I'm supposed to eat the calories I burn each day??
Pamela3
Posts: 96 Member
Can someone please explain to me why MFP is adding the calories I'm burning to my daily total intake goal? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of working it off?
I know that when I was on WW we were allowed to eat SOME of our activity points earned, but not all.
I'm just trying to get a grasp on all of this so I can understand it better and live more comfortably in a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks In Advance!
I know that when I was on WW we were allowed to eat SOME of our activity points earned, but not all.
I'm just trying to get a grasp on all of this so I can understand it better and live more comfortably in a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks In Advance!
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Replies
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Yes, eat them. When you set up your MFP account, you put in a goal loss per week (1 lb per week, 2 lb per week, etc). MFP gives you a calorie guide that already takes that into account. Therefore, MFP adds back your exercise calories to keep you from going into starvation mode. So...EAT THEM.0
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You don't need to eat them. I don't, I actually find it hard to fit in the calories I lost and I also think it defeats the purpose of working out. For the first couple months I was on here and I ate back the calories I lost I either didn't lose weight or gained it. I think it's a personal choice but I've seen more results by not eating the calories back.0
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Yes. You eat your exercise calories...that is why they add them back. You need to NET at least 1200 calories a day. So if you start out at 1200 and exercise and burn 300 your net calories would be 900. Therefore, you have 300 calories added back to your target calorie intake in order to net 1200 calories for the day. I hope this makes sense. I was confused at first too.0
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You don't HAVE to eat them all. I mean just eat some of them until you're full. If you're already full and you don't feel like you need to eat anymore, then don't eat them. As long as you keep your daily caloric intake to a minimum of 1200 calories, you're good.
I personally try to not even eat them. I just keep it at 1200 calories.
Good luck on your journey!0 -
You can eat as many calories burned as you want... you want to eat them because it helps your metabolism and muscles. Just do what feels right for you. Good Luck
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You can eat as many calories burned as you want... you want to eat them because it helps your metabolism and muscles. Just do what feels right for you. Good Luck 0
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Try to eat them. MFP already calculates a safe and healthy deficit for you. If you go below that deficit you risk stalling your weight loss or slowing your metabolism (your body might go into conservation mode).
As for why you work out -- your body will drop the weight from both your fat and your muscle so when you lose weight you also, to some extent lose muscle. This muscle needs to be replaced which is why just doing cardio isn't enough. Also exercise will boost your metabolism and increase your overall health. And you'll be happier and have more self-confidence not to mention a lean healthy body versus a skinny weak body.
As for whether you'll keep losing, I read that when competing Michael Phelps would eat 12000 calories a day and STILL had trouble maintaining his weight because of what he burned off.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403803,00.html0 -
I'm sure everyone is different. Some people can eat back the calories and lose a constant pound or two while others can't so they don't eat them back. I'm toying with both atm. I seem to lose about a pound if I eat them back but I'm trying to lose more. I'm not going to eat back as much to see how that works for me.0
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Personally I ate them back and gained or didn't lose..that's just me though.0
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If you're eating them back and not losing or gaining one of three things is likely happening: 1) your body needs a bit of time to adjust, 2) you're overestimating the number of calories burned (don't go by the MFP calculators. They are NOT accurate at all) or 3) you're underestimating how many calories you're eating in a day.0
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Some people eat all of them, some people eat none of them, I personally choose to eat some (as 1200 calories is pretty tough to stick to every day) but nowhere near all of them by any means.
You will get a LOT of misinformed opinions, stating both yes and not, often repeated parrot fashion by people who do not understand the issues. If you do a search for "Starvation mode" you'll find discussions about this that get very heated, running to multiple pages, with both "sides" convinced they're right, and the others are wrong.
But, in answer to your question, there is no stock answer that applies to everyone, it depends on individual factors.
The way I shall answer is by posting a link to an explanation that is clear, and which is accepted by the majority as being correct. It is then up to you to decide what you think will work for you, and to try it.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works?hl="+Starvation+Mode:+How+It+Works"0 -
It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information0 -
It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information0 -
I sometimes do, depends when I burn them and if I'm hungry, also depends how many, I sometimes just have a protein shake or an extra cup of tea instead0
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It's not meant to be a big old YES, if you click through the site there are a ton of MFP links to topics included on the website that provide a lot of information
Yup, that's a great resource for a subject that has been pretty well covered.
Another good resource about calorie deficits are the Fat 2 Fit Radio pod casts (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/). I really encourage everyone to learn about calorie deficits, and about how success comes down to more than weight loss. It's all about fat loss. Exercise burns fat, builds muscle and makes you feel good. In order to exercise more you need to eat a little more.0 -
You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.
If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.0 -
You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.
If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.0 -
You have to eat to lose. Eat your 1200-1500-1800 calories a day. Track what you eat here on this site and then track your exercise as well.
If you want to maintain you current weight, then eat your calories that you burn, exercising. if you want to lose weight, then don't eat the calories that you burned.0 -
As for whether you'll keep losing, I read that when competing Michael Phelps would eat 12000 calories a day and STILL had trouble maintaining his weight because of what he burned off.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403803,00.html
THAT is an insane diet. It makes me sick to just read it!! ONLY a man could put away that many sandwiches in one sitting and have room for MORE in the same meal.0 -
There has been so much discussion on this topic but the majority of the information I've read is that yes you should eat them back. But most people I've read opinions from have found that eating only 50-75% back is more accurate because MFP exercise calculator isn't always correct. I find that if I eat back almost half it works for me. I can't make myself eat if I'm not hungry, it just makes me feel really sick. So I try to drink a protien shake after working out. It has high calories, but lots of protien.0
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It's because it's keeping you in a calorie deficit range to lose x per week (1-2 lbs). So if you exercize and burn more calories, your intake will go up to keep the deficit the same.
There are limits to how many calories you want to 'eat back', IMO. I'm not a doctor, so obviously this should not be considered medical advice. But to me, it seems stupid to eat just for the sake of eating. I'm running 5 miles a day, 7 days a week, and wear a monitor 23/7...so I know pretty much exactly how many calories I'm burning a day (between 3500-4200). I'm eating between 1500-2200 calories a day and no more simply because I'm not hungry enough to eat any more (if I was, I'd eat more)...and my weight is going down like clockwork (3ppw avg) along with my bloodwork.
So yeah, I'd say eating them back within reason is a good idea....but there is a limit to it depending upon how many calories you are talking about.0 -
How about now? :bigsmile:0 -
How about now? :bigsmile:
Still confused?0 -
I'm trying to grasp this. LOL. OK! So If I workout out and burn 1000 calories today doing it (I'm an instructor and am teaching two classes today). And my calorie goal is 1220...then I have to eat 2220 calories to be net? What happens if I end up with a massive deficit?0
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I'm trying to grasp this. LOL. OK! So If I workout out and burn 1000 calories today doing it (I'm an instructor and am teaching two classes today). And my calorie goal is 1220...then I have to eat 2220 calories to be net? What happens if I end up with a massive deficit?
Creating a massive deficit each day compounds over time and your metabolism suffers in the end. Never mind the absurdity of the most blasphemed and bastardized term of "starvation mode" that is used more loosely in the forums than a $2 hooker... I speak from experience when I say your metabolism will slow down and you will no longer burn calories effectively, and though you may be losing weight, there will be a slowing of it and eventually a stall. Creating close to nothing of net calories a day will start eating away at your body. Muscles and all. You don't have to believe me, but if you try it for yourself, you'll find out the hard way. So to prevent that I advise you now, just eat them.0 -
Thank you for responding! I have been at a stand still for over a year. I started with cutting the calories/working out and lost almost 40 pounds. I just have 10-15 to go , and I'm now an instructor so I teach a minimum of 8 classes a week. I kept my eating the same, but now workout 90 minutes to two hours 5-6 days a week. Should I experience a gain at first? I haven't even taught Body Pump yet today and it says I have over 1300 calories to go...so after class...I'll have about a 1700 calories deficit before dinner. LOL! If I eat a healthy dinner there is no way I could eat that many. Is there a healthy way I can ramp this up? Thanks!0
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Thank you for responding! I have been at a stand still for over a year. I started with cutting the calories/working out and lost almost 40 pounds. I just have 10-15 to go , and I'm now an instructor so I teach a minimum of 8 classes a week. I kept my eating the same, but now workout 90 minutes to two hours 5-6 days a week. Should I experience a gain at first? I haven't even taught Body Pump yet today and it says I have over 1300 calories to go...so after class...I'll have about a 1700 calories deficit before dinner. LOL! If I eat a healthy dinner there is no way I could eat that many. Is there a healthy way I can ramp this up? Thanks!
I would suggest ramping your calories up slowly (like 100-200 cal/day each week). There might be a little bit of a gain, but it will fall off pretty quick once your body adjusts. With as much as you are exercising, you probably won't see much of a gain at all. Being so close to goal is also going to slow you down some. From what I've heard the idea is to readjust your goals to like .5 lb/week, and focus on body composition/%fat. Good luck!0
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