injections have made me 95% pain free for the first time in a long time! The increasing back pain was so gradual, I kept ignoring it and popping ibuprofen. It must have been affecting the quality of my sleep too. Not anymore!
I use MapMyFitness, which also syncs my workouts to MFP. How did I log so many? I did 30 minute Sprints/Walk on the treadmill before work. I walked in the park next to my office for 25 minutes - moderate, 1.2 miles, at lunch, and after work, I did my favorite exercise of all: I rollerblade. My usual route is 8 to 11 miles on a beautiful trail. I listen to my audiobook or music. It takes me 63-75 minutes. I LOVE IT! It doesn't feel like work at all.
I'm sure I sound manic; but, to put it in perspective: I had a failing gall bladder 3 years ago that began my exercise decline/weight gain. Then, when it was removed, my back began getting worse. At the same time, I married my 2nd husband - the love of my life-and it was easy to fall into bad 'happy' habits instead of noticing how much my habits were changing. When I began dreading the gym, regretting blading, moaning as I exited the bed each morning, I knew I had to do something. My gut was right. I tried the injections, to see if it helped. It has. I feel renewed and excited to finally have my motivation back. I consistently also prayed about it. Prayed that if I could just get the breakthrough of motivation, I'd do my part and take advantage of it. So, I am doing my part.
I want to add friends on here; but, I'm not sure if that's appropriate. So, since you all responded, please feel free to add me. I love the shared support and knowledge. I'll contribute as well!0 -
Thanks so much for the quick feedback!
I'll answer the questions in no particular order: I'm exercising and actually WANTING to exercise, since the injections have made me 95% pain free for the first time in a long time! The increasing back pain was so gradual, I kept ignoring it and popping ibuprofen. It must have been affecting the quality of my sleep too. Not anymore!
I use MapMyFitness, which also syncs my workouts to MFP. How did I log so many? I did 30 minute Sprints/Walk on the treadmill before work. I walked in the park next to my office for 25 minutes - moderate, 1.2 miles, at lunch, and after work, I did my favorite exercise of all: I rollerblade. My usual route is 8 to 11 miles on a beautiful trail. I listen to my audiobook or music. It takes me 63-75 minutes. I LOVE IT! It doesn't feel like work at all.
I'm sure I sound manic; but, to put it in perspective: I had a failing gall bladder 3 years ago that began my exercise decline/weight gain. Then, when it was removed, my back began getting worse. At the same time, I married my 2nd husband - the love of my life-and it was easy to fall into bad 'happy' habits instead of noticing how much my habits were changing. When I began dreading the gym, regretting blading, moaning as I exited the bed each morning, I knew I had to do something. My gut was right. I tried the injections, to see if it helped. It has. I feel renewed and excited to finally have my motivation back. I consistently also prayed about it. Prayed that if I could just get the breakthrough of motivation, I'd do my part and take advantage of it. So, I am doing my part.
I want to add friends on here; but, I'm not sure if that's appropriate. So, since you all responded, please feel free to add me. I love the shared support and knowledge. I'll contribute as well!
Wow, I looked it up and didn't realize rollerblading burned so many calories! Of course that's something I will NEVER do at my age, hah!0 -
Eat back half your exercise burns and you'll still lose. Remember the winner get's to eat the most and still lose. You need to fuel the machine and you're working for sustainability here.0
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Underestimate on exercise calories and eat back some, but not all.0
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I generally take what MFP or exercise machines tell me I burned and enter in half. then if I'm hungry after my workout, I'll eat back another half of what I entered. so at most I'll eat back a quarter of what MFP says I burned.0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »Eat back half your exercise burns and you'll still lose. Remember the winner get's to eat the most and still lose. You need to fuel the machine and you're working for sustainability here.
^Yes!
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MFP needs to add 'like' button replies!
I'm going to eat a 1/4 of the exercise calories earned back and choose by the carbs/protein/protein or any other nutritional deficits that I show for that day.0 -
Eat half back. Give it a few weeks and see if your listing your goal on averge. Adjust from there.0
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MFP needs to add 'like' button replies!
I'm going to eat a 1/4 of the exercise calories earned back and choose by the carbs/protein/protein or any other nutritional deficits that I show for that day.
Good ...you can also look at calorie defecit as a weekly thing ...use the weekly report on the app...so you can use calories you don't eat today, tomorrow or at the weekend or on a night out
Just hit your protein and fat targets as a minimum
And may I say I now want to get my old rollerblades out and stumble precariously up the road praying for gracefully balance0
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