working out vs starvation mode

kabini
kabini Posts: 9
edited September 18 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I work out every single day and usually burn between 700-1000 calories during my workouts (over 1 hour of straight cardio stuff) So, I was just wondering if the calories you burn by exercising count in the "starvation mode" thing. I know this site counts them...but I was just wondering. I typically eat fairly normally....around 1400-1500 calories a day, but with my exercise if you subtract the calories I burn it puts me WAY below what the site recommends. Any advice on this would be appreciated! :flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • So, I work out every single day and usually burn between 700-1000 calories during my workouts (over 1 hour of straight cardio stuff) So, I was just wondering if the calories you burn by exercising count in the "starvation mode" thing. I know this site counts them...but I was just wondering. I typically eat fairly normally....around 1400-1500 calories a day, but with my exercise if you subtract the calories I burn it puts me WAY below what the site recommends. Any advice on this would be appreciated! :flowerforyou:
  • you should be eating the calories that you burn. so if you burn 500 calories you have those calories to consume as well.
  • Thats what I don't understand either! Let me know if you figure it out:smile:

    -Danielle
  • mjj79
    mjj79 Posts: 415 Member
    you should be eating the calories that you burn. so if you burn 500 calories you have those calories to consume as well.

    I understand the theory behind this, but not all diets have you eat extra calories for exercising. How do people lose weight n them? also, what happened to the old "calories in calories burned" formula. Will a couple hundred calories really make a big diff? If so why is it that you can also get diff. calorie reccomendations from diff places.

    PS NOt "attacking" your answer, I just really don't understand this either. I don't ever add in the calories earned from exercising. (Of course, I'm NOT losing weight either:ohwell: )
  • I'm in the same boat you are...with my workouts I burn around 1000-1200 daily...and I never come anywhere close to consuming those calories plus the 1500 I'm supposed to be netting daily for my 500 calorie deficit. I think in order to keep the metabolism going as strong as possible...you have to be as close as you can to getting your net calorie goal daily.
    For some of us that means eating double what we usually do! I struggle with it, I never come anywhere close.
  • mjj79
    mjj79 Posts: 415 Member
    Ok, here I go again. Does anyone else find it strange that OVEREATING is what got most of us here, yet we are all struggling eating "ENOUGH" calories now. It just doesn't make sense to me. THe temptation when I'm not losing is to cut my calories back. It's just so hard for me to believe that eating MORE could help. Is there anyone out there who can testify to the fact that eating more calorie helped you lose weight? I'm desperate to get off of the 8 month long plateau.
  • carajo
    carajo Posts: 532 Member
    Okay i am totally with you guys!! I haven't lost a single pound (in fact i think i have gained a few) since christmas....which is when i got a treadmill, so i have been going to the gym and running EVERY day, it is SO discouraging!! My workouts have gotten much more intense, and i read everything about eating the extra cal. so i did and still didn't lose anything! Plus i felt sick because i was eating like 2500 cal!!! I eat totally healthy, fresh foods 99% of the time so what gives????
  • mjj79
    mjj79 Posts: 415 Member
    AAAAAAAAAAHHH! Someone help us please!!!!:sad:
  • Eliyan
    Eliyan Posts: 115
    If you're only burning a couple hundred calories while working out, it's not going to make a huge difference if you don't eat them, but when you're burning 700 -1000 calories a day, you should definitely be eating some of them, at the very least.

    Take into consideration that the site gives you a 500 calorie deficit already, meaning the calories it tells you to eat before exercise calories is already 500 under what you need to maintain your weight. Add to that the 700-1000 calories you're burning, that's 1200 - 1500 less than you need, which could definitely put your body into starvation mode.

    I'd reccomend that you eat so you don't feel hungry. Don't force yourself to eat them all if you're not hungry, but definitely try to eat some of those calories you're burning off, you'll still be putting a lot less calories in than you need/are putting out. You'll still lose a lot of weight, but without it being risky.

    Hope that's helpful.:smile:
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
    I'm feeling the same frustration! Prior to Jan 5th I would guesstimate my caloric intake to have been around 2300+, and I was walking 3 times per week for 30 minutes and 1-2 days of strength training.
    Now I consume 1400-1900 calories per day and burn about 300 calories 5 days, 700-1000 2 days.
    I am doing both intense cardio and strength training. I do consume some of the "extra" calories, but not all that they recommend, because so many other diet plans say I should aim for around 1500 with a high activity level. I have not lost weight. I don't know what to do!
  • rheston
    rheston Posts: 638
    This site offers you general guidelines to losing weight in a healthy manner and it should be consider just that, "a guideline." so I have to disagree with eating to the limit accumulated to the level you work out to achieve a balance in your health.

    It's been my personal experience that you eat to the level you originally targeted prior to working out. You only add a little more calories to your intake if you find yourself hungry between meals.

    If you eat only to the level you originally targeted (prior to working out) depending on your body fat you should see the weight drop off pretty steadily and it won't be "starvation" providing your not making yourself exist past the hunger pains.

    I'll use myself as a prime example. I started getting my act together on the 2nd of Jan with a goal of getting myself from 235.5 pounds back down to 180. My calorie goal was set to lose no more than 2lbs each week my daily calorie intake is supposed to be 1570 before exercising and with exercise I'm supposed to eat to 2100 calories. Very few times have I felt hungry between my eating plan schedule and I spread it out over the day and in between meals. I've managed to drop nearly 25lbs since I started, much more than 2lbs a week, by doing this and I can only assume that my body fat was a lot higher than I even realized.

    The computer program has twice now asked me if I wanted to alter my goals and habits and I've declined.... so far.

    I sincerely believe that the key to success here is to manage your calorie intake based on your body's demand for food and not because a computer program tells you to eat more.
  • thanks for the info, i guess it does make sense, i was eating because i had the extra calories, no because i was hungry. i thought hey i have 200 calories yet that i could have......hmmm...what should i eat. i think im going to change my thought process and see what happens.
  • Wow! SOOO many people with the same question ;) So, from what I gather, the b est thing to do is just eat normal, and only when I'm HUNGRY (not to force myself to eat the extra calories). I mean, seriously, for someone burning 1000/day exercising, they'd have to eat burger king for virtually every meal to consume the number of calories suggested! (not literally, but you know what I mean). So I guess I'll just keep doing like I'm doing. I mean, I am losing weight (15 pounds since Jan 8) but I just want to make sure I'm doing it the right way! :tongue:
  • what are you doing to loose 15 pounds?
  • Well my daily goal is around 1660 daily but I am eating my 3 meals and 3 snacks and I have not mananged to eat the complete 1660 yet and I have not even began to work out. I have saw some progress but along with the calorie counting I am following the South Beach regimen to make sure my body is getting what it needs.

    But for thoes of you who are confused about this whole calorie thing just drink a protien shake or bar to make sure you do not go into starvation mode. Like many posted it does not make since to burn them just to eat them because the goal is to loose the weight to consume less calories.
  • may_marie
    may_marie Posts: 667 Member
    hello all

    Just to mention this other thing i have noticed, when i work out on my stationary bike for 40 min it tells me i burned off 220 calories, however this site tells me that i should have burned off more then 3X than amount. Now could it be that the amount of calories burned showed here are more then what they actualy are ?

    what have been dividing by at least 2 the amount of calories that the site is saying that i am burning, for the bike and for other activities as well. i have been eating those calories for the most part and have lost over 8 pounds since jan 1st.

    who knows. i think the best thing is to try different thing and see what works best for you in the long term. good luck all !!
  • In response to May_marie, I would try other websites, as the myfitness pal asks you nothing about how fast you are going. you are obviously going to burn a lot more if you are going at a 4.5 mph speed for 40 min vs a 2.5 mph speed. Do a google search for "calories burned" or something like that. There is a site by the "LiveStrong" foundation that you put in your weight and how long you did it and it shows you based on varying speeds how much you should have burned off. I am about 200 pounds and 1 hour at a 5 mph jogging pace on the elliptical burns almost 800 calories (that's about 185-190 strides per minute), but slowing it down to even 170 or 175 takes that number down to like 650 because your heart rate never gets up fast enough to make it considered cardio. Anyways, what I did was find at least 3 of these calculators and ask them the same question (as in how hard for how long you worked out) and average it out between the three (unless one of them has a number WAY off from the others). Also, make sure the machine is letting you put in your weight before you start. the calories burned differs a LOT by what may seem like a small amount of weight
  • hello all

    Just to mention this other thing i have noticed, when i work out on my stationary bike for 40 min it tells me i burned off 220 calories, however this site tells me that i should have burned off more then 3X than amount. Now could it be that the amount of calories burned showed here are more then what they actualy are ?

    what have been dividing by at least 2 the amount of calories that the site is saying that i am burning, for the bike and for other activities as well. i have been eating those calories for the most part and have lost over 8 pounds since jan 1st.

    who knows. i think the best thing is to try different thing and see what works best for you in the long term. good luck all !!
    Maybe you weren't reaching your target heart rate while on the bike?
  • dulceluva
    dulceluva Posts: 728 Member
    You only get the starvation message if you eat UNDER your minimum calories...i.e. 1200 calories. If you eat 1100, you get the message. If you eat 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1200 and burn 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1100 and burn 700, you get the message :tongue:
  • garimac
    garimac Posts: 174
    If i only burn 300 calories a day I do not eat me extra calories.
    And when i do go over 300 calories i eat some of my extra calories but never all
    I also eat my extra calories by uping my prtion size to say 6 oz of fish from 4 oz
    or extra veggies or some fruit.
    I think if you are burning tons of calories you really need some extra protien
    I think if you are at your target weight you can eat all your extra calories.

    Thats what i do and i have been loosing 2 pound a week.
    Good luck
  • You only get the starvation message if you eat UNDER your minimum calories...i.e. 1200 calories. If you eat 1100, you get the message. If you eat 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1200 and burn 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1100 and burn 700, you get the message :tongue:


    OOOOOOH....I didn't notice that....hahahah...so basically if it says you need to eat 1200/day and you eat say, 1300 but burn 900, you are still good???? I never noticed that.
  • dulceluva
    dulceluva Posts: 728 Member
    :smile:
    You only get the starvation message if you eat UNDER your minimum calories...i.e. 1200 calories. If you eat 1100, you get the message. If you eat 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1200 and burn 1200, you don't get the message.

    If you eat 1100 and burn 700, you get the message :tongue:


    OOOOOOH....I didn't notice that....hahahah...so basically if it says you need to eat 1200/day and you eat say, 1300 but burn 900, you are still good???? I never noticed that.

    Yup. Because you've eaten your minimum calories. It is just your decision now whether you want to eat up all of those burned calories - I'd say some but not all
  • By no means am I a nutritionist, but I think the recommended calories is based on how quickly you want to lose weight. For example, I want to lose 1 lb/week so I should consume 1500 calories/day. If I wanted to lose 2 lbs/week this recommends I consume 1200 calories/day. The recommended extra calories from working out is to keep you on track with your goal to loose your weekly goal.

    With that said, I agree with what has been said earlier about consuming those extra workout calories if you feel hungry, but not needing to. I think it just means you can have those and still stay on track with your goal. However, I would add that if you are burning an extra 1000 calories you should eat the extras if your feeling hungry... you're in this for the long haul so you don't want your body to burn out too quickly!!

    :drinker:
  • The formula for losing weight is very simple: Consume fewer calories than you burn.

    for example: my body automatically burns approx. 1715 cals/day w/light or no activity
    If I consume 1200 cals/day
    ____
    that gives me a deficit of 515 cals/day

    515x7=3,605 cals burned per wk
    therefore I should loose 1.03 lbs/wk

    I could loose more by burning addt'l calories w/exercise:happy:
    Or consume 1715 and stay at the same weight :cry:
  • Every "body" is different. 1200 cals may be the bottom limit for some (petite people), but not everybody. Also, everybody burns a different amount of calories depending on their fat to muscle ratio ... the numbers on websites and machines are not accurate for everybody and just a guide. The more muscle you build the more calories you will burn in an aerobic and anaerobic state. The bottom line on weight loss is calories in vs. calories out, but the trick is not to get too stuck on the "numbers" because they are a guide. I see people thinking that 1200 calories is the magic number, but if you are 5'7" and weigh 200 pounds (just an example) you'd be starving your body at 1200 calories. I have a hard time believing that anyone that wants to lose a significant amount of weight (unless due to a physioloical condition) has a hard time eating enough calories. The tools section provides a calculator for BMR that can be used as a guide (not gospel) for minimum calorie intake per individual. I would aim for that number or slightly higher to keep losing weight. Maintenance is where you eat the calories that you burn. In short, keep on with the cardio and weightlifting ease up on the doughnuts and drink your water!
  • The way I look at it is the body knows how many calories it needs to sustain itself if you are below the 1200 calories per day your body starts conserving calories the body becomes more efficent. this is a guide line and every body is different because of medicial condition , body size and other variables. This is not a magical number but the lower you go I believe the more efficant the body gets. Working out allows you to keep eating at a healthy level while still losing weight. I also believe this is true but it also has limitation fatigue and the bodies need to rest will take over at some point again this is not the same for everyone age fitness level all play a role. I prefer to eat around 2000 to 2500 calories this keeps me feeling full and exercise between 800 to 1300 cal/day
  • krazykayzy
    krazykayzy Posts: 51 Member
    So, I work out every single day and usually burn between 700-1000 calories during my workouts (over 1 hour of straight cardio stuff) So, I was just wondering if the calories you burn by exercising count in the "starvation mode" thing. I know this site counts them...but I was just wondering. I typically eat fairly normally....around 1400-1500 calories a day, but with my exercise if you subtract the calories I burn it puts me WAY below what the site recommends. Any advice on this would be appreciated! :flowerforyou:

    OK....here I go....
    For those people who are trying to lose weight and BURN FAT....spending hours on the treadmill/stairmaster/elliptical machines is not what you want to do!!!!! Cardio is Cardio...meaning cardiovascular activity...meaning you are working your heart muscle. The harder/longer you work out the less fat you burn. Cardio activity burns sugar...not fat. It uses your immediate sugar stores (ie whatever you had for breakfast) and burns it to maintain your strenuous activity.

    Less intense exercise is more effective to lose weight/burn fat. Walking, SLOW jogging or SLOW stationary bicycling for 45 -60 minutes creates a slow but steady demand in your body for more energy and your body then taps into its fat stores for fuel.

    And as for how many calories to consume.....Your BMR should be your bottom line no matter what. You'll need to find a website that will calculate it for you. My body's BMR is 1480....meaning if I was to do nothing all day but breathe, my body would need 1480 calories to keep breathing, my heart pumping blood and my other organs functioning. Now...I don't calculate whether or not I've exercised into my calculations.....but I also don't worry if I go over by 100 or even 200 calories either. I use this site as a rough calculation of what I'm putting into my body (kinda holds me accountable so I don't go on a food binger!) So I usually eat between 1400 and 1800 calories and exercise as well and try not to make too much of a science out of it. I always lose weight this way (and if I stopped getting pregnant I'd keep it off!!!) I think (but don't quote me on this) if you always maintain whatever your BMR is regardless of how much you exercise you should be ok. This being said....you shouldn't be burning more than 300-500 calories per day by working out because then you're drawing on immediate energy stores and not fat.

    Also FYI....
    you should be drinking a minimum of 12 8oz glasses of water per day. Why? (because that's a LOT of water) Your kidney's rely on water to do their job of filtering out waste products and impurities from your body. With a water shortage the kidneys cannot function properly so they dump their workload on the liver...among the livers many functions is metabolizing stored fat into usable fuel for your body. If your liver is taking on extra assignments from the kidneys, its ability to burn fat is severely compromised. If less fat is metabolized, more of it remains stored and weight loss comes to a screeching halt.

    I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do or how to do it....I'm just passing on some of the information that I have come across (my sister's boyfriend is a fitness buff and trainer) if someone else can benefit from it then GOOD!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Always such an interesting variety of ideas on this subject!

    I eat the calories to within 200 calories of recommendation. I have maintained healthy weight loss, i.e. not stressing my kidneys, heart, liver, skin, eyes, etc. You need a certain amount of nutrients that your body is using just to stay alive, never mind the huge stress of adding more muscle. My trainer said HIGH LEAN protein at the latest 45 min after workout. Eat protein before workout. If you aren't hungry, substitute protein powder.

    Myfitnesspal helps you figure your BMR. Go to:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    Calories burned vary depending on your heart rate, your weight and your age during cardio-type work; AND the duration of that targeted heart rate. You must take your heart rate.
    ________________________________________
    HEART RATE CALCULATOR

    http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm

    (The following is a synopsis of the above calculator)

    Beginner or low fitness level . . .50% - 60%
    Average fitness level . . . . . . . . 60% - 70%
    High fitness level . . . . . . . . . . . 75% - 85%
    Now that we’ve determined and gathered the information needed, we can pull the information together in the Karvonen Formula:
    220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate
    Max Heart Rate - Rest. Heart Rate x Intensity + Rest. Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate
    For example, Sally is 33 yrs old, has a resting heart rate of 75 and she’s just beginning her exercise program (her intensity level will be 50% - 60%.) Sally’s training heart rate zone will be 131-142 beats per minute:
    Sally's Minimum Training Heart Rate:
    220 - 33 (Age) = 187
    187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
    112 x .50 (Min. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 131 Beats/Minute
    Sally's Maximum Training Heart Rate:
    220 - 33 (Age) = 187
    187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
    112 x .60 (Max. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 142 Beats/Minute
    Periodically, take your pulse during your exercise session to gauge your intensity level. Typically, the easiest location for taking a pulse is on the side of your neck, the carotid pulse. Be sure not to press too hard on the carotid artery or you’ll get an inaccurate reading. Count the number of beats, always beginning with zero, for 6 seconds (then multiply by 10), or for 10 seconds (then multiply by 6) to get the number of times your heart is beating per minute. If your pulse is within your training heart rate zone, you’re right on track! If not, adjust your exercise workload until you get into your zone.
    Ratings of Perceived Exertion (Borg Scale)
    Another method that can be used in conjunction with taking your pulse is the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE). This is a subjective method that allows you to rate how hard you feel you’re working. RPE can be the primary means of measuring exercise intensity if you do not have typical heart rate responses to graded exercise. These people include those on beta blocking medications, some cardiac and diabetic patients, pregnant women, and others who may have an altered heart rate response.
    On a scale of 0 - 10, rate how you’re feeling in terms of exercise fatigue, including how you feel both physically and mentally. You should be exercising between an RPE of 4 (somewhat strong) and an RPE of 5 or 6 (strong). Use the following table to determine the intensity level:
    0 . . . . .Nothing at all
    0.5 . . . Very, very weak
    1 . . . . .Very weak
    2 . . . . .Weak
    3 . . . . .Moderate
    4 . . . . .Somewhat strong
    5 . . . . .Strong
    6
    7 . . . . .Very strong
    8
    9
    10 . . . .Very, very strong (Maximal)

    The Talk-Test Method
    Like the RPE, the talk test method is subjective and should be used in conjunction with taking a pulse. The talk test is quite useful in determining your comfort zone of aerobic intensity, especially if you are just beginning an exercise program. If you are able to talk during your workout without a great deal of strain, you’re most likely in your comfort zone. Work at an intensity that allows you to breathe comfortably and rhythmically throughout all phases of your workout. This will ensure a safe and comfortable level of exercise.
    __________________________________________

    Good luck, everyone. This subject is the heart of these community boards, and is debated probably once a month. Don't be a slave to the scale. I haven't lost weight recently, BUT I have lost an entire size in pants and blouses without losing weight. I'll take my new body and the food! :tongue:

    ~Cheryl
  • melathon
    melathon Posts: 246 Member
    Just to chime in and I'll try to keep it short:

    I started the year at 203 lbs (and miserable:frown: ) and am now 188 :happy: and I just started using this site on Jan. 14. I am by NO means an example but I have to think that I'm doing something right. This is just what works for me. I've had a couple REALLY big calorie splurges (1600 cals in one meal and over 2000 in another , 6 days apart!) and for some reason I'm still losing like mad. Whatever's going on, I want it to continue! I'm going to continue to eat all my calories, including ones earned by exercise, because that's what MFP has told me to do and it seems to be working wonders.

    By the way - they didn't make it particularly clear on the show, but isn't this what happened to Jillian's team on The Biggest Loser? They didn't eat enough and stopped losing weight, despite the fact that they were doing Jillian's horrendously intense workouts.

    Just my $.02! :wink:

    PS I also recommend weight training - I know some people do just cardio but for me, building muscle has really helped me rev up my metabolism and I couldn't lose without it.
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