My take on exercise calories (please read if you are new!!)

bump!

Thanks soooo much for posting this. I too was totally confused as to what to do concerning calories burned. I would work out and then eat, all while trying to leave some calories "on the table" as I call it. No darn wonder I'm not losing weight. My body is in starvation mode which is a concept I totally understand. I believe my intake is 1230 - say 500 I burned today, I'm only EXISTING on 730 cals. Correct me if I'm wrong but this in turn forces my body to hold on to the fat instead of burning it and turning it into muscle. I wana pop myself right now. I have been teeter tottering between 3-4lbs since May 5th. From this day on, I'm going to eat my calories burned and see how it works for me. I know its different strokes for different folks and since I've tried NOT eating them back (unintentionally might I add) I'm now going to try eating them back and see if I lose weight. Thanks so much...your explanation was one of the clearest ones yet!

I totally appreciate it! It sounds like you've explained my issue...we shall see I've very optimistic about it!

My darn stomach is growling now shoots!

Thank you so much for great explanation, but i have a question, MFP calculated tha i have to eat 1200 cal a day, is MFP wrong? am i eating too less calories?

This is a great thread, thanks much for the explanation. Much has been said about being unable to exactly know the quantities of calories burned in a workout. Although this is true, this is not the only estimated value.

• A medium Golden Delicious Apple logs 80 cals, but it certainly a few more or less.
• Simply because food our comes in a cellophane packages with "125 calories" stamped on the back, it is likely there is some caloric variant as well there too.
• MFP knows my height and weight. It does not know my muscle mass. Certainly there are other people with similar measurements with a different fat/muscle ratio, and will thus burn calories at a different rate.
• I think we can all agree someone, like me, who sits at a desk all day has a sedentary lifestyle. However the person who rushes around their apartment, runs down three flights of stairs and sprints three blocks to catch the bus on the way to their desk job lives a much different sedentary lifestyle than someone like me whose desk is literally two steps from my bed.
• It seems logical to assume when two people of equal height and weight, when one is active and muscular and the other is sedentary and less fit, their bodies will have unique "starvation mode thresholds."
• As I loose weight MFP will drop my Caloric Goal. Last week it dropped 60 cals/day. The weight loss was gradual but the goals step down in a systematic manner.

Because there are so many variables I think it is foolish to adhere too closely to calories.

However, I think there are some principles we can gather: MFP is a well-reasoned and solid system. Our bodies need regular exercise, our bodies need a proper amount of calories to function properly, the best route to lasting weight loss and overall health is an appropriate balance of calories burned and consumed, and there is no reason to be hungry when following the MFP guidelines.

Now here's my question. I'm 5'11" 255.
Week 1 (partial week): I was allocated 1670/day calories and consumed a net of 1377.
Week 2: 1670 allowed, 1233 consumed.
Week 3 (partial week): 1610 recommended, 1264 ingested.

According to this thread I'm eating way less than what my body needs. However, I feel good and am not hungry. Based on how much estimation is involved when tracking calories, I don't want to eat simply to meet a somewhat arbitrary goal.

My diary is open and would value your input, either in this thread or by message.

Thanks